《Bloodmoon Destiny》 BD: Chapter 1 - The Seed of Dreams This is my second story that I am posting on RR. I currently have my own website, and post all of my content there 1st or exclusively. This is my second "long" story that I am starting, and seeing as I originally got my start on RR I will post my chapters on here as well. This story will likely go on a while as I see a long road for it in my head. I will naturally post my chapters on my website (www.9tribulations.com) first, but I will also post the chapters afterwards here. Comment: This story is (in my opinion) very different from my first (which is on-going) as the main character and feel of the story will be very different. Therefore, those that like one may not necessarily like the other as while some of the themes/genres will be the same, the content, feel and lead characters will be different. Release schedule: 4-5 Chapters per week. (5 for the a while, as I will post this much as while the ideas are really fresh in my head and it''s easy to write). ________________________________________ Chapter 1 ¨C The Seed of Dreams Eastesp City was a small subset of ¡°Eastern¡± city. It lay on the outskirts of the border between the city and long fields of space near the wilderness. Today was one of the busiest days of the city, a long anticipated tradition where young children with starry eyes would come to learn what fate had in store for them. It was the date of the yearly Blood Awakening Exam. Everyone in the city, whether it be those in power & money or the villagers living day to day with little to show for it had an unbounded excitement. Whether they had children or not, this was a form of free entertainment as everyone was excited to see if a legend would be born from their humble town. Everyone in the continent would be tested at age 10 to see whether they had a special ¡°Bloodline¡±. In the Moonlit continent everyone had the possibility of containing a special ability within their blood. A bloodline that could be traced back to ancient times. Strangely enough, it had long been found out that not everyone would be born with the same ability if any at all, even within the same families. Therefore, at age 10 everyone was to be tested. These bloodlines contained one of two powers. Either the inherent bloodline of some other beast or creature that allowed a person to utilize special abilities and if trained to an extreme, even shape-shift to their bloodline¡¯s form or the utilization of ¡°Sprit Power¡±. Spirit power was deemed equally as important as a bloodline, and although it seemed to come from a bloodline, it was later determined that anyone could have spirit power, regardless of whether they had a special bloodline or not. Those with spirit power were considered especially useful, as although their ability and worth may not always come to be as practical or useful as those with bloodlines, researchers were constantly trying to learn and further their understanding of sprit power. Spirit power could allow humans to do extraordinary things! From directly being able to control another living thing to being able to cripple or kill a creature with solely their minds! These were of course only the most basic utilizations of this power too. The main reason why sprit power was deemed so amazing, is because it was discovered that those with spirit power could later fuse or change the inherent power of their bloodlines if they possessed one. Turning a powerful bloodline even more powerful, a normal one even stronger, and even left for the possibility of turning a useless bloodline into a mighty one! It was just past dawn but the streets were already filled with lookie-lous and parents impatiently awaiting for the ¡°Soul Tower¡± to be opened, for their children to be tested. This would be the day that would determine the fates of a lot of these children. A powerful bloodline would allow a child a bright future, spirit power being discovered would mean no more troubles for that family for the rest of their lives and no bloodline at all would mean a child would either be doomed to a mediocre life or an eternal uphill struggle in order to make a name for themselves. ¡°Hey daddy! Daddy! Daddy!¡± a young little girl with long lashes and short hair screamed for her father¡¯s attention.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What is it sweetheart?¡± her father replied in a gruff voice. ¡°Do you think Haru¡¯s bloodline is going super-super amazing?¡± she asked in a tender tone as she glanced over at her brother. Her father glanced over at her as he held her hand before looking over at his son. His son that he was so proud of. He was quiet and obedient, he constantly received praise from the neighbors on his son¡¯s demeanor and good looks. Standing there beside him without a care in the world, his own concerns seem to ease ¡°I¡¯m sure your brother will give us a wonderful surprise.¡± A young 10 year old boy as standing beside them looking as calm as spring air. A languid expression with deep dark eyes that seemed like deep pools containing limitless depth. If one managed to look past his exceptional demeanor, they would notice the pool of water down his back which betrayed his calm demeanor. Inwardly, a panic was seizing him as his heartbeat rang out of control. He couldn¡¯t even hear his sister¡¯s conversation with his father as it was all drowned out by the loud thumping of his heartbeat and his own inner voice screaming ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay! It¡¯s going to be okay!¡± The young boy had a head of medium length wavy black hair, some of which came down past his forehead to his eyes. He was the same height as other boys his age, and he didn¡¯t seem fat or skinny, but his face was held features that even some women would be a little jealous of. He was pretty with soft skin, but you could tell it was only due to youth. He seemed like a spitting image of his father, except time would soon mold these pretty features into handsome ones. His common clothing did nothing to detract from his looks, and with his easy going demeanor despite the occasion it made others who were around him not help but take notice. ¡°Will big brother have spirit power?¡± the little girl asked. Her father couldn¡¯t help but glance over at his son again. He knew it was questions like these that could put an exceptional burden on a child his age, but looking at his calm look he couldn¡¯t help but be ease up. His son looked unflustered and didn¡¯t seem to need his protection ¡°He¡¯ll do wonderfully. Whether he was has spirit power or not. Your brother is going to become an amazing man.¡± There was no line, all children were recorded at birth. All those who had already turned ten this year would soon be called up. It was near the end of the year so all children who turned 10 this year would be called. ¡°Haru Seishin!¡± A teacher yelled from the front door as a student walked out with a heartbroken expression. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now Haru! Go on up, and just do your best!¡± His father said while pushing his back a bit. ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Lily the little sister yelled out for Haru. The instructor heard Lily and turned to look at them, his stern and cold demeanor momentarily melted when he saw Lily''s adorable smiling face. It took him a moment to recompose himself before finding it a bit odd he would be moved by a child. He was far too used to this job, whether joy or sorrow he''d seen it all from every child that walked through these doors. Haru moved forward step by step. There was a calm to his step which gave him the appearance that nothing now or around him was pressuring him. As if he was taking a leisurely stroll through a garden when secretly he was forcing his legs forward one step at a time. ¡°Follow me.¡± The teacher gave Haru a quick once over but due to the number of children to already come through the doors and the number left to be examined, there was little sympathy or expectation in his gaze. He merely wanted to get through this exceptionally long day ahead of him. Walking through the small path inside of the first floor of Soul Tower Haru anxiously contained all of his trepidation and focused on moving his legs one step at a time. Focusing on the most minute of things was the only thing keeping him together. Soul Tower was the one building in each city or sub-city designated for those with spirit power who aimed to become Magicians and for those with bloodlines who aimed to become Bloodline Warriors. It was a special place all yearned to enter due to its splendor both in name and what quality of the items and people inside, but only those qualified or a child on the blood awakening exam could ever enter. The teacher briskly led the both of them to a small room on the first blood with a small chair. The chair was purely black with not a hint of light reflecting off of it. ¡°Take a seat¡± Haru followed the instruction and sat down keeping his eyes on the teacher who wrote something down and then left the room. Only moments after leaving the room a middle aged man wearing a green robe that featured a crescent moon emblem on his heart entered. Haru had received most of his education from home, except for the one year of public education all children received from ages 9-10. He always paid attention in class and was fairly bright, without a moment passing Haru knew this emblem meant this man was a Magician. Magicians were highly regarded wherever they went, their abilities incredible and mystical and they were a rare breed. The man didn¡¯t even need to speak for Haru to already hold him in high regard. This was the reason that Haru pushed past his anxiety and spoke up first ¡°Good morning sir.¡± The magician cracked a small smile ¡°Stay seated. This¡¯ll only hurt for a moment. Understood?¡± Haru nodded while his anxiety was only building. He wasn¡¯t scared of the possible pain, his anxiety was purely there due to his overwhelming desire to help his family. He loved his father and mother very much. They were hard workers with little to fall back on, and Haru wanted nothing more than to one day be able to give them a better life. He instinctively knew without needing to hear what everyone around him was saying, that this was a crucial moment in his life. It would determine how much value he would have to his parents, how much help he could give them. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to begin.¡± BD: Chapter 2 - Bloodline Awakening Chapter 2 ¨C Bloodline Awakening Haru sat nervously in that black chair as the man slowly approached him with a large orb. He watched it anxiously but didn¡¯t move a muscle until the man was right next to him. ¡°Put your right hand on it¡± is all he said as he handed the orb to Haru. Haru looked at the orb dubiously, wondering whether his palms were so sweaty that he might drop it. He grasped it with both hands. The orb was simply too large for his small childish hands. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Haru¡¯s patience was walking a thin rope as he wanted to ask ¡®Now what?¡¯ unable to stop himself from voicing his thoughts ¡°Excuse me, what¡¯s ne-¡° His sentence wasn¡¯t finished before he felt a prickling pain on each one of his finger tips! ¡°Ouch!¡± his scream loud as he instantly let go of the orb. The pain was registering but the moment he let go and the orb was falling all he could think of was whether he would get in trouble ¡®Oh no it¡¯s going to break! I¡¯ve ruined it!¡¯ The orb fell to the floor with a loud ¡®clank¡¯ and Haru¡¯s gaze followed the orb only focusing on the fact that it didn¡¯t seem to have broken. He anxiously lifted his gaze to the man next to him only to find that he was calmly looking at Haru without a care in the world. As Haru gazed down at his fingers he saw a prickle of blood on each one of his finger tips and without even a chance to think about anything he suddenly felt a loud ¡®throb¡¯ coursing through his entire body. His gaze losing focus. Everything in his surroundings seemed to melt away as his senses heightened but out of focus. He could feel his organs, his blood flowing, his heart heating against his ears and suddenly all he saw was red. He wasn¡¯t seeing it but he could feel it as if a picture was forming in his mind. Inside of his mind a small snake, a tiny barely larger than worm, snake opening it¡¯s eyes for the first time. He could feel a faint weakness from that tiny creature and it felt like it was him. His mind switched places and suddenly he found himself in the body of that tiny creature surrounded by an unknown space and a confusion enshrouded him¡­ But even within that confusion there was an unmistakable pride, a faint strength that didn¡¯t seem to belong to this world much less to that tiny creature he found himself. A strength that simply didn¡¯t belong. If he were able to focus at all, he would notice the red blood on his finger tips turning a faint barely noticeable shade of silver before re-entering his fingers and the small needle-prick wounds closing up miraculously. Haru felt as if he was about to pass out and his body was leaning forward and nearly out of the chair as a hand grasped him in place giving him a moment to catch his barings. ¡°Congratulations. It seems you have a bloodline after all.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Haru¡¯s thoughts finally stopped racing as that strange fuzzy sensation that had overwhelmed him seemed to recede as a warmth spread from his shoulder through his entire body. It took him a few moments to realize what had happened and gain his barrings and even a few seconds longer than that to register those words. Instead of feeling pride all he could feel was a weight lifted off his entire body and a large smile forming on his lips before an unmistakable giggle escaped his lips. Moments later that giggle turned into a full blown laugher that he couldn¡¯t mask at all. ¡°hahahaha¡­.¡± As he struggled to contain his laughter his eyes wandered over to the instructor next to him and he couldn¡¯t help but notice the strangely smug smile on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Go ahead and laugh young one. You deserve to feel a sense of pride at this moment! Moreover¡­ Your blood held a trace of Spirit Power! It seems there is mana in your blood! Congratulations¡± a smile was held at the corner of the mans lips. He waited a few moments for Haru to calm himself down ¡°Now tell me so I can note, what is your bloodline related too? As much detail as possible.¡± He already held a notebook in his hands and his eyes betrayed his expectations. Haru felt a little embarrassed but he didn¡¯t lie, he already knew that a person¡¯s bloodline was bound to be revealed sooner or later, it wasn¡¯t something that could be lied about ¡°I saw a small snake. It wasn¡¯t very large and the red covered my view so I couldn¡¯t truly make it out the color either¡­¡± Even now Haru was still flushed, his skin exuding a faint red hue. There a light hint of steam being exuded from his body and only now did he begin to notice. Haru¡¯s eyes flashed and the instructor; mistaking his expression for fear, chimedin¡°That¡¯s just a normal side effect from a bloodline being stirred into awakening. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± It was then that Haru noticed the change in tone from the man. There was no longer a joyful smile but rather an unbothered expression as if his time was being wasted. ¡°Have I done something wrong sir?¡± Haru couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°No. Low tier bloodline. You¡¯ll have to work hard if you want to make something of yourself.¡± Was all the man said. These instructors did nothing but go to various cities and undergo the awakening process for children across the continent. Their bonuses and special privileges were premised around finding amazing talents. Unfortunately, from this man¡¯s perspective Haru was destined to toil in an uphill battle. The description he gave of his bloodline was nothing short of meager and mediocre. Almost immediately after hearing it did he lose interest. Although Haru showed signs of having spirit power, it was also barely noticeable, not enough for anyone within the organization to take special note of him. He was above average, that was all ¨C which meant nothing other than he would live a better life than an average commoner. Haru could tell he was no longer being viewed with any regard by the instructor. He also had a vague idea that from what he¡¯d already said and seen himself his bloodline was not one to take note of¡­ But he still smiled with a purely genuine expression of happiness that wouldn¡¯t go away. His nervousness, his anxiety had already melted away the moment he¡¯d been told he had a bloodline. That was all he¡¯d wanted to hear, to hear that he wouldn¡¯t be a burden on his family. The moment he knew he wasn¡¯t worthless, that all he could ask for. ¡®So my bloodline isn¡¯t exceptional. Whatever! I¡¯ll improve myself one step at a time. From this moment forward, my parents will begin to look to me when they need help! I will finally no longer be a burden!¡¯ he thought to himself with his fists clenched already forgetting the earlier pain. Off to the side the instructor could see the silly smile on the child¡¯s face and although he no longer held any interest in him. He could tell this child was genuinely happy, he had no plans to squash that happiness ¡°Your parents will be proud. Now run along. Go back the way you came.¡± He said with a forced but encouraging smile as he continued to note down the information from the testing. Haru nodded and began to walk back the way he came. His foot steps no longer slow or burdened. His outward demeanor actually matching the joy he was feeling this time. BD: Chapter 3 - Family Burdens Chapter 3 ¨C Family Burdens Haru exited the building with a smile still tugging at the corner of his lips. Despite the demeanor the instructor had shown after telling him what he¡¯d seen in his ¡®dream¡¯, his spirits weren¡¯t the slightest bit dampened. It was routine that every year, those who had awakened a bloodline or soul power would then be invited to join the general kingdom academy stationed in their city. Every city in the continent had an academy whether small or large governed and paid for by the kingdom itself to nurture the future generations. Naturally those with a bloodline or soul power were the only ones to receive true benefits. Children had their first most basic/compulsory education from ages 9-10, at a general school which comprised of basic education. Getting the children who didn¡¯t already know how to read and write to understand the basics, along with teaching some basic history, geography and common sense information. These general courses during this one year also introduced the children to the possible professions available to them in the future, of course that was premised on whether they showed the adequate amount of talent necessary to succeed in that field. Most children would walk out of the Soul Tower either completely invigorated or utterly depressed resigned to mediocrity, but Haru was one of the rare exceptions. He had a bloodline and even a hint of soul power, but it didn¡¯t seem worth bragging about, but even so Haru walked out of that building with a calm about him that reflected the peace that had settled over his heart. Haru almost instantly noticed his father who had yet to move from the steps outside of the building ¡°Son, I didn¡¯t waver for even a moment!¡± Dillan¡¯s reassured and gentle voice stirred some interest from Haru¡¯s thoughts. As they began walking back to their home, with Dillan showing a prideful smile no matter where he looked, Haru asked ¡°Dad, are snake bloodlines bad?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but wonder now that some time had passed after thinking about the instructors reaction to what he¡¯d told him. Dillan¡¯s expression wavered for a moment before replying ¡°How could any bloodline be bad? Even the worst of bloodlines mean that you¡¯ll gain some advantage over a regular person. Besides, one of the assistants told me that you have spirit power as well! Do you know what that means! Your exceptional!¡± Haru wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. He didn¡¯t want to dampen his father¡¯s spirits. So he chose to say nothing at all for the moment. They continued to walk to their home, passing beautiful homes from one district to another until they reached an area where every home looked the same. Nothing stood out and sizes could only be considered small by any standard. Everything about this section of the city could only be described by one word: bland. Haru¡¯s family lived in a commoner¡¯s district. One of the main aspects of being a commoner, is that commoners were so easily identified as commoners due to their living standards. They all lived in the same type of home, with the same features, same amount of space, in the outskirts of any given city. There was nothing worth noting, nothing special and noting that made any of their home stand out from one another to show case their position in society. His father was a teacher, but an unappreciated one at that. He taught history and the basics of reading and writing. Although he had other skills to teach, he was a general teacher in an age where bloodlines were no longer particularly uncommon. Unfortunately only teachers with strong knowledge that could be used in war or those who taught at prestigious academies were valued and given some aplomb.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. His mother, Eve, was a housewife. She single-handedly took care of both of her children, cooked, cleaned and made sure that everyone in the home felt loved. Even if Haru and his sister had been born as commoners, they had grown up loved. Something that could not ¨C or at least should not be taken for granted. Their home was as simple as their neighbors, and their neighbors-neighbors. It was a small home with a small living room, two bedrooms, and one wash room with a small kitchen. While all the homes were small, some had only one bedroom, some two, some three, some even four. But the space was barely larger. ¡°You two are finally back! Are you hungry little Ru-ru?¡± His mother said in a gentle voice. ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± Lily replied for him. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll whip up some lunch for you two.¡± Even as she gave them a loving smile, she sent a probing gaze towards Dillan. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry mom. I¡¯m really tired *yawn* I¡¯m going to go take a nap.¡± Haru said already walking to his bed. Eve didn¡¯t try to stop him and just watched his back waiting for him to enter his room before asking Dillan ¡°How did it go?¡± with worry in her tone. Dillan only sighed ¡°He has a bloodline. He even has a wisp of spirit power but I feel like perhaps it may just be a cruel twist of fate for him to have been blessed with even a touch of talent with his ambitions.¡± Eve¡¯s eyes turned large for a second as she took those words in and digested them. For her son to have both a bloodline and spirit power could only be described as wonderful! It took her a few moments to inquire about the complete story about how both her husband and child could look so downtrodden despite the wonderful news. ¡°Ah¡­ So it¡¯s like that¡± Eve said with worry in her tone as she looked back to her son¡¯s bedroom. Lily was eating her lunch off to the side not a hint of worry or concern on her cute little cheeks, all she could think about was the delicious meal before her and gobbling it all down. After being told her son had some sort of snake-type bloodline her eyes had shimmered. Any sort of reptilian bloodline could only be considered rare among rare. Bloodlines were divided into common, rare, variants and higher tiered. Anyone with more than a common bloodline would normally be destined for greatness far above the norm, but as she heard he possessed a snake bloodline with a description of a miniature little worm her heart felt like it was being clutched and squeezed. Concern filled her as she understood that her child was both blessed and cursed. He was given something rare and yet all but likely worthless. Bloodlines of underdeveloped beasts or creatures were almost always considered worthless as the amount of treasures necessary to evolve them to something useful was far too much for any person to accumulate. Moreover, they rarely paid off in the long run so no one invested in people with these bloodlines. She already knew before today that her child aspired to be someone incredible. He wanted to stand above all and be a shining beacon for humanity and at the tender age of 10 his dreams had been dashed away, or so she thought. Haru on the other hand had not asked to go to bed because of some form of depression. He was truly exhausted. After days of worrying to no end whether he would possess the most basic qualifications, spirit power or a bloodline the lack of sleep and eating had taken its toll. Now that he¡¯d found out he did not have to abandon his dreams, all of that weight had melted away and all he wanted to do was rest. He could finally rest. ¡°He seems so heartbroken. He seemed like he was in a daze, and aside from asking one question. He didn¡¯t say much else on the way back, he just kept looking up at the clouds.¡± Dillan said to Eve. They were discussing him outside of his room. ¡°Will he be okay? This must¡¯ve been a huge setback for him.¡± Eve replied. As a mother her heart was in pain thinking about how her only son was probably feeling right now. ¡°Let¡¯s just let it be for now. We won¡¯t put any pressure on him, and we¡¯ll let him come to us. This was a big day, and he¡¯s going to have to make some big choices about his future in the up coming days. If he decides to go to one of the intermediate military academies on the government¡¯s tuition, we will follow his lead. But¡­ If he decides to go into a specific trade. I¡¯ll figure something out and get a second job if I have to. We¡¯ll support him completely! Our son will grow up to be amazing man.¡± Dillan¡¯s voice slowly took a reassuring tone. He was both reassuring his wife and himself. ¡°Yes.¡± Was all Eve managed to say. Noticing his wife¡¯s demeanor Dillan continued ¡°We¡¯ll follow his wishes. So long as my child has a dream, I will do whatever it takes to help him accomplish it!¡± Eve finally looked over at Dillan with some of her worry dispersed, as she remembered why she loved this man before her so very dearly. ¡°You are an incredible man, do you know that?¡± Staring at his wife¡¯s loving gaze Dillan kissed her as he savored her every feature ¡°Only because I have you right by my side.¡± Inwardly he was praising his luck at having such a beautifully wonderful wife and a child with promise. On the other side of the door, Haru had already fallen into a deep sleep. His entire body was stock still, but his mind was wriggling about with an uncomfortable feeling of being invaded by some foreign entity. BD: Chapter 4 - Abnormal Condition Chapter 4 ¨C Abnormal Condition Sweat pooled on Haru¡¯s body and before long his entire body was covered in a layer of sweat due to a high fever. It was only until Eve and Dillan were going to put Lily to bed that they noticed Haru¡¯s abnormal condition. ¡°Oh my! What is happening to Haru!?¡± Eve soared no thought and immediately ordered the half-sleepy Lily to bring cold water and towels to soak on Haru¡¯s head. Her yell immediately awoke the half-sleepy Lily to attention as she noticed something was wrong. ¡®Mommy never yells at me¡¯ she thought to herself as she ran off to do as she¡¯d been told. Dillan was next to his wife but his gaze was strange. Something like this was extremely rare and he¡¯d never heard of such a situation before. It took him a few minutes before he came to his senses. ¡°I¡¯ll go get a doctor!¡± Running out of the house, his concern was at an all time high. ¡°You¡¯re going to be alright Ruru. Nothing is going to happen to you.¡± Eve dabbed his sweat away and placed cold towels on Haru¡¯s forehead and constantly kept changing them. Lily sat off to the side with her knees up against her chest. She was far too young to understand what was happening but she could clearly tell that something was very wrong and tears glimmered in her eyes. Before long, Dillan had come running back with a doctor in tow. His breath ragged from the running, but concern was the only thing on his mind ¡°Please doctor! Help my son!¡± He grabbed Eve and held her off to the side as the doctor got down and began examining Haru. He was careful not to move him and only touched him superficially. He was trying to be very gentle, as to not make the boy¡¯s condition any worse. After a quick examination he was too ashamed to say that even he didn¡¯t understand or know what was wrong with Haru. He could only sternly look to the side and tell the truth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Dillan asked. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Not sure. This is beyond my expertise. I¡¯ve never seen this happen.¡± He shook his head, and recommended they not move him or touch him for fear it might agitate Haru even further before taking his leave. He hadn¡¯t been able to help so he didn¡¯t ask for remuneration but that didn¡¯t ease Dillan or Eve¡¯s expressions in the slightest. ¡°What¡¯re we going to do! Tell me Dillan!¡± Eve asked her voice starting to crack. Dillan stood there quietly gazing at his child, seemingly in turmoil as he made up his mind. ¡°I¡¯m going to go speak with Erith.¡± He finally said with a voice filled with determination. ¡°Erith?? Won¡¯t they find us then?¡± Eve asked with concern but didn¡¯t move or speak to dissuade him. ¡°It¡¯s the only choice. Only he might be able to help. If they find us, they find us. We¡¯ll think of a course of action then. Right now only Haru matters.¡± Eve nodded in his direction and watched him leave the house before turning back to Haru and continuing to monitor his condition. The deep red hue on Haru¡¯s body began to darken even further as the time passed by. It turned a darker and deeper shade of red until his body was faintly red. Even with his fair skin, his blood could be seen under the surface. His heartbeat was rapidly increasing; there was faint thumping of his heart that could faintly be heard in the room. The more it increased the more Eve worried, it was clearly abnormal. Reaching at least three times a normal heartbeat. Meanwhile, Haru¡¯s mind was reaching an even deeper level of sleep, as his consciousness stirred in a trap of his own making. In his dreams, Haru found himself in a river of blood so vast and wide that his sight could see nothing else. Originally he was peacefully floating above what he¡¯d believed to be red waters, but then suddenly he¡¯d felt as if he¡¯d been pulled down to the depths of what he discovered to be blood. He could see nothing past in his sight, the deep red blood covered everything in his view. He struggled desperately as he felt himself drowning, desperately clawing to get to the surface. Only finding himself sinking deeper and deeper into a hellish abyss. A great wave of pressure crushed himself, it felt like a great beast was squeezing every part of him. It was only as he felt himself succumbing to his fate that he realized he could still breathe. It was as if he was just fine, above the water, but he was clearly not. He could feel himself being swallowed even deeper but he¡¯d already come to the realization that he would be fine as long as he didn¡¯t struggle.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Instead of struggling, he gave in. Gave himself completely over to this suffocating feeling of power completely out of his control. ¡°Mmhmm¡± he felt himself losing consciousness within his own dream but he could just faintly hear the small sounds. A voice or sound of something. He suddenly felt like ants were crawling all over his skin despite being underneath waters. It felt nonsensical but he felt it all over his body. Then a slight pinch at the base of his neck and before he could even think about it. ¡°Ah!¡± He cried out as he jumped up in his bed abruptly. The memories of his dreams evaporating almost as suddenly as his mind came back to reality. He breathed heavily. There was a faint pounding of his own heartbeat in his ears. Fear. He felt fear. Fear¡­ and comfort. Once his fear slowly died down he could feel a comforting feeling spreading through his entire body as he looked down and saw so much sweat covering his body. It was only then that he noticed the red eyed expression of his mother sitting by his bedside. Her hair a total mess and concern and anxiety written all over her expression. ¡°Uhm¡­ What¡¯s wrong mom?¡± Haru¡¯s blinking eyes showing a bit of confusion and concern. Dillan and Eve stared at their son who seemed completely fine experiencing completely different reactions. Eve immediately began checking his forehead and back making sure his fever was gone. Dillan on the other hand already felt like everything was fine. One look at his son and although he couldn¡¯t be certain what was wrong, he was sure that Erith was right. Although he was primarily just content and relieved that everything was fine¡­ A small part of him felt helpless at the thought that everything would have resolved themselves without him jumping to conclusions. ¡®It would¡¯ve all been fine. And now¡­¡¯ ¡°*sigh* no point in thinking about it now.¡± Dillan couldn¡¯t help but whisper. Right next to him Erith couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Hah. What¡¯s done is done brother. Let¡¯s go talk in the living room. We have much to catch up on!¡± Dillan smiled and after giving Haru one last look, followed behind Erith who had already left the room. Haru sniffed at the air smelling something awful and then realized it was himself as his eyes widened ¡°Oh! Mom I need to go take a bath!¡± ¡°Fine¡­ Go ahead. Just be careful.¡± ¡°Be careful? What¡¯re you talking about mom? Is the soap out to get me now ehehe¡± Haru smiled at her and ran off. ¡­ Half an hour later Eve called at Haru rebuking ¡°Hurry up and put some clothes on. You¡¯re going to freeze and catch a cold if you stay in there for too long!¡± She walked in and pinched her little man on his cute little cheeks before throwing him a towel and walking away to finish preparing food. After walking away, she couldn¡¯t help but think to herself that his skin seemed even more pale and fair and previously dark eyes far more clear. Instead of worrying, she thought back to his happy and clear gaze and felt comforted instead. Even she herself didn¡¯t realize how odd she was feeling and how her worry and concern melted away far too easily. After dressing himself and walking out into the living room Haru finally noticed how the sky had already turned dark as he wondered whether he had actually slept the entire afternoon. He also noticed the strange man in the living room jovially speaking with his father. A man he¡¯d never seen before. Dillan noticed him and beckoned him to come over ¡°Come over here son, there¡¯s someone you need to meet.¡± Haru walked over and sat down beside his father as his gaze inspected the strange man sitting across from them. Before he could even greet his guest his stomach growling in greeting for him as Erith broke out into laughter ¡°He¡¯s got quite the appetite I bet! I would too if I¡¯d slept 3 days haha.¡± Haru instinctively nodded before thinking about the second half of that sentence. ¡°Three days?¡± Dillan nodded at him ¡°You must have been really tired¡­ You slept for 3 days after we came back from the Soul Tower.¡± Dillan then proceeded to explain the concern and worry they¡¯d gone through the past three days and Haru could only sit there in a daze with a bashful expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you worry¡± he said with his head down. ¡°Haha¡­ Don¡¯t worry. You did nothing wrong silly boy.¡± Dillan reassured him. Hearing Haru¡¯s stomach growl again he started pushing him away ¡°Get food, and listen to us speak while you do.¡± Haru went and grabbed some of the food his mother had already prepared and came back to the same seat. ¡°This here is your uncle Erith.¡± ¡°My uncle?¡± ¡°Haha. Not by blood, but your father and I are sworn brothers. He would do anything for me and I would do the same for him. If you are ever lucky enough to meet and form a friendship like that with someone else in your lifetime then that alone could be considered a great task.¡± Erith laughed. Lily eyed him from the corner of the room, she still hadn¡¯t said anything but she¡¯d already been informed that Haru was fine. In fact before he¡¯d even woke up, Erith had come up with a theory as to what was happening to him. Considering the friendship he had with Dillan, after hearing him out he came to believe him almost completely out of instinct and trust. Even so, finally Lily couldn¡¯t help but start bawling. ¡°Brother you¡¯re so bad! How could you go and make Lily worry like this!!¡± she said while putting her hands to her eyes and trying to stop the tears from pouring out. Haru felt like he¡¯d done something terrible. Even more so then he¡¯d felt before when his parents had told him how worried they¡¯d been. He¡¯d already finished eating most of his food so he walked over and hugged his little sister ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lily. I promise you that your big brother will never make you worry like this ever again. Okay?¡± Haru stared into his sister¡¯s eyes and genuinely meant those words. Haru pointed at the food on the table. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have some food?¡± Lily just shook her head. ¡°I promise it¡¯s really really delicious¡­¡± Peeking from behind her hands Lily whimpered then sniffed and asked ¡°Really delicious?¡± ¡°Really delicious.¡± ¡°You promise?¡± Haru nodded and watched as his sister¡¯s pink rosy cheeks revealed her dimples as she smiled so brightly that it made his heart warm. BD: Chapter 5 - First Rate Education Chapter 5 ¨C First Rate Education After cheering his sister up, they both began gobbling up their food like it was the most delicious meal they¡¯d ever had. It only until everyone was done and had seconds and thirds and in even fourths that Dillan finally asked Haru something that had slipped his mind in his concern but had come back to him now, ¡°Son, I want to know what you want to do.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you want go and receive classes for a bloodline warrior as well as the spirit classes, or do you want to take regular classes?¡± Dillan asked with a stern face. As stated before, inbetween 9-10 years old children had their first year of general education. After their awakening ceremony, the government and different factions assessed a child¡¯s potential and whether they were worth nurturing. A child and his family also had a better picture as to what their child could and could not accomplish. Therefore, intermediate schooling was held for 3 years for free to the general public. These classes encompassed a little bit of everything, introducing children to different professions as well as a lot of general but important knowledge. Everything a person would need to get by in life, of course due to this being free education, there was little emphasis on specialties and teachers taught at whatever pace they desired. Those that were truly smart managed to learn and those that weren¡¯t could only ever fall behind by the wayside. Parents could pay to have their children enter better academies for intermediate schooling but the burden that placed on most families would be impossible for almost all commoners to shoulder. Children with a bloodline or spirit power would be allowed to take special courses. These special courses had less children per class, better teachers, better resources and were also paid for by the government. It could be considered a first-rate education equal to what the best money could buy for a child without a bloodline or spirit power. Except for those who possessed a bloodline or spirit power, they were entitled to the full 6 years of intermediate courses! Something commoners could never afford! Commoners would begin their practice of a trade at 13-14. It was as clear as night and day the treatment that those with a bloodline and/or spirit power compared to those who didn¡¯t received. Haru answered with no hesitation ¡°I want to become a bloodline warrior!¡± was all he said, but inwardly, ¡®I will become strong. For all of us!¡¯ Dillan continued ¡°Your bloodline won¡¯t be valued. You have spirit power, but its low. Barely there, likely no one will help you on your journey, and you¡¯ll have to start from the very bottom to work yourself up. You¡¯ll be behind everybody else. Is this really what you want to do?¡± No hesitation ¡°Yes!¡± Dillan waited a moment before nodding and giving him a warm smile, ¡°Since this is your choice, your mother and I will support you in your decision. Just know, that if the burden becomes too great, just let us know and we will figure something out for you. You are never alone, you¡¯ll always have us son¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Lily piped in from the side with her adorable little face. ¡°Then¡­ In a few weeks¡­ You¡¯ll begin practicing swordsmanship with your uncle Erith.¡± ¡°Swordsmanship?¡± Haru¡¯s eyes lit up. His father had grown up telling him tales of different warriors, battling with special powers to different weapons. The sword had always appealed to him, but due to the importance of Bloodlines, he¡¯d always had that one objective. Instead of being downtrodden, he was excited at prospect of learning swordsmanship! ¡°Yes. Erith is well regarded in this field. You will learn from him. I want you to prove to me that you have the determination and will power to walk down the road of your choosing. If you can get his approval, and become his disciple. Then I will do whatever it takes to make sure you succeed as a bloodline warrior!¡± Haru¡¯s eyes lit up and he readily agreed.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The rest of the night went by quite quickly and soon the kids were put to bed. Haru could almost not contain himself. He thought himself lucky that even if he¡¯d slept for three days at least it hadn¡¯t been four. The next morning came and sky revealed a blue hue with clouds of different shapes. ¡®It¡¯s a wonderful day!¡¯ Haru woke up in great spirits. Today would be his first day attending intermediate courses at the best academy Eastesp City! The intermediate academy run by the government. Haru dressed and ate but couldn¡¯t contain his excitement. ¡®These will be the first three years of education that will pave the way for me!¡¯ Although intermediate education would be six years for a bloodline and/or spirit possessor, after three years they would have the opportunity to be tested and possibly be moved to a larger or more prestigious academy. Therefore, the first three years truly did set the foundation for a child¡¯s future. Due to his now changed status. Haru would be attending a different academy then the one from the previous year. He would be attending the direct Eastesp Intermediate Academy instead of the small one he¡¯d been at before. Dillan walked his son to the academy gates before giving him some last minute advice and leaving him to begin his journey. Due to his status, A teacher was already waiting for him at the academy gates to welcome him as a new student and all the other new ¡®talented¡¯ students. Aside from receiving a better education, those with a bloodline and/or spirit power would not only receive the same education as those who didn¡¯t, but they would also split their times in lessons that revolved around knowledge regarding bloodlines and/or spirit power, their uses, professions regarding them, and how to harness and use their own abilities as well as grow them! Haru watched as more and more children arrived. His father had wanted them to get there early, so he¡¯d shown up before most of the students. Before long, everyone had arrived. There were 28 new students for this class. 8 of which possessed spirit power. It was a larger class than usual, most new classes averaged around 20 new students. Most of the children were timid. It was only those with fancy clothes that seemingly came from a good background that were usually outspoken. In fact most of the students in the new class seemed to come from good families. It only made sense that those with bloodlines would usually intermingle with others with bloodlines. Over time, it was no different than speaking of those who have wealth. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Eventually one of the students with simple clothes was the first to speak to Haru. ¡°So, what¡¯s your bloodline?¡± A lean boy about the same height as Haru asked him with some hesitation. Everyone was the same age, and all of them were brimming with excitement to learn about the wonderous world they lived in. Haru proudly answered ¡°Snake type bloodline.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes grew large before looking a little more timid ¡°That¡¯s rare¡­ I have a fox bloodline.¡± Haru¡¯s eyes widened ¡°Ooooh! That¡¯s really good! What can you do???¡± The hesitation in the boy¡¯s eyes lessened ¡°Nothing yet. But my moms and dad have the same bloodline. They have super fast reflexes. Really good speed too.¡± Haru nodded with excitement. All of the students were currently discussing their bloodlines and their abilities if they had any. It was clearly what they were all most excited about. Haru already knew that perhaps his bloodline was nothing to brag about, so he chose not to take the initiative to speak with anybody else. He just let the boy introduce himself as Will and then prattle on about his family. Even as they all shared about themselves, Haru was feeling more and more invigorated to become a bloodline warrior ¡®I¡¯ll definitely succeed!¡¯ The more he heard about everybodies bloodlines, the less inferior he felt compared to them. He began thinking that perhaps the instructor from before had jumped to conclusions. After all, none of these bloodlines seemed extraordinary at all. Soon they were all herded into their classroom and the teacher introduced himself. ¡°Good Morning children. I am your primary teacher. You can call me teacher Linlin. I¡¯ll be teaching you everything that the ordinary students don¡¯t have a right to learn. That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll be teaching you about bloodlines and spirit power!¡± He gave all the children a few seconds to get their ¡®oohs¡¯ and ¡®aahs¡¯ out of the way and calm down a bit before continuing. ¡°As you all know. A bloodline is an incredible thing. It makes an ordinary person gain the possibility to become extraordinary. Therefore, those of you who don¡¯t want to share your bloodline with everyone that is fine. Those that do, that is fine as well. There is no particular harm in sharing, as it will never truly be a secret as all teachers in any of your schools will have this information. It won¡¯t be too hard to find out for somebody. Of course, there is some benefit to keeping it to yourself, so I won¡¯t force anybody to share.¡± ¡°Today is merely your first day. I will be explain the different classifications for bloodlines and some basic information. I will then, as I will after any lesson. Allow for questions and answers. I will teach you all to meditate. Those with spirit power will need to do so in order to increase their power, capacity, control, and develop abilities. Those of you with bloodlines will never truly need to do so. But let me tell you now. Every great bloodline warrior that has ever existed has acknowledged that without proper meditation they would never have truly synced with their bloodline and discovered the secrets within!¡± Everyone was on the edge of their seats. Even if the teacher were talking about making eggs everyone would be paying close attention. It was the first day and everybody was anxious to learn, like a new sponge soaking up water, this was the time they were most willing and interested to digest new information! ¡°First let me begin by telling you, that bloodlines are categorized into different ranks. Embryonic, Common, Rare, Variant, Legend, Myth, Unique These seven ranks were slowly established overtime to grade all bloodlines. Now I know you all have a lot of questions, so let me just answer some of the more obvious and common ones. Their ranking 1-7 doesn¡¯t mean their ranked from worst to best or vice versa. Each rank means different things and can encompass a vast range of possibility! A common rank bloodline such as that of a wolf can be more powerful or useful than a myth creature with worthless attributes or ability. Although a case such as that is extremely unlikely, but a case such as a common bloodline being better or more useful than a rare one happens quite often.¡± ¡°Teacher! I¡¯ve never heard of some of those rankings!¡± A commoner student yelled. Linlin looked right at the student as if the world had ended scaring the student into sitting up straight. ¡°First off. No interrupting me in my class. Second of all, you raise your hand when you have a question. Understood?¡± ¡°Ye-yes!¡± the boy yelled suddenly too scared to even remember what he¡¯d asked. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know¡­ What you just asked is one of the more commonly asked questions. After all, those who come from families without any bloodlines might not know this common piece of information.¡± The teacher smiled while taking a glance at each and everyone of them. BD: Chapter 6 - Meditation Chapter 6 - Meditation Embryonic, Common, Rare, Variant, Legend, Myth, Unique Linlin continued ¡°Of course this much makes. What some of you may know, is that two you for example¡­ Could both have common rank bloodlines but be valued with a difference of heaven and earth!¡± The children who were highly succeptible to changes in tones much less these hard truths were instantly shocked. ¡°Let me give you an example¡­¡± Looking down at his list, he seemed to survey the information before continuing. ¡°If two of you had common rank bloodlines, but one of you had a wolf bloodline and one of you had a pig bloodline. Well there¡¯s little that has to be said. Wolf bloodlines are highly respected and valued by the government. It¡¯s not due to their voracity, or battle power¡­ But one of their innate abilities that *all* wolf bloodlines have. Those with a wolf bloodline will easily unlock the ability to create or enter and then communicate mentally even across vast distances with any of those in their ¡°Pack¡± The children¡¯s eyes were shining by this point and one of students even valiantly raised his hand. The teacher gave him a quick glance, but due it being the first day and the child following his instruction he chose not to ignore him ¡°I can only guess you want to know about special abilities?¡± The child nodded while forgetting to put his hand down. This was something most people had a vague idea about, but without proper instruction could only speculate. ¡°I¡¯ll get to that. Just as I¡¯ve just described one of the abilities of a wolf. Let me tell you, not once in the history of our continent has someone been born with a pig bloodline that has turned out to possess a special ability. It is the equivalent of trash or worthless bloodline. In fact, I was once in school with another student with a pig bloodline and we used to have a running joke because he worked so hard to stay skinny ¡®Keep putting weight, that way you¡¯ll taste better once we roast you¡¯ it was a little cruel¡­ But I just want you all to understand the harsh truths of this world.¡± Linlin was being cruel, but it was also his only form of mercy he had for these children. Looking at the list, he¡¯d already found a student with what he considered a worthless bloodline. Instead of allowing this child to wallow in self-delusion and be inflicted emotional and physical torment Linlin thought it best to burst that bubble now. These children were still young, only 10. This was still the perfect age to pick the most suitable path for a child, resources could be wasted but time could not. ¡®Time is the only thing these children will never get back once it¡¯s gone.¡¯ He thought to himself as he gazed at them. ¡°Now, the basics. Embryonic bloodlines are those so weakened, that it can barely be considered a bloodline. A ¡®bloodline¡¯ is a peak existence hiding within your cells, waiting to intermingle in your blood. Once it fully awakens, your bodies will change into those that ordinary humans can never compare with. Whether in terms of speed, strength, endurance, agility, tenacity, these are all forms of superiority which a normal person at his peak will forever be at a disadvantage by. An embryonic bloodline is a bloodline not at its peak, at its infancy, watered down and weak. Even if it mixes and awakens completely, what you will gain will never truly surmount to much.¡± Without realizing it he had already glanced at Haru as he finished his sentence. Linlin considered himself professional so once he did, he immediately glanced away and gave a few students a few long hard looks. ¡°A common bloodline can be good or bad, useful or not. It is only referred too as common because it can be seen quite often amongst those with bloodlines. It also means these are bloodlines from beasts that will likely have high numbers in the wild. A rare bloodline is much the same, good or bad, possibly useful. It¡¯s rare, less seen, less common. In some cases valued higher. A variant bloodline is perhaps the type of bloodline with the most range. It can range from worthless to extremely powerful. It is a mix of different creatures creating something usually recognizable but unique in its own way. These are usually much more highly valued by the government and factions due to the worth they¡¯ve shown in the past. Some of the greatest heroes of our country have been those with variant bloodlines! Lastly, I won¡¯t say much about legend and myth bloodlines. In your lifetimes you will likely never come across anybody with one of these. They are virtually never seen. I¡¯ll leave it at that.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The children were digesting this information as one of them remembered the previous words and whispered ¡°What about Unique?¡± Linlin¡¯s ears pricked up but he did not berate the child. He hadn¡¯t actually interrupted or yelled ¡°That is not something you need to know about.¡± The child¡¯s eyes widened as he shut his mouth. Everyone in the class had a cold shiver passed through them as they instantly wondered just how good their teacher¡¯s hearing was. The rest of the day passed by quietly as Linlin explained to them how they would progress for the next three years and the type of information they would learn. He also explained to all that those with spirit power would have the option of focusing solely on training their spiritual power through meditation and had the option to skip bloodline physical courses, meant to strengthen their bodies and improve their speed and endurance. Spirit power is what dictated whether someone walking down that path would succeed, at such a pivotal point in these young children¡¯s lives they would naturally be given the opportunity to focus on this one thing if that was their choice. Later on after going through a basic introduction to their education. Linlin finally began showing the children how to meditate. What positions would normally work best, how to enter a meditative state, what to do afterwards, and most importantly. For those talented enough to enter into a meditative state within the next few weeks, how to then recreate the same sensation and do it again. It wasn¡¯t too uncommon for a student to get lucky, enter a meditative state, lose focus and not be able to do it again for a very long time. Thus it was important to cover all of this before letting them all try. ¡­ *sigh* ¡®Talent is indeed truly rare¡¯ Linlin thought to himself as he watched the children put their best effort into meditation, but some of them directly fell asleep, others were too anxious, no matter where he looked, everybody was just failing to live up to his expectations. ¡®This kid isn¡¯t even trying! Worthless is worthless.¡¯ Linlin thought to himself as he passed Haru was staring at the ground while sitting down, deep in thought. ¡°That¡­ That is most likely why the instructor dismissed me. It¡¯s because I probably have an embryonic ranked bloodline¡­ Does this mean I won¡¯t be able to become a bloodline warrior after all?¡¯ Haru¡¯s mind was in turmoil. It was a far greater setback than it was initially. Now there was far less pressure on himself, and he also had a better understanding of his situation. In his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but consider his options. He even doubted himself for a moment before resolving his will ¡®No! I¡¯m going to become a bloodline warrior! So what if I don¡¯t get as many benefits as others? I¡¯ll still succeed! I¡¯ll just work harder than anyone else!¡¯ ¡°Haru is it?? Focus. Someone in your position should be putting in more effort if he wants to have any hope of not failing.¡± Linlin passed by Haru and although he didn¡¯t whisper, he kept his tone low. The classroom was pin-drop quiet and so, quite a few students heard his harsh words. Haru¡¯s gaze slowly lifted until he made eye contact with Linlin not a single shred of doubt in himself at that moment. Linlin was the first to break their gaze. ¡®Psh. Put up a strong front now then why don¡¯t you.¡¯ Shaking his head, he walked away. Haru finally at peace with his thoughts paid no attention to his teacher¡¯s words. Closing his eyes, he let his mind wander. He wasn¡¯t positive of what he should be doing, but unlike the other commoner students, he already had an idea in mind. He started trying to focus on the sensation from before, from his dream. Even though it had all but faded away, something about it has inevitably stirred strong feelings from within him. After only a few minutes Haru felt a strange feeling overcoming him. It felt similar to something he¡¯d experienced before. Being swallowed up, except it was happening to him willingly. He could himself floating in a sea of blood but his body was limp and his mind calm. Haru¡¯s eyes were closed but he felt like he could see everything going on around him leaving him confused but at peace. ¡°Class is over. You may all go now.¡± Linlin said loudly, but the children had already sprung to their feet before he¡¯d finished the words. ¡®Enthusiastic about leaving?¡¯ There was only one child still sitting down in a cross legged position looking utterly at peace. ¡®Faker. But, at least he¡¯s trying¡¯ Linlin thought as he walked up to him and put his finger on Haru¡¯s forehead ¡®Let¡¯s see what you do now¡¯ Linlin pushed Haru with his finger and without even as so much as the slightest bit of effort Haru¡¯s body crumbled backwards waking him up ¡°Wha-What?¡± Haru was suddenly completely alert. His mind was even slightly disturbed at being recalled so suddenly. Linlin¡¯s eyes widened as for a brief moment he wondered whether Haru had truly been meditating. ¡°What did you just experience¡­?¡± Haru hesitated for a moment as he thought about the sea of blood and whether that was normal or not. He already knew that if he said such a thing to his mother she would probably worry. ¡®Plus¡­ The teacher didn¡¯t mention anything like that before¡­¡¯ finally Haru made up his mind. ¡°I was floating in a sea, it felt really peaceful. I felt like I was at peace¡± he said intermingling the truth with a lie of omission. Linlin¡¯s eyes widened so large that they were as wide as saucers. Even his mouth was slightly agape. ¡°You¡­ That¡¯s successfully entering a superficial form of meditation.¡± Haru¡¯s eyes widened a bit but not by much. After experiencing it for himself, he¡¯d already come to the conclusion that it must have been meditation. Moreover, he didn¡¯t quite fully realize what an amazing feat it was to enter a state of meditation on his first try. ¡°Have you meditated before? Did you parents teach you anything¡±? Linlin hurriedly asked. ¡°No.¡± Haru shook his head. Linlin¡¯s expressions changed various times before turning stern again as he got his surprise under control ¡®This kid¡­ He might be some type of genius.¡¯ BD: Chapter 7 - Spark of Brilliance Chapter 7 ¨C Spark of Brilliance Linlin¡¯s expressions changed various times before turning stern again as he got his surprise under control ¡®This kid¡­ He might be some type of genius.¡¯ Suddenly Linlin was reconsidering the opinion he¡¯d already formed of Haru. ¡®He has a worthless bloodline, and his spirit power wasn¡¯t even worth ranking¡­ But if his meditation is spirit based... Then perhaps he has some hope of becoming someone of note.¡¯ From Linlin¡¯s perspective, what Haru had just achieved was monumental. Even if it was a fluke, it would be enough for him to pay attention to Haru but if it wasn¡¯t¡­ Linlin had to admit that if it wasn¡¯t a fluke and he could do it again, then not only did it mean he might be able to catch up to some of the others in terms of spirit power. As he truly did have a pitiful amount¡­ It meant that his perception was likely monstrous, enough so that breaking through to the following spirit realms would be far easier and more realistic for him. ¡°Haru¡­¡± Linlin held his breath as he steadied his breathing ¡°What did you see when you meditated?¡± Haru¡¯s eyes sparkled but he was reluctant to answer. He was once again thinking about the possibility of what had happening being out of the ordinary. Most children in his situation would also normally be afraid of getting in trouble, so he stayed quiet. Linlin took his quiet lack of response completely differently. ¡®Perhaps he doesn¡¯t want to say? Does he want to keep it a secret?¡¯ ¡°Haru, there are only two things that people experience when they first meditate. When you were meditating, did you enter a world where you saw everything from a different perspective? As if you were living the life of another creature?¡± Linlin asked carefully. The method he had just described would be what people would experience when they had entered a bloodline meditative state. Regardless of how Haru answered, if he could enter another meditative state at will he could be considered as gifted or even a genius in terms of perception¡­ Haru hestitated for a moment and then shook his head. Linlin¡¯s eyes sparkled and he tried to keep his voice calm as he asked his following question ¡°When you were in meditation, were you in a strange world with little else in it. Everything clear and transparent? Floating without any sensation?¡± The worlds resonated a familiarity but clearly what Haru had experienced was only similar¡­ ¡®He just said there are only 2 ways so why was what I felt so different?¡¯ Just as he was about to tell the truth and honestly tell Linlin what he had seen and experienced, he felt a deep sense of apprehension. He himself didn¡¯t understand what that feeling signified but it was an instinctive reaction to danger. Before he could even think about that sudden feeling his mouth had already spoke for him ¡°Yes.¡± Linlin took a deep breath. When Haru had answered ¡®no¡¯ before he had already come to the conclusion that Haru was indeed a genius, but having him acknowledge suddenly made his assumptions a reality. ¡®This child will bring me great merits! I have to make sure he doesn¡¯t get taken away too early¡­¡¯ ¡°There are two forms of experiences when meditating because there are two types of meditation. One type is a form of merging and ¡®syncing¡¯ up with one¡¯s own bloodline. Experiencing slight glimpses with what an ancestor of that bloodline once experienced. Although most of the time they¡¯ll just feel a resonating throbbing, as if they were feeling something outside of their own range of thoughts and emotions¡± ¡°The other type¡­ Is the type that is harder to learn. Once learnt, for some it becomes second nature, for others it takes a while to get accustomed too. It is a resonance with mana. It is the type of meditation that those with Spirit power need to learn in order to grow. This is the type of meditation you just entered. You must work hard to try and remember that feeling and enter that state again as soon as you can.¡± Haru was nodding his head with a surprised but serious expression. ¡°Also¡­ Do not tell anyone about this for a while. You may tell your parents but no one else. Otherwise some people may cause a fuss which will be detrimental to your growth. You are still far behind the students here. You must work extra hard if you want to catch up to them, understood?¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Yes teacher!¡± Linlin¡¯s young and high pitched voice cut through the air. Although he was young, there was a faint seriousness that most children his age lacked that suddenly seemed to appeal to Linlin making him think that the child before might bring him many more surprises. ¡°Very well, run along.¡± With his first day over, Haru¡¯s eyes shinned bright. The day had brought him many unexpected surprises. He had gained far more knowledge that interested him in this one day then he had in the past year of classes at his former school. He¡¯d received a huge shock and let down once he gained a better understanding of his bloodline, only to be surprised that he have already understood how meditation might possibly work. Although Linlin didn¡¯t explicitly tell Haru how big of an accomplishment it was, he¡¯d already paid enough attention in class to know it would normally take them at least 6 months to 1 year if they were talented. His father and Lily were already waiting for him outside the gates to pick him up. He was once again quiet on the way back, but Dillan didn¡¯t push him into conversation. He was worried that perhaps he¡¯d had the set back he had been expected since he¡¯d found out about Haru¡¯s bloodline, but Haru¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t out of focus and forlorn, there was a spark that gave him a look of self-determination that forced Dillan into a contemplative state. Lily on the other hand had been speaking to them the entire time about the candies she most wanted to eat. ¡°I want the cherry one., the blueberry one, oh oh! I also want the green one! The green one is the bestest!¡± None of them noticed that from the very start they had received a lot of strange stares from the people in their surroundings, with someone following from behind until they reached their home. When they returned home, Haru immediately went to his room and quickly went over everything he¡¯d learned in class today before deciding to give meditation a try again. Haru sat straight up in his bed, with his legs crossed trying to calm his breathing and thoughts. Returning to tranquil state of thoughtlessness and focusing on only the memory and feeling of what he¡¯d experienced that afternoon. He subconsciously felt his heart beat slightly faster and faster, and this form of excitement would normally prevent a person from being able to meditate but he felt an instinctive feeling it was the exact opposite for him. The more excited his body seem to grow, his heart beating faster and faster the more at ease his mind became. He started feeling the minute changes in his body growing incredibly clearer until he felt himself being swallowed up by that sea of blood again. ¡­ When submerged in this sea of blood, Haru could only feel. It was only as he grew more accustomed to the ¡®feeling¡¯ of floating that he started to notice he couldn¡¯t smell, he couldn¡¯t really see, as his eyes were closed, with his head partially submerged into the blood as his body floated he wasn¡¯t sure if he could barely hear his surroundings or whether there was nothing to hear at all. It became clear to him that the only sense that truly remained was his sense of touch. He could feel everything on his skin, and within his body. The blood very gradually seemed to become thicker, heavier, as it pressed on his body. He immersed himself in that feeling until he was stirred awake by something. He came to his senses to find Lily yelling in front of his face ¡°Brother! Why couldn¡¯t you hear me! I said the food is ready! It¡¯s dinner! It¡¯s dinner!¡± Haru starred at her unmoving, not because he wasn¡¯t shocked but because for a few moments after coming back, he felt his body, every single part including his tongue and lips so unbearably heavy he simply couldn¡¯t react. It was a near suffocating feeling, that seemed to suddenly go away. It left him a little breathless and anxious but in front of his smiling sister he could only smile back ¡°Okay... I¡¯m coming.¡± At the corner of the room Dillan stared wide eyed at his son. When he¡¯d heard Lily yelling nonstop he decided to come in and find out what was going on only to be caught jaw-agape as he realized his son had successfully entered a meditative state. From his very expression, it would seem clear to a knowledgeable person that he seemed to recognize the importance of such a deed. ¡°Haru. Did you just enter meditation?¡± Dillan wanted to confirm. ¡°That¡¯s right dad! It¡¯s the second time too, I more or less managed to do it once at the academy too. Even the teacher seemed a bit impressed. See! I¡¯m definitely going to become a powerful bloodline warrior! You just wait and see.¡± Haru said with renewed vigor, pride clearly evident in his voice. Dillan was startled as he considered Haru¡¯s accomplishment ¡®In only one day, my son managed to grasp the key to meditation? My son¡­ He¡¯s definitely talented in the area of perception. If only¡­¡¯ Seeing his dad look at him with such surprise made up for the bit of disappointment Haru had felt from his dad a few days before. ¡°Hah. That¡¯s great Ruru. It¡¯s only natural that my son¡¯s comprehension abilities would be top notch. Otherwise I¡¯d wonder if you were really mine haha¡± Haru smirked ¡°Of course! I¡¯m definitely of Seishin blood!¡± Dillan patted his son on the head. He could tell he hadn¡¯t praised his son enough these past few days. ¡°Being talented is a good thing, but one needs to know when to be humble. Managing to meditate on the first day can be considered quite the accomplishment, but you cannot let it go to your head. If you begin bragging about this, it will only lead to trouble. Do you hear me? ¡°Of course dad! Teacher said something similar too.¡± Haru smiled at his father. Soon after the entire family gathered to eat dinner. Haru¡¯s appetite seemed to have grown after his awakening. It happened for most children who¡¯d awakened their bloodline, but luckily for them Lily wasn¡¯t a glutton. She was picky, and was only a bottomless hole when it came to treats and sweets. After eating dinner and taking a bath, Haru said good night to his parents and began trying to meditate again. Although he felt apprehensive towards some of the feelings he had during and after meditation, he was determined to grow stronger. The only path open to him was to continue forwards and slowly gain insights into why he experienced a meditative state different than other people. BD: Chapter 8 - Cautious & Daring Choices Chapter 8 ¨C Cautious & Daring Choices Instead of meditating the entire night, Haru spent the night trying to understand what he¡¯d experienced a little better. Although he was still young and desired power, he wasn¡¯t a rash boy. He had been taught from a very young age the importance of patience and of taking everything one step at a time. One of his father¡¯s most favorite expressions was ¡°One must learn to crawl before he can run¡± and after hearing it time after time, the meaning had stuck with Haru. After giving his body and meditation much thought Haru had come to the realization that he could not figure out anything new, at least not by himself. He considered whether he should share his experiences with his parents, the people he trusted most. After giving it some thought, he decided against it. Haru recalled how his mother had looked so disheveled and filled with concern after he¡¯d slept for three days and the idea of making his parents worry like that again made his heart feel heavy. Haru went over his previous few experiences a few times and decided that regardless of how apprehensive he felt or how scary his meditation might have seemed¡­ He hadn¡¯t been hurt in any way. He hadn¡¯t noticed any changes, negative or otherwise. Therefore, he decided to proceed with another round of meditation. He entered that same state again with relative ease, surprising himself. He stayed floating in that pool of blood for what felt like days. At first he was alert, trying his hardest to memorize everything and feel everything. He wanted to be alert at the slightest feeling of danger. It was only after quite some time that he started to slowly ease up his guard. When he did, he noticed that his entire being seemed to be slightly enveloped, but instead of being scared, it felt pleasant. He decided to trust that he would be fine, thinking to himself ¡®This is a world of my own making. This is all in my head. I can¡¯t get hurt here. This is mine.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure if he completely believed himself or whether he was just trying to comfort himself but he made himself believe it. The less apprehensive he became the more connected he felt until he felt more and more at peace despite the eerie scene that would have terrified a normal child. At some point he finally felt a slight push. As if the blood filled sea itself was telling him to go. Acknowledging it as it was time to come back to the real world he opened his eyes and for the first time since entering a meditative state, he woke up without any negative feelings. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at his hands and legs. He was entirely covered in sweat again, but he felt fine. ¡®I feel fine¡­ No¡­ I feel amazing!¡¯ He slowly flexed his arms and then got of his cross legged position and hopped to the floor, doing a few jumps. ¡®So much energy!¡¯ he thought to himself surprised by his own body. ¡°Son, go take a bath and then come sit down with me in the living room. There¡¯s something we need to discuss.¡± It was only then that his father¡¯s voice awoke him from his own thoughts as he gave his dad an embarrassed grin. He quickly ran past him to get cleaned up. Dillan watched him go with a strange expression. The entire night had passed and it was already morning. Haru had meditated the entire night without realizing it. He only noticed as he passed a few windows and saw the sunlight surprising him even further. He decided to ask his teacher about it afterwards, and got cleaned up and changed as he came back to the living room as quickly as he could. Dillan said ¡°Haru, you¡¯ve chosen a prestigious path. Those who can attain high achievements as Blood Warriors or through their spirit. They can all create paths for themselves in this world. Through political connections or personal power, their options are open far and wide. It is an enviable life¡­ But it is also a thorny path to begin walking. If it were so easy, you¡¯d hear about a lot more people achieving success wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Haru partly understood and partly didn¡¯t. He nodded in response but his confused gaze gave him away.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Dillan smiled at Haru, saying ¡°What I mean is, those with the potential to succeed may be few and far in-between, but those that actually succeed are in the vast minority. There exists inequality in our world son¡­ Talent, potential¡­ They¡¯re simply not enough. People begin at different places, those born into houses of great lords or kings begin with a great advantage that isn¡¯t easy to overcome. You¡¯re walking uphill, but if that is your choice, we will support you.¡± Haru felt the weight of the words more than the meaning behind them. Even so, he was curious why his father was bringing it up again. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d said something similar in the past few days. ¡°The training, meditation, fees, guidance, resources ¨C all of which you¡¯ll need to achieve your goal are not small. Today after school, your father will bring you to meet with Erith and undergo your first day of training with the sword. Prove to me that you have the will power to succeed even when things are tough, prove to me you can overcome the obstacles in your way and your dad will work himself to death if it¡¯ll mean helping you if only a little more. In the end, we carve our own path in this world.¡± Haru¡¯s eyes misted a little as he thought about his dad working longer hours. These past few days he¡¯d come home early or taken time off but that was all due to the special occasions. His father was a teacher at Introductory school. He taught 9-10 year old children in basics. Afterwards, to make more money he would normally hold private classes and tutor some of the children. Thinking about his father working even more made Haru sad and guilty. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Haru responded, meaning it while thinking ¡®I¡¯ll do whatever it takes!¡¯ Dillan said nothing more as he gave Haru a look of love for his son that always tried his hardest no matter what. ¡°Get ready for school.¡± Haru nodded and did as he was told and quickly ran off to change into his school clothes. Eve walked over from the kitchen, as Lily was still eating her breakfast and having seconds. ¡®Where the food went inside that small little body of hers will forever be a mystery to me¡¯ she thought but then turning pensive as she reached her husband. ¡°Dillan are you sure about this? Haru is so young¡­ And Erith¡­¡± Eve looked at him with concern recalling memories from her past. Dillan released a long sigh. He looked older for a moment ¡°Erith has turned down every request he¡¯s ever received to train students. Whenever he¡¯s given a child a chance, the child was either injured or quit of their own volition. Erith is stringent to the extreme, but his swordsmanship cannot be questioned. He is the only one I can ask, and the only one who can give proper guidance to Haru without asking something recompense.¡± Eve didn¡¯t say anything because she couldn¡¯t. She was worried for Haru but she trusted Erith. ¡®I just hope that when he fails he won¡¯t be too heartbroken¡­¡¯ she secretly thought to herself. She had plenty of faith in her son, she just understood that Erith was strict. He was stricter on those he evaluated than his own teacher had been with him, and the odds of Haru gaining his approval were not even slim. Part of her was hoping he¡¯d fail and that he¡¯d have such a set back he would give up on his dream to become a bloodline warrior. The guilt for thinking and wishing for such an outcome made her feel like a poor mother but all she really wanted was for her son to be safe, healthy and happy. ¡®Why does he have to wish for so much. Why did he have to be born with so much ambition?¡¯ she wondered. That morning Dillan took his son to the academy and Haru went with high spirits. He was looking forward to a day at school and to the training afterwards. The prospects of learning a new skill was only fueling his excitement. That day he had ¡®normal¡¯ classes and was instructed on basic read/writing and historical subjects. Unlike some of the other children, there was a not a shred of boredom in his eyes. He paid attention diligently and took notes on everything. Haru was like a sponge in water, soaking up everything he could. His teacher even praised him in class for his demeanor and made him as an example as to how some of the other students should behave. At the end of the day Haru was surprised that it was his mother and Lily who came to pick him up instead of his father. ¡°Why have you come to pick me up instead of dad?¡± ¡°He has to work late tonight. So I¡¯ll be dropping you off with Lily and then picking you up afterwards.¡± Eve smiled at her son as she tried to fix his hair, only serving to embarrass Haru. ¡°I¡¯m fine mom! My hair is fine¡­¡± He said as he looked around, a little red in the face but happy no one had seemed to notice his mother¡¯s doting. ¡°No matter how big you get, you¡¯re my one and only son. You better remember that when you become some big deal warrior.¡± Eve chastised him with a smile. Haru rolled his eyes but smiled back at his mother¡¯s encouragement as they walked and made their way to his class. ¡­ ¡°There she is again. It¡¯s not just me right?¡± A young man in a hood who was across the street talking to a thickly built man asked as he pointed in the direction of Haru and his family. ¡°What are you talking rubbish for? You¡¯ve just been drinking too much. Don¡¯t bring this crap up again got it?¡± he said with some dissatisfaction as he walked away. The hooded man didn¡¯t pay the slightest attention to what the thick man had said, his gaze resolute. ¡®I¡¯m sure that¡¯s her.¡¯ He thought to himself as he wondered who else he could ask while maintain his inconspicuous air. ¡®If I let on too much, I¡¯ll only bring myself trouble¡­ I can¡¯t just talk to anyone about this. I need to play this smart. I¡¯ll bide my time and confirm my suspicious before talking to the lord.¡¯ ¡­ BD: Chapter 9 - Impossible Task Chapter 9 ¨C Impossible Task They walked towards a part of the city Haru wasn¡¯t accustomed too. He was looking around a little wide eyed as was Lily as they saw beautiful architecture and treats being sold on the streets. ¡°You know Haru. If it turns out to be too much, I don¡¯t want you to push yourself. Your well being is far too important, if it doesn¡¯t work out we¡¯ll find another way.¡± Eve mentioned in passing. ¡°Pshh. No mom, I¡¯m going to become strong and this is a great opportunity! There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll allow myself to fail.¡± It wasn¡¯t a huge city, but it also wasn¡¯t small. It took them over half an hour to reach their destination. It was a moderate sized one floor building. Unlike some of the ones around it, it didn¡¯t seem particularly special. In fact, it was the only one that looked plain ¨C a single sign hung on the door with four lines: ¡°Death is a result of the sword. This is a place of learning for the sword. Learning the sword means learning the art of death. Art can be found anywhere. Death can be seen everywhere.¡± Eve grimaced at the sign ¡®His sense of aesthetic hasn¡¯t changed.¡¯ Eve knocked on the door and held Lily¡¯s hand with one hand and Haru¡¯s with the other. They waited in front of that door for a few minutes before it opened and Erith stood there with a smile on his face ¡°You¡¯ve come. How good.¡± ¡°Uncle Erith¡± Haru called trying to appeal to his new teacher. ¡°Hahaha smart child. We¡¯ll see though.¡± He waved for Haru to come over. ¡°Be careful.¡± Eve said in a low voice. ¡°Of course mom.¡± Haru said as he walked inside, not noticing Eve¡¯s gaze as she stared at Erith. An unheard-unsaid conversation was had in that brief moment as Erith rolled his eyes and closed the door in her face. ¡°Will Haru be okay mom?¡± Lily asked looking up at Eve. ¡°Of course he will.¡± Lily said as an automatic response half forcing that belief onto herself. Lily was even younger than Haru but she was a bright child too. She could feel her mother¡¯s hand clenching hers slightly tighter, and took it as a sign of concern. ¡°Big brother is really strong! He¡¯s going to be okay mom!¡± Lily said with her high pitched voice. Eve smiled as she heard her daughter. ¡®My own daughter trying to reassure me. I need to do better as a mother.¡¯ ¡°I know what¡¯ll cheer you up mom! Why don¡¯t we go get sweets?? Hehe¡± Lily yelled with a wide smile. Eve rolled her eyes as she squeezed her daughter¡¯s little cheeks but didn¡¯t say no as they walked away. Her anxiety melting away at seeing her daughter¡¯s smile. ¡­ Erith gave Haru a glance before walking deeper inside, Haru decidedly chose to follow along. Along the short cooridor Haru came to realize that the entire building was not what he expected. Unlike most of the places in their surroundings, all of the large space taken up by this building seemed to be in this large open courtyard visible already. ¡®Wow¡¯ was all Haru could think as he briefly thought about how much this large chunk of space would cost. Erith walked all the way to the middle of the courtyard and sat down cross legged on a patch of grass. At the center of the enormous courtyard was a small garden area, that was very beautifully kept. It would be obvious to any passerby that it was well looked after and meticulously up kept. Haru came to stand next to Erith and stood still waiting for instruction. He wondered whether he should follow Erith¡¯s lead and sit down as well, and just as he¡¯d made up his mind and was half way to sitting down Erith spoke ¡°What is Swordsmanship?¡± Haru immediately stood up straight like a rod and racked his brain for the right answer before speaking with certainty ¡°The skillful use of the sword.¡± Erith gave a half-smile but it didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°A smart response. I suppose it¡¯s what any child would say in your shoes if they had some sense, but it¡¯s a mundane response. It¡¯s true but it lacks any thought. It¡¯s true, but it lacks soul. It lacks the essence of a swordsman.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Haru looked a little confused but he could feel a growing sense of alarm. Erith put his half underneath his chin to hold it up as he gazed away from Haru ¡°Your father is my brother. You couldn¡¯t imagine the things he¡¯s done for me and the things I¡¯ve done for him. There is little we wouldn¡¯t do for one another.¡± Haru felt as if he should be comforted by those words but that alarm in his head kept telling him something was wrong. ¡°He¡¯s my brother, but the sword is my way. It is my path, my choice, my way of life. I have had many people bring me diciples, each of which have disappointed me time and time again. I once refused to allow others to bring me their picks because I wanted my say, but after repeated failures. I had to concede this point in order to gain more options, even then I was disappointed. I told your father that I would teach you, and I will. That is, if you can prove to me that you are a swordsman.¡± It was then that Haru finally understood why he was feeling so alarmed. ¡®He doesn¡¯t want to teach me. He truly doesn¡¯t.¡¯ It suddenly sunk in that despite what his father had said, and even the words coming out of Erith¡¯s mouth¡­ The man before him truly had no intention of teaching him anything. It suddenly felt like something else was suddenly within his grasp but still so far, unable for him to reach. An overwhelming sense of shame and pain started spreading from Haru¡¯s chest and his eyes reddened but he didn¡¯t say a word. Erith wasn¡¯t looking at him but he could see the expression on Haru¡¯s face and a small twinge of disappointment started welling up inside of him ¡®Already he looks like he¡¯s going to break.¡¯ Taking a deep breath Erith stopped thinking and stood up. A sword appeared in his hands leaving Haru speechless wondering where Erith had possibly been hiding it. ¡°Watch.¡± Erith lifted the sword up with both hands above his head and then swung down with full force stopping the blade at his waist. Haru¡¯s mind went blank as he saw the huge gale resembling a whirl wind that Erith had just created with but a simple swing of his sword. There was no technique, no style, absolutely nothing amazing about that swing but the power was amazing. It took a moment for Haru to think about it and although he was still a child he quickly recognized that if just anybody swung a sword there wouldn¡¯t be such a huge effect without employing some sort of technique. The sword in Erith¡¯s hands disappeared as if it had never been there as he pointed with his thumb behind him ¡°On that rack are a variety of different swords. Grab one from the bottom rack and pick a place outside of the garden. Emulate my swing. I will correct you until you swing it correctly for the first time. Then I will leave you to your own devices. Your task is simple, swing your sword to my standard 1000 times.¡± Haru¡¯s face had lightened as he¡¯d heard Erith mentioning personal instruction until he¡¯d heard the words ¡®my standard¡¯ and ¡®1000 times¡¯ 1000 sword swings was not an easy task by any standard. This would be the amount of swings an experienced swordsman would do per day, and moreover the keywords in Erith¡¯s sentence were ¡°to my standard¡± clearly he wouldn¡¯t be letting Haru off with a mere childish sword swing. As a child of only 10 years of age, he was requesting something near impossible of Haru. It would be a miracle if Haru could swing one of the swords of the rack a 100 times. Unlike what Erith was expecting, his words had not dissuaded Haru but rather they had motivated him! Normally a child faced with an impossible task would take a heavy blow, enough so to lower their morale to the point where the improbable-impossible task would truly become impossible. Haru on the other hand was inwardly screaming for joy. ¡®I can¡¯t change my bloodline, but this is something I can do. This is something completely within my power to do. I will succeed with my own two hands.¡¯ Haru merely nodded in acknowledgement and walked towards the rack to choose his sword. There was no argument, and not even the slightest look of complaint in his eyes Ertih¡¯s eyes slightly squinted at Haru¡¯s unexpected response, but said nothing at all as he watched him carefully. Haru looked at the rack and wasn¡¯t sure if he was missing something. Every single sword on the rack, whether it was the bottom, middle or top looked the exact same! The length, the style, the width, the handles, every single one looked like a carbon copy of the one before it! Each single sword was straight, with a glint to each blade. The handles were all stock wood and they all seemed like the epitome of minimalistic craftsmanship. Looking at the swords that were seemingly all the same, Haru picked one up at the random and studied its composition. It was fairly long for him at about 20 inches for just the blade, but he could tell it would be considered a short sword for a man and not a child. Haru felt the weight of the sword and although it didn¡¯t feel heavy, it was certainly not light. ¡®Heavier than I thought¡¯ it was the first time he¡¯d held a sword in his hands. Haru picked a second one up to compare and realized he couldn¡¯t feel a single different. Considering the weights were the same and there was little choice in the matter, he wasted no more time and kept the first one he¡¯d picked up and walked outside of the garden. Erith followed and sat at the edge of the garden watching Haru. Haru took a stance as he adjusted his body and tried to recalling every detail of what Erith had done earlier. After adjusting his balance, he lifted the sword above his head and brought the sword down with all his strength until he felt himself losing control and having the sword smack the ground. Haru¡¯s hands were trembling and he still felt the shock from the impact going through his muscles ¡®So much slower. So weak¡¯ was his first thought. He was mentally comparing himself to Erith and couldn¡¯t believe that there was such a difference, but that shock immediately faded away. ¡®He¡¯s a master and this is my first time picking up a sword. How can there even be a comparison? This is just the start for me.¡¯ Erith was about to chastise him when he noticed Haru going through a range of emotions in the blink of an eye as he almost instantly steadied himself and calmed down. There was no shock in his eyes, only thought. Erith couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak as he continued to watch. Haru continued trying to swing the sword but every single time there would be huge a vast difference, in his control and power. Haru must have swung that sword over 40 times as sweat was already pooling on his forehead and back, but still he hadn¡¯t made a sound. ¡®What incredible technique¡­¡¯ It took 40 swings for Haru to realize the vast amount of technique necessary to merely swing a sword without recoil, without fault, with complete mastery of his own body much less the sword. After every single swing he would mentally recall the image of Erith¡¯s swing to his own and he didn¡¯t adjust, but rather learned. He was distinguishing the differences between himself, Erith, their swings, their bodies, their strength, technique. He was teaching himself! BD: Chapter 10 - Willpower Chapter 10 ¨C Willpower Erith was displeased with Haru. He¡¯d thought there was something possibly worth noting but every single swing he¡¯d taken thus far contained absolutely no changes. Even so, instinctively he felt there was something he was missing. The pensive thought in Haru¡¯s 10-year-old eyes were something that left Erith with a sliver of expectation. None the less, Erith¡¯s lips quivered, and his eyes even began to twitch with the passage of time. Every swing Haru made was grating to his eyes and ears. As a swordsman he found those with poor skill hard to look at, but Haru¡¯s seeming lack of talent made it all seem much worse. ¡®I was a fool to raise my expectations over nothing.¡¯ After a given period of time he decided to do as he¡¯d planned and began giving Haru some pointers but much to his aggrieved heart¡­ Haru seemingly ignored his words. ¡®He¡¯s not even paying attention to me? Is he here to play a game?¡¯ It was at that point that Erith no longer paid any attention to Haru. His mind had been made up. After witnessing Haru¡¯s poor talent and disregard for his advice there was no need to may him any heed. ¡®I will tell Dillan he is not suited for the sword.¡¯ He said the words to himself and no longer felt any guilt as he closed his eyes and began to meditate. Haru was not deliberately ignoring Erith but had fallen into a trance. His mind was solely focused on the image Erith had engraved into his mind of his previous sword swing. It¡¯s beauty and power were such that Haru couldn¡¯t help but keep swinging. Not because he was adjusting, but rather because he wanted to understand. He had subconsciously come to the conclusion that trying to adjust without any understanding would not yield him any results and had instead wholeheartedly focused on swinging and learning from the image and comparison. The image alone would not be enough, and so he swung to get a feel for the sword, for the moment when the momentum shifted and his body moved as he traced the differences between Erith and himself. Even meditating, his sensitivity to the sword prevented him from truly being at peace. He could sense every swing, and every single one was abhorant to Erith that caused his forehead to inadvertently frown ¡®How long is he going to keep this up?¡¯ The swings were beginning to make his skin crawl to the point that he considered telling Haru to stop preemptively, but as he was about to say something his inner voice told him to stop. The very reminder that this was Dillan¡¯s son was sufficient to force him to keep his mouth shut. He stayed still, and allowed Haru¡¯s swings to ¡®assault his senses¡¯. He stayed quiet suffering in silence ¡®I¡¯ll wait for the boy to tire himself out, once he does. That¡¯ll be that.¡¯ He told himself more for his own comfort than anything else. Erith was used to being alone, so he made his peace. Inwardly he wondered how long Haru would go on for ¡®Half an hour? An hour?¡¯ he pondered. *Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Swoosh* the sword of a sword cutting through the air would sporadically ring out in the courtyard. Haru continued to swing the sword, his body gradually becoming more and more exhausted. After two hours Erith was both beginning to grow a little surprised at Haru¡¯s perseverance and also complete lack of talent. ¡®He¡¯s swung that sword for two hours. That¡¯s already extremely impressive, but just as impressive is how he hasn¡¯t improved one single bit!¡¯Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. But¡­ Although he thought this, he¡¯d already been slightly moved by Haru¡¯s diligence. ¡®The boy lacks even a shred of talent in the sword, but his diligence isn¡¯t bad. Maybe I can refer him to another area of skill.¡¯ After nearly another hour even Erith had finally stopped hating the sounds of those sword swings. In the course of three hours they began to bother him less and less. Although his aesthetic as a swordsman and pride made him abhor those with poor talent at the thing he loved most, he couldn¡¯t help but admire the diligence of a child who could swing a sword made for a man for nearly three hours without a single rest or stop. Erith¡¯s previous contempt was slowly melting away with every swing. He didn¡¯t need to look at Haru to imagine how exhausted his body must have been feeling at this point. He himself had gone through harsher training, but the quality of the swings had not increased even the slightest ¡®Does he not realize how poor his talent is? What is driving him to push forward? A son of Dillan could not want for strength¡­¡¯ Nearly at the four-hour mark, all of Erith¡¯s contempt had turned into pity. Pity for a child he¡¯d grown to admire over the course of four hours. Four hours of hard work was something that few children can put in, even more so for those who lacked talent in a given field. Therefore, Erith was filled with pity for Haru who in his eyes was destined to fail regardless of the amount of effort he put into the sword. At exactly the four-hour mark, he resolved himself to help Haru find his true talent. Then suddenly the abhorrent sword swings stopped altogether. The crease on Erith¡¯s forehead finally eased as he calmed himself. He did nothing, thinking that he would give Haru some time to put himself together. ¡®Perhaps he¡¯s realized how poor his talent is himself and I won¡¯t have to state the obvious.¡¯ It was silent for a few minutes. Completely silent, to point where all that could be heard was the ragged sounds of Haru breathing which surprised Erith. He finally opened his eyes to look at Haru who had an utterly serene look of contemplation. Erith noticed Haru¡¯s lack of movement. His body was as steady as a rock, only the rhythmic sounds of his breathing and heaving of his chest gave his body any movement. As a master of the sword, he¡¯d long entered a state where patience could be considered one of his virtues. Seeing Haru in such a state, Erith stilled his entire being and continued to observe Haru. After about 10 minutes without even the slightest of movements, Haru opened his half-lidded eyes with a calculated look. His entire body exuded the concentration clear on his face as he suddenly shifted his stance to mirror Erith¡¯s previous stance almost exactly. It was more than just mimicking a simple stance, as Haru began lifting the sword over his head Erith suddenly saw and felt his own aura overlap with Haru as he brought the sword down in one swing halting it at his waist, a burst of wind burst forth from the swing blowing throughout the entire courtyard. If Erith¡¯s previous swing generated a gale turned whirlwind, then this one swing managed to merely create a breeze. A gentle breeze that made every single hair on Erith¡¯s body stand erect as his previously stilled body froze in that instant. Pure shock had frozen Erith in place as that previous swing contained a sliver of his own aura. It was as if he was seeing a piece of himself in Haru¡¯s swing. ¡°One¡­¡± Erith said under his breath without realizing it as Haru stayed frozen in position with the sword pointed forward at his waist. He hand¡¯t moved an inch after finishing that swing and Erith suddenly realized why as he moved forward without the slightest hesitation. In almost the same instant Haru¡¯s body crumbled to the ground without a trace of energy left in his completely exhausted body. At this point his sweat covered every inch of his body and his clothes were as wet as rags. He had pushed himself past his own limits and past the point of exhaustion as he¡¯d let himself be enveloped in his previous trance. Erith caught his body before he fell to the floor and possibly hurt himself. Even though Haru¡¯s body was drenched in sweat as Erith looked at him, his gaze looked absolutely absurd. He looked terrified as he held Haru¡¯s body as if he was holding the most precious thing in the world. It was at that moment, that unknowingly to everyone including himself. Haru¡¯s value suddenly became higher than even Dillan, his best friend in the entire world to Erith. <> BD: Chapter 11 - Spark of Brilliance II (Part 1) Chapter 11 ¨C Spark of Brilliance II Part 1 Immediately after taking hold of Haru¡¯s body Erith realized the extreme damage that had been done to his body. He had already been in disbelief by his ability to perform that last attack, but now feeling his muscles completely torn to shreds he silently contemplated the amount of damage that had to have been done before even beginning that last swing. A slight shiver of excitement shook Erith awake from his thoughts as he stopped looking Haru and began treating him. After laying Haru down, he immediately went to the garden, cut several different flowers and began mixing them in a bowl. Although the courtyard looked space, there was still a simple open pavilion in the center of the garden with some small household items. He quickly made an ointment, and after grabbing a towel. Cleaned Haru¡¯s body and applied the ointment massaging it into his skin to prevent the damage from getting any worse. He sat in contemplation next to Haru¡¯s body like that a little longer before getting up and taking his leave. ¡®I have to go to them before they come to me¡¯ he thought with a slight frown as he already knew how his Dillan would react. He made his way to Dillan¡¯s home within minutes and after knocking on the door a smiling Dillan answered the door ¡°You two are finally back!¡± Dillan was anxious but in good spirits. In his opinion, that Haru hadn¡¯t been brought home yet could only mean he was doing well enough that Erith had kept him longer. It would be great news for them if Erith accepted him. He knew full well his standards. ¡°I have news.¡± Looking at Erith¡¯s even expression and looking but not finding Haru around suddenly his heart felt tightened as his smile faded away. Stepping aside he let Erith inside and followed him in to sit on the couch. ¡°Good news and Bad news.¡± ¡°Both, good first.¡± Dillan said suspiciously. ¡°Good news, your son is talented. Very talented. The most talented child I¡¯ve met in regards to swordsmanship. As of now, I cannot say if his talent is strictly limited to the art of the sword or whether he simply possesses a monstrous level of perception.¡± Although Erith¡¯s tone was bland, Dillan¡¯s heart stopped beating for a second. ¡®He¡¯s never. Ever. Given someone praise like this.¡¯ He almost couldn¡¯t believe what he¡¯d just heard. ¡°Bad news. He was slightly injured in his training. He pushed himself hard, a good thing. Unfortunately, his perception is ahead of his physical body, and he performed a technique his body can¡¯t handle yet. He was slightly injured but he¡¯ll be fine enough in a week. I¡¯ll bring him back then.¡± Without giving him a chance to speak Erith continued ¡°I am going to wholeheartedly teach him everything I know. He won¡¯t be a student. He¡¯s going to be my first disciple. I am going to give him my everything. I promise¡­ When I am done, he will be able to surpass my skill and my accomplishments. I guarantee it. So trust me with your son.¡± Erith immediately knelt down on the floor and before Dillan could take his words to heart he pulled out his blade in but one quick movement cutting his arm and spilling his blood. ¡°I swear an oath. Haru will inherit my swordsmanship should he so accept. I will guide him on his path and protect his life.¡± Dillan could no longer ignore the seriousness of his words. He wouldn¡¯t have anyways but the very meaning of this oath was nothing to scoff at. It was a weight that Erith would have to carry for the rest of his life. If an oath in blood was broken, his bloodline would refuse him. It was a special quirk of the ancient bloodlines that nobody could understand or explain, but it was a very big deal. Dillan¡¯s mind reeled but the concern actually faded from his mind. He trusted Erith wholeheartedly. Hearing that Haru would be fine, instead of concerned he was simply relieved. He didn¡¯t mind Haru staying with Erith, and if that was the case it was likely because Erith would be teaching or healing Haru himself. Moreover, with Erith¡¯s guidance there would no longer be any need for him to worry about his son¡¯s future. It was all but assured now. A smile played on his lips. He had been momentarily angry with his brother, but that faded into nothing long ago, and seeing the dedication in his eyes now. This was a matter worth celebrating!You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°I¡¯ll go ge-¡° ¡°No no. I¡¯ll be going¡± suddenly with a sheepish smile Erith stood up and started walking towards the door. Dillan¡¯s eyes widened as he realized what Erith¡¯s ploy was! Turning around to glance at Dillan, Erith made for the door and closed it behind him. By the time Dillan got outside he was already no-where to be found ¡°YOU ANIMAL!¡± ¡°Honey, is Haru home. Lily is bathed and already getting ready for sleep. Did you give Haru the food I left out?¡± Eve came walking into the living room. Dillan turned to her with a slightly aggrieved expression ¡®That son of a bitch.¡¯ ¡°Honey¡­ Let me start by saying that everything is fine¡­ Okay?¡± ¡­ Haru¡¯s eyes slowly opened but his mind was blank. A wave of nausea assaulted him as he turned to the side barely recognizing the pain of his swollen arms and shoulders to throw up. He felt a hand assisting him and holding him in face as he wretched everything in his system. The burning sensation in his throat did not abate even after he was done. From his perspective his own body felt like a foreign entity, it didn¡¯t feel like his own as he couldn¡¯t control any of his limbs to move, they felt numb and at the slightest effort all he could feel was a vague pain. ¡°Do not try to move. It¡¯s pointless, virtually all of your muscles are currently torn. All you will succeed in doing is causing yourself further pain¡± Erith¡¯s apathetic voice rang out next to Haru. Haru¡¯s body was a mess but his mind was working overdrive as he recalled everything that had happened before. After a long period of time, he¡¯d swung his sword enough that he¡¯d finally felt a sliver of familiarity with it. A vague sense of the sword feeling like an arm or leg, an extra limb to be used at his leisure. It was at that point that Haru had stopped moving altogether so he could absorb that feeling and resonate with it. After a while, he had felt more and more familiar with that feeling until he¡¯d felt as if it was second nature, as if there was never a time when it wasn¡¯t a part of him. It was at that point that he had suddenly remembered the image of Erith¡¯s swing, and with his new found limb, he recreated that swing. At this point; the pain, soreness, every bit of effort he¡¯d previously put in swinging his sword for the past few hours was suddenly catching up to him. Haru did his best to ignore that feeling as he swung his sword. ¡®Once.¡¯ He thought. It was his first effort at trying to mimic Erith wholeheartedly and he used every ounce of strength his body still had. He had no distracting thoughts, no fancy allusions as to using ¡®technique¡¯. That one sword swing at that moment was a recreation based on his recall and instinct. It held every bit of willpower and resonance he had and the moment he¡¯d finished his swing, it wasn¡¯t joy or success that his mind felt or thought about. Every bit of soreness and exhaustion had in that moment, been amplified by over a hundred times and his brain had been overwhelmed in less than a moment. Before fully comprehending whether he¡¯d been successful or not, his eyes had turn white as he¡¯d fainted on the spot. ¡®I remember thinking once?¡¯ That was definitely the case. Haru now recalled. ¡®Oh no! Mother was supposed to pick me up a long time ago!¡¯ Haru¡¯s eyes widened and he put his best effort to piece together the words. It took an immense amount of effort for Haru to piece together the words ¡°Mother, pick, up, waiting¡± and just as much effort for Erith to come to a general understanding of what Haru was trying to say. Although Haru couldn¡¯t see his expression, it softened a bit after understanding his words. ¡°Your father came earlier to inquire about you but I sent him home. I told him you were in the middle of something important and that you would be spending the night here. That was yesterday.¡± Just as relief was about rear its head, more concern surfaced first. ¡®Oh no! Classes!¡¯ but Haru didn¡¯t bother trying to voice this concern. He just sat in silence. ¡°I applied a special ointment on your body yesterday. If it weren¡¯t for that your body would be in an even worse condition yesterday.¡± Haru¡¯s mind was a whirl thinking about that. He was already unable to move and in pain ¡®How could my body be worse? Just how did I injury myself so badly in the first place?¡¯ As if reading his mind ¡°You injured yourself so drastically by pushing yourself beyond your physical boundary with nonstop practice. Afterwards your performed a technique your body could not have handled had you been in peak condition, nearly tearing every muscle in your body in the process.¡± Haru¡¯s mind nearly collapsed as he wondered whether that was why the pain was so bad. Suddenly he considered how long it would take to recuperate and how badly he was hurt. ¡°Your body will need a few more days to recuperate. It¡¯ll probably be a day or two before you can move as well. I will let your parents know tonight that you¡¯ve suffered a small injury so as to not worry them, and that they can see you tomorrow.¡± Erith mentioned. Haru was glad for that kindness but as he considered everything that had happened. He was left slightly disappointed in himself. Instead of saying any more, Erith lifted Haru up a bit and began to pour a liquid down his throat ¡°Drink this and then rest.¡± Unable to do anything but comply, Haru followed Erith¡¯s instructions. He swallowed the liquid and hoped for the best, and no longer focused on the things outside of his control. Although he was told to rest. He tried for a while with no result, the pain that didn¡¯t seem to come from any place in particular was too troublesome and prevented him from falling asleep. After a while, Haru decided to try to meditate instead. Although he¡¯d never meditated laying down, he figured that if it was possible in one position there was no reason it wouldn¡¯t be possible in another. He wasn¡¯t too optimistic about his chances of actually being able to do it, but much to his surprise, he entered into that endless blood filled ocean almost immediately after thinking about it. The blood was still and his body floated, all the pain from just moments ago was gone and was instead replaced by a pleasant sensation that felt wonderful all over his body. His exhaustion was melting away and his thoughts drifted as he merely enjoyed that wonderful sensation to no end. BD: Chapter 12 - Spark of Brilliance II (Part 2) Chapter 12 ¨C Spark of Brilliance II Part 2 Erith was monitoring his condition closely. After what Haru had done the day before he already considered him too valuable to let anything happen to him. When Erith watched noticed Haru¡¯s breathing even out suddenly. A flash of concern was evident on his face as he placed his hand on him to check if something had gone wrong. After seeing what Haru accomplished the day before his expression and mind had turned apathetic due to the extreme shock of what he¡¯d witnessed. He had already thought he would never be surprised again, at least not for a while but that was suddenly erased as he recognized the feeling of what was happening to Haru¡¯s body. ¡®He¡¯s meditating! He¡¯s this young and already learnt how to meditate?¡¯ It was the combined surprise from finding out that Haru could enter meditation, do it at will, and more so, do it under less than ideal circumstances! Normally most people who had just learnt meditation would not be able to meditate unless the environment and their mind were at peak conditions and completely at ease. It took years of practice and understanding as well as talent to enter a meditative state in different positions or under injury. Haru¡¯s talent and his estimation of him had suddenly risen to an unprecedented level as he stared at him unbelievingly. Although he recognized the signs and understood it well himself, he couldn¡¯t help but double-check. Erith¡¯s shock slowly faded away as he watched Haru meticulously for hours. Although Haru had woken up for a brief period of time in the early morning, he continued to meditate until the late evening when he woke back up. Haru opened his eyes and unconsciously rubbed them as he felt both groggy and refreshed all at once. It was in that instant that he realized that however sore he was; he could move his arms again. He moved his body bit by bit realizing he felt fine aside from a notable soreness. ¡®I thought Erith said I wouldn¡¯t be able to move for days?¡¯ His eyes opened wide ¡°Have I been meditating for days?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but yell. ¡°No. You were meditating for most of the day.¡± Haru nodded his head in relief. Too much had been happening but he suddenly got a grasp of the situation now that pain wasn¡¯t clouding his thoughts. ¡®I remember I was entirely focused on that one strike. I kept swinging and swinging, and although I didn¡¯t feel it I must have been exhausting myself. I think I had a feel for the sword at some point and then. I don¡¯t really remember after that¡­¡¯ After organizing his thoughts Haru came to a conclusion that he had likely failed at his task. A look of disappointment covered his face. ¡®There¡¯s no way I succeeded. Now that I think about it, I may have even heard Erith try to give me advice or something as I was practicing but I totally disregarded it, I don¡¯t even remember what he said.¡¯ ¡°Teacher, Did I accomplish my task? Did I manage a thousand strikes?¡± Haru asked in a slightly optimistic voice. ¡®If I maybe finished¡­ Maybe he¡¯ll forget about my previous attitude¡­¡¯ he hoped. Haru had already sat up and faced Erith who had not left his side the entire time. ¡°No. You swung for four hours, but even then. You only performed 246 beginner strikes.¡± Erith may have been trying his best to disregard Haru after a while, but as a swordsman and personal attribute, he hadn¡¯t been able to stop his mind from counting each swing out of habit. ¡°So¡­ So I failed.¡± Haru said with a downcast expression. After hearing that response that small sliver of expectation had finally been dashed away. ¡°No. You passed.¡± Those words caused his mind to shake as Haru¡¯s head slowly tilted upward to meet Erith¡¯s gaze. Erith¡¯s lips were slightly parted in a half smile, and there even seemed to be a sliver of approval in his gaze which Haru was utterly surprised by.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°But¡­ How did I pass?¡± ¡°The task I set was impossible from the start. A child, unless he has some sort of divine strength would not be able to swing one of the swords arranged from that rack a 1000 times. Their arms would turn sore and heavy before long. In fact more than 200 swings would normally be impressive if you hadn¡¯t seemingly lacked even a slight touch of talent from beginning to end.¡± Haru¡¯s eyes which originally began to sparkle were suddenly crest fallen. His heart heavy, he had to ask ¡°So I don¡¯t possess any talent for swordsmanship?¡± ¡°Obviously you do. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have said you passed.¡± ¡°But¡­ But you just said I lacked any talent from beginning to end!¡± Haru couldn¡¯t help but shout. Erith rolled his eyes at Haru, finally finding him to act like a normal child. ¡°Do you know what the purpose of that task was? If you answer correctly, I¡¯ll tell you why you passed.¡± Looking at Erith¡¯s amused grin, Haru thought back to every word Erith had said from the moment he¡¯d arrived. He slowly went over the task itself began wondering. ¡®Perhaps it is to test how much ability or strength someone has then? Perseverance?¡¯ Thinking he¡¯d come up with the answer he was about to respond when he noticed the look in Erith¡¯s eyes and stopped himself. Instead of answering he thought about Erith himself. ¡®He has this huge space in such a costly part of town but instead of having hundreds of students there hasn¡¯t been one in the two days I¡¯ve been here¡­ This whole place is just a large courtyard time type space. There¡¯s no art, no frills. Aside from when I saw him with dad he¡¯s been fairly calm and quiet. I know nothing else about him except that he¡¯s a swordsman and dad said he¡¯s really good¡­¡¯ After thinking for a few minutes Haru finally hesitantly opened his mouth ¡°You showed me a strike before. Then you told me to perform a thousand of them. Was the whole point to see how closely I could learn it?¡± Erith¡¯s lips quirked into a smile ¡°That¡¯s more or less it.¡± Seeing Haru¡¯s smile he continued ¡°The test would be different for those with experience but your father told you me you¡¯d never held a sword before. For someone with no experience, a blank slate like you, the test was simple. I showed you a strike, and I wanted to see how long you would persist and how close you could get to matching it. If you¡¯d learned only a few parts of it I would have disregarded you as someone with some talent but nothing more. My standard is high! Only someone who could mimic that move perfectly could pass! Mastering the technique behind that move would have shown a genius amount of talent for technique!¡± Haru¡¯s smile turned wider and wider. ¡°But¡­ You didn¡¯t do that.¡± Haru¡¯s heart fell again. Suddenly he found Erith as a cruel man. ¡°Then how did I pass?¡± ¡°You only answered more or less correctly, so you only get a more or less answer.¡± Erith said with a grin. After getting to know Erith a little better during their conversation Haru only took a deep breath. The thing he wanted to do most was argue back with Erith for a straight answer but he had the feeling if he did that he¡¯d only wind up with nothing to show for it, so instead he calmed himself down and stopped himself from giving Erith the satisfaction of getting the reaction he wanted from him. Erith took note of his calm behavior and while it made him think slightly more of Haru it also annoyed him a little. ¡®Hmph. He should act his age more.¡± ¡°Starting today. You are officially my first disciple.¡± Erith¡¯s voice reverberated throughout the courtyard. Haru¡¯s heart shook for a moment before he shifted his position to his knees and he bent forward ¡°Starting today I am your disciple and you are my teacher.¡± A standard custom. An acknowledgment from a disciple to teacher. Something that was only done when learning a trade. No one did this at the academy because it was general information being taught to a large group, but being taken on a disciple indicated that Erith would be teaching him everything he knew about the sword, passing him on a legacy worth of his experiences and personal knowledge. Haru understood that from this moment forward, he had a true teacher and he would finally begin walking down his own path. A lot of nobility or those with money would take their children to try multiple trades to find their child¡¯s talent, wherever it may lie as long as it was highly respected. So almost everyone began at the age of 6-8. Only commoners had to wait until they were much older due to the lack of funds and the necessity of having to save up. This was one of the many reasons commoners were forever at a disadvantage compared to those who had money. Erith didn¡¯t ask Haru about his meditation. It was unnecessary for him to know and he didn¡¯t want to pry, he merely told Haru to get himself ready and that he would take him back. Haru hadn¡¯t brought anything and as now was a good time as ever he stood up with an honest expression ¡°I¡¯m ready now.¡± Erith nodded and got up and walked him out. He briskly made his way back to Dillan¡¯s house, careful not to go to fast as he considered Haru¡¯s condition. He found it astounding at how quickly Haru had healed enough to walk. Haru was moving as if his body was experiencing nothing but soreness. Erith himself knew that his previous injuries would have taken nearly an entire year to heal without medicine. With the medicines he¡¯d provided it would have still taken a week. A high quality medicine with a price tag to match can work miracles, but seeing Haru moving around without so much as a slight discomfort made Erith frown. ¡®He either has a body that can absorb medicines highly efficiently or his bloodline had a healing property¡­¡¯ he concluded as they arrived at Haru¡¯s home. Haru had only just knocked on the door when his mother¡¯s worried face opened it with his haste nearly knocking Haru back had Erith not immediately grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him backwards in an instant. ¡°Haru!¡± BD: Chapter 13 - Motherly Concern Chapter 13 ¨C Motherly Concern Opening the door, Eve was rife with concern. No matter what Dillan had told her for hours last night, as a mother how could she not worry over her only son? She had considered sneaking off to see if Haru was truly okay but Dillan had stopped her with amusement and worry. She¡¯d waited 24 hours and she was already bordering the line of concern and obsession. ¡®He¡¯s too young. He¡¯s not sturdy enough. He has a weak bloodline, he¡¯s not ready! They¡¯re putting too big a weight on his shoulders! There¡¯s no need for this. Absolutely no need¡¯ she kept telling herself. Immediately upon seeing Haru her aggrieved heart let out a sigh of joy. She pulled him closer by his hands to carefully inspect him. ¡°Ouch.¡± He tried to stifle the pain but it was evident from one touch his arms seemed to be bothering him. ¡°Oh gods. He, he did this to you?¡± tears that she¡¯d held back for too long were now streaming down her face. One touch was all it took for her to feel and understand the condition of his body. At an instant she understood Dillan had down played the situation, in only a day she never expected her son would suffer so much in the care of one of their closest friends. The tormentor in question stood behind them a bit awkwardly but in his right mind enough to not say a word. Haru shook his head ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything to me mom. I was training and was too focused that I didn¡¯t realize what condition I was in, but I passed! Uncle Erith agreed to take me as a disciple from now on! Isn¡¯t that wonderful?? I¡¯m going to be strong!¡± ¡°Yes yes, I¡¯m really happy for you¡± Eve patted Haru¡¯s head with a gentle smile and pulled him into a long hug but as she did her expression turned icy as she glared at Erith. Feeling a prickling on his skin Erith turned the other way pretending he didn¡¯t notice. They entered the house and Erith explained that from this day forward, Haru was to come and train with him for four hours after school. It would not be an easy schedule, but it would ensure his success and give him the time to catch up to some of the children who began down this path at a much younger age. Haru went off to speak with Lily. After entering the house, she nearly tackled him in her joy to see him. It had been the first time she could remember not having her big brother there with her when she woke up. Inside of their room he discussed all of the hard work he¡¯d done yesterday and how he had been accepted as a disciple. ¡°Did you know I passed a super hard test yesterday? I¡¯m not exactly sure how I passed it, but I did! Now I can start training and eventually become a swordsman!¡± Lily nodded her little head with big eyes as she listened to her big brother tell his story. ¡°Is big brother going to become really strong?¡± Haru nodded in response ¡°Of course I am! I am going to be so strong you can brag about me to all your friends! Just wait and see. I promise!¡± Noticing that he was only speaking without making an gestures to move his arms at all Lily pointed at him and asked ¡°Is something wrong with your arms?¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Haru was a little surprised she noticed, but thinking about how insightful his mother is he gave it no second thought ¡°You really take up after mom hehe¡± he grinned at her. ¡°I just trained really hard, so my body is kinda sore. Especially my arms.¡± Since they were sitting on their beds, Haru was beginning to feel tired out. He had spent the rest of the day meditating laying down while at Erith¡¯s and now that he was home, finally on his moderately soft bed, the tired feeling of exhaustion was finally beginning to overcome him. ¡°Hmm don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll protect you while you sleep!¡± He could barely hear Lily¡¯s childish voice as he fell into a deep slumber. He smiled at her words though as they brought him some comfort at the very thought. Only a few minutes later did Eve come in to check up on Haru to find him passed out with a smile on his face on his bed with Lily asleep and drooling in her own bed. ¡­ Eve walked out of the bedroom and let Dillan deal with Erith. Although he was a friend of the both of them, at this moment she made it very clear he was not welcome. Erith took it as a kindness that she had told Dillan to politely tell him to ¡°get out¡± as opposed to the kind of methods she may have used in the past when her temper flared up. He graciously left on the spot without so much as a word of complaint leaving on the words ¡°Talk her into it¡± leaving the task of placating Eve on Dillan¡¯s shoulders once again. ¡°Out of the question! No matter what you say, I won¡¯t allow it. I won¡¯t let Haru train under him if these are the methods he¡¯s going to use!¡± Eve was yelling but even so Dillan considered it her restraining herself. He waited until she finished shouting trying to find the right words to reply in order to prevent himself from making things any worse inwardly cursing Erith¡¯s name. ¡°Our son is strong Eve. Give him the opportunity to grow, to flourish, to let his inner strength turn into tangible strength. No man has ever been forged through coddling, only by being slowly tempered can steel be made.¡± Dillan said with some strain in his voice. ¡°If we leave it to him, he¡¯s just going to take it even further and make it worse than we had it! Is that what you want?¡± Eve yelled at Dillan. ¡°I know. I don¡¯t want to see our son hurt any more than you, but we had it bad. Erith had it worse, and even so look at us now. If he doesn¡¯t bear these hardships now, he¡¯ll only have worse ones to face in the future. Let him bear them now, with our support, with Erith¡¯s supervision. With guidance and love.¡± Dillan urged her pleading his case. ¡°Erith has never been willing to take a disciple. Why is he suddenly so dead set on Haru? Why can¡¯t it be someone else?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it our blessing that he is? Who better to teach him than Erith? If you calm down long enough, you¡¯ll realize this is a blessing. It¡¯s luck, ours and Haru¡¯s.¡± Eve was crying with her face in her hands trying to sort out her thoughts. Dillan had given her space, and he could tell it was only concern driving her, but concern wasn¡¯t going to make her choose the right path. Walking up behind her, he began to rub her back and lowered his voice to a near whisper ¡°I didn¡¯t mention this yesterday because you were too focused on whether he was hurt or not¡­ Yesterday when Erith came and told me the news, he didn¡¯t just tell me he was willing to accept Haru as his disciple. He swore an oath to protect and guide. A Blood oath.¡± Finally, Eve was moved. Dillan had known that yesterday it would have fallen on deaf ears, but now that Haru was back safe and sound, he was going for the kill. ¡°Why? For us?¡± ¡°No!¡± his word came out louder than he meant. ¡°He told me that our son is unusually gifted. He went so far as to use the word ¡°genius¡± which you should know is not easy praise uttered by him. That he has talent sufficient that with proper guidance, our son is bound to surpass him in the way of the sword. Surpass *him* honey. *him*¡± He emphasized the word ¡°him¡± because he wanted to drive that point home. Eve knew just as well as him what those words meant and what Erith¡¯s true standing was. He wouldn¡¯t speak words he didn¡¯t mean, and he certainly wouldn¡¯t embellish, if he¡¯d said those words he meant them. The meaning behind it was just too much to take all at once. ¡°Just¡­ Let Haru choose his path. If he decides it¡¯s too much, we¡¯ll let him stop. If he decides to follow it down the rabbit hole, then we can only support and help the best we can.¡± Eve was shaking her head, but there were no tears left. Her silence was already her form of acquiescing and Dillan knew it. BD: Chapter 14 - Recovery Mystery Chapter 14 ¨C Recovery Mystery Haru woke up to the russling of his covers as Lily jumped on his bed eagerly wanting him to wake up ¡°It¡¯s time for school time for school! Wake up sleepy head!¡± Instead of being angry he waited for Lily to get closer and pounced! He attacked her with the fury of a thousand tickle fairies! Making her giggle non-stop until Eve walked into the room to break things up. ¡°Lily! Stop fussing so much and let your brother rest! He¡¯s not going to school today. He needs to recover.¡± She grabbed Lily and put her down, shooing her towards the kitchen. ¡°Whyyy! Big brother is already better see?¡± Lily pouted. ¡°How could your brother possibly be better? Hmph. Go eat breakfast you naughty child.¡± Eve shooed and Lily reluctantly left pouting, all giggles gone from her system. Eve grabbed the ointment that Erith had left Dillan last night and prepared to apply it, ¡°Take off your clothes, let mother apply your ointment for you.¡± Haru looked a little embarrassed ¡°I¡¯m fine actually! I think I can go to class, I don¡¯t want to miss too much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly¡± passing it off as childish embarrassment Eve grabbed Haru¡¯s arm to get him to sit still when her eyes went wide. ¡°Eh?¡± Feeling his muscles and the flow of his spirit, Eve was surprised. She found none of the damage that was there yesterday, in fact his body seemed completely fine. Feeling his arms, shoulders, and hands Eve was careful to make sure she wasn¡¯t mistaken. She couldn¡¯t help but gaze at her son¡¯s beautiful eyes quite deeply in surprise before turning to look at the ointment wondering what Erith had possibly put in it. After a moment of hesitation, she put the medicine away and let Haru run off to clean himself up. He seemed dead set on going to class and she couldn¡¯t think of a reason to stop him. When Haru first returned to class at his academy, he¡¯d been anxious. Although not all classes were necessary, the teachers all looked down on students who chose not to show up to classes taking it as a form of disrespect. Haru found Linlin although he had not missed any of his classes and discussed with him as his father had instructed him too, that he had taken up swordsmanship and that due to his training schedule may be forced to miss classes in the future due to his extracurriculars. ¡°Why would you waste your time on the sword when there are newer far more useful weapons available to bloodline warriors? Why not focus on increasing your bloodline and skills?¡± would have been his normal response to any other student he had enough of a vested interest in rearing, but he had only been surprised by Haru and moreover, he already understood that this pupil¡¯s bloodline was only going to be so useful to him in the future. Learning warrior skills related to technique seemed like a logical choice. ¡°That¡¯s fine, just be careful not to ignore your studies. You already entered a meditative state once. If you can manage to do it again in the next few weeks it will be of immense benefit to you. Although it is highly unlikely, that should be your first and main priority.¡± Linlin said aloud while thinking of something else. ¡°Teache-¡° ¡°Oh right, and someone came by yesterday. A friend of your family? He was inquiring about your address and information about you and your sister. I found it a bit strange as he didn¡¯t have much to say other than what any random stranger might know or see, therefore I said little. I wanted to let you know in case he truly was someone of importance to your family.¡± Haru¡¯s mind was a blank as he considered who it could have been. He scratched his head as he combed his memories, but aside from Erith he quickly realized his parents had few friends. In fact, as he thought about it, he realized his parents had no friends. Erith was a surprise, the first person his parents had introduced to him as a friend of theirs, anyone else he¡¯d met had been an acquaintance from his father¡¯s work called a ¡°friend¡±. Haru made a mental note to ask his father but didn¡¯t give it any more thought.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Actually teacher, I managed to enter a meditative state again. More than once actually.¡± Linlin¡¯s head spun to face him, his eyes wide with unbridled surprise. Suddenly, a click resounded in his mind as Linlin came to a conclusion and a decision. From that moment forward, instead of occasionally glancing at him when speaking of the talentless bloodlines destined to be no better than grunts for others in the future, he took a complete 180 approach and included him with the upper tiers of the classes he taught. His hopes laid in the possibility of finding a gem in the sand, hidden away but ready to be plucked and polished. Teachers of any academy were given awards, acclaim, higher pay and benefits for finding and nurturing talented individuals. Especially teachers at the lowest levels, where benefits and pay were already low and at a premium. Linlin¡¯s joy at meeting Haru only grew as he came to find out that day that this student he¡¯d thought of as a waste of resources and his time was indeed a genius. After sharing with Linlin that he had entered a meditative state again, more than once and with relative ease; Linlin went from being a solemn teacher to one who for weeks seemed to have a smile plastered on his face; his joy obvious for the world to see. Haru may have begun far behind a lot of these talented individuals, perhaps even destined to never reach their inherently advantageous bloodlines, but an unexpected genius was still a worthy find to Linlin. Haru also came to learn from his cultural classes a lot of information most other students found boring or trite as fascinating. He couldn¡¯t believe that other students found no interest in learning about history for example. He became more self-aware that there were a variety of societal factors that kept certain cycles repeating themselves on a loop, and as somebody with high aspirations the more he learned the better his chances of preventing himself from falling prey to these landmines set in front of ¡°commoners¡± like himself. Perhaps his greatest disappointment came in the form of his trainings with Erith. He¡¯d expected to learn eloquent sword play, to learn something deep and meaningful. Instead, after the first day at Erith¡¯s he¡¯d been told ¡°1000 swings a day. Until you manage that, your unworthy of learning even the most basic strike from me.¡± A training from hell, both labor intensive and boring began for Haru. He would swing and swing, and his excitement from replicating the same technique as Erith withered away by the day. That image in his mind growing blurrier every day. His technique seemingly not improving in the slightest every day. After the first week of training, he no longer paid any heed to trying to recreate his earlier achievement, instead Haru only focused on swinging his sword efficiently and striving to reach 1000 strikes. Erith would only speak every so often to criticize him when his strikes lacked power, speed, or effort. Eventually to stop Haru when he deemed him to have reached a suitable point of exhaustion, thus ending their lesson for the day. That first day his lesson had been so labor intensive that it felt to Haru as if his whole body was sore he¡¯d never be able to move a limb again, his thoughts only focused on his body¡¯s pain that he¡¯d all but forgotten everything else from the day. Haru¡¯s life began a cycle of do-rinse-repeat. Wake up in the morning, go to the academy, learn a lesson, go to Erith¡¯s space, practice swing a sword, go back home, clean up then meditate. A life bland, but even then Haru could feel himself becoming stronger and more knowledgeable with each passing day causing a joy to well up in heart as he acknowledged that every day he grew closer to his goal. On some days he could barely see past the concern in his parents eyes to realize how proud they were of him. Talent may be one thing, but they very clearly recognized his effort. Their ten-year old child studied harder, trained longer, put in effort far beyond their years and it broke their hearts to see him try so hard. A little glint grew and was embedded in their every glance whenever they looked at their son, something akin to guilt that he himself could never recognize. Despite his fair intelligence and persevering personality, he was still vastly inexperienced to recognize the guilt they bore that grew with each passing day. The only reprieve in his schedule would be their occasional outings as a family, where Haru could enjoy his sister¡¯s company and shower her with affection. She¡¯d grown discontent after he¡¯d begun his training with Erith as he¡¯d no longer had any time to play with her or tell her stories. Even most of the time he did have free he spent in meditation. Over time, he found himself sleeping less and less in lieu of meditation instead, no longer even granting little Lily the joy of snuggling her brother in her sleep on the occasional night where she had bad dreams and required some comfort. None the less, Haru¡¯s mind and body were growing and his enthusiasm for knowledge grew by the day. ¡°Hurry up! Hurry up! I¡¯m going to be late for class! Today is one of teacher Linlin¡¯s classes! I can¡¯t be late!¡± Haru urged his dad to hurry. Being on time, even early to classes one of his top priorities on a daily basis as he felt like the best way of getting stronger was being the first one to class and the last to leave. Although it earned him a few reproachful looks from his classmate¡¯s thinking he was only gaining favor by sucking up to his teachers, Haru ignored it as he¡¯d basically hadn¡¯t noticed from the start as whenever he had the chance he would meditate in class as well. BD: Chapter 15 - Slow & Steady Chapter 15 ¨C Slow & Steady Three years later. Inside of a classroom that had grown to feel like a second home, Haru was sitting down cross legged trying to enter a meditative state. Unable to achieve success due to the boy sitting to his side constantly moving closer; invading his personal space as he whispered in Haru¡¯s ear. ¡°I heard that another James also just qualified to graduate early, he even did well enough to qualify for a bloodline enhancement drug! Do you know how much the cost for one of those is?¡± Haru paid him no attention, and like the usual. Will ignored his silence and continued. ¡°How about you? Didn¡¯t you tell me that you were making great strides in your spirit power? I mean¡­ I know you don¡¯t like it when people bring it up, but you aren¡¯t going to get into a good school if all you¡¯re relying on is your bloodline. You need some serious results man. I¡¯m getting close to fully learning one of my bloodline abilities. Soon I¡¯ll be able to use it, and when I can I¡¯ll definitely be able to get at least a recommendation letter from the academy when I graduate.¡± Three ears had gone by in the blink of an eye and Haru had grown from an ignorant child into a well versed young man. He¡¯d spent his time working harder than any other student in the academy these past three years and it had earned him the recognition of most of the teachers. Even the ones who disregarded him due to his weak bloodline had to admit that if merit were truly earned based on effort, then Haru would be at the forefront. When he was 10 years old, he¡¯d been slightly tall for his age at 57 inches in height (4¡¯9¡±) but in those three years most children had caught up if not passed him in height. He was now 62 inches in height (5¡¯2¡±) and looked skinny in his normally loose clothes. What his clothes hid, were well developed and tone muscles all over his body, especially his arms and back. Tedious training of the sword had helped him develop muscles that other children his age hadn¡¯t even begun touching upon in his back and shoulders. He was certainly skinny, but he was toned and athletic as well. From the outside though, he didn¡¯t give the impression of a domineering boy, with his slightly below average height and skinny persona. Along with his physical growth, his face had grown increasingly more handsome. He was beginning to look a lot less like a child and a lot more like a young man. While perhaps commoners might have to worry about acne or other such mundane teenager problems, Haru not only had a bloodline but spirit power as well. His clear dark eyes had grown more enthralling as he¡¯d aged, and his slightly curly hair had grown long enough that it covered his forehead and part of his ears. The only part he ever kept short was the back. Everyone who paid attention in class had come to learn that those who trained in spirit power would have that energy nourish their organs and insides as well as the skin, leaving them with more ¡®beautiful¡¯ appearances on average. Those with bloodlines would also usually start to exhibit slightly noticeable physical or emotional traits related to their bloodline¡­ A perfect example was Rodolph. A student in their class who had a Boar¡¯s bloodline. Nothing worth mocking, as while it was a common bloodline it had its uses. Unfortunately, ¡­ One of the common physical attributes of the boar bloodline was a pig like button nose, with nostrils that were far too noticeable to truly be considered attractive. Even though he had a bloodline that no one had been able to figure out, but was clearly weak and not valued at all he¡¯d grown fairly popular. Plenty of the boys had grown to respect his efforts, as it had grown clear to all how studious and hard-working he was. He¡¯d especially grown popular in various circles for the young women of the academy. No one was writing him love letters on a daily basis, but his handsome looks and hardworking nature had made him plenty of friends and acquaintances of the female gender. This had also earned him some envy from some of the boys, but very few had developed their hormones to the point of becoming envious due to boy-girl issues at their age. Originally on the first day of class their teacher Linlin had made a joke about a child he¡¯d known as a youth who¡¯d had a pig bloodline and had been mocked relentlessly by his peers. It wasn¡¯t long after that the students of his class had learned of his bloodline. At which point the mocking had begun, much to their chagrin despite his appearances, he¡¯d trained just as hard as Haru and due to his hardworking nature it had paid off. Pig-bloodline or not, he¡¯d develop a strong skill that made him no weaker than any other student their age earning him the respect of the class¡­ Or at least enough ¡°respect¡± that no one called him a pig to his face anymore.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. It had also been a welcome surprise to Haru. Not that there was a ¡°pig-boy¡± in their class, but realizing that Linlin¡¯s original comments had not been aimed towards him, even if they had motivated him no less than Rodolph. Will was that same child who he¡¯d first met on his first day at this academy. Although they¡¯d started their relationship on rocky terms, that had soon melted away as a thing of the past for Will. He was the type of person who his family had groomed into taking benefit as the main source of motivation when making friends, and Haru was his main target for three years. It wasn¡¯t because he was extremely insightful and saw something in Haru that others didn¡¯t¡­ Nothing so well thought out. He¡¯d merely tried making friends with the other more ¡°talented¡± children only to be insulted and looked down upon for his family not having enough status. Haru on the other hand only ignored him most of the time but still chatted with him occasionally. Aside from not making him feel bad about himself or his family, it was also clear Haru was hard working enough so that eventually his hard work would pay off to some extent. That was why he pestered Haru so much and so often. That¡­ And one day two years ago Will caught sight of Haru¡¯s sister. It all happened when the entire family had come to pick him up from the academy. Lily had seen Will walking with his brother, and assuming they were friendly she gave him a heart-warming smile while waving at them both. It was from that moment on that Will had become determined to get closer to Haru no matter what; with the sole and innocent albeit slightly perverted thought ¡®I must make that girl my wife no matter what!¡¯ Neither of them had developed any bloodline skills, nor had they seemingly developed their spirit power so much that it was noticed by those above them. They¡¯d come to learn the very importance of spirit power the more they¡¯d learned at the academy. It was in one of their more in-depth lessons that they¡¯d learned from their teacher that spirit power dictated how they could change their future. Out of everyone in their class that joined at the same time only 2 students had managed to meet the graduation requirements ahead of time, gaining both guaranteed graduation and a recommendation letter from the academy itself. In these three years, they had all but finished their studies at their intermediate academy. In terms of cultural, historical, and basic classes every student had already learned and gotten everything they ever would at this point. If they hoped to enter a more advanced academy graduation was key, and once they did their time of leisurely training at their own pace would end. Choosing to enter a more advanced academy if given the opportunity would mean more specialized and thorough training. Eastesp city was a small city compared to the larger cities closer to the central portion of the continent. It was there in the center that the empire thrived with the richest living a life dreamed by others. In their small Eastesp city, these students were already at the cream-of-the-crop academy, there was no more ¡°up¡± here, only elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯m getting close. I¡¯m sure that soon I¡¯ll be able to show some worthy results¡± Haru finally responded with a slight smile. His bloodline had been weak from the start, expectations were low for everyone involved but Haru had trained day in and day out working himself to the bone in everything he did. His training speed had surprised some, and had shocked others. Those that were personally involved with him such as Erith or even Linlin had a better understanding of just how much Haru had improved. His physical attributes had grown far stronger than an average boy his age, something normally only possible for those with a particularly strong physical bloodline. Linlin himself had been shocked from the start that Haru had picked up meditation so quickly, shocked to the point that he¡¯d begun devoting as much time into his training as he did with the most talented children he¡¯d been given the privilege to teach. This was tantamount to telling everyone he believed Haru had just as much potential and worth as them! ¡°You better work even harder then. Otherwise I¡¯m going to get there before you, and then you¡¯ll get left behind mwuahaha¡± Will laughed as he imagined stepping on Haru¡¯s back and finally getting the same attention from their teachers as him, but then quickly started thinking about Lily altogether and forgetting what he¡¯d even been talking about. After James met the requirements for early graduation, Linlin had been promised by the dean some extra benefits should he be able to produce even just one more student who met those requirements before graduation as well. Motivating Linlin to give extra attention to the students he believed could possibly achieve such a feat. Being a smaller city, a lot (in fact every) student in his class had one goal: reach the ¡°Blood Ability¡± realm. The most basic realm for those with a bloodline, the starting line if you will. Even so, it was something that divided those with a bloodline and those with a useful bloodline or potential. Being unable to reach the blood ability realm meant someone with a bloodline would be destined to only stand tall among normal people. The blood ability realm meant achieving a small but useful success. It guaranteed a skill, an ability that would at least give them a specialty and profession for the rest of their lives even if they never progressed further than that. It is sufficient to change the status of a commoner to more. Reaching the Blood Ability realm meant connecting through meditation to one¡¯s bloodline and increasing the bond with your beast/human natures. Enough so to unlock a skill of one of the bloodline ancestors and learn it. Practice and gaining proficiency would naturally be a requirement afterwards, but after learning it one would never forget it¡­ And any bloodline ability would be innately useful and only useful to someone of that bloodline. An innate specialty! Haru on the other hand had taken Erith and Linlin¡¯s guidance. Based on their impression of the type of meditation he did, assumed the best path for him would be to aim even higher. To aim to enter the Spirit Power realm! BD: Chapter 16 - Progress Chapter 16 - Progress Bloodlines and Spirit Power were very closely intermingled and complimented one another, but they were forever separated. Achieving success in one did not mean achieving success in the other. Achieving success in one did usually mean making it somewhat easier to achieve success in the other but only that, time and effort, potential and talent would always be requirements for greater success. Reaching the Spirit Power realm meant gathering small amounts of spirit power from one¡¯s own meditation and slowly accumulating it until one could move within their ¡°meditation space¡±. Linlin had been greatly impressed by Haru¡¯s ability to achieve meditation so quickly, because usually it implied a certain talent. One that would mean he should have been able to reach this realm within months. Making him a super genius. He¡¯d been disappointed as the days went by as Haru struggled to make any progress, but at some point the discouragement had turned positive. Linlin had become convinced that Haru was bound to reach this realm, and perhaps once he did he¡¯d get a nice surprise, and even if he didn¡¯t, Haru was guaranteed to reach this realm sooner or later. A bloodline could be worthless or powerful. A worthless one still helping someone be more ¡®useful¡¯ than an average person. A powerful one being enough to make them dragons among men ¨C perhaps even literally. Of course this was naturally because the stronger and better a bloodline the more likely one was to achieve successes on their bloodline meditation path. This was something inherent. An unchangeable fact. Something similar to fate, it was like being born with certain colored hair or eyes. A product of their genes. Spirit power, albeit even more rare was less useful at face value but basically could be defined as ¡®potential¡¯ in so far as what its main uses. Spirit power could allow them to control the elements, their bodies better and more efficiently, do magical and wondrous things¡­ But even more than all this was a bombshell that changed these students¡¯ outlooks completely; Through spirit power these students had learned that they could alter, control, and evolve their bloodlines. This was a smaller city, and none of the students in this class were dragons among men so this was something like a thunderclap to their ears. Tinnitus-inducing. A game-changer. It even made Rodolph cry in the middle of class as he considered the possibility of no longer being a ¡°pig-boy¡± and eventually ¡°pig-man¡± when he got older for the rest of his life. This was of course common knowledge to the educated and higher tiers of society, but teachers usually kept this information in their back pocket for when they believed their students were ready ¡®for more¡¯ or in order to motivate them when their spirits were low. Linlin was the type to push them one step forward and one step back, to keep them moving forward and motivated but not arrogant and lazy. Immediately after giving them hope and inspiring them to spend more time meditating for those that could and to learn for those that still couldn¡¯t, he also let them know the basic requirements for graduation: Pass all cultural/history exams. & Develop a connection to one¡¯s bloodline & proficiency that could be shown in one bloodline skill. Or Special: Develop a connection to one¡¯s spirit realm. The zone that one meditated in. (No explanation or guidance given towards this.) Special: Manifest a partial bloodline transformation. Although this was a huge blow, it wasn¡¯t as bad until Linlin informed them with a solemn expression that they had to meet these requirements by graduation, and that failing to meet any of the possible options would mean not being allowed to enter any higher form of education that these students felt either crushed or as if a fire had been lit underneath them. Only one such student in the class had lost all motivation at that point, but Linlin expected as much. There were always a few children who had no will power and were so easily dissuaded, he didn¡¯t bother with them as he knew they were bad eggs.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Of course, he also didn¡¯t tell anyone these requirements were for any and all who only had embryonic, common, or rare bloodlines. Exceptions were always made for those who showed potential beyond their station¡­ He also intentionally left out the grading system academies used for entering students believing they didn¡¯t need to face the harsh reality yet¡­ ¡°Anyways good luck, go for it. We¡¯ll see who gets there first. Maybe we won¡¯t even go for the same school after we graduate anyways. We¡¯ll have to leave it to fate.¡± Will finally spoke after a long period of silence. It took him quite a bit of time before he¡¯d stopped thinking about Lily and even more time to remember what they¡¯d been talking about before. Haru grabbed his things ¡°You do your best.¡± Was all he said as he began to walk away. He already knew their paths led in different directions, and while he found Will a little annoying he did find it nice to have someone who actively tried to get to know him without asking for anything in return. If he only knew what Will was just fantasizing about though, that sliver of goodwill wouldn¡¯t have been nearly enough to stop him from pummeling his possibly only friend. He wasn¡¯t in a rush and walked with a slow pace with little on his mind as he was trying to relax. Lately he¡¯d been wound too tight, he¡¯d been feeling the pressure of the upcoming graduation date and that had made his training exponentially harder as it came less and less naturally to him. When he finally reached the school gates, he waited patiently as he knew today was a special day. Seeing her beautiful long hair and big warm smile, Haru noticed her even from a distance as he waved them over. Today his mother and Lily were coming to pick him up. ¡°Slow down before you trip and fall!¡± Haru yelled, and almost immediately after regretted bringing extra attention upon them. Lily jumped into his arms and gave him a big hug. After three years, she¡¯d only grown so much, she was still small, looking far younger than her actual age. She still looked like a nine-year-old girl, as if she hadn¡¯t aged at all which had helped immensely¡­ She had beautiful dark black hair that went down past her waist, perfectly straight unlike Haru¡¯s wavy hair. It looked nothing like their mother¡¯s or father¡¯s which made Haru a little jealous. It was strangely enough the only thing that seemed to have grown these past three years. Her skin pale, and eyes clear amber eyes particularly striking making her stand out any time she made eye-contact with somebody. Perhaps the most eye-catching feature was her smile, it was near hypnotic Haru thought as he smiled back at her on instinct. After a quick hug and greetings Haru looked around them noticing his mother¡¯s concerned gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and go get some sweets okay?¡± ¡°Bakery! I want to go to the bakery!¡± Lily nearly squealed in delight at her brother¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Alright alright. Let¡¯s go then, teacher gave me some pocket money last week. We¡¯ll get a bunch of stuff.¡± Haru said patting her head and putting his arm around her protectively. Eve came close on the other side with Lily in the as they walked away. Recently, their parents had been letting Lily leave the house less and less making her feel like she was cooped up with nowhere to go. Haru felt a little bad, but he didn¡¯t truly realize how bored she¡¯d been because of the amount of training he did on a normal basis. He simply had virtually no free time to ever be bored or focus on things other than what he was already doing. Two years ago Haru been surprised by their parent¡¯s decision not to allow Lily to undergo the Bloodline Awakening ritual. It was surprising as it limited Lily¡¯s future, but even more so because it was illegal. One of the biggest taboos on the continent. The law required all children to undergo the blood awakening ceremony. Even if they choose to do nothing with their bloodline in the future, they still had to undergo the ritual and have it ranked and on the record. He couldn¡¯t help but think about it as they entered a nearby bakery as Lily picked nearly one of everything. Their actions had completely startled Haru until his father had made him promise to support their decision. He¡¯d asked ¡®why?¡¯ repeatedly but his father had only said that he¡¯d share everything with him when he got older, and stronger. Until then, to trust him. What else could Haru do but trust his parents? He knew everything they did was for his and Lily¡¯s benefit. So he could only grit his teeth and bear it. Making him feel small and unhelpful but unable to stop from acquiescing to their request. He wasn¡¯t happy with their decision but ended up trusting them, and one year ago while they were walking together to Erith¡¯s ¡°dojo¡± they¡¯d been attacked by three assailants. They¡¯d been wearing black with masks covering their faces, they had put Eve to sleep with some sort of sneak attack powder catching her completely unaware, leaving Haru to fight them off. He¡¯d been wounded fairly badly, but he¡¯d held them for nearly a minute and Erith had arrived in time to save them. It was made abundantly clearly that they had attacked with the intent of kidnapping Lily which had completely terrified all of them. Except it became obvious soon after that Haru was the only one who did not know why. He¡¯d managed to only spend a few days recuperating thanks to Erith¡¯s incredible ointments and elixirs which had shocked Haru into realizing how multitalented his teacher truly was. It was that day that his resolution had been further strengthened to obtain more power. Now looking at Lily¡¯s happy smile, it made it all seem unimportant. ¡®I¡¯m just going to do the best I can, and protect you.¡¯ Haru thought to himself watching Lily smile at them and his mother¡¯s happy demeanor he hadn¡¯t seen in quite some time. BD: Chapter 17 - Fruits of Labor (Part 1) Chapter 17 ¨C Fruits of Labor (Part 1) After their mini adventure to retrieve of every sort of baked good from their local bakery at Lily¡¯s behest, Eve and Lily returned home with Haru as he put his things away and bid them farewell for the afternoon. After he¡¯d turned 11 or so they¡¯d begun letting him walk to school and back as well as to Erith¡¯s dojo on his own. Only occasionally would someone come pick him up, and it was less out of necessity and more out of their desire to see their son and spend some extra time with him. Soon he arrived at the dojo and entered without waiting, Erith had given him a key after he had diligently trained with no instruction that first year. One year and all he did was swing a sword, in the exact same way trying to accomplish 1000 swings. It took him one year before he was finally able to swing that sword 1000 times, which he¡¯d personally believed to be slow and no one had corrected him. It was only after Haru had failed to protect Lily during their attack last year that Erith had finally told Haru that a normal 11-year-old child could never swing one of the swords on the bottom rack properly, much less 10 or 100 times. Even a child with a good bloodline would struggle to accomplish such a feat as swing 500 times. In his own words: ¡°The only reason I formally took you on as a disciple after one year is because you did something incredible. Your swordsmanship reached the bare minimum standard to be called just that in one year. Even being able to swing a sword effectively for 1000 swings in a few hours is an extreme achievement. You have talent in the sword, never doubt that. Now stop moping like a little girl and get to practice.¡± It had been the most Erith had said to him in two years all in one go shocking Haru to the core. After his first year, Erith had gone out of his way to mention this and that occasionally as Haru practiced, never more than a sentence and never more than a few during his entire practice at the dojo per day. Hearing him speak so much had jolted Haru out of his brief depression and strengthened his resolve to practice swordsmanship and to get stronger. Up until then, he¡¯d thought that Erith had hated him or something since he spoke so little to him despite being his teacher. He already knew that Erith could be friendly and semi talkative when he spent time with his father or mother, but around him he was only ever solemn. He¡¯d even convinced himself that perhaps Erith harbored some sort of grudge due to being asked or even forced by his parents to train him in the sword. ¡°Haru is here!¡± a few children yelled. Haru nodded at them and saw a little bit of himself in every one of the children here. 9 children had seen him practicing outside of the dojo one day, on such a day that Lily had come to pick him up with Eve. Lily told them his story, that they were commoners, that he had a weak bloodline and that to make up for it he practiced the sword. It wasn¡¯t to embarrass him, but because Lily was proud of her brother. She saw his dedication and knew that despite her little experience, not many children could push themselves at hard as he did for seemingly such little returns. These other kids, some older and some younger were in an even worse position than him. These were commoner kids with no bloodline, who had stopped their education after the general schooling at 10. They worked jobs doing menial tasks, not pushed too hard due to their ages and small/weak bodies. After seeing Haru train so diligently over the course of a few days, they¡¯d decided to try and ask for help. They wanted him to teach them and Haru feeling guilty, told them the truth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­ I don¡¯t really know swordsmanship.¡± Seeing their downcast expressions and ruddy clothes made him impulsively follow it up ¡°But I can ask my teacher to teach you if you¡¯d like¡± nearly choking on his own words the moment he said them aloud as he realized how stupid he sounded. The man that barely taught him anything and refused to teach him anything else, would he really teach them anything at all? But after saying he would, he wouldn¡¯t go back on his word and so with a heavy heart and even heavier feet he met with Erith and asked for them. Much to his surprise, Erith only shrugged his shoulders in neither disagreement or agreement but Haru jumped for joy in his heart and took it as the latter and left before his teacher changed his mind.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The children were just as excited as Haru but that excitement didn¡¯t grow or dwindle after they became ¡°students¡±. They soon realized that Haru wasn¡¯t qualified to give them instruction and that Erith the ¡°teacher¡± and owner of the dojo had no intention of instructing them, even his own pupil he barely instructed, giving him a few words of encouragement or correction on the most astonishing sight. Day in and day out they watched him swing his sword, in the same way, an uncountable number of times seemingly never growing bored of the same motion. After one whole year did Erith finally change his instruction method, nothing much changed except once a week he would give various corrections to Haru¡¯s form. Minute changes where he would first mention them and upon seeing his student¡¯s confusion would have him perform the motions and smack some portion of his body with a wooden sword. They were light hits accompanied by little to no pain but they shocked Haru into realizing how big of a difference these minute differences made. Especially so after they had begun basic self-defense classes at the academy. It took one year before the students began having basic self-defense classes. Were it a normal academy or other place they would have been taught this sooner, but this was a class focused to teaching those with the most potential. Maximizing potential meant focusing on bloodline and spirit foundation building, it would be the key to the amount of growth they could have in the future. In their first self-defense class, Haru had shocked the whole class by going undefeated in their basic sparring matches where the professor gauged the student¡¯s strengths and weaknesses, and he did all of it with a simple downwards chop. It was as much of a shock to his teacher and fellow students as it was to himself. What he himself didn¡¯t understand and his teacher chose not to mention assuming he already knew, was that it was not his strength or speed that allowed him to successfully perform such a simple chop with 100% success each and every time against his opponents but rather the aura he exhibited while positioning himself to attack. It was subtle, but the teacher noticed even if none of the students had understood what had happened to them. After that first class, Haru had gone and asked Erith how he had managed such a feat only to be answered with a ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re weak. I¡¯ll tell you what you need to know when you need to know, now start your practice.¡± Haru only felt a slight annoyance but remembering how much he had progressed in his limited time doing something so simple he was not so foolish as to believe that anybody could do the same with the same methods, otherwise wouldn¡¯t everybody be ridiculously strong? While Haru practiced in a daze Erith asked him an uncharacteristic question ¡°What do you hope to accomplish?¡± Haru was in a daze for a bit before asking in confusion ¡°I don¡¯t understand?¡± Erith didn¡¯t seem to mind but he asked ¡°You practice a simple swing, hundreds of times a day. Why?¡± Haru didn¡¯t hesitate this time ¡°I want to become strong.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Erith probed further. ¡°To protect my family!¡± Haru yelled. ¡°Then you¡¯ll never be strong.¡± Erith said with unmasked disappointment. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Haru asked, a little crestfallen at his teacher¡¯s words. He was still a young child after all. ¡°On the path to attaining strength, as a swordsman or otherwise. The road only becomes more narrow along the way.¡± Haru was discontent with such an answer, it took him nearly half a year to come to understand the meaning behind those words. In that half a year one of his classmates who he had defeated with one chop before had finally awakened one of his bloodline skills, with this alone he had become an untouchable to Haru, to everyone in the class. It was then that he finally realized how unfair the world truly was, the difference between being normal and having natural talents. The stronger someone with a bloodline became, the further and further he went from what a normal person could ever reach. He himself attributed his rise in strength to his teacher and as he practiced, he realized why his teacher had called him weak. No matter how much he thought he¡¯d progressed, he¡¯d only won his sparring matches against untrained 11 year olds. Children much like him who were only beginning their development and unlike him, were devoting their entire time and effort into resonating with their bloodlines. Their hard work would seem like nothing, until it suddenly paid off. It was this realization that had made Haru realized how complacent he¡¯d become since that day at the blood awakening ceremony. That relief that had first washed over him when he realized he had potential finally felt like a cold bucket of water. Upon realizing his mistake, he realized he needed to set goals for himself, true goals and only then could he hope to become strong, to protect his family. It wasn¡¯t until one and half years before Haru had been ¡°promoted¡± by Erith. It took this realization before Erith ¡°changed¡± his training by giving Haru another sword. Although it seemed no different, at a single feel Haru recognized the change in weight. It was about 50% heavier and yet while it didn¡¯t seem like a huge difference, to someone swinging a sword; hundreds to thousands of times a day it made a monumental difference! However, Haru¡¯s personality was hard working and his perseverance admirable. Even so, he didn¡¯t complain and took things in stride. Whether it was Erith¡¯s seemingly non-directional teaching method or the repetitive and basic (almost limited) teaching. He took it in stride because he trusted his father who trusted Erith. BD: Chapter 18 - Fruits of Labor (Part 2) Chapter 18 ¨C Fruits of Labor (Part 2) After another year and half, Haru had finally grown accustomed to the sword Erith had given him, unknowingly it was a sword specifically designed by Erith to be used by him. Today, however normal a day it may have seemed was the day Erith had decided to expend some additional wisdom to Haru. Erith sitting down in a cross legged position in his garden waved Haru over. ¡°I have a new task for you.¡± It was the first time in a year in a half that Erith had more than minute corrections to his forms or stance, Haru almost couldn¡¯t believe his ears hearing the words coming out of Erith¡¯s mouth. He even stood mouth slightly agape as he stared at his teacher disbelievingly. A little displeased Erith rolled his eyes ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. You might never come to realize this, but my master taught me in much the same manner as I am teaching you, I may have had things even worse as he never truly wanted to teach me due to his own prejudices.¡± Not understanding his meaning, Erith just waved his hand in the air indicating that Haru shouldn¡¯t think too hard about it. How could he possibly tell him that the difference between his own master and himself was that his master never wanted a pupil that might surpass him, whereas he valued Haru specifically for that reason, for his talent and just as importantly because of what that potential possibly meant. ¡°Your strength and form have grown adequate. In a fight against anybody, I¡¯m sure you would be beaten silly, that is why¡­ When you can successfully perform the swing I showed you 3 years ago, to the same degree you performed it then¡­ That is when I will begin teaching you swordsmanship. That is when I will allow you to practice something different, and that is when I will show you what that swing can one day grow into.¡± After speaking so much Erith just waved him away, he¡¯d given his student a task and that was enough for the day. Swordsmanship wasn¡¯t taught overnight, and the type of character a man needed to become a true swordsman wasn¡¯t something his student currently possessed. Gazing at Haru walking back to his regular spot, he ignored the other kids that had grown to follow along and copied him. Some of them had come and left, frustrated at the lack of teaching, only 2 still remained, and even so it was not due to training but rather they saw this place a safe haven. He¡¯d seen children like them before, and they only sought safety. He¡¯d provide it in the form of a shield, but he would never teach them. They simply weren¡¯t worthy to learn from him. Those were Erith¡¯s true thoughts and he couldn¡¯t change never nor did he want too. Haru had been left in a daze, mostly because from the very first day of training all he¡¯d ever sought to do was replicate his teacher¡¯s swing. Everyday he¡¯d swung hundreds of times all in that same effort, and now he was suddenly being told that was his goal¡­ ¡®Is this some sort of joke? What does he think I¡¯ve been trying to do this entire time?¡¯ Haru couldn¡¯t help but wonder as he half-heartedly begun his regular practice. Even though he felt slightly bothered at first, he soon put these thoughts behind him and began focusing and practicing in earnest. It made no difference from before except that now, he knew he would have more than one benefit once he succeeded. Haru didn¡¯t focus on these distracting thoughts for long, because today something felt different. The sword in his hand, that he¡¯d picked up from the same spot, that he left in the same place, felt different. He himself didn¡¯t realize it, but his swings were more natural, his mind more at ease with each determined swing. Four hours passed, each strike becoming more and more tiring but as his body grew more tired his mind grew more clear, a strange contrast between the two. His body at a state of near collapse he steadied himself as he prepared for one more swing. His position and body in a state of natural disposition, the sword in his hand felt like an extra limb and not an item in his hand as he swung downwards with little thought to his actions and for the first time in three years he felt the same rustle, the same wind, the same force he¡¯d created all those years ago.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Instead of surprise, instead of excitement; things you would expect from a thirteen year old. He was calm, although he didn¡¯t know why, he was utterly calm and that strike felt as if it had been building up for hours, days, weeks, months perhaps even years even if he himself had not known until this very moment. Erith stood up with his hands behind in back as he walked towards Haru ignoring the two ¡°students¡± who had inexplicably passed out. Standing before him he gave a small smile, ¡°Calm Heart, Calm Strike.¡± The words felt just as natural as he did upon first hearing them. It took a few moments but that feeling of naturalness faded away, the soreness and exhaustion catching up, but not enough to make him pass out but enough to force him to his knees. Haru could only manage the energy to gaze upwards at his teacher with a questioning look. Staring down at his pupil, a small gentle smile formed on his face without him even realizing it. Erith had once gone through the very same experience as Haru and looking down at him now reminded him of himself all those years ago. The key difference being that it had taken him 10 years of training much like Haru to reach this point and he had already been trained as a warrior since he was 6. Haru was far weaker than he had been when he had reached this stage, but that is only natural. No one in his ¡°school¡± had likely ever had the same amount of talent as this boy before him. ¡®That he had reached this point in three years, at his age, with no training. Astounding.¡¯ Erith had been prepared. He felt this coming for weeks now, and yesterday he¡¯d already steeled himself as he¡¯d felt the amount of spirit power Haru had accumulated had become enough. If anything the only thing that confounded him was that normally potential in affinity translated to gathering spirit power as well. He¡¯d reached the starting point in swordsmanship a year ago, but he simply didn¡¯t have enough spirit power to reach this stage. ¡°That is the name of the technique. Which you¡¯ve just reached the boundary. The starting line to infusing mana, through will and creating aura.¡± The words went in one ear and came out he other as Haru¡¯s look of confusion only grew. ¡°Mana is Spirit Power. Anyone who has reached the the Spirit Realm call it as such. It is an ancient word referenced in all of the texts.¡± Realizing Erith planned on actually teaching him for once, Haru could only only feel a slight hint of joy at the prospect of learning. His entire body felt sore, exhaustion was washing over his every fiber. ¡°What is aura, and will? I don¡¯t understand¡± Haru said in a rough and raspy voice, only made possible due to his body¡¯s exhaustion. ¡°Aura is a form of power created by willpower, and harnessing mana. It¡¯s a strange thing that is not easily understood Haru. Some people may not have any spirit power but may still manage to learn aura, and not all who have spirit power can learn aura. There are many things in this world that aren¡¯t fully understood. At least not by us, I want you to understand some very important though. It¡¯s from this point forward, that I will indeed teach you, I will give you as much of my legacy as you are able to grasp.¡± Not even taking the time for the words to sink in, ¡°It¡¯s also from this point forward, that whatever I teach you stays between you and I. This is a legacy. They are teachings given from one master to one pupil and passed down just like that. Never to be shared with others. Do you understand?¡± Haru¡¯s face scrunched up not quite understanding how important this was to Erith, but he grasped the basic concept. Information is power, and maintaining a tight grasp of certain information is what keeps power in the hands of some and not others. ¡®Okay.¡± ¡°This is important. No one else Haru.¡± Haru may not have been able to completely the reason for why this was so important but his tone had been enough to make him understand the importance to Erith. ¡°Okay, I understand¡± Erith smiled and sat down next to Haru no longer looking at him but gazing at the sky. Haru was just glad to no longer have to expend the energy having to look up. Gazing up at the three beautiful moons hanging in the sky, thinking about something odd his teacher had once said. ''I can''t even imagine a world with one moon. Myths of the past.'' Erith had a new found appreciation for his existence, staring at the three moons above gave him a feeling he''d never had before. He hadn¡¯t realized something had been missing in his life until these last few days. After coming to such an odd realization he found his lifestyle quite amusing for only a moment, as he began teaching Haru some of the most basic but crucial pieces of information he would need to know to both grow and survive. BD: Chapter 19 - Harbinger (Part 1) Chapter 19 ¨C Harbinger (Part 1) A storm struck on the night Sarah was bound for death, and there was just a little something that set this storm apart from any other. It should¡¯ve been the type of weather that people would remember for years. In the north, just beyond the great wall, outside of Northern City¡­ Mark slumped in the hair behind his desk, his attendants had already fled the room at their first chance. He sat drinking whiskey to keep warm. The persistent chill that troubled him was not caused by the storm raging above them but by something else entirely, something he himself could not explain that rattled his heart. He had known Sarah his entire life, and after her injury he had stayed by her side the entire time, now his heart felt cold. An inexplicable cold that left a shiver in his bones and at his core, giving him a sense of foreboding. His father had been assassinated, his mother in childbirth and every other relative had fought bravely in the war and died just as bravely too. That honor he¡¯d once felt at knowing his family had died for a cause had slowly turned sour of the years leaving him nothing but regret and a distaste in his mouth at the thought of the meaninglessness of their deaths. A hand drawn portrait of his mother and father before he¡¯d been born lay on his desk, right next to one of Sarah. He gave them both a deep glance before he tore himself away. The rumbling of the storm came again giving him the strength to focus on something else entirely. The storm itself and not the feeling in his bones. Dwelling in that feeling for a moment once more, a knocking at the door startled him with just as much relief at another distraction as surprise for being so distracted. ¡°Sir¡­ Lieutenant Markwell.¡± He knew that slightly high pitched and worried voice. It was one of the few men he still trusted. A young man still in his twenties with potential to become someone of equal position as himself. He could hear the nervousness in the man¡¯s voice through the door and didn¡¯t respond. He had a feeling. That foreboding feeling from before making the situation play out before him much the same as he¡¯d already imagined. ¡°It¡¯s Janet sir¡­ She has returned from the healer¡¯s home¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s¡­¡± The man couldn¡¯t finish his sentence but he didn¡¯t have too. Janet was Sarah¡¯s maid. Her most trusted ¡°person¡¯ in the entire world. The woman served her like a queen, whenever he himself could not be by Sarah¡¯s side it was her that held her hand and told her madam that everything would be alright. Now she was here. Not with Sarah. Nothing more needed to be said. Mark knew. ¡°Fact is¡­ The storm exacerbated her condition¡­ The lady said the healer did all he could to save her but that¡­ Well I don¡¯t have all the details sir but... She passed on sir. She passed on.¡± Mark brought the cup to his lips and drank more of the whiskey as he listened. Then, if only for a slight moment he felt a vague semblance of a feeling similar to relief. Relief she was dead. Relieved the most important person in his life, the last woman or person that still kept him tethered to humanity was now gone. Another piece of him taken away. ¡°You can leave now First Sergeant Lars.¡± Mark eventually replied. It was a small service to the man at the door. Even as a slew of feelings began growingly overwhelming, he still acknowledged how awkward and uncomfortable the man on the other side of the door likely felt at this moment. The fear of having to tell his commanding officer, particularly himself this sort of news. This was a mercy. He would let him leave with his job now done. ¡®Perhaps it¡¯ll be the last mercy I perform¡¯ he vaguely wondered as emptiness ate away at him. ¡­ Mark couldn¡¯t tell when but a pounding at the door woke him up from his stupor. ¡°OPEN THE DOOR NOW MARK.¡± ¡°Give me 5 minutes.¡± Mark responded in slurred words. He was drunk, and he needed to get to work, to face the world, to do his job, and maybe he was going to make some mistakes that cost his men their lives. Perhaps it would mean the end of his career, the destruction of the last slivers of his reputation, but he just didn¡¯t care. In fact he anticipated this catastrophe with a perverse longing. He pulled on his overcoat on top of his uniform when a peal of thunder crackled in the sky making him stumble slightly. He frowned as the entire floor reverberated from the lightning. He looked at the window, the only window in this makeshift study. Dry snow swirled against the glass. On more than one occasion had he been under or through thunder in a snowstorm, though nothing quite like this. Nothing that sounded quite as menacing as this. Lightning flashed again, and again but now he was prepared for it. Falling snow filling the ground outside the window, inconsistently light and so at odds with the storm above. Mark stepped out of his room to a crying woman, he couldn¡¯t even look her in the eyes. A grieving woman.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡®Janet¡¯. She was screaming at him, bearing her soul. He tilted his head slightly, a little surprised. Not by her words, her anger or the sorrow present in every action, in her eyes that told a story. No, surprised that her yelling wasn¡¯t giving her a headache, ¡®Perhaps the lightning has numbed me to noise¡¯ he wondered. She continued to scream, to yell, to vent but he the words seemed empty. He could hear, but he didn¡¯t hear. Without even noticing, his hand had already snaked around her throat. ¡®Oh¡¯ his only thought as he recognized that without his intent, he¡¯d already crushed her windpipe. Realizing his ¡®mistake¡¯ he had the decency to gaze into her eyes as a small light slowly seeped away. He didn¡¯t have to look at her chest, hands, or anything other than her eyes. Her eyes let him know when all of her life had slipped away, when her life ended. ¡®Nothing¡¯ he noted as he felt nothing from her death. He didn¡¯t think too much on the matter as he walked away. Someone would clean her up, move her body, dispose of it. He didn¡¯t think about it, it was done. Lightning flared bright enough to sting his bloodshot eyes as Mark stepped through a passageway outdoors. The thunderclap was so tremendous that it seemed to cover the entire sky. Everything encompassed by an overwhelming natural force. Two more thunderclaps peeling the sky white as a bolt of lightning struck a massive tree down, only meters away from Mark as he made his way through the snow. A slightly disoriented Mark trudged his way through the crunched snow under his boots. Oblivious to the lightning, to the tree that had fallen so close, so close to have injured him only moments ago. He made his way to town. He was close. When he¡¯d had his temporary residence commissioned he¡¯d had it made outside of the town limit but close. Sarah had wanted to be close to everything, and he¡¯d wanted to oblige her request but safety had won out. So he compromised and had it built close, but far enough away. He made his way to the healer¡¯s house, and he couldn¡¯t remember by the time it was all done. He had bits and pieces of the slaughter than took place. There were tears, screams, blood and gore. He¡¯d killed at least two women, ¡®Sisters? His sisters? Maybe patients?¡¯ He was certain he¡¯d killed the healer. He was sure, he was also reasonably sure he¡¯d killed everyone who¡¯d gotten in his way and everyone inside. He sat outside the house. He couldn¡¯t go back in but he couldn¡¯t leave. It wasn¡¯t the indiscriminate slaughter, the blood or the gore but rather Sarah¡¯s body. She was still inside. It was her body that had made him stop, given him a sliver of his sanity back and forced him out of the house. All too late though, as he could feel with his mana that there was not a living soul left within, not anymore. He couldn¡¯t leave, not with her there. He couldn¡¯t stay, not with her there. So he stood. He stood outside the front door, snow falling on his clothes against the skin of his face, cold and slight numbing. Blood dripping from his finger drips onto the snow that had already accumulated on the ground. Thunder roaring overhead. He stood. Waiting. Unsure for what, but he had a feeling. A feeling that something would come, something would soon happen. The storm raged on above. Staring up at the sky with the snow falling on his face Mark felt disoriented by the blazing sky, the thunder and wind bellowing. Mark abruptly felt drunk for the first time that night, He wondered to himself how much the bizarre electrical phenomenon was real and how much of it was his own mind playing tricks on him. Anything to distract his mind from the emotions he was keeping a shut lid on. A chain of electrical bolts stuck down on the street around him. Destroying buildings and causing small fires to begin. He stared in awe at the fear of the survivors of these freak occurrences running from their homes. Dragging their loved ones bloodied and bruised to safety. He was in awe by the celestial display of power, drawn by the storm. ¡®So much destruction. So much pain. Everyone is in pain¡­ I am not alone.¡¯ The snow falling harder his thoughts were stirred by First Sargeant Lars standing by his side. Normally aware of his surroundings at all times, with his heightened senses he only felt surprise by the sudden intrusion. The lightning and thunder above so bright and loud that it drowned out the screams of agony around them, the destruction of perhaps the entire town. Finally, the shouting was loud enough. Loud enough for him to hear. ¡°SIR! WE HAVE A REPORT! THEY FOUND HER! THEY FOUND THE GIRL!¡± It took a moment for the words to sink in, but when they did¡­ He knew exactly what they meant, who he was talking about¡­ ¡®They found her¡­ They found them¡­¡¯ His voice was weak, hoarse, barely a whisper in the midst of all the chaos but Lars responded as if he heard, perhaps by coincidence but he responded: ¡°Eastesp City. She is in Eastesp City sir!¡± He had not been sobered by the terrifying explosions, the thunder, the shouts of agony and pain, his own actions or the world crumbling around him, but these words. They struck a cord. The numbness receded, and in its place a hot burning anger, a hatred so deep that it reached his bones took its place. He didn¡¯t shout, or lash out. It was a slow burning anger, a hatred that calmed him, steadied him. That cleared his mind and gave him purpose. His mind cleared, his emotions leveled, and that anger and hate centered him. The world responding to his emotions seemed to calm. The lightning, the thunder, the atmosphere steadied. A storm had come, and now it was all of a sudden gone. The sky quiet. Lars unable to meet his Lieutenants eyes, his teeth chattering against one another. Not due to the cold, but fear. A primal fear that made him cower without fully understanding. Mark stood up, steady as a rock as he walked back to his makeshift house. Every one around him, in his path moving out of his way out of instinct. Only one building remained in this small little town outside and just past the wall. The one Mark had been previously leaning on. Lars didn¡¯t look around but the wind rushed past, the snow the one thing still unaffected, still falling. The wind blew the door open and it wasn¡¯t the sight, but the smell the forced Lars to look up. To see the carnage within. Lars turned his head immediately, not making eye contact with what was inside. Hand to his mouth to stop himself from throwing up, he took a few moments to steady himself. To think about the situation, and his position. ¡°Private!¡± he called. Two men, two soldiers that he trusted and had brought with him responded in tandem immediately. ¡°Yes sir!¡± Lars pulled the door back and removed his belt and tied it to a post to keep it from opening on its own again. ¡°Burn it down. Burn the entire house down. Do not look inside, do not let anyone in.¡± Lars didn¡¯t waste a moment longer as he followed his Lieutenant. BD: Chapter 20 - Spirit Realm Chapter 20 ¨C Spirit Realm Haru listened quietly, his face giving away his thoughts as he expressed surprise, interest, happiness and reservations throughout Eriths explanations. It was almost an hour before Erith finally finished speaking, he¡¯d given him a full lecture. Passing on a barrage of information for Haru to soak in and by the end of it, even he was unsure of what his pupil was thinking. Tears stained the corners of his eyes, and for a moment Erith was left to wonder if perhaps the pressure, or the requirements of some of the things he¡¯d told him were perhaps too much for him to handle. ¡°You have time Haru. You¡¯re just a child, you have plenty of time¡­¡± Seeing no change to his expression, ¡°In fact¡­ It took me a far longer period of time to touch the borders of the Calm Heart Calm Strike technique. In this regard at least, I can promise you. You do not lack talent.¡± A tear slid down Haru¡¯s cheek but he wiped his face and turned away hoping Erith hadn¡¯t noticed in time. He took a few seconds as a beaming smile crossed his lips. He couldn¡¯t find the words to say it, but the truth was that he was just happy. Happy to feel like he truly had a teacher for the first time, someone teaching him not what they had too, but rather because they chose too. Chose because they saw something in him; potential. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± Haru muttered. ¡°I want you to know¡­ You reaching this barrier means you¡¯re likely at the boundary of the Spirit Realm¡­ You¡¯ll probably reach it during meditation in the next few days.¡± Haru¡¯s eyes gleamed for only a second before he nodded. He himself already knew he¡¯d been close. He¡¯d been close for a while now, and hearing this confirmation only gave him a slight bit of good news. He was still soaking in everything else. ¡°Good luck¡± Erith nodded with that rare smile still tugging at his lips and helped Haru out of the dojo. He¡¯d had enough time to recover and if it got too late he was certain he¡¯d find himself being berated by a worried mother in no time¡­ As he watched Haru¡¯s departing back, Erith couldn¡¯t help but show an even bigger smile ¡®Finally, that kid is acting semi normal. It¡¯s a pity that it took him so long to reach the Spirit Realm. It¡¯s too much of a shame his aptitude in gathering mana isn¡¯t at the same level as his swordsmanship¡­¡¯ On his way home Haru thought about the amount of money he¡¯d saved in the last few years. It was virtually nothing. He had saved some money by helping the kids who chose to give him money by ¡°teaching¡± them at the dojo. These kids were already beggars or poor, and with little aptitude. They paid him little, but he had appreciated and saved every penny. Even though he was lost in thought, he was happily near skipping as he bounced up and down and sporadically sprinted on his whole way home. He was experienced a rare bit of unfiltered joy. ¡®Progress. Finally¡­. Progress!¡¯ Three years. It had been three whole years. He had painstakingly practiced what was basically just one thing, one boring thing nonstop, everyday for three whole years. All of those swings of his sword, they had all been for the sake of getting stronger, but a small part of him acknowledged that it was also because he wanted Erith¡¯s recognition. He wanted the same respect that other kids who were naturally gifted or talented received, something he¡¯d never had. After getting home, he was too excited to eat and quickly said his hellos and good nights to his parents and sister. He was too focused on the next step, even his teacher had already told him he was close. ¡®Tonight I am going to break into the next realm! Tonight is the night!¡¯ he thought to himself as he cleaned himself up, bathed and got into bed. He tried entering meditation, but something about his bedroom just wasn¡¯t doing enough for him. His mind felt as if it was blocked, unable to reach that easy and comfortable state he could normally reach with ease. He spent hours, hearing everything around him. Hearing Lily falling asleep and his parents doing the same soon afterwards. Unable to handle the frustration after a few hours, he got out of bed and began pacing in his room.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. After a little bit of unuseful pacing Haru decided to go outside. To move around, but the second he opened his window and got outside his entire body stilled. His entire body felt refreshed, warm and cold at the same time and his mind a little blank as he stared up at the moons. Something about the moons tonight made him feel as if they were beckoning him, calling him. He climbed up to the roof of the small house and sat himself down blanketed by the moonlight. It took him but a moment to close his eyes and enter meditation. In that moment his entire body glimmered, shined a bright white for just a moment. Inside of their room, Lily¡¯s entire body was glowing a deep bright yellow. A small shining sun. A ring of light encompassing her entire body, emulating a pure yellow light that radiated heat and warmth. Above, the night air was especially cool. Inside of his mind, the blood ocean was stirring. It¡¯s normal stillness disturbed by ripples emanating from multiple places. Inside of the middle of that ocean, Haru¡¯s body floated barely aware of the changes occurring inside of himself. The color of the blood turning a shade darker as his mind felt less clear and more weighed down than it ever had during his meditation. For the first time his entire vision began to turn a bizzare red color, the scent of blood filling his mind for the first time. Up until down it was a sea of blood only distinguishable by sight, but for the first time he could smell the copper, the thick texture and the rolling waves on his entire person. This smell, this texture, this color, it felt almost as if every tangible and intangible aspect of the blood was flowing into Haru. It felt like he was being devoured by these senses. The blood was everywhere in his perception. One moment his body shined a bright white color as he sat in meditation. In the next moment it shined a faint red color. The color alternating back and forth through his body. He felt before he heard it¡­ A roaring. An ear-shattering roar! Something unnatural¡­ Supreme¡­ Ancient¡­ Powerful¡­ *ROOOOOOOAAAARR* A roar so loud it instilled a dread that seemed to seep from the bottom of his soul. A sound so terrifying that it indicated, it was heralding the return, the presence of something so powerful that the heavens themselves would not allow it! Haru¡¯s eyes opened wide his body leaking blood from every orifice. He wasn¡¯t scared, he wasn¡¯t agitated, the fear he felt forgotten. He could only stare as the world around him no longer seemed the same. He could see things in the air, in the distance, up close that he could never see before. He could smell things that seemed to coming from blocks away. He could hear everything happening in the house downstairs, his neighbors, the streets¡­ Haru¡¯s mind was bombarded by information all at once, but instead of pain he felt invigorated. Erith had already explained this to him. That the moment he entered the Spirit Realm stage all of his senses would be enhanced, he would feel like a brand new person. Haru¡¯s expectations hadn¡¯t been low but they hadn¡¯t been too high, but this¡­ What he was experiencing now was something he could never have anticipated. Making only the slightest movement to get to his feet he felt unseen force flow into his body as he moved quicker than he¡¯d ever been able too before with an ease that hadn¡¯t matched the speed. A small sliver or surprise crossed his face as he realized what he¡¯d just done¡­ ¡®The spirit realm stage should allow me to use spirit power superficially to influence the elements, or the world around me¡­ But didn¡¯t I just inadvertently use it on myself?¡¯ Erith had explained to him that those in the spirit realm surpassed a normal human. They could use spirit power, an unseen force. To influence the world around him, the elements themselves as well. Instead he¡¯d just used this power he was feeling to influence himself. ¡®It almost felt like I used my own power and not something¡­ else?¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡®That would be a blood ability though wouldn¡¯t it?¡¯ confusion brought Haru to his senses as he didn¡¯t need to check, but he immediately did so anyways. He needed to make sense, to understand and the only way to do so would be to meditate. Without sitting, without moving Haru simply closed his eyes. Entering his mind with a large smile on his face he entered his own spiritual realm at will. The same space he was before, whenever he meditated. Instead of being enveloped by the blood ocean, he floated high above it all. He could see it now. He could see and only now was he finally shocked. Shocked that even with his new vision, he could not see an end to the blood. The blood went on as far as he could see. It gave him the impression the blood went on for eternity. Downstairs Eve couldn¡¯t hold herself back as she moved towards Haru and Lily but a strong hand held her back. ¡°We can¡¯t. We knew this was going to happen. It¡¯s happening.¡± Dillan said in a deep but low voice. Eve didn¡¯t even turn her head as her eyes watered ¡°But¡­ Look at him! He¡¯s hurt! We need to do something!¡± Dillan only shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s fine. We¡¯d know if he wasn¡¯t.¡± as he tightened his grip on her shoulder. Eve¡¯s hand overlapping on her husband¡¯s hand. ¡°Can¡¯t we do anything? Anything?¡± ¡°No.¡± Dillan took a deep breath. His concerns for Haru at a minimum, he could tell despite all the blood that he was fine. His eyes were instead glued to Lily as his heart skipped a beat and an overwhelming sense of dread swept over him for just a moment. BD: Chapter 21 - Orbs equal bad luck Chapter 21 ¨C Orbs equal bad luck Haru floated in the air for the first time truly appreciating the sight before him. He could finally see instead of simply feel this blood ocean before him, and it awed him. It awed him, and it scared him. ¡®Why is this so different?¡¯ After spending a bit of time looking at the sight before him and trying to notice any differences, it was Lily¡¯s voice that brought him back to the real world. ¡°Haaaaruuuuu!!¡± her voice distinct and evenly pitched as she yelled from downstairs. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a second!¡± he yelled back as he made a move to jump down but noticed the blood staining his clothes in time. Realizing how bad he probably looked Haru took off his shirt and used it to wipe away all the blood from his face and threw it to the side deciding to come back for it later. Jumping down, he could feel the changes in his body. He was relaxed, much more so than before. Every movement took less strain, less effort giving him a refreshing feel of being in control. ¡°Lily, I¡¯m over here!¡± he shouted as he entered his own room through the window. ¡°Where were you Ruruuu?¡± Lily asked skipping into the room and spinning around with a smile before pulling on his arms ¡°Foooooood! I¡¯m soooo hungry!¡± ¡°Is everything okay Ruru? You worried me to death when I didn¡¯t see you in your room!¡± Eve asked as she finished cooking a broth for them. Dillan only gave her a glance as he gazed at Haru. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mom. I couldn¡¯t sit still so I went upstairs to meditate on the roof. I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve broken through... To the Spirit Realm.¡± Haru was still unsure himself of whether he had truly broken through or not. He¡¯d realized that his ¡°space¡± where his ¡°spiritually created space¡± as Linlin had taught him, had changed. He also recognized that his entire body felt different and he could feel a presence in the air. An unseen force which he felt like he could reach out and touch, use¡­ Just slightly out of his reach. Linlin and then Erith had already explained to Haru that when someone broke through to the Spiritual Realm they would be able to sense and barely apply ¡°spirit power¡±. Except this would be a power they could apply externally, but Haru could feel that he was applying this power internally. As if it was a bloodline ability instead. The whole thing was confusing to Haru who¡¯d had limited guidance up until this point. Linlin taught his class general topics, the general strokes. Mostly he focused on cultivating their knowledge and ability to meditate and reach the Spirit Realm. Erith on the other hand, had until yesterday taught him very little, and what he¡¯d told Haru yesterday had opened his mind but explained very little. Even with his son¡¯s unsure tone Dillan and Eve had already sensed it last night, he only nodded with a smile at his son. Even with his weak bloodline which had given him a great surprise, he could only be proud of his son who had worked so diligently everyday and managed to surpass even greatly talented children with all the teachers and resources available in Central City. Eve¡¯s eyes moistened, she didn¡¯t want to cry. She held back any more questions and only went over and gave him a big hug. He only reached her shoulders. Embracing him as only a mother could, she knew she still thought of him as her little boy, and at this moment even with this achievement knew that she always would. Lily¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°You broke through?¡± She looked over at her mom and dad and seeing their reactions she lowered her head for a moment making Haru think she was sad. ¡®It¡¯s because they won¡¯t just let her go have her awakening ceremony¡­ I can¡¯t let this get her down¡­¡¯ Squirming his way out of his mother¡¯s tight hug he went over and gave Lily a big squeeze ¡°Your brother is getting strong! Your brother wasn¡¯t pulling your leg when he told you that he¡¯d protect you forever and ever you know.¡± Lily didn¡¯t say anything but when he pulled away she was giving him a giant smile that made his heart tighten.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Tonight we¡¯ll have a feast. Go to the academy, get your recommendation and then go inform Erith and do your normal training. They¡¯ll likely let you leave the academy early today so you¡¯ll get home earlier today.¡± Dillan said with a proud smile on his face. ¡°There¡¯s no rush is there? I thought I would take the day off from classes so I can meditate and get a better grasp of the changes.¡± Haru reasonably voiced. ¡°No. You should go now. The sooner the better. I have a surprise for you, and I¡¯ll give it to you after you¡¯ve gotten your recommendation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the greatest! Isn¡¯t he Lily??¡± He laughed as he lifted her up into the air and twirled her around twice not thinking twice about his father¡¯s words. Eve urged them to stop playing around and eat while the food was still warm. He rushed to the academy, and when he got there made a beeline for his class to find Linlin. As soon as he entered the room Linlin could feel the difference and didn¡¯t even need to say a word as Linlin gave him a big smile. ¡°You broke through?¡± Haru had rushed to the academy so that he would be the first one there. There was another student in the classroom already and his eyes opened wide as he heard Linlin words. Haru nodded and waited for Linlin by the door as Linlin walked over and gave him a pat on the back. ¡°Let¡¯s go confirm.¡± Although he ran to the academy excited to tell his professor an extremely small part of him felt a little frustrated that his teacher had about as much surprise as his father had for a moment. Considering all of his hard work he was surprised that they were surprised. ''They even said the same thing in the same tone.'' They entered one of the less used rooms which held a variety of testing orbs. Linlin specifically picked out of the older looking ones and noticing his student¡¯s gaze he gave him a knowing smile ¡°It only looks this old and used because it¡¯s sole usage is to test whether a person has entered the Spirit Realm. Even if it looks like this, these things are nearly indestructible. We¡¯ve had all of these testing orbs since the academy was founded and this one gets the most use as bloodline warriors can usually just show their blood ability as proof.¡± Staring at the orb it reminded him a little of the one he¡¯d held years ago for his awakening ceremony. ¡°Do I just place my hand on it?¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not as simple as the ones used for the bloodline awakening ceremony.¡± The hand that was midway to reaching the orb stilled as Haru wondered whether Linlin had read his mind. It wasn¡¯t a farfetched thought with bloodline abilities being as varied as stars in the sky. No one had seen Linlin use a blood ability either making him wonder whether his first assumption was true. ¡°No I¡¯m not reading your mind. You¡¯re just obvious. Besides, where else would you have seen a testing orb? These things are ridiculously expensive.¡± Linlin said with a laugh. Haur released a long breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding. Feeling a little guilty and not knowing why he rubbed the back of his head ¡°Are the materials that rare?¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not about the materials. It¡¯s simply that only the royal alchemists have the knowledge to make it. Therefore, they control the market for them. Now hurry up. Put your hand on the orb and try to influence the mana in your surroundings.¡± Haru didn¡¯t hesitate again as he placed his hand on the orb and instinctively used clenched his hand tightening his grip on the orb with a strength he knew was far more than what he could do with his own. Instantly the orb lit up as Linlin nodded his head in approval. The reaction proved that his student had reached the Spirit Realm guaranteeing him a bonus for the year but his smile dampened a little as he saw the luster of the orb not light up any further. The fact that it didn¡¯t light up any further would normally indicate that Haru had the lowest talent possible in manipulating spirit power. Even so, he didn¡¯t let it affect him at all, after seeing his student practice arduously for the past three years he knew that there was no way Haru would not make up for this lack of talent with perserverance and effort. It was only after he gave it a few more seconds of thought that he remembered how Haru had learned to meditate on practically the first day. This was normally a big indicator of talent¡­ ¡®Strange¡­¡¯ but he just shook his head completely unbothered. ¡°Hmm. The orb didn¡¯t brighten up much, meaning you have indeed reached the Spirit Realm but¡­ Should have little talent in manipulating spirit power in the future¡­ But I¡¯ve also seen how hard you work, don¡¯t let this bother you. I have no doubt you¡¯ll reap big benefits and achieve big things if you keep working as hard as you have for the past three years.¡± Haru¡¯s thoughts turned downcast as he heard his evaluation. ¡®Effort¡­ No talent¡­ Again¡­¡¯ Clenching his teeth he removed his hand and slapped his cheeks with both hands, taking a big breath. ¡®I won¡¯t let this get me down. Maybe I just have bad luck with these damn orbs. Tch. I¡¯ wasn¡¯t planning on slacking before, so it¡¯s fine!¡¯ Linlin paid no attention to the orb as he placed it down on one of the stands as he stared in Haru¡¯s eyes. He watched as he only make an annoyed expression for but a moment before regaining that look of determination Linlin was so used to seeing. As a teacher he felt a little disappointed that such a promising and hard working student had to tread such a difficult path, ¡®Even so, we all forge our own paths. I¡¯ll be rooting for you Haru Seishin.¡¯ They left the room immediately afterwards as Linlin lead the path to the Dean¡¯s office ready to announce the good news. In a rush to see the principle and preoccupied with thoughts of the future, neither of them noticed the extremely slight indentation of five fingers on the indestructible orb Haru had just squeezed¡­ BD: Chapter 22 - Recommendation Chapter 22 ¨C Recommendation The principle was overjoyed to hear another one of the student¡¯s from his academy had successfully reached the Spirit Realm before graduation. Regardless of their background or bloodline, a student reaching the spirit realm before their graduation date would reflect well for him and the academy and would be a thing to boast about. If Haru became widely successful as a warrior in the future, it would be an even bigger accomplishment, so every child with talent was treated notably well. Not because of their value now, but their possible accomplishments in the future. The principle verified with Linlin that Haru had indeed reached the spirit realm and wrote him a personal recommendation on the spot. The recommendation guaranteed him a spot into any spiritual or bloodline academy aside from the ones in Central City. Those required connections, wealth and family status¡­ The requirements to even enter and leave in the central portion of the continent were enough so that 90% of the population would never so much as see it¡¯s borders. Even so, the recommendation the dean had just given Haru would even go so far as to at least allow him to take an entry exam, which might not sound like much but would be everything to some. He considered talking to Haru personally, something he had never done before but after hearing Linlin speak so highly of the him despite his useless bloodline, he was certain Linlin had already invested enough. So long as he kept Linlin close the academy would benefit from any success Haru had in the future. After waiting only an hour or so which Haru used to meditate and notice the changes in his Spiritual Realm, Linlin came out to speak to him. Handing the letter over with a smile ¡°Congratulations. You¡¯ve graduated early. I hope you succeed in the future, don¡¯t stop working as hard as you have just because of this. It¡¯s but a small step on a long journey.¡± Haru eyes were a little moist as he took the envelope and bowed at ninety degrees. ¡°Thank you for everything! I will remember the kindness you¡¯ve shown me in the future.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it at all. Now run along and go show your parents. Take very good care of that letter nad yourself.¡± Haru nodded and started running. Multiple people gave him looks as he ran past them but he didn¡¯t dcare, not at this moment. He was too excited. Moreover, the orb had at least proven that he had in fact reached the Spirit Realm meaning it had nothing to do with his bloodline, ¡®I just have a strange spirit realm¡­¡¯ Instead of running back to the house¡­ Haru ran towards the dojo. He had made up his mind as he meditated waiting for the letter, that he would finally share with Erith. He¡¯d known his teacher for 3 years, and after yesterday he finally felt like Erith was a true mentor. ¡®I also can¡¯t move further if I don¡¯t get answers. I need advice and information, and since I don¡¯t have any other way¡­ It¡¯s time.¡¯ Haru jogged to the dojo. In too much of a good mood to hold back any longer. The recommendation letter in his hand serving as tangible proof of his hard work the past three years. Even as he ran into the dojo he couldn¡¯t help himself from smiling and waving the letter in the air. Erith had already sensed him and had opened his eyes as he sat in his usual spot surveying him with slight amusement. ¡°What are we waving around?¡± Taking a moment to catch his breath, Haru envisioned the surprise on his teacher¡¯s face when he found out that he had reached the spirit realm and already gotten his envelope. Grinning at the thought ¡°I reached the Spirit Realm last night!¡± he shouted proudly. Erith¡¯s eyebrows scrunched ¡°That¡¯s obvious, and not much to brag about.¡± Haru couldn¡¯t help but pout for a moment as he realized that he wasn¡¯t going to get any praise from Erith. Then after thinking about it for a moment ¡®Unlike dad and teacher Linlin¡­ He didn¡¯t seem surprised¡­¡¯ Not quite understanding why that made him feel slightly pleased, he let it go as he sat down cross legged in front of Erith and began thinking of how he would phrase things. ¡°I have a slight problem that I need to consult with you about teacher¡­¡± ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± Taking a big breath Haru began explaining something he¡¯d never shared with anybody before. He explained to Erith how ever since his he first entered a meditative state, the area he found himself inside was very different than anything he¡¯d been explained before. Not only was it a blood red ocean (he omitted that he was certain it was blood). Erith¡¯s expression was moved by his story. It was something even he had never come across. ¡°There¡¯s something else¡­ Well¡­ I know that once someone reaches the spirit realm they are supposed to be able to sense a force in the surroundings which is spirit power right? This is the force we¡¯re supposed to be able to manipulate right?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Erith was still focused on the revelation of Haru¡¯s strange spirit realm and answered in more detail than he would normally ¡°Yes. How much one can sense in their surroundings is an indicator of talent. Some people barely feel a change and some experience something that changes their entire perception of their surroundings. This is spirit power, and in ages past. It was called mana.¡± ¡°Mana¡­ ¡° Haru said it absentmindedly as if the word held some special meaning. ¡°Yes. Moreover, no one in the spirit realm can manipulate mana. It¡¯s simply that once one reaches this realm and can sense the mana in their surroundings, with that perception comes the false perception that they can indeed manipulate it. In one sense it¡¯s true. One becomes able to pool more of the mana into one space and collect into one¡¯s spirit realm.¡± This was an enlightenment, and was along the lines of what Haru had more or less expected to hear¡­ Which is why it fueled him to ask what was really on his mind ¡°I thought so¡­ But¡­ When I entered the spirit realm¡­ Afterwards it felt like I could only manipulate this force, mana I mean inside of me and not outside¡­?¡± Erith snapped out of his own thoughts as he gave his pupil a strange look. ¡°Show me.¡± ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡± Haru asked unsure how to show something he himself didn¡¯t quite understand. Erith said no more as he stood up and motioned for Haru to do the same as he began to walk towards him. Pulling his entire sword still in its sheath from his waistband he began swinging at Haru! Haru reacted almost instantly! Dodging and using mana as if it was something his body had done since birth surprising even himself! After a few minutes Haru stared at his teaching in confusion and surprise. Breath heavy, he was sucking in huge chunks of air as he steadied himself and kept his eyes on his teacher for any signs of movement. Large beads of sweat pouring down his entire body, already soaked in sweat. Every swing had seemed slow and simple to Haru but had forced him to dodge by hair¡¯s breadth even with his new found abilities. After dodging every swing at his body¡¯s full capacity, the strain was already making his legs feel like lead. He looked at Erith with surprise and a slightly new found respect. ¡®He must have started out at what he believed was my maximum ability and slowly controlled his own movement to increase the tempo and speed bit by bit until he realized my body had reached its maximum¡­ That kind of control is¡­ Ridiculous¡­!¡¯ Even as he thought it ridiculous he actually meant it as a sign of respect. It was actually the first time that Erith had done something, anything even remotely similar to a spar with him and he felt a little glad that Erith hadn¡¯t trained him like a dog these past few years and that he thought of him as important enough to finally do so¡­ He realized it was a sign of acceptance. Erith on the other hand wasn¡¯t just surprised, he was shocked! The entire time he¡¯d gone easy on him and made no effort to hide any of his intent. He telegraphed every strike and swung at what he considered a snail¡¯s pace, but even then he could feel that was Haru was doing would have been impossible only a day ago. Midway his surprise had turned to shock as he realized Haru was instinctively reading his body language and then utilizing his body to dodge in the most efficient manner. Throat dry, not from effort but pure shock Erith¡¯s thoughts were a mess. ¡®This is impossible! It would normally take years of training to reach this point...! The only explanation knowing that Haru has never trained for this, is that he awakened a blood ability? An instinctual ability perhaps?¡¯ Erith wracked his brain for an explanation but even then the only thing that made sense, made no sense at all. ¡®But¡­ That¡¯s impossible. He was a weak bloodline and he clearly trained his spirit power not his bloodline. Unless¡­!¡¯ Suddenly it felt like something clicked! A theory formed and Erith¡¯s eyes opened wide as a possibility¡­ A farfetched one¡­. But one that would make his little pupil a monster if true¡­ Not a single drop of sweat on his body, Erith languidly sat down. They had ended their ¡°spar¡± with him standing at his favorite sitting spot, which Haru only wondered for a second as to whether it was coincidence before deciding against it. ¡°I have a theory.¡± Thankful he was done being tested, Haru sat down in front of him as he realized the phrasing¡­ ¡®Theory? Does that mean even teacher doesn¡¯t know?¡¯ Ignoring Haru¡¯s scowl he continued ¡°I believe¡­ That it is possible that perhaps your spirit power meditation, that meditative state you enter that would normally be solely for training your spirit power is actually also connected to your bloodline.¡± ¡°What do you mean teacher?¡± ¡°I think¡­ That your spirit power is connected to your bloodline. It could be a blessing or a detriment¡­¡± Haru¡¯s left eyebrow twitched as he felt a weight on his chest. Anytime anyone had ever referenced his bloodline it had always been a bad thing, and even now he guessed that this, something that would be great for somebody else would be bad for him. Erith considered his next words very carefully. Dillan had already told him what a sore spot Haru¡¯s bloodline was to him. He himself had long since realized that his lack of natural talent in that regard had been one of the motivating reasons he had been able to train so rigorously in front of him despite a lack of direction, true instruction, motivation from a teacher or much of anything really. Coming up with the right way to phrase things was not normally a strong suit and so he took his time thinking about how to phrase the benefits and detriments that could be associated with such a strange situation. Just as he was about to speak his neck spun to the right in an instant! Eyes alert he seemed completely focused surprising Haru. ¡°Complete your regular training. You are not allowed to leave until then. Small achievements are no reason for slacking, as a student of mine anything less than 100 percent effort is a slap to my name and face. Understood?¡± Haru nodded quickly unsure of what had made his teacher react so strongly. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be back in a bit. If you finish your training before I return, you may go home. Do not leave until you are finished. There is something I need to take care of.¡± Saying no more Erith stood up and walked over to the ever present sword rack and much to Haru¡¯s surprise, a second rack appeared behind it. Once he saw it his mind registered that he had always known it was there, and yet had never seen it before leaving him a little disoriented. The rack was just as large as the other, but held only 4 swords. Putting the one he normally carried at his waist back on the common rack. Erith grabbed two of the swords. Two matching red scabbards with gold handles and an intricate design for a sword guard that looked almost like a flower. Haru stared at the beauty of the two swords. Ignoring the slight pain and confusion from a moment earlier as he gazed in awe and a little bit of envy. The two straight katana¡¯s beauty making Haru wonder how long it would take before he could afford swords like that. ¡®No¡­ Not afford. How long will it be before I¡¯m worthy of using a sword like that?¡¯ Haru wondered as Erith left unhurriedly. BD: Chapter 23 - Unavoidable Trouble (Part 1) Chapter 23 ¨C Unavoidable Trouble (Part 1) Markwell instantly felt the disturbance. An awakening in the continent of something inhuman. Instead of feeling crisis upon him like every other officer strong enough to understand the significance of such a situation he felt exhilarated. Exhilarated because it confirmed he hadn¡¯t been lied too. ¡°Sergeant Jen. It would seem the report you received was not an exaggeration or false.¡± A strange smile was suffused on his face as he¡¯d spoke. It was crooked and dripped of malevolence forcing Sergeant Jen to keep his gaze averted. Markwell paid no attention ¡°Contact the highest ranked noble in Eastesp City. Tell him to order his strongest man and a small company of Imperial soldiers to speak the man who reported the girl. Find out everything, then apprehend the girl.¡± Sergeant Jen hesitated for a moment but decided to voice his concerns, hoping that Markwell¡¯s ill will now had a proper outlet ¡°Considering the information, it¡¯s entirely possible he knows even if he doesn¡¯t connect this awakening to her. If we spread the information there is a possibility, he tries to gain rewards from someone else to take full credit¡­ Sir.¡± Markwell only waved his hand ¡°Use my name. Make it clear we are on the way. Make it clear I plan on handling this personally. If I arrive and the girl is gone, I¡¯ll end his life.¡± ¡°Sir..! You want us to threaten a noble? Even with your position, if his is high enough¡­?¡± ¡°As long as he is a Viscount or lower the threat, under my name will serve as sufficient. If there is a higher ranked noble¡­ Say the same thing.¡± Sergeant Jen wasn¡¯t brave enough to argue any further, but he did think of something ¡°What reward do we give the man who reported the girl? If we take it as far as the noble line we can offer him the lowest of noble titles for this service or anything beneath that Sir.¡± Taking a quick glance at him Markwell¡¯s smile widened ¡°A quick death is a sufficient enough reward.¡± ¡®The moment the girl is in my hands I¡¯ll have the leverage I¡¯ve needed for years, and should anyone try and stop me¡­ I will massacre whosoever stands in my way.¡¯ Sergeant Jen involuntarily shuddered under Markwell¡¯s gaze but regained composure quickly enough to turn it into a nod. Sergeant Jen had a common bloodline¡­ But it was a most sought after bloodline in the ¡®army¡¯. He had a lesser-grey wolf bloodline, and with it came one of the greatest benefits that virtually anyone with a wolf bloodline held¡­ A blood ability that allowed them to communicate telepathically (even across large distances) with their pack. Even with Sergeant Jen¡¯s ¡®common¡¯ bloodline he had a special blood ability. He could communicate with any other wolf-bloodline holder as long as he had met them once. Something nearly unheard of. It was the reason he had been promoted numerous times. It was one the main reasons he was viewed as a top notch communications officer and had been assigned to Markwell. Wasting no time, Sergeant Jen began looking through his lists of contacts and the rankings of the nobles in the smaller cities. Unfortunately, it was a mess. In the 5 main cities it was easy to know who was at the top but in the smaller cities, finding a clear hierarchy wasn¡¯t quite as easy. After searching through the notes and books in his possession, which was a hard to task to do in a carriage that had been packed to the brim with supplies, Sergeant Jen finally found a useful memorandum. Inside it had the name of a family that had been living in Eastesp City for nearly 50 years, a newly promoted Baron. Rushing to Markwell¡¯s carriage he announced himself and stated his purpose. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Sir. The highest rank noble I can find in Eastesp City is Baron James Hill. I know of a former corporal that is under his employment. I should be able to contact him.¡± ¡°Ability?¡± ¡°Former Corporal Morth has a common wolf bloodline, but he has reached the Spirit Manipulation Realm. He should be able to complete this task, and if not I am sure the Baron will be able to provide sufficient men or find an alternative solution to the task.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Do it. Make my intentions clear.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Entering his own cramped carriage, he felt slightly annoyed Markwell¡¯s small company was currently not active. If it were, there would be no possibility that he would be riding in such terrible conditions. He¡¯d also have more capable men to delegate these tasks instead of being the go-to man for Markwell. It took him only minutes to use his ability and contact Morth. ¡­ ¡®This¡­ Is either dogshit luck or I¡¯m about to step into a pile of crap.¡¯ He thought to himself. He had no choice but to report what Jen had just told him to Hill, his noble. He¡¯d find out one way or another, and he had no reason to lie¡­ Yet. It was simply that Jen had told him such a simple task, with rewards that were far too great. He¡¯d even mentioned a possible position within the nobility if the task was accomplished properly¡­ ¡®Nothing that would be deemed as great as warranting a title of nobility would be so simple as to retrieve a child.¡¯ Shaking his head, he quickly made way into the manor of Baron Hill and made his way to the Baron¡¯s personal chambers. Despite a few people trying to stop him, who he simply slapped out of the way he found it unsurprising when he knocked on the door to hear squealing and shouts of pleasure inside of the room. ¡°Hill. I have important news.¡± ¡°Get the hell out. I¡¯m busy!¡± Hill yelled back at him from the other side. ¡°It¡¯s word handed down by a Lieutenant.¡± He shouted back. ¡°God damn!¡± Morth could hear the complaints from inside the room. Grumbling and sheets being pulled, clothes being put on and soon enough the door opened. A small quaint but very busty maid, sweat on her brow and a a deep red blush on her cheeks as she ran out of the room and past him with her head down. Right behind her Hill followed ¡°God damn. Why should I respond like some sort of lapdog? Next time just because its some army punk that outranks me, don¡¯t just come barging in. If you weren¡¯t related by blood, I would¡¯ve had your head for your imprudence!¡± Morth managed to keep a straight face ¡°The orders are from Lieutenant Markwell.¡± The blood seemed to drain from Hill¡¯s face. ¡°Tempest Demon?¡± Morth nodded. This was the true reason he¡¯d viewed the news with such huge importance. Had it been nearly any other Lieutenant he would have at least respectfully waited until his noble was ¡°done¡± but Lieutenant Markwell was a man known by any man who had been in the Imperial army. A man that caused fear in any man in his right mind that had seen him kill. The man simply didn¡¯t kill, he slaughtered. He was a killer through and through. The man should have already been promoted to at least a Major but he had a tendency to do as he pleased, and an inability to stop once put into action. Even so he had still reached the position of First Lieutenant. A man that instilled fear in any and all rational men. There was simply no way in a world that had a ¡®Morth¡¯ that was sane and wanted to keep breathing existed in which he wouldn¡¯t immediately tell his noble the news from Jen and make sure that under no circumstances were they to fail in their task. Morth stopped his previous train of thought, not even slightly amused by the idea of ¡®courting his own death¡¯. ¡°News?¡± ¡°Task. I was told to find a man, I was given his location and description. There is a girl in town that we are to apprehend and he knows who and where she is. Afterwards we are to silence him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Hill asked slightly surprised by the simplicity of the order. ¡°Yes. But there is likely trouble that will follow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the man every virgin within a hundred miles if that¡¯s what he wants. You know the stories, but my father met the man once. Failure is not an option understood? Get the girl. Get whatever he needs.¡± Hill declared. ¡°I was also told to report that should you as well as the man tasked to the job succeed. There would be the possibility of a promotion in your nobility title, as well as rewards for any and all those you tasked to accomplish the task.¡± Hill¡¯s eyes widened, a look of surprise tinged with greed covered his face before he considered the situation. Only briefly did he even bother to think about the detriments. ¡°No matter. If we fail, we¡¯ll have a calamity on our hands. If we succeed, there¡¯s great reward. Get it done.¡± Morth nodded. He had already expected to be chosen and after coming to terms with the situation, his blood was starting to boil at the exciting prospects of the rewards to come for a job well done. Gathering a group of 25 men, all imperial army guardsmen. A position within the imperial army for men specifically tasked to guarding royalty. It included either particularly talented but lazy individuals or men who considered themselves ¡°retired¡±. None of them could be viewed as useless. He spoke to everyone about the basic tasks, keeping most of the important information under wraps seeing no need to spread unnecessary information. Considering none of them friends, there was no need to share any rewards with them. They thought they would need to scour the town but the man who they had been tasked to find was exactly where they were told he would be. Finding him so quickly alleviated some of the concern on Morth¡¯s mind. After inquiring about her situation and finding out he had already made an attempt to kidnap her a year ago he also killed the man right then and there. It was only upon realizing that he had still kept a close eye on her afterwards and they hadn¡¯t run away did he stop himself. ¡°Speak. Her name, location, any problematic people?¡± ¡°Her¡­ Her name is Lily Seishin. Two parents, and older brother no older than 13. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special about the boy, and the parents seem ordinary too. I wouldn¡¯t have known about the girl if I didn¡¯t remember the wanted poster that had made its way out of the Capital in Central city over 10 years ago. Even then it was old news but I was shocked when I saw that she looked almost exactly the same as the girl in the poster. Almost exactly the same!¡± BD: Chapter 24 - Grace Chapter 24 - Grace The name of the girl held no significance to Morth but hearing about the failed kidnapping left him to wonder if these kidnappers were simply incompetent or whether the people harboring this girl were strong as well. After hearing every detail the man had to say his heart finally relaxed. ¡°Come. Lead us to their home. You will take us to them.¡± A look of glee on the man¡¯s face. He was sure there would be great rewards for his contribution this time around. Morth looked on at the pitiful man completely unaware of his situation with some peace of mind in his conclusion ¡®If there was anyone even remotely worth being weary of, they would have killed the kidnappers and this one here to ensure their safety. It¡¯s more likely the girl was handed off to a small normal family for them to hide her inconspicuously in plain sight.¡¯ Morth followed behind the man who was standing outside the doorway unable to move further with the guards blocking him and unable to move back with Morth behind him. He walked at a fast pace giving everyone instructions unaware that he was already a caged rat scurrying towards his own execution. They soon reached the house and Morth had 16 of the guards split up and quarantine the the vicinity. They were to remove or evacuate civilians and then guard the parameter to ensure no one got in or out. ¡®There¡¯s nothing strange¡­ But with the importance Jen said this girl has¡­ It¡¯s stranger that there¡¯s nothing out of place than if there were¡­¡¯ He was a cautious man by nature and finding nothing out of place was equivalent to finding something out of place in his mind. So he told two of his guards to take the lead as he blended in with the other seven. The guards had no subtlety as they ran up to the front doors and smashed their way inside by kicking them in. Two more soldiers making their way inside behind them. ¡°You two! Stop! Under imperial order you are under arrest!¡± ¡°Dillan!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Dillan had already sensed them before they broke through the doors he simply hadn¡¯t had enough time to do anything other than tell Lily to hide. Seeing the situation play out into a worst case scenario he lunged himself at a closet. ¡°Dream on!¡± The ¡®quiet¡¯ soldier in the back yelled out of no-where. Until now he¡¯d gone unnoticed in the face of the two leading guards but now his eyes shone with a thick killing intent that would be impossible for anyone not to notice. His mind only thinking ¡®How could I possibly allow these people to do as they wish. In front of me! In front of me you¡¯re useless!¡¯ He stepped forward and flash stepped in front of Dillan not even a moment later with his hand thrust forward intending to gut Dillan through the chest with his bare hand formed into the shape of a blade! ¡°Wha-?¡± Eve was horrified. Dillan confused. Neither able to process the situation in time to even react. They couldn¡¯t even understand how he¡¯d moved so fast much less do anything to stop him! There didn¡¯t even seem to be a path of movement; he had just materialized right there in front of him!! Just as the mysterious soldier¡¯s hand was about to spear Dillan¡¯s chest he felt the sword slowing around him. His entire body bogged down, he could feel his speed slowing down and it took him but a moment to realize what was happening due to his battle experience. It wasn¡¯t his body, but his mind slowing down forcing his body to slow down¡­ ¡®Domain!¡¯ He thought all but a moment later as his mind screamed at his body awake as he removed the effects on his mind and body and retreated in time to see a sword appearing where his body had just been! Sweat covered his brow, formed in that single moment. Understanding dawned on him as he quickly realized how close he¡¯d just been to death. Staring at the serious threat in front of him he quickly calculated his strength. ¡®Domain! He has a domain! I didn¡¯t even sense his approach¡­ At least¡­ Spirit Domain stage..!¡¯ The realization of the type of opponent in front of him stilled his entire body and mind alike. The instant he realized the man before him was at the spirit domain stage not only did he lose the will to fight, but his entire mind froze. Not a single thought formed as to how to avoid death if this man chose to kill him at this instant. His previous confidence in himself now completely gone. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face as he watched as both of the two charges he¡¯d been sent to capture dropped onto the floor. Dillan and Eve hadn¡¯t even able to react to the soldier before their eyesight darkened and unconsciousness overcame them as fear and dread overcame them at the thought, the possibility that they had just been killed. Dread filling them not because of their own fear of death but at the prospect of leaving Lily and Haru defenseless and at the mercy of these men. They knew, they knew what would happen to them. ¡°No!!!¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Even with their strong wills, they passed out instantly. Not staying conscious long enough to witness the soldier pulling back and everything that followed. Realizing the situation being as dire as any he¡¯d ever faced before Morth threw away any illusion of dignity as he knelt on the ground on one knee with his right fist clenched to his heart as he stared down at the ground ¡°My name is Morth, I greet you on behalf of the Imperial Guard.¡± Although his words weren¡¯t belittling to himself, his actions were more than evident of his position. In one gesture he indicated his submission while also stating his backing should the man before him take action against himself or his men. His men had been on guard this entire time, but upon seeing their leader take a kneeling position and salute the newcomer, despite the hesitation and lack of understanding they followed suit. His sword remained still, ¡°Your intention?¡± ¡°I am here to apprehend these two criminals, and any children or relatives they might be harboring.¡± The timbre of the swordsman¡¯s voice deepened slightly ¡°Your exact orders?¡± Morth hesitated for a moment as he considered lying, but as he recalled the actions just moments ago, any thoughts of deception were dashed away. ¡°These two are criminals harboring a girl. I was ordered to retrieve the girl and await a Lieutenant for his arrival.¡± It was only after speaking that SOLDIERX mustered the courage to look upwards. His eyes moved up from the man¡¯s feet and common black swordsman garb. No armor, only loose black pants, shoes and upon reaching his belt he finally noticed the man¡¯s sheath, sword inside as his eyes bulged nearly out of his sockets. Ignoring that the man had sheathed his sword, he only lowered his head further his thoughts a mess. ¡®That¡¯s sheath has a royal seal! Only royals may display them! Fuck! What the hell was I even assigned too!? How the hell is this an easy assignment!?¡¯ Morth¡¯s thoughts were in shambles as he¡¯d been worried for his life but a moment before, and now his pallor had only worsened. It was one thing to meet a strong foe in the middle of a city, it was another to step onto the wrong side of a prince. Even more so if the prince was as strong as this. In fact, he¡¯d never heard of a prince this strong in the past few years, not that it mattered¡­ This man could kill him, and legally at that. All he could do now was curse Baron Hill and Jen and pray to the gods that if he made it out of this mess he¡¯d throw his resignation in that idiot¡¯s face first chance he saw him! ¡°Uncle¡­Erith?¡± a small voice brought Morth out of his stupor as he looked up to see a child peeking out of the room next door. A small little girl, pale snow skin and such beautiful eyes that made him feel a tender warmth wash over him. He had to shake his head to a moment and trigger aura to encompass him to shake the strange feeling loose. Confusion washed over him as he wondered what had just happened as he avoided the little girl¡¯s gaze. ¡®Glamor? What the hell is going on!?¡¯ He¡¯d felt like he¡¯d sidestepped one land mine only to step onto another before. Now he simply felt like he was doomed to blow up. Morth knew his limits as a warrior, but he¡¯d survived battles that stronger men would¡¯ve been felled in because his instincts. His instincts never steered him wrong, and at this moment they were screaming at him to run away from these people in front of him. ¡®Nothing about this situation or these people makes sense!¡¯ Taking a quick look behind him he could tell his soldiers were already staring at the little girl like some sort of divine angel. A slight shiver roused his quickening heart beat as he regretted turning out. If he¡¯d had a small hope of escaping with his life before, now he felt all but certain he¡¯d be beheaded if for no other reason than to silence him. Erith took stock of the situation but his heart was in turmoil as he looked at the innocent little girl behind him and the men in front of him. He could easily kill them and give his friends some time to escape, a short reprieve. His haze hovered as he gazed into the distance where his dojo was. Where his young little student was arduously training. He¡¯d already made up his mind, but thinking about Haru gave him pause. It was only as he looked down at his own sword, at the masked symbol that could only be seen by those with aura without his permission. He let out a loose breath. ¡°Your exact orders then, are specifically to apprehend this girl?¡± Erith asked in a somber voice. SOLDIERX stopped arguing with himself inside of his mind as he trembled. Acutely aware of the change in tone in the man¡¯s voice. The man called Erith who he¡¯d already racked his brain trying to remember but failing to recall even a single detail about him which gave him both hope and dread. ¡°Yes.¡± He spoke in a hoarse voice, pleased he¡¯d managed to say the word without stuttering. Erith grabbed Eve and Dillan by the scruffs of their necks and walked back inside the house ¡°Carry on.¡± Morth took a moment to think about whether he just heard what he thought he just heard. ¡®Is he just toying with me?¡¯ ¡°Uncle.. Er..ith?¡± Lily¡¯s voice cracked as her eyes grew wet but Erith didn¡¯t look her way. Even though Erith had all but told him that he could take her, as he glanced back and forth inbetween the girl and Erith his body wouldn¡¯t move. Life and experience had taught him to trust his instincts. His instincts had served him well and right now they were screaming at him to get away and as far from Erith and that little girl as soon as possible. The prospect to walking closer to Erith or taking the girl stilled his body. Unable to move his body to fulfill the action, he stayed kneeling. Not a single noise, even the guards stayed still. They had sectioned off the house and the vicinity knowing their mission and proceeding professionally. There was not a single other person around and the sounds of their breathing was the most notable noise. Surprising all of them including Erith, it was Lily that broke the silence. Taking small steps towards the soldiers, her actions surprised all of them. Just as she¡¯d neared Morth she turned her head towards Erith but gazed at her parents before speaking in a low voice, a near whisper ¡°I understand¡­and I forgive you. Take good care of him.¡± Before turning around and walking into the crowd of soldiers. Erith clenched his teeth looking down at Eve and Dillan. He knew the pain this would cause them, and Lily¡¯s words struck a cord with him but even so his heart of hearts did not budge. Morth¡¯s eyes widened but took the initiative to take advantage of the situation and leave. One was letting him and one was willingly leaving, ¡®This is it!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave sir.¡± Standing up and moving as fast as he could he waved at his soldiers to follow as the escort left the home leaving Erith to put Eve and Dillan down on their couch. Staring at them, he took a moment to collect his thoughts. Wondering if they would tell Haru. BD: Chapter 25 - Impartiality Chapter 25 ¨C Impartiality Eve was the first to wake up. Her eyes unfocused as she felt a pain extending from her neck all the way to her scalp. It took a moment for her mind to clear and realize the situation. ¡®I¡¯m on the couch... Was that a nightmare?¡¯ She entertained that thought for only a moment as she glanced at the broken down doors and a gnawing feeling sprung forth in her chest. Immediately whipping her head around disregarding the now worsened headache Eve looked around to find her husband on the floor in front of her and Erith standing in a corner of the room. Jumping off the couch she knelt down on the floor with haste to check Dillan¡¯s condition. She only needed to feel his body to notice there were no injuries. ¡®He¡¯s fine¡­ We¡¯re fine¡­Erith.¡¯ Looking towards Erith, her heartbeat eased. A look of gratefulness in her gaze as she started to help Dillan who was coming too. ¡°Is everyone okay?!¡± Dillan¡¯s first words were of concern. He wasn¡¯t foggy. He knew what had happened. He¡¯d seen The moment his gaze landed on Eve his heart eased a bit as he recalled the moment before Erith had knocked him unconscious. His fists and teeth clenched for a moment he could do nothing but let it go. ¡®I¡¯m so useless now! I saw him coming, I felt Erith move! Why won¡¯t you work you stupid piece of junk!¡¯ Mentally chastising himself for weakness, Dillan only blamed himself. A small hint of a mocking smile crossed his lips and left just as soon as it arrived but Eve had seen it. She could tell at a glance what he was thinking as she placed her hand over his to ease his pain. ¡°I felt your presence when you made your move. I could have survived that.¡± ¡°You could have survived that strike but is that truly an achievement to proud of?¡± his words cut straight to the truth of the matter. He wasn¡¯t unintuitive and had seen the micro expressions on their faces but didn¡¯t pull his punches either way. ¡®Pathetic. Even if he did catch me by surprise he¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive more than a few strikes from that weak soldier and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to evade Erith either way.¡¯ Unconsciously the hand Eve wasn¡¯t holding touching his heart. Rubbing it subconsciously much the same as a wounded soldier would coddle a wound. Eve¡¯s gaze shifted to Erith unable to see the look of longing and pain in her husband¡¯s gaze. The look in Erith¡¯s eyes was cold. Eve instantly recognized something was wrong. It was a look he usually reserved for the world, but never showed to his friends or family. This was a look of separation, he was detached from them and everything else at this moment and for the first time Eve looked around as the obvious question dawned on her. ¡°Erith¡­ Where¡¯s Lily?¡± Dillan look of wistful regret and self-depreciation disappeared at the mention of his daughter. Erith¡¯s cold eyes stared back at Eve blankly. It felt as if cold water had suddenly been poured directly on top of her heart as her stomach sank into a pit. She stared back at Erith unable to move, unable to allow herself to think the worst but equally unable to look away from Erith and face what she could already tell was the truth. Dillan¡¯s mind clicked into place as his body sprinted off the couch to check the bedrooms. ¡°Lily!?¡± He checked every room, bathroom, and hiding spot he could find. ¡®She loves to play hide and seek with Eve! She must be hiding! That¡¯s it! She¡¯s really good at hiding!¡¯ his face dripping with tears as he looked everywhere and then doubled back to check again several times. Erith¡¯s gaze never moving away from Eve but his eyes were looking through her. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Eve¡¯s voice nearly cracked but she managed to say the word without breaking into tears. Even now she had refused to cry, refused to acknowledge the truth before her. Dillan had already walked into the room and was gazing at Erith. A feeling of powerlessness like none he¡¯d ever felt before overwhelmed him as he looked at his closest friend. ¡°Why? How can you even ask?¡± ¡°WHY!!!!¡± Eve stood up as she shouted at the top of her lungs! Eyes reddened and looking every bit like a furious mother that she was. Taking one slow step at a time she slowly made her way to Erith. Her mind not forming any coherent thoughts as the only thing could feel was betrayal, hatred and an overwhelming urge to hurt the man before her. Erith watched her walk close with his never changing cold and indifferent gaze until she was standing right before him. Her entire body, her hand especially moving so very slowly under his gaze. It was as if she was moving in slow-motion to Erith as her hand slowly neared his face as a *slap* resounded in the room as Eve¡¯s hand had moved across his cheek.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He could have moved away but he stayed put, letting her vent her anger in the only way she could. His left hand moved to his waist and pulled one of the two swords, still sheathed in one quick and fluent motion as the bottom of the handle of the sword snaked its away forward like an arrow hitting Eve right between the eyebrows knocking her backwards and onto the floor. Dillan¡¯s reaction came almost immediately after she¡¯d hit the floor. Everything had happened so suddenly to him that even with his perception he was unable to see Erith¡¯s attack coming much less react to it! ¡°Eve!¡± He rushed towards Eve immediately but was surprised to find Erith blocking the way and his eyes staring at a small object that seemed to grow larger before he felt pain and his entire spiritual realm tremble. He wasn¡¯t sure if it had been a second, a minute or an hour. Shorter or longer but his entire head was throbbing. Dillan lifted himself up as he looked around. His vision was a little blurry but he recognized he was on the couch. ¡®The couch¡¯ a headache that made him want to throw up caused a distorted expression to cross his face but he held the pain at bay as he looked around and noticed Erith. Their eyes met and once again he felt disoriented. ¡°I doubt it will change your pain. Even if I hadn¡¯t removed the remnant effects of her aura from you, I truly do believe you see yourselves as her parents.¡± Dillan¡¯s mind felt foggy but he understood his meaning. ¡®So he noticed too¡­¡¯ thinking about it a little more closely¡­ It confirmed one of his suspicions. ¡®The timing of Erith moving into Eastesp city. The odds of us running into anyone at his level were next to none. He was drawn in by her. He already knew we were here before we knew he was.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about the headache.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Erith nodded looking away. ¡®He should be getting close to done with his exercises by now¡­¡¯ Dillan¡¯s mind took a bit but it finally all came back into focus and his hearing also sobered up. ¡°She¡¯s been sobbing in the bedroom since she woke up.¡± Dillan looked in the direction of his gaze confirming the words. His heart clenched knowing how much pain his wife was in. ¡°Haru?¡± ¡°What about him?¡± Dillan nodded understanding his meaning, but he couldn¡¯t help but bring himself to ask ¡°Why?¡± Erith looked back at him and that cold and indifferent gaze finally wavered as a look of pity and hurt took its place. ¡°You forced me to choose between my friends and my family. You forced me to put my beliefs aside when you forced me to choose. Still, I treat you as a friend. I haven¡¯t seen my sister in over a decade, and still I hold no grudge against you. Do you truly have the nerve to ask me ¡®why¡¯¡±? They stared at each other for a few more moments before Dillan looked away first. ¡°We thought you chose us.¡± Erith looked at him cold and indifferent again. Choosing not to feel rather than face the truth. ¡°True friends would never have forced me to choose between them, and my family, my home¡­ humanity.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate Erith.¡± Dillan¡¯s gaze turned fierce. ¡°Exaggerate? The prophecy is coming true. You¡¯re harboring her. That was a choice. You chose. That was a choice, and whether wrong or right it was a decision you made, but do not pretend that she¡¯s innocent!¡± ¡°She is innocent! She¡¯s a child that¡¯s done nothing wrong! I don¡¯t care what a bunch of old men who don¡¯t know their faces from their own asses say! She¡¯s done nothing wrong!¡± Dillan shouted at him, he could take everything until now. Despite the fury he¡¯d felt earlier, he¡¯d already understood to some degree but this was something he couldn¡¯t stand for. ¡°She influences everything around her. That is a fact. Are you going to tell me that now that she is gone, that after I dispersed her aura you don¡¯t feel any different?¡± Dillan¡¯s fists were clenched and his nostrils flared at the accusation. ¡°She. Is. Innocent.¡± ¡°She has an ability that can and will destroy the last refuge humanity has to offer. She is not human. Whether you believe in prophecy¡¯s and fate is of no consequence. It doesn¡¯t change the threat she poses. She is a calamity, and we swore an oath. To protect humanity above all else. You broke that oath.¡± ¡°I took that oath because I believed that innocents should not die to meaningless slaughter! To protect those who cannot protect themselves! She needed our help and we had a debt. We took her in and while we didn¡¯t plan on loving her, we did. We do. Understand that much.¡± ¡°Then acknowledge that she is a calamity waiting to happen!¡± Finally, Erith¡¯s voice grew louder. The shout out of character for him. Dillan recognized that Erith had reached his limits and calmed himself down first. Realizing that burning one of the last bridges they had left was the worst thing they could do. He began reminding himself to breathe, to just breathe. Something he¡¯d told Haru every day and now had to tell himself. ¡°If we¡¯ve become the type of men who are willing to kill, to take a life because of what someone could do. Not because they¡¯ve expressed an intent to do so, but because they were born with the ability to do, then we¡¯ve truly fallen. I have not fallen. I may be crippled, but I have not fallen Erith.¡± Erith took a breath. He acknowledged it was as much as he was going to get from Dillan. He looked at his childhood friend in front of him. Slim and defiant, he reminded him every bit of the noble little boy at the capital all those years ago he used to play with every day. The only boy who looked at him and treated him like a person and not royalty. The only other person who¡¯d ever tried to befriend him for no other reason than friendship. It was this reminder, this constant reminder when he looked at his friend that allowed him to stay neutral. Neutral. He had known what he had done all those years ago when Dillan had betrayed his country, and in essence humanity by harboring the prophesized Fae child. He had known and he had said and done nothing, but unlike Dillan he never believed what Dillan had done was right. He thought that it would truly bring a calamity even if it didn¡¯t bring an end to their race. He himself did not believe in fate, but a child with an ability to manipulate the feelings and thoughts of all humans around her while only in her infancy, doomed to be hated by humans and eventually grow to loathe them could only have one ending. Engrossed in their own thoughts, both of them almost missed as Eve walk into the room with her head down. She looked every bit like a grieving mother but her expression was no longer forlorn but rather focused and decided. A small envelope in her hands that she grasped tightly to her chest. Dillan saw her face and already knew. He himself knew, because he was also going to make the same decision. ¡°We¡¯re going after her.¡± BD: Chapter 26 - Grief Chapter 26 ¨CGrief Haru finished the training that Erith had left him. Midway he¡¯d begun to feel strange, as if something was wrong. Something inside of his mind, instinct perhaps; was telling him something was wrong. Diligent student that he was, he persevered and finished his routine, but as soon as he did he ran out of the dojo not even taking the time to wipe the sweat off his body. He ran towards his home. ¡®Something is wrong. No nothing is wrong¡­ I hope nothing is wrong.¡¯ The moment he was within sight of his home his heart stilled as he saw the broken down doors. He stopped for a moment, his instinct screaming at him that something was wrong and now his mind was refusing to listen. Taking a moment to prepare himself, he walked through the door to see his parents on the couch. His mother being embraced by his father. A moment, for one moment his body relaxed as a weight was slightly lifted off his shoulders until he heard his mother crying. In-between sobs ¡°Lily¡­ Lily..is..gone..¡± Haru¡¯s heart lurched as he looked at his dads reddened eyes. He¡¯d been crying as well, one look said enough. ¡°Where? Where is she?¡± he shouted. ¡°She¡¯s gone Haru.¡± Was all Dillan could muster. It was all he would allow himself to say. Haru¡¯s mind didn¡¯t comprehend the situation. He felt dumbfounded. ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand¡­ Did someone take her? Is she lost? Why aren¡¯t you looking for her? Why isn¡¯t anyone looking for her!?¡± Haru turned around and ran out of the door. Eve weakly reached out for him and Dillan didn¡¯t stop her but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do much else. ¡°LILY! LILY!!¡± sobbing shouts resounded through the streets as Haru ran at full speed, bumping into people left and right, shouting as he searched for Lily. ¡­ After reaching Baron Hil¡¯s manor, Hill had already prepared a caravan and cover. Two carriages were ready and packed along with 10 guards to act as merchants and 5 men to act as ¡°guards¡± in the open. The moment she was within sight she was hefted inside one of the carriages like luggage. Hill stared at her like a hungry wolf. It was not a sexual greed, but one of gain. She was a prize, a gold star that would bring him untold benefits the moment he handed her over. She was his golden ticket and she was in his hands. Morth, Hill and Lily sat in a caravan as Lily heard Haru¡¯s shouts. She could feel as he passed her carriage running in the opposite direction and she had to bite her lower lip to stop herself from calling out to him. Her tears falling down her cheeks silently as she held it all in. Remembering all the times Haru had made her smile when she was sad, held her tight and hugged her when she was scared, given her a portion of his food when she was hungry. He¡¯d been the big brother she¡¯d always wished she¡¯d had. Living all those years with him had been a blessing, and her only regret now wasn¡¯t leaving him but rather the guilt of having lied to him all those years. ¡®It¡¯s okay.. It¡¯s fine. This is fine. He¡¯ll be safe now. They¡¯ll take care of him, and he¡¯ll be safe.¡¯ She repeated to herself like an overly long mantra. It was the only thing keeping her in the carriage, the only thing stopping her from coming apart at the seams. ¡­ He scoured the whole town, shouting and searching every street, every path, every sketchy location he could find, looking for any traces of Lily. He even ran along the borders of the town thinking the worst but unable to bring himself to believe she¡¯d been taken outside of the city. He searched and searched and found nothing. He ran and searched as night came and went and still he searched until he couldn¡¯t run and so he jogged. Then he could no longer jog and so he walked. His throat had long since gone hoarse and dry from the shouting. Regardless of the pain his body he felt he still propelled himself forward, until finally his legs buckled and gave way underneath him. He fell to the ground with virtually no one around, but he didn¡¯t care. His mind solely focused on his sister and whether she was hurt, in danger, crying and alone. He wanted to keep looking, wanted to keep searching but he couldn¡¯t even get back up and so he collapsed on his back staring up at the sky and cursing himself for being so weak. ¡®I trained for years¡­ Why am I still so weak¡­?¡¯ The last thought in his mind before he couldn¡¯t stop his eyelids from closing and his mind from falling asleep. Finally, as he passed out, Erith appeared beside him. He¡¯d been following Haru discreetly the entire time. No one had seen him and even as he appeared beside Haru and picked him up off the ground, no one saw even a glimpse of him as they disappeared as if they¡¯d never been there at all.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡­ ¡°You found him. Thank the gods. I was sure he¡¯d run off and do something crazy¡­¡± Erith noticed their almost indifferent demeanor as they continued to pack even as he carried their son¡¯s body back in. He recognized it wasn¡¯t trust that was making them act so calm. Dillan was already ready. Their minds had already been made up. ¡°You were right. We can¡¯t keep him safe. Our faces are known. They¡¯ll keep people around to keep tabs on us. At least so long as we leave, and you take charge of him they won¡¯t make a move. I doubt they¡¯ll give any information away to anyone else as long as they think Haru has some value, and if they don¡¯t they wouldn¡¯t be so ridiculous as to make a move on you.¡± Dillan said it more for his own benefit, for Eve to hear rather than Erith. ¡°Is Eve on board?¡± Erith asked walking into Haru¡¯s room and laying him down on his own bed before walking back. ¡°She was the one¡­ Who made the decision.¡± Dillan said through clenched teeth. Erith could see the pain in his friend¡¯s eyes, he just didn¡¯t have any words that would remedy the situation, lessen their pain, or change his own mind. ¡°Eve is writing a letter for Haru. I¡¯ve been packing necessities.¡± Erith stayed quiet hearing his friend stop himself from breaking into tears. ¡°I never thought we¡¯d have to run again. No that¡¯s a lie. I knew we would, I just hoped we wouldn¡¯t have too. We built a life here¡­ It wasn¡¯t one they deserved¡­ They deserved better¡­ But we were happy Erith.¡± They could both hear Eve¡¯s sobbing in the next room as they stood silently. ¡°I¡¯ll keep him safe.¡± ¡°I know you will. If we didn¡¯t think you would¡­ We¡¯d be taking him with us.¡± Erith couldn¡¯t help but voice a thought as he clenched his fists and fought the urge and failed ¡°Do you have to go after her? She¡¯s not yours. She was never yours.¡± Dillan turned and glared at him as he spat the words out ¡°We may not have birthed her but she is ours! We raised her, we cared for her, she¡¯s our child. She needs us.¡± Erith could see the venom in his friend¡¯s eyes. ¡®He¡¯s not the same man he used to be.¡¯ ¡°You betrayed your kind once by taking her in¡­ Are you really going to make that choice again?¡± ¡°We would make the same choice again and again if we had too! We don¡¯t get regret a thing. After all of this time¡­ I truly thought you understood that.¡± ¡°How could I!? She¡¯s literally the threat that looms over all of our heads!¡± shouted taking a step forward without even realizing it. Dillan¡¯s eyes followed Erith¡¯s movement but didn¡¯t waver ¡°So what now.¡± Realizing what he had almost done, Erith took a deep breath and walked over to the door looking outside and making sure no one was around. With his back turned to Dillan he asked the question that had weighed on his mind for the last decade ¡°Just tell me why. You didn¡¯t do it then, and when we saw each other again three years ago I thought you would, but you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Dillan asked seemingly unaware of his intent. ¡°These people¡­ They all walk around oblivious to the war we¡¯re fighting. How on any given day humanity could fall to any one of a dozen different races outside the walls we¡¯ve holed ourselves in. The territory we encompass within the scope of the 4 major outpost cities are but a fraction of what once was. Our numbers no longer anything, we¡¯re not even free to walk outside our walls without every race wanting to kill us. We¡¯re a flickering flame in the night, and you go and shelter that child. You were both crippled saving her once, haven¡¯t you done enough?¡± Erith¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t bitter, wasn¡¯t angry. It held but a since ounce of feeling. It was forlorn. ¡°Her family saved our lives. We would have died and she is a child, she never deserved to die because of some prophecy. She was a child that had a right to live.¡± Dillan could see the pain in his friend¡¯s eyes. He knew the price he had paid by not taking a side all of those years ago, for not choosing his country, his family over them. He felt obliged to give his friend more, but he simply didn¡¯t have more to give. ¡°You know¡­ When we took her in. It wasn¡¯t just because of a debt, or because we wanted a child. We took her in because we thought we we¡¯re doing good. Saving a child and if we did things right, teaching her not to hate humans. That we could change everything that was to come. She was so kind¡­ So pure¡­ What she did for Haru¡­ You know he wouldn¡¯t be here if it weren¡¯t for her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t Dillan.¡± Erith¡¯s gaze turned cold as he looked at his friend. At that moment they had both felt the change in the air. The boundary Dillan had reached. ¡°Why him and not her?¡± Dillan whispered. ¡°He¡¯s part human Dillan. He¡¯s not related to them. He¡¯s not the one they wrote about.¡± The words hung in the stale air as neither of them could speak any further. It was Eve that broke the silence as she entered the room. She had stopped sobbing but she¡¯d heard the entire conversation ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we need to go after her. She needs us Erith. You might not understand of agree with our decision, but if we can stop this war If-.¡± Erith put his hand up to stop her ¡°No more. Saving her doesn¡¯t stop this war. Killing her doesn¡¯t either. Saving her does nothing but endanger us all. Killing her does nothing more than keep the status quo. You¡¯ve made up your minds. We¡¯ve said enough.¡± They stayed in the room, in the silence for a few minutes before Dillan grabbed the rest of their packs. They both kneeled by Haru¡¯s side as they kissed his forehead and tousled his hair softly. Eve fought back the urge to cry. Reminding herself to be strong while Dillan reminded himself that this was the best for him. These reminders were the ropes keeping them together, keeping them from going forth with their choices, with their mission. Having made their peace, Dillan walked past the door giving Erith a nod and stepping outside as Eve followed by his hand as she glanced back at the table indicating Erith should look. ¡°A letter? The truth?¡± ¡°Yes and no¡­ He can¡¯t know.¡± Eve¡¯s eyes reddened. Erith nodded as she whispered a ¡®thank you¡¯ under her breath as she look one last look at Haru before leaving. Erith watched them leave and looked at his new found responsibility as he contemplated how he would handle things from now on. ¡®He¡¯s going to have a very rough rode from now on.¡¯ He¡¯d promised to keep him safe, but he was a neutral party. What he could do was only so much, even if he had taken him as his only disciple. BD: Chapter 27 - Promises Chapter 27 ¨C Promises When Haru finally came too, he was in Erith¡¯s dojo. Although his body was still sore he could recognize these surroundings in a heartbeat. He expected to be hit by a wave of depression but instead he just felt sad. Sad his sister was missing. Lifting himself up off the sheets that had been placed on the ground he found Erith in a glance. ¡°Where at they?¡± he asked with a knot in his gut at seeing his mother and father broken down at their loss. Erith hestitated for only a moment as he followed through with what he had already decided. ¡°They¡¯ve left.¡± ¡°Left?¡± Haru stared at him in shock for a moment. His mind not certain how he felt, the previous grief already leaving him raw from the inside out. Erith walked over and handed him a letter, ¡°Read it and you¡¯ll understand. I won¡¯t answer any questions about it. When you¡¯re ready we¡¯ll resume training.¡± His hands lighting holding the letter in his hand as his brows knit together trying to understand the situation. He opened the letter robotically and started reading. I¡¯m sorry. These words will never truly express how truly sorry we feel, I know you need us right now and now of all times we¡¯ve chosen to leave you. I know Erith with his normally tactless personality probably didn¡¯t even break this to you gently, nor will he comfort you. I know all of this, and hopefully you¡¯ll believe me when I say I love you. We love you. First let me tell you this. You *must* go to the Spiritual Academy in East City. It is where you will be safest, and where you will grow the most. You must do this. MUST! Do not lose yourself and try to come and find us. You need to do this, this is how you will become strong, this is how you can find us one day. So promise me right now, think it to yourself and make me this promise. Promise me you will go to the Spiritual Academy in East City and become strong. We were strong once upon a time. We were in the imperial army and stood at a rank that normal people don¡¯t even know about. We came from influential families and had the means to become strong without even trying. It was something we took for granted. It is something all nobles take for granted. We took this for granted and even with our noble goals of protecting the weak from the strong, of stopping the corrupt people within the nobility from having their way with others and never paying for the cost of their actions. We were even more na?ve. It was our naivety that led us to being betrayed by our own people. Our own people betrayed us and in our darkest hour it was our enemy who saved us. He saved us, healed us, sheltered us and in the end asked for only one thing. He asked us care for and raise his only daughter. You will likely think less of us because of this, but you have the right to know this much. Lily is not your biological sister. She was given to us to raise as our own, and at the time. We accepted the task because were grateful, we thought it a burden but one that we would bear as it was what we considered the right thing at the time. We were childish then too, but not because we regret our decision. We were childish into thinking we could raise such a wonderful and innocent child, and not come to consider her our own. Haru, Lily is not human. That is why they are after her. That is why you must never mention her. That is why if you come with us, you would be in far more danger. Why we can¡¯t bring you with us. I want you to make me a second promise, and that is to never discriminate the way we are all taught to do. There are many wonderful and magical races out there in this huge world. The reason they nearly all hate us and try to kill us, is our own fault Haru. It¡¯s up to us to mend this broken wound. We are going after her, we will find her and we will keep her safe. We love you. We love you so much Haru. Erith will keep you safe. He will keep you alive until we can see you again. Haru¡¯s lips trembled as he thought about Lily. She was so warm, and gentle, even dazzling. Whenever he looked at her she felt like a warm solace, melting away his problems just like his mother. A mother whose warm hugs made his pain go away and left him happy. A father who had protected him a child, his entire life. His strong back a symbol to him, the type of man he wanted to be. These were the type of people they were; ¡®they are my family¡¯.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. His tears were already falling on the letter as he smiled. He was worried, but he was also relieved. Relieved that he wouldn¡¯t be a burden to them, and confident they would find Lily and bring her back. Even still, even as positive as he felt and thought, it was not enough to simply wash away all of his grief in an instant. He was wounded and it was a wound that would take time to heal. After the initial feelings wore down, Haru was left with a slew of questions. ¡®Why did I not know this? How can I not remember us picking Lily up? Why did they have to keep this from me for so long? What other races are there? How can they look so much like us, I would never have imagined Lily wasn¡¯t human how could I not even tell? What are the differences? Are there any at all?¡¯ Once the emotions passed Haru realized how many more questions his mother¡¯s letter had brought up. There was too much that he didn¡¯t know, hadn¡¯t been taught. It only made him feel ignorant that these were things he¡¯d never questioned, and never even thought to ask or inquire about. Erith was ¡®kind¡¯ enough to give Haru time and space. He brought him his meals and made no demands of Haru other than giving him a day of rest and then telling him to continue his basic training daily until he was ready to move forward. Now that he had his recommendation letter and his parents were gone, searching for his sister. Haru had not even considered his classes at the academy. A few days went by as Haru went through the motions, his mind and heart still a mess. The greatest thing that left him more than simply curious but feeling out of place was his memory. After getting past his initial grief Haru had begun to dwell on the memories of his family. It was as he did so that he came to realize everything became hazy and unclear whenever he thought about his childhood. He could not truly remember anything that didn¡¯t seem as if it was a memory he himself was constructing based on what he thought he should remember. Everything before he was 6 was just a blur¡­ Considering he was only 13 now and had believed he¡¯d lived in Eastesp City his entire life¡­ It all seemed a little too suspicious. Even more so when he realized this was also something he¡¯d never thought to question, something he¡¯d never delved or probed but had absent mindedly considered normal without a single thought. It was the first time in his life that he had begun to feel alone, questioning his past and his family. His mother had said quite a bit in the letter, but had failed to speak of the lies she¡¯d omitted, and left too much unanswered. ¡®The letter was never meant to give me answers. It was meant to let me know what I shouldn¡¯t say and what not to do.¡¯ Coming to this conclusion he realized it was not enough. ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°Mmn?¡± Erith who had kept close to Haru all of this time but not broached the topic responded within seconds. ¡°It¡¯s not enough. I need more. I need to know everything.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t find answers here.¡± ¡°You have answers.¡± ¡°I have none for you.¡± ¡°Then how?¡± ¡°Find them yourself. Get strong enough that you can even ask the question before you go asking for something you have no place knowing about.¡± Haru looked at his teacher warmly. ¡®Even with his attitude. He still cares about me. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d be here and doing something he didn¡¯t want to do. Staying with me and helping me. That was his choice. I should be thankful¡­One day I¡¯ll repay this.¡¯ Haru¡¯s strange look made Erith uncomfortable. ¡°Your plans?¡± ¡°I am ready to continue training. I want to get ready to go to East City and enter a Spiritual Academy like my mother asked me too. I¡¯ll figure everything else there.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ That¡¯s fine then. We can leave tomorrow. We will begin training while on the way.¡± ¡°Tomorrow?¡± the sudden departure date left Haru a little surprised as his teacher¡¯s dojo seemed like something very important to him. Looking at his gaze ¡°This dojo is just a place. I have no attachment to this place and neither should you. You¡¯re going to live, and visit a lot of places from now on. You shouldn¡¯t get attached. You need to start looking forward Haru.¡± Lacking any emotion Haru nodded his head in agreement. He understood and agreed but he couldn¡¯t simply get past leaving his childhood home and never looking back. Erith had already brought him some clothes and personal items from his home, but it didn¡¯t feel like enough. ¡°I want to go back home tonight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not safe you know¡± he should tell this wasn¡¯t going to be easy even if he was no longer letting the depression weigh him down. ¡°I just need to do it. I promise to be careful¡± giving him a pleading look Erith only nodded unaffected. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to follow you and make sure no one sees.¡¯ That night, Haru snuck along the streets trying to avoid anyone notice. Completely unaware of Erith¡¯s presence and guiding hand as he cast a shadow on Haru¡¯s movements. Upon entering his house, Haru noticed it had already been ransacked by thieves. ¡®Possibly even the neighbors¡¯ he thought to himself. Haru walked along the house, but everything was gone. ¡®It looks so empty¡­¡¯ Inside his bedroom he only found one simple thing, a scrunchie his mother had bought his sister only days after he¡¯d had his bloodline awakening ceremony. It was the only reason he remembered. Looking at the last remaining proof of his sister¡¯s existence and nothing else of his parents he grabbed it put it around his wrist. His eyes reddened but they were bone dry. He¡¯d already shed all the tears he could in the past few days, now he only felt empty like the house he was in. Inwardly he reassured himself ¡®One day I¡¯ll be strong enough.¡¯ His need for strength resurging within him. An ever present feeling he¡¯d had as long as he could remember. Something he himself didn¡¯t realize. Such a traumatic event, his sister being kidnapped and his parents now gone. Yet the reason he could bear it and not get bogged down by the pain was because the pain felt familiar not new. A strange sensation of d¨¦j¨¤ vu resounded through his mind before it disappeared altogether leaving his mind clear for just a moment. A moment long enough for his eyes to brighten before dimming once again. A voice echoed in his mind scaring him. ¡°Not yet¡± The fear disappearing as he forgot the last few moments altogether. BD: Chapter 28 – Sight Seeing Training Part 1 Chapter 28 ¨C Sight Seeing Training Part 1 Ignoring the strange sensation of d¨¦j¨¤ vu that had left him out of sorts, Haru took the night to calm his mind and make his preparations. He was still young but understanding came to him quite easily as he realized and acknowledged that the life he¡¯d known was gone and a new chapter in his life was about to begin. Haru had slept on the ground with no concern to meditation for the entire night. His mind lost to his thoughts, giving himself a rare reprieve of rest; not because his body gave him no choice but because his mind was too disturbed to meditate for once. He needed rest to let his mind recover and to sort out his own thoughts. Waking up he felt sad, a longing for his family there right beneath the surface something he¡¯d very much expected along with something he hadn¡¯t been expecting. A slight sense of freedom, of independence. His thoughts were a bit confused as he realized that the same thoughts that had him in pain only the night before, still caused him the same pain but left him optimistic about his future. ¡®My future¡­¡¯ thinking about his future, for the first time in his life Haru considered the things he had to do, the things he could do and he considered them for a brief moment without thinking about how it would affect his family or how these things could benefit his family but just himself. Thinking it for a moment left him feeling guilty and strange as Erith watched. He¡¯d noticed the moment he¡¯d woken up. ¡°Your decision?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready for whatever comes next.¡± Haru said slowly. ¡°Are you going to go to East City?¡± Haru¡¯s eyebrows scrunched together ¡°What other choices are there?¡± Erith¡¯s expression imperceptibly wavered for a moment ¡°The recommendation letter you have will allow you to gain immediate entry into a variety of schools. Even the four major city schools will accept you, although you¡¯ll likely need to be evaluated with incoming students. You can even choose to try for Central City and one of the schools there.¡± Haru¡¯s mind wandered for a moment as he considered the options but understood he knew too little to make a well planned decision himself, he considered just doing what the letter his parents had written him had told him to do but for the first time in his life held a sliver of reluctance to just do as he was told which even he himself did not understand. ¡°What do you believe I should do teacher?¡± ¡°If you wish to become stronger and quicker¡­ You could join the imperial army. Those without a spiritual power are used as guards and given no training but anyone with spiritual power and any talent are groomed. You¡¯ll be pitted in life and death battles but they¡¯ll nurture you.¡± Haru¡¯s face scrunched at the words. Noticing his discomfort Erith continued ¡°While you¡¯d be starting at the bottom and working your way up, it¡¯s not the right choice for everyone. You have better choices. Joining a spiritual academy is a good choice Haru.¡± Haru only nodded. ¡°Are you coming to East city as well?¡± ¡°I plan on going for a short period yes.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not staying, can¡¯t I go with you teacher?¡± The pleading look in his eyes made Erith¡¯s face falter. Staring at his teacher with an expression of such great consternation he could only wonder what was making him think so hard. ¡°Haru. I¡¯m going to tell you something your parents didn¡¯t want you to know. I¡¯m telling you this because I believe you have the right to know. More importantly I believe it¡¯ll be essential to allowing you to make the best decisions for yourself as time goes on.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand?¡± Haru''s confused expression did not deter Erith''s conviction as he said the following words. ¡°You are part human.¡± Haru stared at his teacher¡¯s deadpan expression and let the words sink in. ¡®Part human? What does that even mean? Of course I am! What else would I be? Part?¡¯ Realization dawned on him almost instantly. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°I think you understand exactly what I mean. I will say nothing more on the matter because I have nothing more to say. I know nothing else, and this I gathered by sheer speculation that your parents only proved me right about.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Haru barely registered the things Erith was saying as he contemplated the news that he was part human. His feet barely felt solid this morning but suddenly his whole world was uplifted again. ¡®What does that even mean? Am I adopted too? If I am only part human then what does that even make me? Part what else? ¡° A whole slew of new questions entered his brain making him wonder even more than Lily¡¯s disappearance. The letter had shattered his world but the pain of losing Lily and his parents had at least left him numb. Numb and missing them to the point of not even caring. He was raised by two wonderfully loving parents and a sister who made him feel like he was the most cherished brother in the world. It hadn¡¯t mattered to him that she had been adopted, he had even understood on some deep subconscious level as to why they hadn¡¯t told him. This news on the other hand just left him feeling betrayed and confused. ¡°Listen to me Haru!¡± Erith¡¯s shout drew his focus back to him but his mind and surroundings still felt out of focus. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because it is likely the explanation as to why your spiritual realm is so different than it normally should be. It¡¯s likely why your blood line and spiritual realm are connected. More importantly I am telling you not because it will help you grow but because knowing might keep you alive.¡± ¡°Alive?¡± the words were barely a whisper. ¡°Your parents didn¡¯t want you to know to keep you safe. If you don¡¯t know then how can someone else possibly find out? That is likely what they thought, on top of no longer being connected to them there would normally be nothing else to make any one else suspicious of you. But¡­ What they didn¡¯t realize is how strange your future development is going to be. You¡¯re at the starting line of your development¡­ We send children to schools, to learn from teachers and the knowledge we have both for their growth and for ours. The imperial empire is based on the knowledge it has supporting it and growing. A strict hierarchy and a strong belief in itself. There are many things we don¡¯t know and those who choose to teach, to guide can only pass on what they know, what they¡¯ve learned. Their personal experiences and failures. That¡¯s how others teach, and I believe that is only going to be of limited use to you.¡± Haru felt numb. His mind felt sluggish but even still he understood his meaning. ¡®Because I¡¯m not normal. Not really human¡­¡¯ answering in one or two word half-questioning responses was all he had left in him at the moment. A small bubble of a thought formed as the words came out of his mouth just as soon as he thought them ¡°Is it common?¡± ¡°Common?¡± Erith wanted to question him as to how he could think any of what was happening was common. ¡®Common is the last thing your situation is!¡¯ ¡°I mean me. Others like me? Are there others like me?¡± Understanding dawned on Erith unsure as to how to broach the topic¡­ ¡°Births between humans and other beings aren¡¯t uncommon¡­ But a child living past infancy is.¡± How could he possibly have the heart to look at his student and tell him the truth? The truth being that of the numerous races in existence the savageness of the majority of them was all too well known, but humanity was no less savage. The raping of enemy women as spoils of war by the strong soldiers who ventured into defenseless towns unstopped by their enemies was more than common. Children being birthed was all too common. Except these children were normally viewed with contempt, with disdain and occasionally with fear. Fear of the mistakes and horrible truths of such actions coming to light. The answer was simple, yes. Children born from different races was common outside of the five major cities. Outside of the wall of safety they¡¯d built, but these children living long enough to know and understand their parentage was far from common. Haru grasped onto those words to make himself feel slightly less alone. He still hadn¡¯t realized it himself but if being left behind by his parents to chase after his sister hadn¡¯t made him feel alone. Being told he was not their child as well, that he would find it harder to relate to others because he just wasn¡¯t quite one of them and that he was basically an aberration had left him feeling distanced¡­ separate. ¡°You¡¯re not alone Haru. You have people that love you. They love you enough to want to protect you so much that they are willing to have you hate them one day for keeping all these secrets from you because they think it¡¯ll keep you happier, free, safe. Don¡¯t think for even a moment you are alone, because you are not.¡± Haru¡¯s eyes watered as he nodded his head but words just wouldn¡¯t come. All he could do was nod as he tried not to cry, not anymore. ¡°East City. Spiritual Academy.¡± Erith nodded at the words as a warm smile formed on his face. ¡®He¡¯s a tough kid. I can tell he¡¯ll be able to move past this, not many kids his age would.¡¯ Now filled with a small sense of satisfaction he began to explain to Haru the route they would take. ¡°I¡¯ve already made arrangements to travel to East City. We¡¯ll be traveling by normal horse and carriage. It should take about 9-10 days worth of travel to reach East City. We leave tonight at dusk, we¡¯ll training during the night on the carriage and we¡¯ll discuss your experiences and insights during the day.¡± Haru¡¯s face turned to surprise. ¡°Train by night? How so?¡± Erith¡¯s smile turned even wider ¡°We¡¯re going to use a special method that most will normally only use with family or their inheritrary disciples. I won¡¯t bother with details until you can experience it for yourself, you can ask afterwards. I will explain the risks before we begin. Now use these last few hours to steady your mind and prepare yourself. Once we begin you¡¯ll have two choices, the safe or the dangerous option. The safe choice yields slow results but will allow you to take things one step at a time by yourself with no risk. The dangerous choice is exactly how it sounds. It¡¯s dangerous in quite a few ways but if you¡¯re strong enough, if you have a desire for strength the benefits cannot be described in words alone.¡± Haru didn¡¯t need to hear any more, he immediately began meditating to get into a calmer state of mind, but he¡¯d already decided. ¡®No risks mean no rewards. I¡¯ve had nothing but safety my entire life, now my sister is gone and my parents are facing so much danger just trying to get her back, if I can¡¯t put myself on the line to get stronger I wouldn¡¯t be able to face myself!¡¯ BD: Chapter 29 – Sight Seeing Training (Part 2) Chapter 29 ¨C Sight Seeing Training Part 2 Haru¡¯s eyes opened the moment he felt Erith get up. He knew it was time to leave and the look in his eyes gave Erith the sense that this boy in front of him was older than he looked. ¡®He looks calm. His entire world has just shifted underneath him and he looks calm.¡¯ A little surprise was evident in Erith¡¯s gaze towards Haru. It was one thing to stay calm in the face of adversity but after telling him that he wasn¡¯t completely human, Erith had expected Haru to have a bit of a melt down. To need to be talked down, things explained and a slew of emotions that Erith himself was not well equipped to deal with. Instead, Haru had asked merely a few questions, shed some tears silently and then steadied himself. In but a few hours Haru now looked like a rock. Steady and calm, no hint of turbulence that Erith could see, leaving him surprised. Haru had used the past few hours to steady his mind and heart. Much to his own surprise he found himself able to calm down far easier than he expected. He wanted to numb himself to the things that had happened to him and as the moment he willed it, it happened. It was like flipping a switch and his turbulent emotions had gone from a 10 to 1. Haru¡¯s eyes showed no emotion until he took a moment to look around. Eyes widening ¡®Where¡¯s everything??¡¯ The entire courtyard was completely barren. The sword rack, the covering in the middle of the courtyard, the flowers and even the very grass in the courtyard was missing. It was literally barren with nothing around. ¡°Everything is gone¡­¡± ¡°I packed while you meditated.¡± Erith said as he walked towards the door. ¡°Even the grass¡­?¡± Haru whispered but that small whisper didn¡¯t elude Erith¡¯s ears. ¡°I take what¡¯s mine. Everything in this courtyard was mine, so I¡¯m bring it along. Hurry up.¡± ¡®What crazy hearing..!¡¯ Haru thought to himself as he got up and followed behind Erith. ¡®No carriage¡­ Where is everything?¡¯ It was only then that Haru looked back and noticed even the grass in the space he¡¯d been sitting in was now missing. Erith didn¡¯t even lock the doors behind him as he walked out motioning for Haru to follow. There were few people on the streets as dusk was upon them and night coming in. Haru paid little attention to his surroundings as he noticed the gazes of some of the people looking at him. These were the same people that had looked at him in disdain or ignored him as he¡¯d been searching for Lily. The looks they were giving him now were no different, some of these people were the same men and women who¡¯d seen him growing up. Had watched him come to the same dojo or walk to school. Seeing the same looks of disdain, disinterest and even worse for Haru; looks of pity. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little revulsion. He¡¯d never felt any hatred for anyone before but seeing these people who¡¯d done nothing to help him, he felt it for the first time. Unable to help himself from feeling these things he could only look down and not meet anyone¡¯s eyes. Erith didn¡¯t miss any of this even as he walked in front of him. Ignoring the looks from the people around him Haru merely kept walking forward and before he realized it they were already at the edge of town. Haru didn¡¯t notice until he bumped into Erith¡¯s back giving him a small jolt. ¡°Sorry!¡± Looking up he noticed the carriage. An intricate golden dragon around the edges of the the monstrosity with royal purple as the pain color. The size of the carriage looked big enough to fit 12 twelve people in the main compartment but what really drew his attention was the animal at the front.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Haru¡¯s jaw literally hung open as a low ¡°GRRRRR¡± made him take a step back instinctively as the dragon turned to look at him. When their eyes met Haru was suddenly struck cold with fear as he stared at the dragon before him the size of an elephant. ¡°Dra..Dragon..!¡± Erith walked to the carriage as the ¡®driver¡¯ walked forward to open the compartment door for him. Looking back at his startled disciple he gave him a small grin ¡°This is merely the lowest class of earth dragon. It barely has any true dragon blood. It¡¯ merely has the looks of a dragon, it¡¯s primarily a giant lizard. Don¡¯t be scared and stop wasting time and get in. You¡¯re going to see a lot of new things starting from now on.¡± Haru¡¯s gaze stayed on the dragon as it took him a moment to muster the courage to move. It wasn¡¯t so much the fear of the beast in front of him so much as the shock of this giant terrifying creature before him, being used as a common mule. Haru didn¡¯t even have to think about how not even the royal of Eastesp City could afford to buy an earth dragon much less use it as a mule to pull a carriage. The giant earth dragon, the size of an element that looked like a kimono-dragon with more prehistoric and dragonesk features looked like an armored dark-green tank. Scales all over its body, with dark red pupils. The beast looked like a tool of war. After snapping out of his shock Haru moved forward slowly, pushing his fear aside as he assured himself that his teacher wouldn¡¯t let him get eaten for a snack. Once he entered the carriage the door was closed behind him and the interior was no less impressive then the exterior. The entire carriage was so long and the ceiling high enough for Haru to stand up within. The interior lined with cushioned silk pillows on all the bench space. Satin purple and red trimming along the ceiling and edges gave it a regal look making Haru wonder whether he should even sit down. ¡°Just sit.¡± Haru sat down in front of Erith as instructed but felt a little uncomfortable and uncertain. Erith sat upright in front of him, his back leaning against the carriage but his body taut and head steady as he gazed at Haru. Something about him seeming regal instead of simply indifferent. The man before him suddenly gave him a different impression than he ever had. The teacher he knew was comfortable in simplicity, never showing any interest in the secular world. The man before him now seemed no less comfortable in splendor as if it were something he could so easily take for granted. Something unheard of for Haru or even anyone he¡¯d ever known. His mind was confused but he was no less in the middle of thinking about how to ask about the dragon they were using as a mount as a surging sword intent in Erith¡¯s mind drew his focus. Turning to face his teacher¡¯s gaze Haru suddenly felt like he had a sharp sword pointed at the middle of his neck, that could thrust forward and end his life at any second! Haru held his breath but as he gazed into Erith eyes it was as if he could see a hazy world within. The longer he stared the more of the world he saw, a world filled with nothing but clouds and swords! Slowly it felt as Haru was being drawn into those eyes, into this world! The world¡¯s skies were filled with transperant clouds, the size of the world itself seemed to span hundreds of miles. The hazy vision gradually became more and more clear as the world in Erith¡¯s eyes drew closer and the feeling of being drawn in made him feel enveloped until he felt nothing at all but a breeze on his skin. Eyes widening Haru looked around as his mind sank for a moment realizing he was no longer in the carriage from before but that world, that picture he¡¯d seen but a moment ago...! In the middle of the world Haru finally found the one thing that stood apart from the rest. A figure standing above a cloud with a sword in his right hand. The figure was dressed in purple robes and was calmly gazing at him. His face was obscured and he didn¡¯t speak, but it seemed to recognize when Haru himself had taken notice of him. Slowly his arm began moving producing sword beams that cut the air and produced blades of air from his sword swings. Each slash containing surging sword intent and the sword blades produced growing large and stronger with each swing. These sword blades burst out in every direction, each easy-going swing producing a stronger and more intimating force with every swing as they began to slash apart the sky and open up space right before his very eyes! Even at a distance Haru¡¯s mind felt panicked as he felt danger from every one of these air blades produced by this man¡¯s swordplay! The figure began moving and every footstep, every strike resembled elegance and finesse. Every movement coming off both as practiced and natural. It was not swordplay, but a sword style! A beautiful sword style that enveloped and grasped Haru¡¯s very soul as his eyes set his gaze upon it. An inherent beauty in every slight movement of the sword which depicted a sense of deadly elegance in Haru¡¯s eyes. To any other every strike would have felt random, deadly, terrifying and fear inducing but in his eyes there was a rhythmic beauty to every stroke, every swing, every movement and every slight change of trajectory. For just a moment¡­ The figure disappeared all together as his eyes seemed to focus on the sword alone moving through the air and space as if independent from everything else, including its wielder. Haru in a trance failed to realize the resonating feeling of his very soul with the sight before him as the surroundings started to twist and distort as his mind was enveloped by the sword. BD: Chapter 30 – Sight Seeing Training (Part 3) Chapter 30 ¨C Sight Seeing Training (Part 3) A sword style encompassing practiced movements to the point of seeming as if they had reached perfection. They were practiced but natural, measured but unhesitant, intentional but serene¡­ When Haru saw this clear world of cloud and sky, and that figure engaging in sword arts through Erith¡¯s eyes he had felt an inexplicable longing that had resonated with his soul. This longing was like a beacon, drawing him into this world without the slightest bit of resistance from Haru¡¯s soul. He yearned to to see more of this figure, not because of the overwhelming admiration he felt for the beauty, power and deadliness of this sword art but an innate desire to make it his own. At the instant he¡¯d felt this desire his soul had dropped any resistances it could have formed and jumped into the path, Erith had consciously created for him. Entering this world in but an instant causing surprise to show on Erith¡¯s face. The figure moving like the wind, tearing space with his sword came to a complete halt as he looked at Haru with a purely shocked expression. ¡®He¡­¡¯ Erith couldn¡¯t even form a thought for a moment as he stared at his disciple. He had intentionally reflected his Spirit Domain through his eyes. The eyes being a window to the soul, a means to create a picture and in some cases even a door to allow someone in. Erith had intentionally created a means to draw Haru in, he was even intending on forcing Haru in if need be¡­ Only to his shock, it had not even been a moment since he created this path before Haru appeared before him, not the slightest resistance. Although it didn¡¯t sound like much, normally a person¡¯s soul would be disturbed at seeing or bearing the presence of another being¡¯s Soul/Spirit Domain. Even more so when there was a vast difference in the strength and development of the two¡¯s soul¡¯s like it was in the case of Erith and Haru. A normal person would feel some shock, fear, hesitation; all forms of negative emotions would rise from a person¡¯s heart as a self-conscious form of self-preservation, but in front of this child Erith could only stare in wonderment as the expression he wore was one of pure desire! The very fact that he had appeared in but an instant, with nothing more than an invitation, even partially coming into his soul domain of his own free will was proof of his lack of fear, that expression of desire containing his true feelings. If he had believed Haru to be a genius in terms of potential and talent with the sword, that belief had only grown even stronger as he gazed at him. Erith had absolutely no question in his mind as to the reason why Haru could do such a daring thing and express such a joyous expression even after the devastating events of the past few days. It was Haru¡¯s desire to grow stronger, but more specifically the desire he held towards his own sword arts which were constantly being practiced by his mind¡¯s avatar within his own domain. Inside this space, a space within his soul his avatar could not hide his feelings from showing through his avatar so he had already prepared beforehand. His avatar was currently faceless otherwise it would have revealed the joy at having such a disciple for a student. That one word that Erith had spoken broke Haru¡¯s concentration for just a moment as he realized how strange the situation of his surroundings truly was, but instead of focusing on any number of questions that could have easily bubbled to the surface of the pile his mind focused on the queer concept of a person with seemingly no face speaking. ¡®Does he not have lips? If he doesn¡¯t have lips how did he speak? Can I hear his thoughts? Maybe I just can¡¯t see his face¡­ Strange¡­¡¯ The wonderment of his surroundings caused him to take a look around him as a clouds in the sky felt boundless but the strangeness of standing on the cloud as hard as the ground seeming no less strange. A gentle breeze passed through him causing a few strands of hair on his neck to raise. His hand automatically moved to the back of his neck as the strange sensation had made him feel as if something had skimmed the back of his neck, the surreal nature of this place had made him momentarily question the reality of his surroundings. ¡®I felt that. This feels real. Is it real?¡¯ Instead of focusing on the question of whether this was all real or not the encroaching swarm of swords from every direction drew his focus as his gaze sharpened and turned serious. It took him but a moment more to realize where he was ¡®This is what I saw in teacher¡¯s eyes! What¡¯s going on!?¡¯ Haru gasped at the realization. Taking a closer look at the figure in front of him, even without the face, the outline and shape of the man before him was no different than Erith¡¯s. The same hairstyle, ¡®It¡¯s teacher¡­ It has to be!¡¯The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. A genuine look of admiration crossed his face as he realized this sword god in front of him was his teacher. He¡¯d wondered for years what his teacher¡¯s level truly was, in fact he knew little of swordsmanship as he¡¯d always practiced all but one or two basic moves in a nonstop loop. His teacher had taught him no more, and the schools curriculum had only taught him basic self-defense and for those that relied on common bloodlines how to harness those advantages in battle. At his age, he knew far too little of swordsmanship to gauge his teacher¡¯s strength but this world of swords was sufficient enough proof for Haru to label him a ¡®sword god¡¯. ¡°Sword.¡± The faceless figure spoke as a sword materialized in front of Haru¡¯s right hand. The shape and figure no different than the one he¡¯d practiced with for the past three years. Haru¡¯s hand reached out to grab it instinctively and the familiar weight made it feel no less real than the one he¡¯d used just days ago. He looked at the faceless figure and looked through him to truly take in the surroundings. He was not slow, and after the conversation he¡¯d had with Erith earlier, the strange events of the past few minutes had only managed to slightly rattle him but the faceless figure¡¯s intentions were quite clear. ¡®This is my training grounds¡¯ a giddy feeling rose within his heart as he stopped thinking altogether and sprinted forward drawing the sword above his head with both hands and screaming ¡°Ahhh¡± while bringing the sword down with a vertical slash with all the strength he possessed! Haru¡¯s eyes widened. He didn¡¯t so much as see as much as he felt something as light as a feather seemingly tickle his throat as his body froze the moment he finished his swing. The faceless figure seemingly the same distance as before Haru had moved. Slowly Haru¡¯s mind processed a cloying feeling as his body started to spasm. A gurgling noise erupting from his mouth as blood pooled in his mouth and he coughed up blood a dreadful feeling as his his left hand grasped his neck while his lungs filled with blood. The pain barely registering as his body began to panic! ¡®What just happened!?¡¯ he could only wonder as his consciousness slipped away and the world around him darkened. A cold feeling gripped him as his pain and panic were washed away and nothingness was all that was left¡­ Only a moment later he opened his eyes as he drew in a huge breath with a gasp. Cold sweat pooled on his forehead as a cold feeling creeped up his spine. ¡®Did I just die¡­?¡¯ Haru¡¯s eyes were wide taking in the surroundings of the carriage once again. Erith¡¯s grin from before hadn¡¯t changed for a moment. ¡°You did quite well. You didn¡¯t struggle, or show any fear. Even now you didn¡¯t make a noise.¡± The sound of Erith¡¯s voice drawing Haru¡¯s attention as he subconsciously rubbed his throat. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°That was my Spirit Domain.¡± A blank expression on Haru¡¯s face was a sufficient enough answer to make Erith mumble under his breath in dissatisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s really quite a shame how pitifully little they teach in these outer cities. That the basic outline path of the soul is not even covered is a true disgrace.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­-¡° Erith lifted his arm to cut him off ¡°I know you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s not your fault. Sigh¡± ¡°In the capital, in central city this is knowledge that is taken for granted. All children are taught this before they even have their bloodline awakening ceremony, and yet in these smaller cities it¡¯s not even something taught to the ¡°promising¡± prospects of an academy. Listen up, I¡¯m going to explain some things so that you don¡¯t make a fool of yourself when we reach East City. This is something I should have told you during our years of training, but I partially just assumed it would be something your school teacher would cover with you. That you don¡¯t know¡­ Well it¡¯ll take days for us to reach the city. I will explain everything you need to know before then.¡± Haru still felt clammy after having his throat pierced, he still hadn¡¯t stopped rubbing his neck but he understood he was fine. It was simply disconcerting to him having been killed in such a realistic setting even if it was all in his head. ¡°You already know that spirit power is awakened at age ten. During this phase you learn to enter a meditative state to sense your inner world superficially. Afterwards when you break through to the Spirit Realm, you gain the ability to slightly manipulate mana or aura, inadvertently your understanding of it reaches a new a level instinctively. This bit is something innate to one¡¯s talent. Upon reaching this point, spirit power is no longer referred to by such a crude term and labeled as mana. This is the point you¡¯ve now reached.¡± Erith¡¯s hand¡¯s motioned left and right as if drawing a picture in the air, distracting Haru as he felt the man in front of him was truly different. ¡®He¡¯s talking so much¡­¡¯ but even with such a juvenile thought he still wholeheartedly focused on the topic at hand. It was something he was deeply interested in and had badgered Linlin numerous times only to be told it was unnecessary for him to know before reaching the Spirit Realm. ¡°Once you reach the Spirit Realm, the goal is to reach a sufficient level of control in manipulating mana so that you can begin to condense it, purify it and circulate it through your Spirit Realm. The moment you are able to purify and condense the mana around you and have it circulate in your spirit realm even once, you¡¯ll notice a slight change. This slight change will bring about a whole new revelation to you. You¡¯ll instinctively be able to tell the characteristics of your mana. Of your body¡¯s nature. This is the Spirit Origin realm. Your mana¡¯s characteristics is usually tied to a bloodline, or more specifically your bloodline¡¯s nature should be telling of your mana¡¯s characteristics.¡± Haru¡¯s eyes widened as curiousity filled him. ¡°What does that mean? Will I be able to do something special with mana?¡± A look of pity appeared in Erith¡¯s eyes for a brief moment. The look did not go unnoticed by Haru as he felt himself blush in embarrassment. A small bit of anger flared inside of him but he could only chastise himself for being so ignorant. ¡°The truth is¡­ This is the realm at which masters believe one¡¯s truth path begins. Everything before it is merely the entering the starting line. The simplest of efforts that anyone can do. It¡¯s at the Spirit Origin realm that one begins building their true foundation. There are even old texts that state that back when the continents were still one, before they split and the world changed people were born with their mana already having an attribute. Everyone could manipulate mana and the gods even spoke to them!¡±