《Tale of Zero》 Chapter Zero We are all slaves to numbers. In the age where almost everything can be tagged with a number, it¡¯s not a surprise to see the way things turn out to be. Let¡¯s face it, all of us are obsess about numbers in some forms, be it money, grades, age, time¡­If one seeks to change his life, he will have to change his own numbers for the better, or worse. It may sounds edgy, but I think that is the truth of the universe, which I have obtained after playing video games for most of my teenage years. ¡°Damn it¡­Not again!¡± I threw the console controller onto my bed while yelling out loud for the tenth time. Of course, who would be able to remain calm after fighting the same boss for the tenth time and died within the same number of times? Maybe some guys with the patience of a Buddha, I guess. ¡°What a bullshit game.¡± This is a newly released JRPG which was recommended to me by some friends from college. It¡¯s a rather standard RPG with a standard story of saving the world from the evil everybody know about. Then again, the selling point of a game is usually its gameplay. While this one¡¯s is rather good, it still require a bit grinding if I want to advance further in a game, which isn¡¯t exactly a good news for me. I hate grinding. In my dictionary, Grinding is equal to Working, and when applies to a guy who only works to support his hobby, the result is a very lazy player who plays with as little effort as possible. That¡¯s the reason why I don¡¯t like MMO games, they rely too much on levels and item/money grinding, they also have the most obnoxious players you can ever find, and of course, cash shops a.k.a screw the rules I have money. I want to play games with my own pace, unaffected by any factors. Working hard just to have fun is pure bullshit. That being said, if I want to continue this game, I¡¯ll need to grind for a little bit. I DID buy it using my hard-earned money. ¡°Let¡¯s do it later then.¡± I turn off the console along with the TV. To ease my thirst, I reach the Pepsi can on the nearby coffee table and drink all that¡¯s left in one shot. When I finished, my eyes accidentally throw a glance at the wooden picture frame on that very table. A picture from my high school graduation day, with me at the center and my parents just behind my back. All three of us are smiling, on the surface. ¡°So it¡¯s been two years already.¡± Yes, two years. The kid from that day has ended up as an accounting student in a third-rate college, living in a bland but acceptable apartment, working part-time in a small chain of convinient stores without any hope for a grand future ahead. I guess the sad part is my parents see this kind of life as acceptable, which translates into ¡°We have no hope for you, do whatever you want except becoming a criminal.¡± or something like that. I guess they are too busy to care for the unfavorite one when there is a more successful child in the house ¨C my elder brother. He¡¯s like¡­the epitome of perfection, but that doesn¡¯t matter anymore, and I don¡¯t want to talk about it, especially in my head. As long as I can fulfill my mediocre role for society, everything will be okay. ¡°Ha¡­¡± I sighed. Thinking about all of this is bad for my mood. It¡¯s not like I want to live like this forever but¡­it¡¯s hard to find a way to escape all these as well. Though maybe I¡¯m whining too much. Children are dying in Africa you know? A life like this could be call a blessing! ¡°Let¡¯s go for some fresh air.¡± I leave my bland and colorless (but still neat and clean, mind you!) room behind as I walk outside for some fresh air. I¡¯m not a fan of the outside world, but being inside a room all day is bad for health (and so is talking to myself). Beside, I like walking, it¡¯s a healthy way to commute from here and there. I occansionally take a walk in parks as well, but with how hot the weather is these days, it would be better to stay indoor and enjoy the epitome of human technology: Air conditioner! If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°So¡­it¡¯s almost summer.¡± Yes yes, the season of beautiful beaches and beautiful babes. That being said, I don¡¯t have the financial capability to go on a trip by myself. It¡¯ll be nice if some of my college friends remember my existence and invite me to go to the beach together or something, but then again, I¡¯m hardly the most social guy around to actually make them feel compelled to give out invitation. To sum things up: it¡¯s hard being an anti-social guy. ¡°Maybe I should take a guitar class for a change.¡± But that is the story for the future. Right now, after thirty minutes of walking, I have already feel my legs giving out and my throat thirsty for some soft drinks. And just as I start looking, there¡¯s a vending machine at a nearby corner, how convenient! My wallet is a bit thin right now, and payday is in several days, but I¡¯ll have no problem getting a drink or two. ¡°Hmm¡­Coca or Pepsi. What should I pick?¡± I like both, I love both, but there are times you can¡¯t afford to have both. This is one of those time. ¡°Coca then.¡± Since I had a Pepsi earlier, it¡¯s natural to pick Coca. I get some changes in, the machine does its job, I take the cold can of Coca out and finally I dig in. ¡°Now THIS is the joy of living.¡± Well, as long as I¡¯m still alive, I¡¯ll find a way to change my life for the better. Being pessimistic doesn¡¯t help. If you can¡¯t make something better then don¡¯t make it worse. Just as I started chugging my Coca down my throat, a honking sound suddenly coming from behind a corner, along with it is a massive truck smashing everything on its path and only stop when it crashed into a nearby wall, taking out the vending machine stationed near the place¡­along with me - who is unlucky enough to stand there. ¡°Wait¡­what the¡­¡± The impact sent me flying. My body is filled with pain as it drops to the ground. I lost count of how many bones were broken, but then again, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll need to know about it. ¡°That¡­came out¡­of nowhere¡­¡± I have a feeling that this is the end of my life. It¡¯s not fear of death that I felt, it¡¯s just¡­dissapointment, knowing that I died doing nothing noteworthy nor saving anyone else, along with nobody in my mind to think about in my last moments or having any chances to improve my own life beforehand. Suddenly, the oblivion after death isn¡¯t scary anymore. A life of zero value are returned to zero. ¡°How¡­anti-climatic¡­¡± My voice slowly gives out. People are gathering around, but they just assume I¡¯m dead already and rushed for the rescue of the truck driver instead. Damn you, random citizens! I should have picked¡­Pepsi¡­instead. ------------------------------------------------------ Well hello guys. Thank you for reading this story. I will welcome any type constructive comments. Random comments are fine too as long as you didn¡¯t make them with a cookie cutter! Also, due to my studies, after the first batch of chapters, I¡¯ll try to update new chapters once a week at the slowest. And in case it wasn¡¯t obvious yet, English is my second language so please be a bit kind if you found some grammatical mistakes! Rants end. Thank you for reading! Chapter 1: Start from zero The silent and moonless night was disturbed by the a woman¡¯s scream. In a house located at a countryside town, a woman is experiencing childbirth inside a specially prepared room. Accompanied her are two busy midwives in the middle of supporting the woman for a sucessful birth. The spurting blood streams, the ear-hurting screams, the painful expressions, the fear of failure and death, all these nightmarerish concepts ironically always act as the intro for the joy of another life. The dark-green haired woman is fighting her own battle, fulfilling her mission as a wife and a mother. Yet in such a dire situation, a man and a husband¡¯s job can only be waiting in the hallway, with uneasseness in his heart and a prayer on his mouth. ¡°Will Mom be alright, Dad?¡± The gray-haired young man in a grayish robe stopped his prayers when his four years old son approaching him with concern for the welfare of his mother. ¡°It¡¯s okay Ein, Mom has already experienced this once before. Your mom is very strong, stronger than both of us. She¡¯ll be alright, just like always.¡± The words of his son have somewhat ease the husband¡¯s worries. He smiled to do the same to his son. ¡°Before we know it, she¡¯ll jump out of her bed and complaining about being bedridden all the time prior to childbirth¡­¡± Said the gray-haired man. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Mom alright!¡± The dark-green hair child named Ein responsed. ¡°So¡­Ein, you want a little brother or a little sister?¡± In an attempt to lighten the mood, the father asked. ¡°Both are fine! I want both!¡± Said the cheerful little boy. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s not a twin then. I don¡¯t think I can handle three kids in the house at the same time¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t doubt Mom, Dad! If you can¡¯t then she can! We all know Mom is the man of the house!¡± The husband can only put on a painful smiles when his ears catch sound of the brutal truth. Before his son can accidentally humiliate him one more time, the newborn¡¯s cry has avert their attention to the birthing room inside. The father and son stand up, diligently waiting for good news to come. After five minutes or so passed by, when the situation has been stablized, a midwife rushes out of the room to deliver good news. ¡°It¡¯s a boy, Mister Acht. A healthy young boy!¡± ¡°Just a boy, and one boy only!?¡± Still afraid from what his now-eldest son foretold earlier, the man with the name Acht asked. ¡°Of course you silly! It won¡¯t be this fast if it was a twin or more!¡± The midwife joked. Acht can only give her a smile in return, although he didn¡¯t think several hours of childbirth qualified as ¡°fast¡±. But then again, it¡¯s not a husband¡¯s job to think about such things. ¡°Can we go see her and the baby?¡± Acht once again asked. ¡°Oh right, I forgot! You two can, of course! Lady Nana is waiting for you.¡± The midwife rushes back inside the room, followed by the father and his young son. The newborn¡¯s first cry can still be heard as he tries to leave his first mark upon the new world. ¡°Hello there, my son.¡± Said the father when he approaches his child, though he isn¡¯t allowed to touch the baby yet when a midwife is still busy trying to cut his umbilical cord. But that¡¯s okay, the baby isn¡¯t going to run anywhere soon. With that in mind, he leaves his eldest son to his curiosity at his own little brother and rushes to the side of his wife. ¡°You did well, Nana.¡± The mother of two just smiled as her husband gently holds her hands. ¡°I¡¯m so hungry after all that pushing. Can you go and bake me some apple pie, dear?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t something a mother just given birth should say, you know¡­?¡± ¡°I know, I know, dear.¡± The dark-green haired woman smiled yet again. A smile of happiness, warm enough to melt the coldest heart. ¡°But seriously, I could eat a whole horse right now.¡± ¡°Okay, dear¡­I¡¯ll make something for you to eat¡­later.¡± Said the husband as he tries to preserve the mood. That being said, he¡¯s happy knowing the hardest part had just passed by. With both the mother and the baby healthy and in good shape, there¡¯s nothing for him to worry about right now. ¡°Let¡¯s have a look at our newest member, shall we?¡± The husband walks toward the midwives, who have already finished the after work. Acht gently holds the baby in his hand - now warped in a clean blanket and had already stopped crying. With a smile, the happy father shows his baby to his wife. ¡°He looks a lot like you.¡± Said the wife. ¡°You think?¡± The wife nods as she smiles. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll turn out to be a fine man just like his dad!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right¡­¡± Still keeping his silence for all these time, the now eldest son of the house suddenly voices his thoughts. ¡°Mom! Dad! What should we name him?¡± ¡°Easy now, Ein. We¡¯ll do that after the appraising ritual.¡± The husband throws a glance at the midwives. They have already finished cleaning and packing their stuff, knowing their job here is done. ¡°Thank you ladies. I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± ¡°May your child grows strong and powerful, Mister Acht.¡± The midwives bid their farewell as they leave. The now tired wife is resting while waiting for her food to come. After a quick glance at his sleeping wife, Acht leaves the room with his infant son on hands while his other son follows after. The two of them get to a room prepared beforehand located on the house¡¯s second floor. There are several already-lit candles across the room, serving as the light source for the ritual inside. With tomes and scrolls all over the place, this room gives off the impression of a study room, but the presence of jars containing exotic materials and bottles of unknown liquids indicates that this isn¡¯t a mere room of a mere scholar. It¡¯s more like a wizard¡¯s workshop, if we¡¯re going for a more fantasy way of approaching. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s put him¡­here.¡± At the center of the room is a wooden table. On top of it is an already drawn circle using red chalks. The man slowly puts his soundly sleeping son onto the center of the red circle. At first glance, this doesn¡¯t seem much different than a satanic ritual where the baby will be sacrificed to summon the Devil for a chance to make a deal with the big red guy with horns. Of course, the truth is much simplier than that, and less occult-ish¡­from a certain point of view. ¡°Thankfully I cleaned and sterilized the place beforehand.¡± ¡°Dad. What exactly is the appraising ritual?¡± The father smiles when his son asks him the right question. ¡°It¡¯s very simple, my son! I am gonna gauge the potential abilities of our newest family member! In other words, appraising! All the newborns in Apeiron need to go through this. I did. Your mom did. You did. And now it¡¯s your little brother¡¯s turn!¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand.¡± The man stratches his head as he tries to explain the facts to his na?ve young son. ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way. Everyone in this world are born with potentials. Each of us already have some sort of powers when we are just newborn. Those powers are judged and measured with a system called Levels and Stats, my son. By apprasing a newborn, his current stats and level will be revealed to us. After that, we can devise a future plan beffiting the newborn¡¯s potential!¡± Acht gives a pause before resuming his lecture. ¡°For example, if a kid has very high Strength at birth, he can potentially become a powerful warrior with proper guidance and training. Likewise, if one has high Intelligent or Wisdom, that person can become a respectable mage as well! That doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t any exceptions from the norm, but aside from that, it¡¯s the standard guideline.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°So¡­I have one of those powers too¡­?¡± Still a bit confused, the young child asked. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­if not a bit literal. Me and your mom are quite scared when your were born with just [Level 1] and all starting stats at [1]. But you are very special, Ein. Your level and stats growth is abnormaly fast to the point your starting stats aren¡¯t a problem anymore. That¡¯s why we named you Ein. We usually name a child after the ritual finishes, with a name beffiting the power he or she wield.¡± Said the father. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t know about that!¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t. You¡¯re just four years old!¡± Not baffled by his father words, Ein continue speaking. ¡°Hurry up already dad! Don¡¯t let my little bro wait!¡± ¡°Oh right, forgot about that!¡± Reminded by his son, Acht snaps out of his lecturing mode and returns to prepare the ritual. ¡°Usually people need to hire a proper mage for this kind of thing, but since your awesome dad is an awesome mage, that wouldn¡¯t be nessecary! Ha!¡± Acht holds both his hands forward. Suddenly, a gust of wind flows into the room, and bubbles of light start to gather around the wooden altar in the middle of the room. ¡°Before we start, Ein. Can you promise me something?¡± ¡°What is it, dad?¡± ¡°Would you love your brother no matter what?¡± The child suddenly looks at his father in confusion. ¡°Why would you ask me something like that, dad? Of course I would!¡± ¡°I mean, you are a very special kid, Ein. But not everyone could be born special. Your brother may not have the same endless potential as you. I¡¯m afraid¡­the difference in ablities would one day sever your brotherhood.¡± ¡°What are you saying, dad!? He¡¯s my little brother! I¡¯ll love him no matter what he turns out to be!¡± Even though they¡¯re just mere words from a four years old child who have no idea how cruel life could be, Acht can feel the genuinity of his son¡¯s words. He smiled once again like a proud father. ¡°Well then. I hope you can back up your words, Big Brother!¡± The winds are getting stronger. The lights are shining brighter. Tomes are flipping. Windows are rapidly slamming. The room beneath the moonless night is now as bright as the brighest day. When the energy required for the spell has done preparing, Acht starts chanting his spell. He waves a circle in mid air with his right hand, and energy begins to gather. ¡¸May the infinite light reveals all that were hidden! Appraise¡¹ The winds stopped. The lights faded. The windows stay still. The room returns to the silence it once was. But in front of Acht and Ein, the hidden potential of their blood member has been revealed in form of a status window appearing before their eyes. Spoiler: Newborn''s Status
[tr][tr][tr][tr][tr][tr]
STATUS WINDOW
NAME[Unnamed]
HPMP
00
LEVEL0RACEHuman
AGE[Newborn]BIRTHDATE30th FebruaryJOB[Unemployed]ALIGNMENT[Unrated]EXPERIENCE0/0
Strength0Vitality0Intelligence0Wisdom0Dexterity0Agility0Charisma0Luck0TITLES
  • Level Zero: Granted upon birth. Gives one power over nothing.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
None
EQUIPMENT
None
INVENTORY
None
¡°What in the world¡­¡± All Acht can get from the results is a number: 0. He understands about the random things like jobs or names, since the kid was just born literally minutes ago. But his stats, his levels, his everything¡­All of them is a big zero! Acht can¡¯t believe his own eyes. This is the first time he has seen something like this. He even doubt this has ever happen elsewhere. If it was, there would be actual written records. Which is the reason why this is making things much more difficult for him to deal with. But that¡¯s not the problem right now. How can I tell her¡­? ¡°Dad¡­what do those numbers mean? Is my brother¡­very strong? He will be as strong as me, right?¡± Acht glances at his innocent son. He is too young to understand what is happening, and so is the newborn sleeping on the table. ¡°¡­¡± Acht remains silent. There aren¡¯t any words coming out from his mouth despite his son¡¯s desire for explainations. ¡°Let¡¯s us go meet mom.¡± Once again, Acht picks up his youngest son and together with the elder one they return to the room his wife is staying. The wife is sleeping, but she quickly get up from the incoming sound of her husband, her curiosity probably helped awaken her from her sleep. ¡°So, you got any bright idea for our son¡¯s name, dear? This better be good.¡± Without any expression, Acht approach his wife¡¯s bed and gives her the baby, all while his older son Ein is watching. ¡°Zero.¡± ¨C Said the newborn¡¯s father, in a tone as cold as ice ¨C ¡°His name will be¡­Zero.¡± ¡°Zero!? You can¡¯t just go and name our son Zero!¡± The sudden burst of voice has awoken the baby, making it cries again. ¡°I have decided.¡± ¡°Wait, Acht! Answer me!¡± Acht stands up. Without any glance to his wife or his two sons, the father of the house quietly leaves the room, despite his wife¡¯s plea for answers. If she has enough strength, Nana would have rush to her husband and stop him in his track, but the fatigue of childbirth has hold her back. ¡°What¡¯s his problem?¡± All that¡¯s left in the room is a confused mother, a na?ve son, and a crying baby who is unfortunately named Zero. The happiness from the new member¡¯s birth is suddenly replaced by the grim air of uncertainty. No one expected something like this to happen, even Acht himself. ¡°Poor child¡­mommy¡¯s here. So please, stop crying¡­Zero¡­¡± Everyone has a tale to tell. Every tale has a beginning. Every beginning starts from zero. And thus, the tale of Zero begins. Chapter 2: The one reborn I died. But then again, dead men tell no tales. That doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m still being very talkative inside my head. My death wasn¡¯t a dream, that¡¯s for sure. It was painful and felt very real. But if I am indeed a dead man, I won¡¯t be able to think about my death like this. Maybe Hell or Heaven exists? But I saw no old man in white robe or any big red devil. If they don¡¯t, then this is what people called the oblivion after death? Must be funny to continue existing when your soul is in oblivion. That¡¯s it. I gave up. I have no idea what state I currently am. It¡¯s not like the answer will come by itself. At least for now. After sometime, the answer would suddenly become clear to me. ¡°Uhgoaaaa!¡± I was reborn. I only realized what happened when my eyes saw the light of this new world. I felt my arms and legs, but they are as tiny as a log. After some looks, I finally found out that I am currently an infant. Whatever happens, there¡¯s no way a truck would have the ability to turn people into babies. And if it did, I would instantly recognize the scenery around. That wasn¡¯t the case here. This place seems very unfamiliar, even though there¡¯s still a blue sky and a yellow sun up above. With those informations, I officially declare that I just experienced reincarnation. The reason I am not aware of this before is because of my own infant baby¡¯s awareness, which hasn¡¯t mature enough until now. In other terms, it would be the ego, if you prefer Freudian psychology, or consciousness if we¡¯re using layman term. ¡°Jeezz. Not again. What a troublesome child you are, Zero.¡± A voice came. Through my new eyes, I saw a beautiful dark-green and long haired woman wearing casual clothes along an apron walking toward me, with wet towel in one hand and¡­a diaper in the other. After picking me up with her left hand, the woman used the other to cover her nose with the towel as she shakes her head in despair. I take a look back at my cradle and instantly knows what just happened. It seems I just shit myself, literally. ¡°Urghh¡­I swear not even Ein¡¯s is this smelly...¡± ¡°Ghehe¡­¡± My sarcastically smile sounds just as rubbish as the words coming out from the woman¡¯s mouth, which I presume (for now) is my mother of ¡°this world¡±. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, young man! You are the one guilty here!¡± My beautiful mom seems angry. Understandbly, I just shit myself and my mom has to clean after my mess. I feel pretty bad myself, although it¡¯s not like I can help it. Even with a young-adult conscience inside a baby¡¯s body, I haven¡¯t got used to it long enough to control my bladder. I doubt that I could stand and walk with my current body. With a quick glance, I think this child (a.k.a the current me) is months old at best. ¡°Let¡¯s put that mess aside for sec¡­Time for you to take a bath.¡± The woman takes me away to somewhere akin to a bathroom. She whips out a bathing bowl, throws away my dirtied diaper, calmly washes the remaining mess on my ass with some water then finally puts me on the wooden bowl, after which she filled it with lukewarm water before going for a full body wash. ¡°And clean as new¡­for now...¡± After the bath, the woman dried me with her clean towel then changes my diaper. Afterward, she takes me to the house¡¯s living room and puts me on a nearby sofa full of comfy pillows before going back to take care of the mess at my cradle. ¡°Ugoa¡± My mouth blabbered as I tried to says something in my native language. I moved my hands and legs until it becomes futile as I realize I¡¯m unable to walk for the time being. It would seem my infant body still can¡¯t cope with my current mental state. There¡¯s nothing much I can do by myself at this moment beside acting like a true baby. It¡¯s not that bad, actually, the feeling of being a baby. You can make a mess out of yourself, crying out loud, annoy others, and people would still forgive you for what you did because you¡¯re a baby. Even though completely dependant on others and troublesome most of the times, babies are still one of the most loved things in the world. Miracle of life, or so they said. But that¡¯s not what weighting my mind right now. Sure, being a a baby is good and all, and I¡¯m not complaining when I have another chance to live. But¡­ Why me? I didn¡¯t live a fulfilling nor helpful life. I mostly cared about my welfare at the foremost rather than others (but that¡¯s normal, right?). That being said, it¡¯s not like I enjoy seeing people suffer enough to warrant an eternal suffering in the next life. My death is exetremely anti-climatic. It was a trivial death, without doing anything noteworthy like saving someone else before I die. I died and that¡¯s it. Nothing special. Which prompts the question: Why? Why me of all people? Hell, I didn¡¯t even believe there is an afterlife, or something like the Buddism¡¯s karma. Me being here is as random as my own death. There isn¡¯t any god-like entity shows up to greet me before I reincarnated. Just one BAM, and I¡¯m here as a baby. It¡¯s extremely weird. ¡°¡­¡± There is this one friend of mine in my college class. He once introduced some ridiculous terms he found on the wikipedia as he tried to sounds smart to impress the first year girls. ¡°Anything can happen, will happen¡± ¨C said the guy, or something akin to that. I¡¯m not the guy with the best memory in the world, I know. I wonder if me being here is a part of that phase, just because it can happen and so it will happen. Nothing can stop it, as long as it is able to. ¡°Ugu.¡± I guess¡­it¡¯s no use thinking about things you can¡¯t comprehend. Whatever happened, happened. I am here, living a new life bestowed to me because it can happen. I don¡¯t need to think too hard about it, just live it the way I want to. Let¡¯s keep it simple. If I can¡¯t make it better, I won¡¯t make it worse. Suddenly, some footsteps disrupted my train of thought. From the interior of the house, a tall man wearing a gray robe walks out. He has light gray hair and eyes. He¡¯s a bit young, not much older than my mom. He¡¯s holding some old tomes in his hand. His attention at first is on his path, but when he becomes aware of the baby on the sofa, he averts his gaze to my side. A stare that has neither love nor affection. It¡¯s not even a stare of hate or something of the likes. It¡¯s just¡­an expression of disappointment. Something people made when they want nothing to do with someone else. A stare which I knew too well from my old parents. What¡¯s the deal of this man? ¡°Dad, dad! The doctor is here!¡± Someone shouted. From outside, a young kid came running. His handsome face is full of excitement. He has short dark green hair and a pair of golden eyes. By his expression when he approachs the tall young man, I would say the man is the kid¡¯s father¡­and maybe by extension, my own father in this world. ¡°Please lead him here, Ein. I will go back to the study room. If anything happens, tell your mom.¡± The man coldly spoke to his child, which leaves the kid in a bit shock as he watches his father leaves. ¡°Dad¡­¡± When the father is out of sight, the kid suddenly approaches me and lifts me off the sofa. ¡°Well, no matter what happen, I would still love you, lil bro!¡± I may not understand his words, but his body language is genuine. It tells no lies, and it tells me that this kid loves me very much. If he is indeed my older brother, then this relationship has become miles better than the one I had with my own brother back in the old world. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Eghehe.¡± I smiled. Of course, my words are as incomprehensive to both me and the kid, but he didn¡¯t mind. The kid smiled and tried to hug me. Of course, my mother stopped that when she comes into the room with an old man behind her. You must handle a baby with care, you know!? ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t here when your child was born, madam. The flu season is coming and it¡¯s getting worse this year, so I have to visit the nearby village to give vaccines for the children.¡± Said the old man. He¡¯s carrying a red suitcase. His attire is that of a traveler, but it still has some classes that separates him for a common peasant of a fantasy world. ¡°It¡¯s alright, doctor. I know how rare doctors are in other villages, so I won¡¯t mind. As long as you are here then all is fine.¡± My mom answered. ¡°Well then, madam. I would like to begin my work.¡± Said the old man. ¡°If you excuse me, child. Can you put the baby back to the sofa, kid?¡± ¡°Yes, doctor!¡± My brother gleefully responsed. He suddenly puts me back to the sofa I previously lay on. My mom brings a wooden chair from nearby to let the old man sit. The old man then puts his suitcase on his lap as he takes out the items inside, with one of them resembling a stethoscope. With those informations, I presume the old man is a doctor, invited here to check up on my health. ¡°Well hello. Nice to meet you. I am here to make sure you are healthy, little one!¡± Suddenly, the old man spoke to me with a friendly tone when he catched my gaze. Of course, I can¡¯t just says ¡°Nice to meet you too¡± out loud with my baby tongue. My reactions are just random rubbishs an infant child would make, but the old man kindly accepted those reactions. ¡°He isn¡¯t afraid of strangers. That makes things easier! Usually children his age are very aware of their surrounding, especially around people they never met before.¡± ¡°Thank you doctor.¡± My mom answered. She doesn¡¯t seem very high-spirited. Well I would too, if you take a look at the mess I made earlier. ¡°May I ask what is the name of this child?¡± My mom fell silent for a bit before reluctantly answers the doctor. ¡°It¡¯s¡­Zero.¡± ¡°Zero? That¡¯s a¡­rather weird name for a child.¡± The doctor turned his gaze to my mother in surprise. ¡°It is indeed. But my husband has decided.¡± ¡°I see¡­Then I won¡¯t pry any further.¡± The old doctor turns back to me. Equipped with his stethoscope, he starts checking for my heart beat and pulse for an overall health check. When all is done, he takes out his tools and starts speaking to my mom. ¡°Your child is very healthy, madam. His immune system is very strong. There are no syptoms of common sicknesses children his age may have. You and your husband have nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you doctor.¡± ¡°But just to be sure, I¡¯ll give him a vaccine. After all, better safe than sorry! The flue season is coming!¡± ¡°Please do.¡± It seems like my check up has ended. I¡¯m a bit dissapointed though. Judging from the aesthetic of this house and the people¡¯s clothing, I¡¯m expecting a more¡­arcane way of checking health. In case that wasn¡¯t clear, what I¡¯m saying is¡­¡¸Magic¡¹. I want to see some magic, sorcery, witchcraft¡­or whatever the people here call it. ¡°Mom, mom. Why didn¡¯t the doctor use any magic? Like, healing magic?¡± Suddenly, my older brother bursts out some words, presumably a question. ¡°Healing magic can only heal physical wounds, sweetheart.¡± My mom answered. ¡°That¡¯s right, kid. ¡¸Priests¡¹ heal wounds, but ¡¸Doctors¡¹ cure sicknesses. Magic isn¡¯t the answer for everything.¡± The doctor searches for something inside his suitcase again. This time, he takes out a sealed small bottle, which seems to be a medicine of sort, along with it is a¡­clean syringe. Oh no, not syringes. I hate syringes and shots. They are painful as f*ck! ¡°Calm down, son. It will only hurt for a bit.¡± As I start moving my body in fear of taking a shot, my mom calmly hold me up¡­all while pointing me toward the doctor¡¯s direction. He stabs the syringe inside the bottle and fills up the syringe with the liquid inside. After he¡¯s done, the doctor looks at me, with the syringe in his hand. Slowly, the doctor aproaches my right arm while my mom is firmly holding it to let the doctor do his job. ¡°Okay, here we go.¡± Said the doctor. Of course I didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯s saying. But whatever it is, it can¡¯t be good! Shit, shit, shit, shit!!!! ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s strange.¡± Before I can feel the pain though, the syringe stopped¡­somewhat. I still can feel the cold needle touching my sensitive baby skin, but that¡¯s just the sensation. The syringe itself it didn¡¯t penetrate my flesh, or rather, it can¡¯t, despite the doctor keeps pushing more and more force down the syringe. ¡°What in the world¡­?¡± Whatever he tried, it all proved to be futile. No matter where the old doctor choose to stick his syringe, the result is still the same: The syringe can¡¯t penetrate my flesh. After some point, the doctor gave up. His face looks like he just saw some sort of evil witchcraft. While my mom and brother¡¯s reaction is better, they still look surprised. Hell, even I am surprised. Baby skin isn¡¯t suppose to be as hard as steel, unless you¡¯re Superman, and my name isn¡¯t Kal-El. ¡°No¡­I can¡¯t give up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s futile, Doctor. You should not waste your strength.¡± Another one joined the little health-checkup. In the house¡¯s interior, the husband of the house walks out, still with some old tomes in his hand. He looks as if expecting something like this would happen. ¡°Dear¡­You know about this?¡± The man didn¡¯t answer. Or rather, he completely evaded the question by saying something else. ¡°Your work here is done, Doctor. Your pay will arrive tomorrow at your clinic. For now, you should go and rest. The constant travelling may have tire you, Doctor.¡± ¡°But the vaccine¡­! The flu season is coming, and it¡¯s especially dangerous to children his age!¡± Said the doctor. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about him. That child¡­¡± The man suddenly takes a glance at me before resuming his conversation. ¡°¡­is different. He will be fine.¡± Although not convinced, the man¡¯s words affected the old doctor in someway. He decided it is futile to continue and started packing his stuff with some worries on his face. ¡°If you say so, Mister Acht. But I won¡¯t give up just yet. I¡¯ll go back and see if there¡¯s any drinkable vaccine I can make.¡± The man once gain didn¡¯t answer. Soon, the doctor bid his farewell then left. Only the family members remain. ¡°Acht, you know of this, don¡¯t you?¡± The man keeps silent. His hand touches the tome he¡¯s carrying for a moment. ¡°Please¡­answer me.¡± Despite her plead, the house husband still turns his back and leaves, which prompt my mom to chase after him in search for an explaination. While the two of them have already gone out of sight, the sounds of their argument can still be heard by me¡­and the kid that is my older brother. ¡°Zero¡­¡± Suddenly, the kid tenderly hold my baby hand. Despite witnessing what just happened, the kid¡¯s eyes are just as pure as they were before, with no ounce of hate nor disgust. A look of trust, something I rarely see in people close to me. ¡°No matter what you are, you¡¯re still my lil bro¡­Zero.¡± Chapter 3: The second incident Time passed. Before I know it, I have already spent two years in this world. And of course, I¡¯m still alive and healthy as ever. I have growth a bit since then. My arms and legs got stronger, so I can now crawl around the house. I still can¡¯t walk though. But I¡¯ll certainly try when my body become more mature. Though with how handful I currently am to my mother, it certainly won¡¯t be good for her if I gain full access to my legs. But still, there¡¯s nothing wrong with a healthy and energetic child. Which is a very good news, since apparently after a month passed from my health check up incident, a flu season hit the area, resulting in the death of some infants who didn¡¯t have a strong enough immune system to fight the disease. The vaccine helped, but it¡¯s not ominpotent. People die, children die. Nobody wants it but before we can completely stop it, it will just happen and happen again. Talk about vaccine, since after that health check up, I was given a drinkable vaccine by that doctor, but it¡¯s still weaker than the syringe type. That results in several checkups afterward from the same doctor. Gotta give the man a medal for his dedication as a doctor. He is this small town¡¯s only doctor, and he still need to help several nearby villages to fight off the flu as well. Long story short, a flu season hit our town, and I¡¯m still healthy despite lacking medication. Well, I would wonder more about my impenetrable flesh rather than vaccination at this point, but let¡¯s leave it later. On another note, I¡¯m still getting used the language people here used. The scientists are right about the brain¡¯s capability of babies. Even though I have no knowledge of this world¡¯s language, the more time I spend living here, the easier it becomes to understand what people here meant when speaking. I also secretly practice speaking the common phases when nobody¡¯s around. And before long¡­ ¡°Mama!¡± I am able to speak coherently. ¡°Look, Dear. Our son spoke his first words!¡± I spoke as my mom Nana and my brother Ein are playing in the house¡¯s yard under the shiny gold sun, all while the house husband Acht is busy drying the family members¡¯s freshly washed laundry. The last part is a real surprise for me, I didn¡¯t think such a brooding man is the household master type. The guy is a very awesome cook, even more so than the mother of the house. ¡°My son spoke, and his first word is Mama!¡± My mom Nana picks me up and spin me around like a happy maiden. Well, I would be happy as well if my child¡¯s first word is Papa (or in her case, Mama). ¡°Hey hey lil bro, call me big bro!¡± The now six-years old Ein spoke. It¡¯s too easy to understand what¡¯s he asking me to do. ¡°Big bro!¡± I made my brother a very happy kid with my second (publicly speaking) word. Hmm, kids. ¡°Now, how about Papa¡¯s turn?¡± My mom turns me to the direction of the house husband. His brooding and edgy face certainly doesn¡¯t fit the image of a guy drying clean baby diaper under the sun. Of course, despite our charade, the guy paid no mind to our little family bonding activity. What a lousy father. There¡¯s only one word beffiting this guy. ¡°Jerk!¡± I can already hear the sound of jaws dropping to the ground. Of course, that¡¯s just a figure of speaking, but my mom and brother certainly do sound shocked. Even Acht is stunned, I made that guy bat an eyerow toward my face as I spoke the J word. ¡°Bad Zero! Bad bad Zero! Where did you learn that word!?¡± ¡°Babuuu.¡± I avert my gaze while trying to keep the innocent kid act, which prompts my mother to direct her fury at the eldest son. ¡°Ein!!!¡± ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t teach him that! Though I think probably one of my friends did¡­¡± ¡°EIN!!!!¡± My mother screamed. Her face is as scary as an orge. She pinches my brother¡¯s left ear for punishment, despite it¡¯s his friends that are at fault. ¡°Ouch ouch! It hurts, mom!¡± It looks hurt and sounds hurt, but that was his fault for being honest though. Some of his bratty friends did come here to play, and so I took the chance to learn some¡­ inappropriate phrases. Well, this is a backwater town in some nameless countryside, not a palace or a royal court of sort. Who would expect the most proper of behaviors in such a place? ¡°How about you consider picking some good friends to play with, son!?¡± ¡°I will I will!¡± Ein quickly admits defeat, which makes my mom releases her hand from his ear and allow the boy to caresses the wound in hope to ease his pain. However, my mom¡¯s fury hasn¡¯t ended yet, when the guilty party is still roaming free. ¡°And you¡­young man! I would prefer you keep your tongue in check!¡± I don¡¯t know how my mom thinks her words can reach the mind of a barely two years old baby¡­but I guess the terrifying face is enough to convey her words. Scary enough to almost make me shit my pant again. Bad move I made back there. ¡°Aguuu¡­¡± ¡°Children these days¡­they just learn whatever they want without thinking straight.¡± Said my mom. Suddenly, she turns her face to the house husband¡¯s direction before continuing. ¡°How about you teach them some proper manners, dear?¡± Acht had already finished his laundry drying work, but he however still remains silent despite the housewife¡¯s prompt to make him answer. After picking up the emptied basket, Acht walks back inside the house without giving his wife any proper response, all under the watch of his wife and children. This charade has been continuing for two whole years. At first, Acht just stayed silent around my presence, but eventually, he decided to ignore my whole being and just pretend I wasn¡¯t there. While he behave like a normal man around his wife and his eldest son, only when I jump into the picture did he turn off his reaction switch. Of course, my mom didn¡¯t want that to continue, so she spent her freetime with me whenever she can, and something she tried to rub that to Acht¡¯s face just to prompt him to answer. Well, you can already guess how well that went out. And to think that I am the one with problems. ------------------- Another peaceful year passed. I am currently three years old, in case people forgot the numbers. A daily day of a child isn¡¯t exactly an eventful one. Well, that only applies to a child without a grown young man¡¯s consciousness though. After this year when my language recognition ability has become better, I finally found out more information of my family. My mom is part of the town¡¯s guard, and a high ranking one on top of that. She somehow landed a job that usually isn¡¯t for woman and exceled at it. Due to the respect the other town guards treat her whenever they go to this house to report, I would say she is the strongest woman of this town, if not stronger than the town¡¯s strongest man. My mom would occasionally go out on patrol to slay monsters, and when she don¡¯t she stays in town to train people how to fight, adults and children alike. What a mom. In contrast, Acht - the house husband, is apparently a scholar and a teacher. He occasionally go out to town to teach at a small spontaneous community school. Whenever he don¡¯t have to teach, he just stays indoor and continues his research. Due to my mother¡¯s job, she usually isn¡¯t home when he¡¯s done with his. Thus, Acht was tasked with the job of looking out for me when she isn¡¯t here. With how beloved I am inside his heart, it¡¯s very obvious to know what would usually happen when he and I are in the same room. Before long, he stopped caring and just stay inside his study in all of his freetime. My brother Ein is a growing kid. He studies under his father at the town¡¯s community school, and trains in combat by his mother along with other aspiring kids. When he has time, he usually spend that to play with his young brother, which is me of course. At first, it¡¯s just playing with toys. But when he grew up, toys become boring (both to him and me as well), so he started reading picture books to his brother. It¡¯s not exactly boring, but Aesop-style stories aren¡¯t exactly the cup of my tea. Those still help a lot to my language learning though. Eventually, the kid gained friends other than his brother, so he spent more time to them as well. Ein still loves his brother dearly, though. When he has the permission from our mom, he occasionally take me to town for sight-seeing, which is very interesting for me who spent years under a house roof. But aside from that, let¡¯s just say that Ein got busy with his life as well. That means the more time passed by, the more freedom I have to freely act the way I want. I behaved well enough under those years just to let others lower their guard around me. When everybody left, they just assume I¡¯m still sleeping in my lovely cradle. Hehehe, I want to see their face when they become aware of how wrong they were. ¡°One¡­two!¡± I stand up, grab the edge of the wooden cradle with my hands and climb outside. The height doesn¡¯t hurt me when I landed, and practically all the free time I have were spent to find out the things that CAN hurt me. Yes, before I can start to desire learning Magic and Fighting, I need to know exactly what I am first. The memory of that health checkup still haunts me, especially that needle. I am aware that I was born different than the others, in more ways than one. The question is: How different I am? ¡°An ant.¡± An ant crawls by, right under my cradle. A lone ant wandering around a two years old child. That always went well. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. *SLAMP* I put my right feet upon the ant, squashing it to the ground. After a second, I pull my feet back¡­ ¡­and find out that the squashed ant wasn¡¯t squashed as expected, it¡¯s still alive and going strong, like the weight of a human kid means nothing to it. When there¡¯s nothing bothering it anymore, the ant crawls away. ¡°Just like always¡­¡± I find this out on the first day I started the experiments, in circumstances similar to this. With how that went out, I concluded that I cannot harm others or living beings. However, I am allowed some limited interactions with objects, which I confirmed the time I pick up a stray kitchen knife and start scratcing the wall. I also experimented further through the indirectly use of objects, like this one time where I throw a small rock at a bystander walking by. He looked more surprise by how he didn¡¯t feel a thing more than the fact that he got hit in the head from a rock. That¡¯s¡­good, I guess. With how those experiments usually went out, I decided to end it and move on to the next phase, which is how to damage my body. The needle that day did nothing. So after sometime, I chose a more daring approach and used a kitchen knife to cut my wrist. Thankfully I was dissapointed and was allowed to live another day. But still, despite the fultileness, I want to continue experimenting my own power. Like the old saying goes: Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories. Today, I already got another experiment in mind to test my ability. Am I truly invulnerable? Let¡¯s find out if that¡¯s true when my oxygen is cut off. I walk into the house¡¯s bathroom. There¡¯s already a bowl full of cold water. That¡¯s convinient. ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± I dump my face into the water bowl without taking any breath. The cold sensation reaches my skin. I open my eyes to see the depth of the wooden bowl. Suprisingly my eyes feel no pain from contact with water. However, the thing that matters is oxygen. Soon, my oxygen will deprive, and we shall know if I am capable of living without oxygen. Four, Three, Two, One¡­ Zero¡­ Still no change! I can already feel the lack of oxygen inside my body, but aside from a slight irritation, there¡¯s nothing harmful happening to my body yet. I still need to continue, which is why I haven¡¯t put my head up from the water yet. I need to put on a goal of sort. How about I stay like this for ten minutes? Yeah, let¡¯s roll with it. Time slowly passed, especially when you are deprived of oxygen with your head underwater. However, the feeling¡­it isn¡¯t bad. Is this what a fish feels like when it roams the ocean? Before long, five minutes passed, and I feel more bored rather than afraid of death. Does this confirm that I can live without breathing? I don¡¯t know what to make out of that¡­ ¡°Zero!!!!¡± Suddenly, I was dragged out of the water bowl. Someone strongly pat my back, probably to push out whatever water I may have drink during that time. When my senses become accustomed to the life in the surface once again, I saw her, my mother Nana with a terrified look on her face. I was dense at first, still have no clue of what is happening, then it hits me¡­ My god, what have I done¡­? ------------------- The sky is raining. The gray clouds gathered, hiding away the arrays of sunlight. I was put to sleep back in my cradle. The house is silent, but that¡¯s only because of the sound made by the falling water droplets has overwhelmed all the other ones. However, if someone pay enough attention, they can hear the sounds of argument coming from the direction near the yard. ¡°¡­¡± My mother finished her work sooner than expected. When she went home and saw the empty cradle, she went wild as she searches for her son around the house. The sight of her immobile son dipping his head into a water bowl may haunt her for the rest of her life should I actually be dead from oxygen deprivation. This is totally my fault¡­yet who would blame a child for his foolishness? But the blame still need to be pushed on someone. That ¡°someone¡± is the only one in the house the moment this incident happened. Once again, I crawl out of the cradle, and slowly crawl my way to near the yard. In the hallway, I can see my parents talking, mostly my mom. But Acht, he just stands there looking bewildered. This is unlike his natural cold attitude, there¡¯s nothing that seems forced. His frozen face seems genuine. Yet, I still can¡¯t read what¡¯s going inside the man¡¯s head. ¡°And that¡¯s¡­what happened.¡± Said my mom. ¡°Dear¡­what were you doing¡­when Zero almost killed himself?¡± Acht averts his gaze to outside. ¡°Researching in my study room¡­¡± Suddenly, my mom lunges at the man. Holding him by the collar, she slams Acht to the wall and holds him in mid air, all while without breaking a sweat. I¡¯m more surprised that even Acht himself is unfazed at this sudden burst of outrage coming from his wife. ¡°Your son¡­Our son¡­almost died, while you just stay in your room staring at books!?¡± My mother screams, but with teary eyes and a bleeding lower-lip. ¡°You pretend like your son didn¡¯t exist, then this happened! You are even worse than an abusive father! Why, Acht? Why!!? What did our son¡­do to you¡­to the point you treating him like his whole existence¡­is a mistake?¡± My mom is on the verge of breaking down, but her arms are not, they are still firmly holding Acht in the sky. The man can only mutter. ¡°That child¡­is an abomination¡­¡± Acht isn¡¯t wrong. In fact, he¡¯s absolutely right. A child born to another world with the consiousness of a grown man is one thing, the whole ¡°nigh- invulnerable body¡± is another. And that¡¯s not counting the ¡°unable to damage living beings¡± part. No matter what angle you look from, Acht is saying the truth. The child that was born that day. The child that was named zero. The child that is an abomination. The child that is¡­me. *SMASH* Something broke, two of them in fact. One of them is my mom¡¯s patience, the other is the wall behind Acht. She let go one of her arm and used it to punch the wall behind Acht¡¯s head. A small crack was made after the woman pull her arm back, along with some wooden crumbs. Her teary eyes are gone, only a woman with a strong conviction remains. ¡°He is still my son. And I will not allow anyone to call him an abomination, even you, Acht.¡± Acht doesn¡¯t look scared. However, he looks like he gave up. He just left his arms hanging and his own fate to the mercy of his wife. Due to my own dislike of the man, I haven¡¯t notice it, but right now, I can saw some eyebag under his eyes. The man doesn¡¯t look like he had a nice sleep in ages. However, put that aside. This is bad. Real bad. Arguments like this are always the first step lead to the parting of married couples. Even though I hate to admit it, Acht is still my and Ein¡¯s blood father. My mother Nana also doesn¡¯t seem to have any discontent in her earlier life with Acht before my birth. Yet, their happiness is starting to crumble¡­all because a child like me¡­ At times like this, it¡¯s a child¡¯s job to do something stupid. Then what am I waiting for? ¡°Aguuubuu!¡± After standing up and climbing several obstacles, I found myself crawling on top of a wooden table. When the preparation is ready, I shouted some gibberish, enough to gain the attention of my parents. And when everything is in place¡­ ¡°ZERO!!!¡± I allow myself to fall from the wooden table. My mother screamed. She instantly let go of Acht and lunges at me as fast as she can. However, she was one second too late. ¡°Ughu?¡± While I¡¯m certain I won¡¯t take any damage when falling to the ground, I can still feel the sensation of objects I interacted with. Like a hard rock is hard, and hot water is hot (though I don¡¯t feel pain when interact with hot water), and everything like that. But just now, when I fall to the ground, I expected a hard surface, not a soft pillow right under my landing zone. ¡°Aghu?¡± My eyes start gazing at Acht from afar. He¡¯s holding his right arm to the air. His palm is shining with a faint light. Accompanied that is a bewildered look, showing the uncertainty of his own action. Acht is confused. He isn¡¯t even aware he just pushed a soft pillow from the sofa nearby to take the fall of his son. And he¡¯s terrified of it. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± ¡°Dear¡­?¡± Acht runs away like a sinner who just commited some grave mistake. Even my mom doesn¡¯t know how she should reacts from seeing the actions of her husband. But I guess¡­she thinks the man¡­.her husband still have some hope as a father. My mom stands up and pick me from the soft pillow, all while whispering. ¡°You have been a very bad child lately, Zero.¡± Nana smiled. She puts me back to my cradle and quickly ran away, presumbly going after Acht to sort things out. Well, this is their own problem now. I did whatever I could to stop this family from crumbling to pieces. Whenever it can be save or beyond saving depends on the both of them. Yes, I believe so. They still need to have some proper children accident prevension methods though. ------------------------------------------------------------ And that''s it for now. Will post new chapters when I finished writing them! Chapter 4: The fourteenth birthday Another morning arrived. The sun is rising. The birds are singing. A day too beautiful to continue lazing in bed. I get up from my bed to go brush my teeth and doing basic hygiene. After changing from my pajama, I walk downstair and out of the house to do what I was tasked with. That is¡­leaves sweeping! ¡°What a morning!¡± Yes indeed. Leaves sweeping, so clich¨¦. I feel like a retired seventy years old or so old man, but in truth, I¡¯m just a ten years old kid who has to do his own share of houseworks. Though that only counts in my physical age, I guess my mental age at this point is about thirty-ish already. Well, at least I still have a growing young body so it¡¯s not that bad. The thing I have to think about is what to do in my remaining time here. My destiny, my fate, or something of the likes. Then again, I still have plenty of time to think about that. For now, I need to concentrate on my current task, that is leaves sweeping! ¡°Hey kid!¡± Suddenly, someone called me from the outside of the fences. It¡¯s the voice of a young girl. She¡¯s a young, blonde beautiful girl, though her freckle face may says otherwise. A country beauty. The blue-eyes girl wears a white sunnydress with a backpack behind her back. Normally, she would wear a more casual outfit beffiting a cowgirl in this countryside town, but you just can¡¯t wear something like that to attend classes, can¡¯t you? ¡°I have a name you know? And you¡¯re just older than me by two years, stop acting like you¡¯re my boss.¡± I answered. ¡°Fffm. Fine, I don¡¯t want to waste time arguing with you.¡± The girl grumpily turns her head away, before gazing back at my face with a sudden blush on her face. ¡°Do you know where¡­Ein is¡­?¡± ¡°I do not know.¡± I bluntly answered, which prompts the country girl to bat an eye row as she naggingly snaps back at me. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? You¡¯re his brother.¡± ¡°Am I my brother¡¯s keeper?¡± Once again, the freckle girl seems upset. ¡°Urghh¡­You¡¯re surprisingly nasty for a ten years old kid.¡± ¡°Shut up, Vivi. You¡¯re just a twelve years old kid yourself.¡± The girl named Vivi grinds her teeth trying to keep her fury from emerging, before deciding a verbal fight in the morning isn¡¯t worth it and withdraws herself. ¡°Fine. Fine. I don¡¯t want to ruin my morning with a petty fight. I will forgive you this time, Ein¡¯s brother. Be grateful!¡± ¡°Flattering won¡¯t help you be the first one to give my brother his birthday present, you know?¡± Vivi bats an eye as I hit the bullseye. She seems upset, again, but still trying to conceal it deep down. And that¡¯s right, today is my brother¡¯s Ein fourteenth birthday. ¡°What¡¯s the ruckus?¡± Suddenly, another voice joins the conversation. From the doorway of my house, Acht walks out, fully in his scholar attire, along with a backpack containing school books for teaching. For a man with two sons, the guy still looks pretty good. Not many would believe him if he said he¡¯s almost reaches fourty of age. ¡°Teacher Acht¡­! Good morning, teacher!¡± Vivi shifts her tone voice to that of a good student as she greets Acht. The man closes the door then approachs the girl standing before the fences. ¡°Do you have any businesses here, Miss Vivi?¡± ¡°Err¡­No, teacher! I was just passing by, really!¡± She may not notice, but I¡¯m giving Vivi the ¡°Sure, you are!¡± look right now. ¡°Well then, if you¡¯re just passing by, then I guess there¡¯s no reason for you to continue wasting time here. Isn¡¯t it, Miss Vivi?¡± ¡°Y-Yes teacher! I will now excuse myself!¡± After the cue was dropped, Vivi quickly bows her head to my father before running away, presumly to the direction of our school. The man can only sigh in response. However, with Vivi¡¯s retreat, this left things rather awkward between the two of us. ¡°Don¡¯t be late.¡± The man monologued before he himself takes his leave. There¡¯s no indicate to whom he¡¯s speaking to, but with me as the only listener around, it becomes rather obvious that the man is just a huge tsundere who doesn¡¯t know how to express his emotion. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a start.¡± This is much better than eight years ago. Acht has improved from then¡­though just a bit. Back in that time, the man doesn¡¯t even want to look at me. But now, at least we can have an indirect conversation. Not to mention that he is my teacher at the town¡¯s community school, so of course he can¡¯t keep silent before me forever. Though it¡¯s not like I myself want to be best of buds with the guy, but at the very least¡­I don¡¯t want my current family to ended up like me previous one. ¡°On guard!¡± Someone shouted. From the roof of our house, a figure jumps down with a big steel sword in both of his hand. As gravity does its job, the figure swings his sword to make a downward slash toward my location. ¡°Oryaaaaa!¡± Shouted the figure. His voice is that of a hot-blooded youth. With his long dark-green hair tied to make a ponytail, there¡¯s no doubt that this figure none other than my na?ve older brother Ein. *Clang* Using the broomstick in hand, I block Ein¡¯s downward slash. Despite being a normal broomstick, it puts up quite the defense against Ein¡¯s Zweihander-type greatsword without any sign of breaking. If it¡¯s just a mere broomstick, it would surely crack down from the first contact and allow the opponent to tear me in half. But of course, my broomstick isn¡¯t some kind of legendary broomstick you could buy at some legendary broomstick shop either. Then how? Simple, it¡¯s because I ¨C Zero ¨C am the one wielding it. ¡°People normally don¡¯t shout¡­¡± ¨C I gather my strength as I try to push the opponent out of my range ¨C ¡°¡­when going for a sneak attack!¡± However, my pitiful strength can barely push the guy out of his sword range, which he immediately takes advantage of by swinging his greatsword in wide slashes, pushing me back in the process as I try blocking and retreating backward. When there¡¯re some distances between us, my brother stops his zweihander and slams it to the ground. A gust of wind flows by, which lets his ponytail ride along with the wind waves. ¡°I just want to be honourable!¡± Eight years had passed, and the now fourteen years old Ein has become more and more of a grown man, though he¡¯s still look (and act) somewhat childish like his age suggests. Ein now spots a face with beauty second only to the Adonis himself. However, under his lean figure is a body full of muscles that greatly constract the face that could charm any country girls. In case it wasn¡¯t obvious, the girl who was previously here has a huge crush on this guy, and she is just one among the legions of unnamed towngirls with names I don¡¯t bother to remember. If this guy isn¡¯t my blood brother, I would surely plot to murder the guy if he¡¯s living along with me before I died of jelousy. (Just kidding though, I don¡¯t murder people for petty things like that.) ¡°Honourable warriors don¡¯t use sneak attacks, you know?¡± I point my broomstick toward Ein and speak. ¡°Well, they don¡¯t know how to adapt like I am!¡± As he finishes his sentence, Ein picks up his greatsword and rushes at me in hope for another surprise attack. However, it¡¯s hard for him to do so with a weapon that big. Even if he¡¯s can use it with relative ease, its weight still affect him in one way or another. ¡°Weight¡±, however, isn¡¯t a concern for me, as I am carrying a broomstick, not a huge-ass sword made of steel. When Ein once again slams his sword at the ground after another attack, an opening presents itself. Without letting it go to watse, I charge toward Ein and thurst my broomstick like a rapier at Ein¡¯s torso with all of my strength. However, when the attack connected, it just¡­made physical contact with him and that¡¯s it. There¡¯s no sign of damage on his torso, even though he¡¯s wearing normal clothing just like me. I¡¯m sure even if it¡¯s just a normal broomstick, a strong thurst in the chest would still hurt somewhat. Well, this isn¡¯t the first time it happens, no need for me to be so surprise. ¡°One point.¡± I confirmed my point with an announcement. Suddenly, Ein puts up a grin like he just found a hidden treasure. Before I can act, Ein pulls his zweihander out of the ground and uses a diagonal slash aiming at my right side. The element of surprise has catch me off guard, a mistake results in a punishment by the form of getting sent flying toward the nearby fences. ¡°And one point for me too!¡± Ein gleefully shouted. He stands waiting for me to get up and continue the fight, which I do instantly, with no difficulty and without any annoying hindrance like bleeding wounds or stamina deprivation. Of course, being slashed at an unarmoured side from a real greatsword made of steel usually doesn¡¯t send people flying. No, they made people half the man they used to be instead, which isn¡¯t my case since I got bashed away to the fences with speed rivaling a flying arrow. But even after that, I suffered no wounds or damage. Even the fences I landed on don¡¯t have any visible crack from the impact. You could imagine me as a cotton ball, no matter how hard you throw a cotton ball, it wouldn¡¯t make as much impact as a normal baseball, or in this case, a falling slab of heavy iron. Before long, I stopped being surprise at this little ¡°power¡± of mine. The power that was called ¡¸Level Zero¡¹. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The power which returns damage to zero, both receiving¡­and delivering. ¡°Shall we continue?¡± Said by an eager Ein who wants to continue the fight. Well, let¡¯s not let him wait. Due to the nature of my ¡°powers¡±, I was asked to be Ein¡¯s sparring partner, since his peers at combat training ground are no longer able to keep up with his growth. Which was why mom asked me to do the job instead. Well, the rest is history. We usually spar while both of us are free, though surprise attacks from Ein aren¡¯t that uncommon. Since I cannot be harmed nor harm others, both of us have devised a set of rules for our sparring fights. An attack that hits a part of the torso counts as one point. The first one reaches five points win. Beside those two basic rules, anything else is fine, be it traps, dirty tricks, or even using real weapons like Ein did. Well, I was a bit scarred at first ever since he decided to take things up to eleven with real weapons, but before long that become normal for the both of us. Our fights from the view of outsiders must be pretty bizzare. But for me, it¡¯s like a daily exercise as of this point, a time to practice fighting techniques mother taught me, and also a way for me to test out my ¡°invulnerability¡±. As of now, I have kinda give up on trying to find a way to harm myself. No matter what I tried, I can¡¯t harm myself. Not hunger, not thirst, not the lack of oxygen, not wounds. Maybe a mistletoe would do the job then? ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Phew¡­that was a good exercise.¡± ¡°Indeed. Though mom would probably be extremely mad if she finds out about this mess.¡± After a five minutes showdown, our house¡¯s little yard has been tore apart, mostly thanks to Ein¡¯s flashy attacks. I lost that fight by a thin margin, with five to four points in our scores. He¡¯s older, has more experience in fighting and uses a real greatsword, so I shouldn¡¯t feel too sad. But being picked on by a fourteen years old kid is still kinda hurt¡­since my mental age at this point is probably in the thirties already. ¡°Ahhh¡­I remembered that I have something I need to do. Gottta g¡­¡± ¡°OH NO YOU DON¡¯T!¡± I succesfully grab my brother back before he can bail out of this whole mess. ¡°Stay where you are, Ein. Don¡¯t you dare leave your brother alone after this mess!¡± Ein still wants to find some excuses, but my continous glare has give him no opening window to escape. With his help, after several minutes, our little yard has turn from a mess to¡­something passable. Well, it¡¯s not like both of us possess the job ¡¸Gardener¡¹, so something like this is acceptable. Beside, like people always said: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. ¡°Fuaahaaaa. That was tiring.¡± After chugging down some water down his throat, Ein loudly shouts when he sits down for a rest. As Ein spends some time goffing off, I let my curiousity takes a hold of me and approach his zweihander for a more detail look. ¡°Come on, Ein. You¡¯re training to be a warrior, how can you be tired so quickly after a bit work out?¡± ¡°Now now. At first, I spent my stamina fighting you all out while holding that greatsword. And then after exhausting my strength, you forced me to stay and fix the garden. Cut me some slack, will ya?¡± I try using Ein¡¯s greatsword for a bit. Despite its thin appearance, the steel used to forge the sword is denser and heavier than normal. It¡¯s taller than its user himself, and probably weight just as much. This isn¡¯t something designed to fight humanoid opponents, it was created to battle giant monsters instead. ¡°Where did you get this sword?¡± I asked. ¡°Mom¡¯s birthday present.¡± Ein answered with a gleeful smile. ¡°She gave it to you already?¡± ¡°Nope, I snucked it out of her warehouse last night!¡± Then how could he call that a birthday present? ¡°Mom said she¡¯ll give me one of the weapons stored in her warehouse.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a present. That¡¯s just plain robbery.¡± I responsed. ¡°Nah! I took it because she¡¯ll eventally give it to me anyway. I just can¡¯t wait to test this baby out ever since it catches my eyes!¡± ¡°Ha ha¡­¡± I muttered a pitiful laugh. ¡°Why greatsword, though? I thought guys like you would prefer straight, more ¡°heroic¡± swords.¡± He sure have that ¡°heroic¡± build, ¡°heroic¡± aura and ¡°heroic¡± luck. The only thing he need is the job ¡¸Hero¡¹ itself. ¡°Well, the day before I overheard from some old adventurers in the tavern. They said ¡®A man¡¯s worth lies in the size of his sword!¡¯.¡± ¨C Said Ein ¨C ¡°And I prefer mine¡¯s BIG!¡± ¡°Ho¡­¡± I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s stupid or just na?ve, maybe both. And what¡¯s he doing at the tavern in the first place? ¡°And so¡­the moment I snucked into Mom¡¯s warehouse, I have a hunch that this baby was made just for me!¡± Ein loudly laughs as he caresses his greatsword like it is his lovely girlfriend. The guy doesn¡¯t seem to understand the gravity of his action, or maybe he¡¯s just na?ve? Probably both. It¡¯s hard to give him a lecture on this problem with a ten years old body like mine, but I don¡¯t have to do it myself. Karma will always find a way, and in this time, it takes the form of our mother who¡¯s slowly approaching from behind. ¡°EINNNNNNN!¡± My mom shouted, which frighten Ein immediately. Before he could run away (again), my mom pinches his ear to prevent that from happens. ¡°Ouch ouch, Mom! You¡¯re dealing damage to my ear!¡± ¡°Who told you you could sneak into my warehouse just like that!?¡± ¡°You told me I can take anything from there for my birthday present, Mommmmm!¡± ¡°Not behind my back!!!¡± She seems angry, like, real angry. As much as I want to save my brother from punishment, he kinda¡­deserve it so I¡¯d back out for now. ¡°And did you two mess up the yard yet again?¡± My mom suddenly turns her gaze to my direction. Of course, I try my best not to make eye contacts since it¡¯s partly my fault as well, but I guess even that couldn¡¯t hide the truth from mom. After all, both of us are her sons. ¡°Geez. The older you two get, the more troubles you two cause¡­¡± My mom facepalmed, while her other hand is still pinching Ein¡¯s ear. Seems like the guy has accustomed to the pain at this point. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good for children to be hyperactive, mom?¡± ¡°The problem is the HYPER part!¡± My mom pinches harder, which of course makes Ein scream in pain yet again. ¡°You¡¯re almost sixteen, you know? Be more responsible, won¡¯t you?¡± Oh by the way, sixteen is the age where one is recognized as an adult in this world. ¡°I got it I got it. So please let me go, mom!!!¡± Said Ein. It¡¯s more like a plea of mercy than an earnest apology. Well, he¡¯s just a fourteen years old kid. Can¡¯t blame him for his immaturity. ¡°You forgot the magic word, Ein.¡± I muttered. ¡°Ahhh right. I¡¯m sorry, mom! So sorry! I¡¯m really really really sorry!¡± Surprisingly, Ein takes my cue pretty well. His apology is accepted by our mom, and she lets her hand go. ¡°If only you are as understanding as your younger brother¡­¡± My mom Nana sighed, before glaring at me again. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make you an innocent kid, you know?¡± ¡°A ha ha¡­¡± I sarcastically laughed. ¡°Anyway, now that you stole my sword, I will have revoke that present back from you!¡± Our mom shouted. Well, this certainly isn¡¯t good news for Ein. ¡°Arghhhh! Please don¡¯t, mom!¡± ¡°A no is a no! Think of this as an important lesson for you!¡± Mom glares Ein down. Even though he tries using puppy eyes to sway our Mom¡¯s opinion, that proves to be futile when she still hold firms to her descision. With just one hand, Nana lifts the zweihander off the ground with little effort, a sword which is taller than her. Even Ein needs to use both hand just to swing that thing, yet our mom casually lifts it up just by her left hand¡­And let¡¯s not forget the time she punched a hole in the wall in an argument. My brother is right, Mom is indeed the man of the house¡­ ¡°If you behave well maybe I¡¯ll rethink about giving you this by the time you turn sixteen!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to wait two years!!!??¡± Ein holds his head in denial as he screams the sound of despair. Well, it¡¯s just karma brother. ¡°And you, Zero! Remember that you still got to go to school!¡± ¡°Oops. I forgot!¡± Shit, all the fighting have make me forgot I still got classes to attend. ¡°Breakfast is ready inside. Having a quick feast then hurry and go! And remember you still have combat training by the evening!¡± ¡°Yes mom!¡± I answered. Ein is still frozen after hearing the verdict bestowed by our mom. The guy had it coming though, so I don¡¯t exactly feels sorry for him. And beside, I¡¯m in a bit hurry right now to care about random stuff. After getting myself ready, I munch a toast in my mouth as I ran toward our town¡¯s central plaza ¨C the place where my school is located. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sorry for the late release. Been in a writer''s block lately :D.