ã€ŠDivine Elementalistã€‹


 Chapter 0: Prologue

    Prologue

    I was born in a small village on the twelfth night of summer, on the far side of the continent in a village that had no more than two hundred people currently living in it. I was told that the sun had shone brighter that it had ever before on the day I arrived in the world.

    The moon on the night of the first day was missing from the sky. The second night it returned.

    The world was constantly in chaos.

    Everyone was fighting with each other for power. There existed mages and fighters. Neither side could get along with the other so there was a constant battle for power. Both sides would continuously suffer from huge losses.

    There were schools for each profession, whether mage or fighter, education was offered.

    The schools were decided into three rankings:

    Beginner

    Intermediate

    Advanced

    Simple enough for the average person.

    I was five years old and my parents sent me to the beginner academy for mages. There was a simple test to figure out what elemental affinity you had. I walked up to the man who was doing the testing.

    He placed his hand on my head and he just frowned. He talked to my parents and we just went home. Travelling took a week. For the longest time I never found out.

    From age five until ten, all I did was help the village farm with crops like corn and potatoes, while also helping tend to the cows and other farm animals there.

    At age twelve a man wearing a black robe comes to the village I was living in. He brutally slaughtered everyone in the village except for me using a very weird magic. He said these lines to me.

    ¡°I will give you two options. The first option, die with the rest of the trash here. You aren¡¯t even related to anyone in this useless, trash of a village. Or, the second option. Come with me, I will show you your real parents and you will be invincible under the heavens.¡±

    But, since I was only twelve at the time, I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. I was hesitant to accept, but did anyways.

    Another year passed, the man in the black robe never ate a single piece of food the entire year. I found it weird as a young child, so I asked him why he never ate anything. He just replied simply.

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand soon enough.¡±

    As a young child I just accepted whatever he told me. The man never talked much during the year of travelling. All we did was walk, and walk. Then walked some more. We rarely stopped. He would carry me if I fell asleep or was too exhausted to keep walking.

    At this point I¡¯m fifteen. After walking for so long my legs have become incomparably strong compared to those the same age as myself. I was also able to start going days without food or sleep. Water was still necessary though.

    The man and I reached the ocean on the west of the continent. He turned to look at me.

    ¡°We still need to walk from here on out but you most likely will not be able to do so for a while. Until you are able to walk beside me, I shall carry you on my back.¡±

    At sixteen, after a whole year of watching the man walk on water I was able to sense that there was some sort of energy beneath his feet. It seemed like it was more profound than the heavens themselves. I was constantly trying to imitate the man but was not able to. The man and I had not spoken for a whole year now.

    At seventeen I was able to start manipulating the energy under my feet. At first it felt like I was walking on wet sponges. After a couple days I was able to walk like it was hard ground. I would get tired a lot faster than when I was walking normally though.

    Once I hit eighteen we came across a large island. By this point I could walk for three whole days on the water without having to rest. If you compared my strength at that point to the average eighteen year old, it would be like comparing the heavens to the earth. We rested at the island for two days to restock on food and fresh water.

    On the day of my twentieth birthday the man just stops suddenly and sits down with his legs crossed. He looks at the sky.

    ¡°You should also sit down. You are most likely about to receive your rank now.¡±

    I did as the man said. I completely trusted him. He had been the only person with me since I was twelve so why wouldn¡¯t I?

    The clouds above swirled. It looked as if the heavens were judging all that was beneath them. The clouds turned black as far as the eye could see. There was not a single light within my vision at that moment. The man was laughing, if one was able to see his face one would see that there was the largest smile that has ever appeared on a human being.

    ¡°This is incredible! I never would have thought that those stinky old men would be right!¡±

    I barely heard him say that over the roaring of the clouds overhead. The clouds continued to rumble for ten hours. My body was slowly enveloped by a white light and I was no longer sitting on top of the water. I was in a space that was pure white. Nothing else.

    I waited. I waited for a very, very long amount of time in that white space. I had no idea how long it was as I had no way to tell the time. A massive figure slowly appeared before me. It started talking in a voice that constantly echoed, sounding so far, but I knew it was in front of me.

    ¡®Welcome to our world. Young one. We have chosen. You. To succeed us. You have the ability. Just learn. Learn to use. Your power. Become stronger. Live your life. And you may make it here. We stand. At the peak. Of all things living. For we. Are no longer mortal. You have the chance to become. Like us. Or. You may choose. Another option. Later. Time is. Short. Farewell young one. Do not. Disappoint. Us.¡¯

    Like that I was put back to where I was moments before. The clouds were gone. The man in robe at that point just stared at me. It was if he was staring directly into my soul. He then smiled at me.

    ¡°Heh. Now that¡¯s interesting.¡±

    I found out shortly after that I was at a high level almost immediately.

    Two years after that I was told the ranking systems:

    First through ninth realms

    Each realm had the rankings of a-c within them

    At this point I was a C-ranked second realm. I was now twenty-two years old. The robed man and I had finally arrived at our destination. It was a castle that was floating slightly above the water. The castle walls were made of a green metal¡­ or it might have been corrosion.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Now, I could now go for weeks without food or sleep. Water was still a daily need though.

    The robed man and I stood outside the castle for three days. The castle doors finally open as more people with different colored robes exit through the large metal doors of the castle. A man wearing a white cape with gold markings on it, a white suit with similar markings, with hair and eyes identical to my own. He brings us in.

    ¡°Welcome to my castle. It may be a little out of style, but please make yourself at home.¡±

    The man claimed to be my real father, how much truth there is in that claim¡­ I do not know even to this day. Anyways, another two years and I hit B-ranked third realm. The man who claimed to be my father rarely spoke to me and when he did, it was to say how useless I was. He found out I wasn¡¯t able to use any magic spells or fighting arts. The greatest mystery of all, I could use both ways of cultivation to raise my rank.

    A mage¡¯s method of cultivation was to sense the energy of heaven and absorb it inside your body. A fighter¡¯s method was to sense the energy of earth and absorb it into your body. I was able to absorb the power of heaven and earth.

    Five years pass, I was now at the A-ranked sixth realm. I was kicked out of the castle and told

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother coming back until you are able to use a spell or art.¡±

    Like that I was alone. I travelled north to see what was there.

    A year of travelling and I was thirty. On the day of my thirtieth birthday a strong white light surrounded me. I was back in that white space.

    ¡®Welcome back. Young one. We. Have decided. That you. Have reached a. Sufficient level. In order. To start. Using. Our method.¡¯

    The shadowy figure then pulled out a gem type object and it floated over to my hand.

    ¡®As your level. Raises. You will learn. More.¡¯

    The white light disperses and I¡¯m left alone in the middle of the ocean once again. The gem was in my hand and knowledge started to flow into my head. A method of cultivation to absorb the energy of heaven and earth at the same time. A method of cultivation to absorb energy when there is none that you can sense. A method of manipulating energy to attack. A method to create spatial storage device. The information stopped with just that. However, there were clearly walls that separated the information. I just had to be a higher level in order to receive the better information.

    Like that I started to train even harder. After only another five years, I got to A-ranked ninth realm. I got to the highest rank on the entire planet. Not a single person was a higher rank than myself. I could dispel magic as it got close to me. I could condense weapons out of pure energy, my personal favorite would be a design I found in an ancient ruin once I got to the northern ice cap. It had a very thin blade, its width was only a centimeter. Its length was about two meters and it was incredibly sharp once condensed properly.

    Once I reached the ninth realm the gem held names for higher realms. I could not reach them no matter how hard I tried though.

    Well, the first nine realms were classified within the Earthly realms. There were also the Sky realms and the Heaven realms. No information other than the names were given to me.

    I travelled across the world for another twenty years. People attacked me and they were all killed almost instantly. Stronger and stronger people challenged me until finally I was summoned by the emperor of the fighters for a challenge. Of course I accepted.

    He was defeated within the first five seconds and surrendered. I was crowned emperor of the fighters.

    The mage emperor heard this and decided to challenge me also. It didn¡¯t go anywhere near as planned for him because no matter what magic he used, I could dispel it as soon as the spell came near me. He was basically powerless in front of me so I walked up to him and flicked his forehead.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how I became the supreme emperor.¡±

    There was a man sitting at a table across from me and he just had his head in his hands, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, you don¡¯t use a single element yet you are more powerful than the two ex-emperors?¡±

    I nod and laugh, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    He slams his head on the table, ¡°How are we going to write this in history? Can¡¯t we just make something up!?¡± This man was the person who wrote down all that occurred within the kingdom to ensure records of history were kept. The job was always passed down through his family line, no other family was able to get this job. I was told it paid fairly well.

    A tall yet slim woman in a royal dress walks in the room, ¡°I agree, we should just make up an element that you use.¡± This woman was my wife. She was practically forced into a marriage with me. She was extremely attractive, her figure was perfect. Not a single flaw could be seen even if you looked for hours. We have been married for five years.

    My current age was fifty-five. There have been more people than you could count on ten hands that have tried to overthrow me since I became the supreme emperor. I just laughed, ¡°Come on now. Is it really that bad that there isn¡¯t an element affiliated with me?¡±

    The both reply at the exact same time, ¡°¡±Yes!¡±¡±

    I hang my head. I loved my wife, and she could be said to love me. Well, after the rough period of the forced marriage she ended up enjoying it after a while. ¡°Now, now. Do you expect me to figure this one out by myself?¡±

    They both nodded. The man stands up from the table and walks over to a shelf with books on it. He opens a book with a green cover, ¡°You are the first supreme emperor in history. The wars between fighters and mages has been stopped by you. In person.¡±

    I scratch my head, ¡°Well yeah. War has too many deaths and would be bad if something were to happen to the world.¡±

    My wife laughs, ¡°You¡¯re such a pacifist.¡± She walks over and sits beside me and rests her head on my shoulder, ¡°Why don¡¯t you think of something so we can go to bed already.¡±

    I nod at her suggestion and stand up. I walk towards the door to the room, my wife following me, ¡°Just call me something like, ¡®Divine Elementalist¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 1: From Nowhere

    Chapter 1: From Nowhere

    I open my eyes and stare at the silk curtains around my bed. A soft female voice comes from the side of the bed, ¡°Good morning darling, did you sleep well?¡± It was my wife.

    My wife was an extreme beauty. Her eyes were a blue with a light golden color speckled in. Her hair was a dark purple color. This was not her original hair color, it was something like a fiery red before, but for some reason she dyed it using special methods that she knew. Her chest was fairly large, I refuse to guess what size it was¡­ well for¡­ um¡­ safety reasons. Her legs were long and smooth. Her skin was a snow white. A beauty that could wage wars on earth and shatter the heavens.

    I lightly laugh, ¡°Of course I slept well. I had a longer than normal day yesterday.¡±

    I sit up in the bed and stretch my arms and legs. I swing my legs out from under the heavy blanket, and put them into some cotton slippers that were on the ground. I slowly stand up and walk towards a nearby window. The window looked down into the city, the city had thousands of people already in the streets.

    Many people were not cultivators of any kind. They were just your average person, nothing more, nothing less. The castle guards were all at least at the fifth realm, and for some weird reason, the man in charge of security set up this castle with ¡®Battle maids¡¯. They were like maids in every way, including the outfit, however, they were at least at the sixth realm. The head maid was at the seventh realm.

    My wife puts her hand on my shoulder, ¡°Come on darling, stop worrying about useless things, you arranged to go meet with your father today.¡±

    I sighed deeply and placed my head in my hands, ¡°I forgot I was going to go do that. I wonder how long it will take to travel to his castle over the ocean.¡±

    My wife just smiled continuously, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take you more than a couple hours.¡±

    I walk towards the closet with all my clothes, ¡°There hopefully won¡¯t be any conflicts. I haven¡¯t seen him since he kicked me out of there saying that I was truly trash.¡± A weak smile creeps across my mouth, ¡°Hopefully he¡¯s nicer than I remember him being.¡±

    My wife hugs me from behind, ¡°Am I allowed to come along?¡±

    I gently laugh and turn around to face her, ¡°Of course not. What if something happened while we were out? For example, someone stronger than me appeared? Maybe my father will try to harm you? I can¡¯t let that happen to my wife. I would be an embarrassment to men everywhere.

    She just sighs as she starts to change into her royal dress, ¡°Shall I go handle daily affairs within the castle then?¡±

    I nod with a smile, ¡°That would be awesome. I¡¯ll find you to come say bye before I leave.¡±

    She shakes her head slowly, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just leave you to your business. I¡¯ll say bye to you now and let the guards know that you are heading out.¡±

    I kiss her on the lips, ¡°I¡¯ll just do that then. I¡¯ll see when I get back either tonight or tomorrow morning.¡±

    She smiles and walks out of the room with a domineering aura. I slowly put on some travelling clothes. I wonder if the castle will be fine while I¡¯m gone. Whatever, doesn¡¯t matter. My wife will take care of these small things. She is in the ninth realm, c ranked, but it is still the ninth realm.

    I grab the small crystal that those strange beings gave me. I put some power into it daily, it keeps accepting it. There are certain walls within the memories that the crystal has. The crystal is like a living being that knows everything that goes on around it. Putting my own internal energy into the crystal, the walls that block the memories of the crystal slowly erode. The next wall is only a couple days from being eroded.

    I attached a chain to the crystal so that I could wear it around my neck. Even my wife does not know of this crystals existence. I fear that if anyone were to know of the crystal, many people would try to take it from me.

    I walk to the roof of the castle and look out over the city. Many people were flooding the streets even though the sun had only been in the sky for an hour or so. They were going from store to store to do their morning shopping. People who were not martial practitioners needed to have three meals a day and lots of water. As you entered into higher realms you would be able to eat and drink less and less daily.

    I go to the other side of the castle and see the practitioner side of the castle town. There were various medicinal shops for low level practitioners. There were many herbs that could slightly speed up training for a short period of time. The herbs usually were quite common for the lower quality herbs, like the ones that practitioners under the fourth realm used.

    I take a deep breath to calm myself, then circulate my internal energy. After warming up my energy, I gathered some of it underneath my feet and stepped into the air. This technique was called ¡®Ascension¡¯.

    It is one of the easiest skills to use that the crystal had given to me. The ¡®Ascension¡¯ technique only allowed a person to travel as fast as they could move on the ground. The ¡®Ascension¡¯ technique was thus paired with ¡®Wind Merger¡¯. This technique allowed you to become one with the wind and move through the wind as if you were the wind itself.

    If ¡®Wind Merger¡¯ is trained to a high enough level it allows a person to travel thousands of kilometers within an hour.

    I was travelling along the land with the two techniques to go and visit my father. Well¡­ I have no way to tell if it was the truth when he said he was all those years ago, but that doesn¡¯t matter.

    I sent a trustworthy servant to tell my father that I was coming to visit him. He should be quite old by now. I wonder what realm my father is in. If it is the ninth realm he should easily live for another fifty years.

    Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter too much if he will live for much longer, I lived independently until I became the supreme emperor. I fed myself and was able live without relying on others. Well, except those mysterious people.

    Those mysterious people. Who are they? Better question, what are they? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter too much. I just have to protect those important to me right now. My wife and my citizens.

    I start to see the green walled castle in the distance. The castle just calmly floated on top of the water like a fallen leaf from a tree floating on a still pond.

    I arrive in front of the castle. I decided to fly down and appear to just walk on the water, I did not want too many people around here to know my true power for safety reasons. As far as I know, only those who are wind mages can fly. It would take too long to explain if my father, maybe, if he thought that I was a wind mage.

    A man shouts from on top of the castle, ¡°Who are you? Explain yourself or we will use force.¡±

    I raise my arms, ¡°I¡¯m not here for trouble. I am the supreme emperor of the mainland, I just came here to see the man in charge of this castle.¡±

    The guard backs away from the visible edge of the castle. The doors to the castle open, and a man in a purple colored robe with golden ornaments on it comes from the doors. It was a man who had not aged well. His hair was as white as snow, all the skin that was showing on his body was wrinkled.

    The old man spreads his arms, ¡°Welcome home my son.¡±

    I smile, ¡°I¡¯m just here for a visit. I have to go back to my wife at the very latest of tomorrow morning.¡±

    The old man smiles, ¡°Not an issue, come on in, we can relax and catch up on what has happened in recent years.¡±

    I nod slowly and follow the man into the castle. He leads me to a room with a large table with nothing on top of it. He sits down and gestures at another chair at the opposite side of the table, ¡°Sit down, we have a lot to catch up on as father and son.¡±

    I nodded slowly, ¡°Well, you say you¡¯re my father, but where is your proof?¡±

    The old man just shrugs his shoulders, ¡°Like I said all those years ago, I have no proof. You¡¯ll just have to trust me.¡± He readjusts in his chair and puts his left leg over his right, ¡°I heard that you became the first supreme emperor.¡±

    I nod while scratching my head, ¡°Well, yeah. It¡¯s nothing to big though. Magic spells have zero effect on me because if they even come near me, they are instantly dispelled. The martial emperor was harder to defeat because he was extremely skilled in his mastery of his arts.¡±

    The old man laughs, ¡°That¡¯s interesting. So what realm are you in?¡±

    I give a light laugh, ¡°I¡¯m A ranked in the ninth realm, I have been at this rank for about twenty years.¡±

    The old man¡¯s tone gets suddenly serious, ¡°Hey son.¡±

    The old man¡¯s tone slightly startled me so I reply, ¡°Y-Yeah?¡±

    He gives an evil smile, ¡°Give me the position of emperor!¡± He lunges out of his chair. A small dagger had appeared in his hand, it was aiming directly for my throat.

    I use the skill ¡®Wind Merger¡¯ to quickly move away, ¡°Oi. There¡¯s no need to get so aggressive over something small like this. Why do you even want to become the emperor?¡±

    ¡°Do you not know of the power that the title of ¡®emperor¡¯ holds?¡± The old man lunges again.

    I dodge to the side again, ¡°Well yeah. Most people will easily bow down and those who don¡¯t will be mobbed by those who do.¡±

    The old man laughs as if sanity was something out date, ¡°You haven¡¯t tried seducing women, have you!?¡±

    I laugh while continuing to dodge the crazed old man, ¡°Well¡­ no. I don¡¯t see the need. I have a loving wife and to be frank, the job leaves no time for playing around. Women also aren¡¯t toys for playing with. They are people you know.¡±

    ¡°Not toys!? You must be joking! Those below me are all toys, even you!¡±

    I stop in place as the old man lunges at me. I stop the blade with two fingers, ¡°If I¡¯m a toy, then why am I so strong?¡±

    The old man lets go of the knife and punches towards my stomach, ¡°You¡¯ll see!¡±

    As his fist was about to hit me I condensed energy to block the attack. If one were to describe the scene it would look like someone had thrown red gel at a wall. The old man¡¯s fist disintegrates as it comes into contact with the surface. The condensed energy was stronger than a piece of the world¡¯s hardest metal.

    The old man falls to his knees on the ground screaming in pain. I crouch down to be roughly eye level with him, ¡°Now, now. Why would you attack your own son?¡±

    The crazed old man laughs yet again, ¡°You? My son?¡± Tears were coming from his eyes, ¡°If you were my son I would maybe have had a nice talk with you first. That stupid hag had predicted that a useless trash from the countryside would rise to power. I thought I would take my chance and take you in as my own son.¡±

    I weakly smile, ¡°So you killed my real parents in order to fulfill your own selfish desires?¡±

    He nods with a crazed expression on his face, ¡°Of course. Your real parents were worthless trash. How could I let people like them rise to the throne?¡±

    I move my right arm quickly and cut off his left arm using the dagger without even blinking, ¡°Whoops, I slipped.¡±

    He falls to the ground while trying to cover the bleeding stump that used to be his arm. He looks at me with a terrified expression on his face, ¡°I¡¯m at the ninth realm also! How are you so much more powerful!?¡±

    I laugh a little, ¡°Before I kill you for multiple crimes against the kingdom, I will tell you a secret.¡± I lean over his ear and whisper, ¡°The ninth realm isn¡¯t the end. I¡¯m close to figuring it out, but not quite done.¡±

    His face goes pale and his eyes go dark for a split second.

    Before the old man even does anything else, I stand up and start walking away. I then crush the old man¡¯s body underneath a layer of my internal energy. I close the door behind me and walk out of the castle. I give a small laugh, ¡°What a wonderful family visit.¡±

    I wipe off the dagger that the old man was using against me, ¡°This is a high quality treasure.¡± I snap my fingers, ¡°I should give this to my wife as a present from my ¡®father¡¯.¡± I let out another laughs as I start going back to the castle.

    I fly through the air while enjoying the scenery of the mainland. The mountains are grassy and the forests are thick. Nature is so beautiful. ¡°Maybe I could relax in the mountains once I get another bit of time off.¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    As I near the capital I hear screams coming from the opposite side of the castle town. I see the leading castle guard on the ground. She is shouting at the guards running towards the south side of the city. ¡°Move faster! We need to hold them off until the supreme emperor comes back to the castle!¡±

    I land beside her, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    She immediately kneels, ¡°There seems to have been an invasion of magical beasts from the south.¡±

    ¡°Get up and move the guards to protect the citizens. Damn, this is not good. Who is currently holding them back?¡±

    She orders some more guards to the places where magical beasts are and then turns to face me, ¡°The empress is currently holding them back. So far only magical beasts equivalent to third realm practitioners have arrived, but stronger ones take their place as soon as they fall.¡±

    I nod and quickly start to travel, ¡°Thank you for the update.¡±

    The leading guard orders more men to move as I leave the scene. I travel to the southern side of the city. As I arrive I see many monsters that looked as if they had been built by a mad genius. A lion¡¯s body with multiple snake like heads. A bears head on a gorilla like body. A horse head on snake¡¯s body. Seriously¡­ what the F--- is that thing.

    I spot my wife in the crowd of magical beasts. She was fighting against a beast equivalent to the fifth realm. It was beheaded almost instantly. I quickly make my way over, ¡°I¡¯m back, where are the problem areas?¡±

    She turns her head as she decapitates another beast. She was using a sword that had a blade on only one side, golden markings, and made of a blue steel. The sword¡¯s name was ¡®God Killer¡¯ and it was a relic that was found in a shrine while I was exploring. She moves to where I was, ¡°Welcome back darling.¡±

    I crush a beast¡¯s skull, ¡°It¡¯s good to be back. Anyways, where are the larger problem areas so I can go help?¡±

    She cuts a smaller magical beast in half down the center, ¡°Well, right now the worst area would be here. However I can probably handle it. What needs to be done is to find the commander and take them out so the other beasts just leave.¡±

    I rip a magical beast¡¯s head off by kicking it in the temple, ¡°The beasts have a commander? I¡¯ve never heard of such a case.¡±

    She slowly nods, ¡°Well. It was able to speak human tongue fluently and loud enough so that we knew that it came from behind all the beasts, but we have not seen it yet.¡±

    I look towards the direction of the swarming magical beasts while gutting a bear like body with a single palm strike, ¡°I can probably go check it out.¡± I kiss her on the cheek as I fly by, ¡°See you soon.¡±

    She waves, ¡°See you soon darling!¡±

    I quickly fly high above the rest of the magical beasts. The fields underneath them have been trampled to the point that no grass is even showing. Nearby trees have been splintered from battle. There was not a single cloud in the sky as the sun scorched the people and the earth beneath them.

    I see a flying magical beast ahead of me. It is equivalent to the seventh realm. It looked like a small dragon. It was only two meters in length. It was instantly killed as I flew by. It didn¡¯t even know how it died, nor did it realize it was even dead.

    I see that the beasts are stronger as the flood went on. There were only a handful of beasts at equivalent to the ninth realm. There was a magical beast in the back that I had never seen before.

    It had a black body, it was about the size of two men and its muscles were larger than a human¡¯s. It had red horns coming from the side of its head. Its facial features were similar to that of a human¡¯s. I unconsciously mutter, ¡°What the hell is that?¡±

    It looks up at me in the sky. A wicked smile appears on its face. It appears in front of me within the time it takes to blink your eyes. A low raspy voice exits its unmoving mouth, ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Alveros.¡±

    I nod while being incredibly nervous. This magical beast¡¯s aura is stronger than mine. I have no idea what rank this thing is. ¡°Nice to meet you Alveros. I am the current emperor of these lands.¡±

    Alveros looks at me from top to bottom, ¡°Such a waste. Your talent should let you enter the Heaven realms. Too bad that you had a bad twist of fate.¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    The beast just laughs, ¡°You met me, a demon, while practicing a divine method.¡± He lunges at me as he finishes his sentence. The self-proclaimed demon circulates a black colored gas around itself, ¡°In the name of the mighty demon god I shall conquer this plane of existence!¡±

    The demon seems to teleport out of vision. A hand reaches through my left shoulder. Immense pain starts to circulate throughout my entire body. The pain is comparable to having my skin peeled off layer by layer.

    My internal energy surges and the demon jumps back quickly. The wound on my shoulder has already started to heal.

    A sliver of energy enters the crystal around my neck. The wall that was almost eroded instantly shattered. Information starts to flow into my head.

    The method to enter the Sky realms.

    Many techniques for once I reach the next rank.

    And best of all¡­ A forbidden technique, ¡®Heaven Shattering¡¯

    ¡®Heaven Shattering¡¯ was a technique that raised the user¡¯s power by one thousand times the opponents in front of them.

    If that was all there was to it, the heavens would not allow such a technique to exist. The compensation was¡­ your life. No matter how powerful, or weak the opponent, if you used this technique your life will end in at most an hour after using the technique.

    It takes time to explain all this, but in reality it only took a split second to get all the information.

    I frown heavily, ¡°This technique is too risky to use right now. I don¡¯t want to use it unless there is no other option.¡±

    The demon appears to my left side, ¡°You done talking to yourself?¡±

    I use ¡®Wind Merger¡¯ to quickly move to the right. I use a technique called ¡®Energy Sword¡¯. It allows me to create a sword out of my internal energy. I based the design off the ¡®God Killer¡¯ sword also, its speed and sharpness were unmatched by any other sword.

    The sword shines a golden color while staying a translucent white. It is stronger than the ¡®God Killer¡¯ sword.

    The Demon smiles arrogantly, ¡°I will stand in place and accept one attack from your sword there.¡±

    I don¡¯t hesitate and accept the demon¡¯s offer by moving with the skill ¡®Celestial Downfall¡¯. It is a skill that allows a person to travel faster than a shooting star. It is not useful for travelling because of the massive cost of internal energy.

    I swing horizontally at the demons neck while moving faster than sound can keep up with.

    The sword makes contact with the demon¡¯s throat¡­ and shatters. A vibration makes its way up my arms causing them to instantly go numb.

    The demon laughs with a smile on its face, ¡°Nice try human.¡± It shakes its head, ¡°Such a waste to kill a talented young man like yourself. When I was your age, I was only at the seventh realm.¡±

    The demon moves his arm faster than I can see. A blur moves through my abdomen.

    Blood flies in all directions as it falls to the ground. My vision slightly fades.

    I need to protect the town! The life of those close to me depend on whether or not I kill this thing. It is so much stronger than I am though.

    Run with my life, and let everyone else die?

    Or. I can sacrifice my life to save everyone in the town, including my wife.

    I¡¯ve made my choice!

    I mutter under my breath, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The demon smiles sadistically, ¡°Oh boy, you seem to think that you can defeat me.¡±

    ¡°HEAVEN SHATTERING!¡± I shout the words at the top of my lungs.

    The forbidden skill activates. My power suddenly surges to many realms higher than where I was previously.

    The energy swirls around me in a golden mist. It could kill a normal person if they even looked at it the wrong way.

    The demon¡¯s eyes open so wide you can see the whites of its eyes, ¡°You dare!¡±

    The demon removes its arm from my abdomen and slashes at me like its arm is a sword.

    I don¡¯t move even a hair¡¯s width.

    Suddenly, ¡°Crunch!¡± I grab his arm and crush it in my palm.

    The demon roars so loud that the air vibrates.

    It lunges at me with incredible speed, but I am faster now. I grab its head as it flies past.

    I put a hand on either side and smash my knee into his skull. The skull is crushed with the force of a mountain collapsing.

    The demon¡¯s brains fly in every direction. It dies on the spot. No more fuss.

    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± I shout with enthusiasm.

    As the demon¡¯s soul is moved out from its body, an intense pain goes through my entire body and I fall to the ground.

    A shout can be heard in the distance, ¡°Darling!¡±

    My wife seems to appear by my side. I smile at her while lying on the ground, ¡°I did it. I killed their commander.¡±

    She picks up my head in her arms, ¡°You did great darling. Let¡¯s go get you treated.¡±

    I cough heavily, blood sprays out of my mouth, ¡°I have some bad news.¡± I gently laugh, ¡°You¡¯ll have to run these lands by yourself from now on.¡±

    Her face turns from playful to serious in a split second, then to a face full of sadness, ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯ll be fine. We just need to get you to the healers in the town.¡±

    I forcefully raise my sore arm to her face, ¡°If it were that simple, I would have already gone with you. You see¡­¡± I cough up more blood, ¡°I used something I probably shouldn¡¯t have to defeat that demon.¡±

    Tears were starting to fall from her eyes, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    I smile, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, in my last moments I don¡¯t want you to be sad, I want to see your beautiful smile.¡±

    She mouths the two words that she never wanted to hear, ¡®Last moments¡¯. She forcefully smiles. It¡¯s easy to tell that it is forced because the tears start to fall faster.

    I cough yet again, ¡°Now that¡¯s better. I want you to know that I love you. Please don¡¯t mourn over me too much. It would be too sad if the whole town was put to a standstill.¡±

    She lightly laughs, ¡°Even in your final moments you do not care for yourself.¡±

    I caress her smooth cheek, ¡°Why would I care about my own life? I lived for myself when I was young, now I have to make sure that the young live for themselves. But before all that I have to make sure they live.¡±

    She smiles genuinely, but tears still fall, ¡°Everyone is safe now.¡±

    I close my eyes slowly, ¡°I¡¯m tired now. Remember that I love you. You should be a great ruler, I was way too peaceful to count as a good ruler.¡±

    My wife kisses me for the last time, ¡°I¡¯ll see you later darling.¡±

    As my consciousness starts to fade I say, ¡°I see you later.¡±

    Like that I lose all feeling in my body. I hear nothing. I see nothing.

    After what seemed like an eternity of nothingness a bright light is shining through my eyelids.

    ¡®I¡¯m still alive?¡¯ was my first thought. But I heard voices.

    A deep male voice enters my ears, ¡°Doctor, his pulse has returned.¡±

    A light female voice with slight urgency says, ¡°Fantastic, get the anesthetic gas ready ASAP.¡±

    Fingers mover on my eyelids and forcefully open my eyes. I look at the woman.

    She was wearing blue gloves covered in red. A white robe of some sort that was similarly stained red.

    ¡°Patient is responsive, prepare the mask.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The people talk to each other. I try to speak but I can¡¯t move a single muscle other than my eyes.

    I look around the room, but am not able to see anything as the light above makes the rest of the room seem to dark.

    The light was so bright it was almost blinding.

    ¡°Attach the mask immediately before he regains feeling in his body!¡±

    A clear mask with some sort of cable was attached to my face over my mouth and nose.

    A sweet smelling gas rushes in through the mask, as soon as I smell it I lose consciousness yet again.

 Chapter 2: Memories

    Chapter 2: Memories

    ¡®So. Close. Yet. So. Far.¡¯

    I hear the familiar voice inside my mind. I have no idea what has happened.

    I died.

    Simple as that. No question about it. I died in the arms of the one I loved most. Hopefully she was able to move on and live a happy life¡­

    Holy S***, that is way too depressing for me. But¡­

    I died.

    I can¡¯t move my body, not even my eyes.

    Even though I cannot move, I still have full awareness. A woman in a tight white clothing with white gloves forces my eyelids open and shines a light in every now and then.

    She smiles every time my eyes are forced open. She says something different every time.

    ¡°Wonderful weather today, eh Mr. Ryu?¡±

    Ryu? Is that my name? What a strange name. What even was my name?

    I lightly laugh inside my head. I was called supreme emperor for so long that I do not even remember the name that my parents had given to me.

    Oh yeah, my name was Ryusei.

    It seems close enough.

    ¡­ What seems like another day passes. No control over any of my body still.

    I wonder what I look like. All I¡¯ve seen for a while now is the white ceiling and the woman who stands above me to shine a light in my eyes.

    Her hair is jet black, with almost a green metallic luster to it. Her eyes are pale blue. Her eyelashes are abnormally long. Some sort of mutation? Anyways, her lips are always a bright red color. Her chest¡­ well¡­ my wife¡¯s were larger.

    ¡°By tomorrow the anesthetic will wear off and you should be move again. Isn¡¯t that wonderful Mr. Ryu?¡±

    Oh, indeed it is¡­ but what is an-es-te-tick?

    Whatever. I will be able to do things on my own.

    The odd bodily function is a little¡­ yeah. Anyways¡­

    FREEDOM!

    ¡­ I regain most basic movements¡­ but when I try to speak all that comes out is a rasping sound.

    I go into a coughing fit as I sit up, and the woman rushes in to help. She hands me a clear container full of a grayish liquid, ¡°Drink this quickly.¡± She had no sign of panic in her voice. She sits down comfortably beside me.

    I do as she says while spitting out some due to the coughing.

    I stop coughing after a few more seconds. My throat feels incredibly warm.

    The woman smiles cheerfully, ¡°It seems like you are now able to move around a bit. Can you try saying your name?¡±

    ¡°R¡­¡­.¡± and I cough.

    She sighs and shakes her head, ¡°Still can¡¯t talk yet eh?¡± She stands up and turns towards me, ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Chelsie, and I am the nurse in charge of your recovery.¡±

    I nod as she grabs my left hand and gently shakes it.

    She smiles as she lays me back down from sitting position, ¡°Please relax. I¡¯m going to ask you a couple of questions, just nod yes or no to them. Do you know why you are here?¡±

    I shake my head. Where even is this?

    She sits on a chair beside the white bed I was laying in, ¡°You have this look on that says ¡®I don¡¯t even know where I am.¡¯ Am I right?¡± I nod slowly and she sighs, but she continues anyways, ¡°We are currently in the northwest of the state of Montana. We are in the city of Verandus.¡±

    I nod slowly. I have no idea where I am.

    She laughs, ¡°Of course you don¡¯t know where this is.¡± Chelsie smiles gently, ¡°Now let me tell you why you are here.¡± She closes her eyes gently as if trying to remember the whole story. ¡°From the report that I was given on the accident it seems as if you were hit by¡­ something¡­ and fifty percent of your internal organs were damaged beyond repair. Kidney, small intestine, colon, liver, and your stomach were crushed to the point they didn¡¯t exist anymore. You also lost you right arm from just above the elbow down.¡±

    I look to my right. Where my right hand should have been there was empty space. I laugh slightly. Great! I am sent to a new world, but what I get is an incredibly weak body missing its f*****g right arm! I was right handed!

    Chelsie tilts her head, ¡°Why are you laughing about this?¡± There is a very serious expression on her face.

    I shake my head quickly and frown.

    She shakes her head slowly, ¡°Whatever. Must just be how you cope with it. Let me continue.¡± She takes a deep breath. ¡°You were immediately taken to a hospital¡­ but you were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.¡± She smiles slightly, ¡°You were ¡®Dead¡¯ for several hours. After which, you were secretly taken to this city, which is ¡®off the map¡¯.¡±

    I nod slowly, not understanding half of the content that was being told to me.

    Chelsie continues, ¡°The doctors here were shocked to see that you were breathing when you arrived.¡± She lightly hits her own head as she remembers something, ¡°I almost forgot. Tomorrow, you are being transferred back to the hospital in the city you were injured in. If anyone asks, you were recovering in that hospital.¡± She coughs twice to clear her throat, and continues yet again, ¡°Anyways, the doctors here saw that you were breathing and were able to replace the damaged organs with artificial ones. You should be able to survive for at least three years with the artificial organs.¡±

    I make a shocked expression. I only get at least three years!? Some rebirth this is! Kill me now! It¡¯ll be faster!

    Chelsie pats my head, ¡°Now, now. No need to be so shocked. You should know something relating to this already.¡± She stands up while smiling and walks out of the room while saying, ¡°See you again.¡±

    Even as the door closes I continue to stare at the door that Chelsie left from. Not a single light was shining in my eyes, if you didn¡¯t see that I was breathing you would think that I was dead.

    So¡­ what now?

    I am missing my right arm from the elbow, I have at least three years to live, and an incredibly frail body.

    Could there be a worse rebirth? I think a newborn child is in better condition than this body!

    I¡¯d actually prefer to have been reborn into a newborn because then I¡¯d have an excuse for not knowing anything about where I am, or really who I am.

    I smile after a long time. I have to reach the ninth realm as soon as possible.

    I remember a skill that I learned when I had reached the ninth realm, [Regrowth]. This wonderful skill allows a person to regenerate internal organs¡­ dammit! I have nothing to completely fix my arm!

    I sink back into despair. What a lovely time to be alive!!!

    I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Okay, I just need to calm down and think about what to do from here on out.

    I sigh deeply. I just need to pretend that I don¡¯t remember who I am and maybe that will solve things. Well, it won¡¯t really be pretending. I got no information from this body.

    No information? I¡¯ll just gather it myself then. Meditation. Let¡¯s see what element this body uses.

    As the supreme emperor, of course I was able to learn of almost all the methods of meditation.

    Meditation consisted of two categories: Heaven and Earth. The heaven is for mages, and the Earth category is for fighters. Most meditation methods were divided by element also. Red, Blue, Yellow, Brown and Green. These corresponded with the five elements. Red is fire, blue is water, yellow is wind, brown is earth, and green is lightning. Meditation methods were plentiful, however, not all of them are good. Some methods will let you quickly rise in the realms, but would be weaker than others at the same realm because the foundation is not as solid, as not as much time was spent on the basics.

    Some methods allow you to be incomparable to those in the same realm as you. However, it would take ten times longer than average to raise in rank using your own power. The only downside is a hundred years would pass and you would still not be higher than the sixth realm.

    Then there were the average methods that would place you somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. You would have an average training speed, with average strength. Nothing special.

    Then there are special methods. These methods are superior no matter how you look at them.

    But the requirements are fierce.

    Some require you to already be at a certain realm.

    Some require a specific element.

    Some require you to go through tremendous pain that would make you wish you were no longer living.

    Some even seem ¡®sentient¡¯ because if you do not seem ¡®great¡¯ enough, you will be killed on the spot.

    I know three of these special methods. Two fall under the intense pain category, then there is the method I used before I died.

    The method I use can¡¯t be used. Well, not by normal people. It absorbs the power of the heaven and earth together. If a normal person were to practice this method, they would die instantly.

    The requirements were crazy for the method.

    Second realm, without using any other method. Then after the first minute of practice, enough pain to cause a person to faint immediately, but you are forced to stay conscious.

    If a person manages to do all that. Then they can practice this method.

    This method can take a person from the second realm to the ninth realm in ten years¡­

    Not fast enough. I need to be in the ninth realm in three years if I don¡¯t want to die.

    Whatever, I¡¯ll worry about that later, I need to find out what element affinity this body has.

    First things first. Mage or Fighter?

    I close my eyes and start to breathe deeply. I feel for the energy floating through the air. If it¡¯s heaven power, I am a mage. If it is the power of earth, I am a fighter. If neither, I¡¯m a piece of trash. If both, I¡¯ll be the same as I was before I died.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Focusing for three minutes, I started to feel the power of heaven, so I was about to decide I was a mage¡­ when the power of the earth followed up with its appearance.

    I smiled with my eyes closed.

    Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡± It was Chelsie¡¯s voice.

    She smiled as she walked in the room. I quickly opened my eyes, dropping my concentration on the power of heaven and earth. I smile at her and tilt my head a bit, as if to ask her why she was here again.

    She pulls out a board with a few sheets of paper on it, ¡°I have to give you this for now just to make sure that you are well enough to be returned to the regular hospital.¡±

    I nod as I accept the board. She hands me a small writing device I presume.

    She smiles again, ¡°Please do not hesitate to start while I¡¯m still here.¡±

    I nod as I look at the sheet of paper. S***, I have no idea what these characters are.

    I thought I would be fine because I could understand what she was saying. I have no idea what these characters are.

    Chelsie smiles and sits down in the chair, ¡°What¡¯s wrong Mr. Ryu?¡±

    I point at the characters and tilt my head, my throat still to raw to speak.

    She smiles yet again, ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t read this.¡± She has an evil look in her eyes, ¡°Good thing we brought you here.¡±

    I weakly smile.

    Chelsie shakes her head lightly, ¡°Welcome to another world. The trip must have been tough¡­ hmm¡­ let¡¯s see. You should have been roughly fifty to sixty in the other world.¡±

    My eyes open wide and my mouth opens a little.

    Chelsie just continues to smile, ¡°Seems like I was right. Let¡¯s see, it¡¯s been about five hundred years since I was there, so I¡¯ll do some light trivia.¡± She claps her hands together, ¡°The twelfth generation fighter emperor, do you know who that is?¡±

    I nod slowly, even while confused about how she was alive after five centuries. Hmm, it seems there have been ten more emperors since her time.

    She laughs lightly, ¡°I was his head ¡®Battle¡¯ maid.¡±

    So that¡¯s where the battle maids came from! Also, super light trivia too!

    She pats my head, and hands me two pills, a red one and a blue one. ¡°Take both these pills, you should regain that body¡¯s memories when you wake up. That¡¯s the red pill, the blue one puts you to sleep within thirty seconds of ingestion. Normally, you¡¯d get your memories back after a month or so, but we were told to hurry things along.¡±

    Chelsie leaves the room as she sets a glass of water on the table beside the bed.

    I smile with dead eyes. I¡¯m so confused.

    I look at the colorful pills in my hand. Normally you get one or the other in this kind of situation.

    I grab for the glass of water¡­ but a stump floats in the corner of my vision¡­

    Oh yeah.

    (Author Note: Verandus is not a real city in Montana. Please do not try to find it on a map. But if you are curious where this place would be on a map. [47.844189, -113.335092] Copy and paste those coordinates into google maps)

    I wake up with my head hurting more than anything I¡¯ve ever experienced.

    If it was a scale of a small muscle cramp to death¡­ this pain was meticulous torture.

    I held my head using my left hand and massaged my left temple to try and ease the pain.

    Information quickly enters into my head from an unknown location.

    It was the life of this body.

    This body was seventeen years old.

    He was a below average kid with no peculiar hobbies.

    He had interest in things like novels, oh man is it a lot of information on novels. I¡¯ll ignore it for now, there¡¯s no way this stuff will be useful.

    He went to school with just above failing grades. He studied as hard as he could but could not seem to remember anything¡­ as if something was occupying his mind already.

    He was incredibly weak, he could only lift fifty pounds without injuring himself. He could run for ten seconds before running out of breath. It didn¡¯t seem to bother him, it was as if he was holding back.

    This body was teased by his peers, but he seemed to never take it to heart, as if he knew that it would change soon.

    His parents left him alone since he was twelve. He wasn¡¯t bothered, as if they would be back soon.

    Emotionless.

    This is one word to describe it all. This body had no feeling¡­ it was numb.

    My jaw hangs open slightly, ¡°What a troubling way of life.¡±

    My own voice surprises me, it is the voice of my current body.

    I sigh and continue to go through the memories.

    This body had one friend that he talked to. It was a short girl named ¡®Claire¡¯. She had blonde hair and was only five feet tall despite being seventeen. She had hazel colored eyes and was short tempered when it involved anything with himself. I sigh lightly, no matter how one looked at it, this ¡®Claire¡¯ was in love with the person whose body I now own.

    This is troubling. Until I get to the ninth realm, I do not have any time to be in a relationship.

    Should I reject her?

    Nodding slightly I continue upon my search.

    The written language of this world is needlessly complicated. So many rules that are only followed half of the time¡­ why don¡¯t they use an easier system with set rules?

    I sigh once again. Then there was the ¡®internet¡¯¡­ I¡¯m done already¡­ I should clear my browser history when I get back to my living space though.

    What else is there to know¡­ basic history of the world, I have a bad feeling about this so I¡¯ll just skim it. Also cooking and cleaning skills¡­ navigation¡­ locations of various places¡­ food storage¡­ technology¡­¡­¡­ my god this world is so needlessly complicated.

    I look around the room, there was nothing but me, a bed and the window.

    I slowly stand up using my left hand to steady myself.

    The room was about ten by sixteen feet. The window was on the opposite side of the room from the bed and the door was on the wall to the left of the window. Everything in the room was white.

    After a lot of stumbling from weak legs that barely worked, I made it too the window.

    The sky was a dark red¡­ sunset? No, Sunrise?

    No¡­ This red was almost the color of blood, too unnatural for a sky color¡­ there was nothing in this body¡¯s memories about this kind of thing! This is like something from a ¡®Fantasy¡¯ novel!

    Outside was a grassy courtyard devoid of all life except for the grass and a single tree. It had a bark that shone a golden color. Its leaves were blue with a metallic red luster.

    A soft knock comes from the door, ¡°Are you awake yet?¡± It was Chelsie¡¯s voice

    While leaning on the windowsill, I reply, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Chelsie enters the room, ¡°We are going to move you to the Hospital in a place you should be able to recognize.¡±

    I smile lightly, ¡°Thank you Ms. Chelsie. I have a question for you.¡±

    She nods, ¡°Of course you can ask¡­ also, please return to bed for now, and you should not really be able to move considering how weak that body was before the accident.¡±

    I slowly stumble with Chelsie¡¯s help back to the bed, ¡°Thank you¡±

    She smiles, ¡°Not a problem, it¡¯s my job after all.¡±

    I take a deep breath, ¡°As you know, you being a cultivator yourself¡­ of the lightning type nonetheless, should know the importance of your dominant arm. Is there any way I could have a temporary prosthetic made?¡±

    Chelsie frowns slightly, ¡°Well, it is possible¡­ but why do you say temporary¡­ and how could you know the element I train?¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Isn¡¯t it common knowledge that when someone reaches the fifth realm their hair gets a metallic luster with color corresponding to the element they use in their hair? I have no way at the moment to tell if you were a fighter or a mage however. Regarding the temporary arm¡­ I have methods to make a replacement that will move almost identical to the real thing¡­ I hope.¡± The method was just a basic manipulation of energy that relied on knowledge of internal power to manipulate joints on an object. It was the same concept used by practitioners that used snake swords.

    She scratches her head, ¡°Well, that is in fact common knowledge, but the way you said that lets me believe you have a method to tell if someone is a fighter or a mage just by looking at them? Also, creating something like that would be an artifact, no?¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°It¡¯s more an educated guess than anything else, but a method nonetheless. Regarding the arm, just imagine the concept of a snake sword¡­ I think it should be simple.¡±

    She laughs wryly, ¡°Well, that being that. I can have a temporary arm to you by the time you arrive at the regular hospital¡­ however, for security reasons, you will be put to sleep so that you do not know the location of this facility.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°That sounds fair enough. So when do I leave?¡±

    She pulls out three green pills, ¡°Right now. These wonderful pills will allow you to sleep for a specified amount of time. You will wake up in the hospital on a bed similar to this one like you never moved.¡±

    I frown, ¡°That sounds like a dangerous pill rather than a wonderful one.¡±

    She shrugs her shoulders and sets the pills in my left hand, ¡°To each their own.¡±

    I grab for the water on the side table¡­

    I did it again.

    Chelsie giggles.

 Chapter 3: Laying around

    Chapter 3:  Laying around

    I wake to sunlight shining in my eyes.

    The room looked identical to the other one, except for the fact that this room came with some extra chairs and a small television.

    I push myself into sitting position using my left hand, and look out the window from the bed.

    I see the familiar buildings in the distance. The regular blue sky that I¡¯ve known in this world, and the other.

    I smile as I look at the calming view.

    I take a deep breath and look at the table at the side of my bed. On the side table was a sheet of paper with pen beside it.

    I pick up the note and read it.

    ¡®Good morning,

    I hope the travel was nice¡­ well, I guess you wouldn¡¯t know. Anyways, I was able to get your sizes before I left, and the prosthetic arm should come in after you finish reading this paper.

    Also, the nurse will help you put it on. Everyone will act like you¡¯ve been there a while so don¡¯t be too surprised.

    I¡¯ve also allowed them to let visitors come.

    Best wishes;

    Head Nurse Chelsie¡¯

    Oh! My arm is coming faster than I would have hoped.

    Like it was scripted, there was a knock at the door accompanied by a scary voice, ¡°Mr. Ryu, are you awake?¡±

    I slightly raise my voice, ¡°Yes, come in.¡±

    The nurse was wearing the same clothing as Chelsie, but her hair was jet black with normal green eyes. Her face¡­ well it looks like it was assaulted by a baseball bat¡­ many times over. Her figure was round in places a figure normally isn¡¯t round at. She looked like a nurse from some third-rate horror movie.

    I swallow my saliva nervously. The nurse walks over holding my prosthetic arm. She says in a voice that would make a normal person need new pants, ¡°I¡¯ll be helpin¡¯ yer put on dis here arm.¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°That would be wonderful.¡±

    She smiles slightly. It was a crude smile, but a smile nonetheless. She walks closely to me and places the stump of my arm into a holding area on the prosthetic. A strap was placed across my shoulder and various electrodes were attached to my arm.

    These electrodes could detect the electrical signals that moved along the nerves in my arm causing the arm to move almost like it would normally.

    There was no way to make this look like a normal arm due to the lattice type structure for the cooling of electronic circuits. It was at least water proof.

    Holding the manual for the arm in my left hand and reading, I pay very close attention to the placement of the electrodes just in case I end up having to place them myself.

    It will short circuit with over use, causing it to be unusable for a couple of days.

    It had a rechargeable battery that needed to be charged once a month.

    Other than that it would function almost like a normal arm. Only to be used for basic needs like dressing yourself, drinking and eating, and light exercise.

    So¡­ weak man¡¯s arm. Better than nothing at all. I just have to switch my dominant hand to my left, no big deal.

    I sigh as the scary nurse leaves the room.

    She turns around as she starts closing the door, ¡°The nurse in charge of overseeing you will be here shortly.¡±

    I sigh in relief. Thank the gods that she isn¡¯t the nurse overseeing my recovery.

    I take some deep breaths and start to sense for the power of heaven and earth in order to raise my realm as quickly as possible.

    I am not allowed to use any method so the only way is to directly absorb the power of heaven and earth, slowly rising in level like that.

    This method is relatively fast and allows you to be able to directly manipulate the power of heaven and earth within my body, however, the stress it puts on the body is greater than average.

    After absorbing the power of heaven and earth I will be able to counteract the strain by using internal energy, but I have to absorb it super slowly at first.

    If the power of heaven and earth is like an ocean, normal people would think of their power as a drop in the ocean, and they would be right, but in order to even get to the ocean you must travel along the shore.  With this method you must start smaller than a drop of the ocean, start with the grain of sand beneath your feet.

    In order to do this you must be able to clearly sense the power of heaven and earth.

    Then one must slowly absorb one speck at a time. As the specks are absorbed one must use the specks to protect their body, allowing to finally absorb the drops!

    If it was to be said numerically, one speck was a million times smaller than a drop. To reach even the first realm, one needs about ten drops. All this is just theory though, power is relative to the user and their technique.

    However, to even be able to absorb a speck, your knowledge must surpass that of those at the sixth realm!

    This is because if a person were to try absorbing even just the power of heaven, they will not be able to control the flow unless they understand the theory behind manipulating the power of heaven and earth.

    I smile lightly. The method I used, when I was a young man in the other world, to walk on top of the water was basic manipulation of the power of heaven and earth. This method just places solid objects beneath your feet at a height set by yourself. In theory, it allowed someone at low realms to walk in the air. It¡¯s a theory because you¡¯d have to be at the sixth realm to do manipulation that precise, but there are almost always exceptions when talking about cultivation.

    So to not waste any more time I absorb the first speck.

    The first speck I absorb is a speck of heaven power.

    In the body are invisible ¡®veins¡¯ that circulate the entire body. The two types of power have their own respective veins. The heaven veins circulate in a different area than the earth veins. Heaven veins circulate around the internal organs and focus mainly on the brain and the heart. Earth veins circulate on the four limbs and also focus on the brain and the heart. The two veins never touch each other, and will never interact. All people have both veins, however, one set should be completely blocked with no hope of ever unblocking it. I however have both unblocked.

    The reason why I chose to circulate a speck of heaven power first was because the damage to my internals is the worst. The chance of me dying from circulating this speck should normally be only five percent, but with this much damage to my internals, the chance of me dying is about sixty percent.

    I take a deep breath and circulate the speck of heaven power within my heaven vein.

    The speck makes it way from the area around my heart, up to my brain. The speck is slowly coating the vein in a minuscule amount of heaven power. The speck coats the vein from the brain back to the heart.

    I focus my breathing. Now for the dangerous part.

    The speck travels lower in my body and coats the vein. The heaven vein travels beside the internal organs. The internal organs will normally absorb the heaven power from the vein. I have no idea what will happen to the fake organs.

    The speck travels past the organs and coats the veins.

    The fake organs are absorbing the heaven power! The organs act as if they are the real things! Amazing!

    The heaven power fully circulates, the first coating is done! I move the speck through and coat the heaven veins two more times before the spec is fully used.

    I do the same thing with the earth vein and nothing eventful happened.

    First step done!

    I smile to myself and sigh with relief. The most dangerous part ended without issues. Now training will get exponentially faster.

    I can absorb two specs next time. Then four, then eight, then sixteen. The number would continue to increase like that.

    I open my eyes and look outside. Five minutes has passed since I received my prosthetic arm.

    I practice using the arm. I can now pick up a glass of water like a normal person would!

    As I was cheering on the inside, a knock comes from the door with a very feminine voice comes from the other side, ¡°You have a visitor.¡±

    I sit up in the bed, still holding the glass of water, ¡°Come in.¡±

    The door opens and two women walk in the room.

    The one on the right was the nurse. Her figure was thin, yet she was quite tall. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and was a light brown color. Her eyes were blue and her face was fairly attractive. Her posture¡­ was questionable though. She looked like she was ready to jump on me.

    The woman on the left looked about my age. Her hair was a dark brown, her height was about five foot ten at a glance. Her eyes were a cyan-ish color. She was clearly wearing lipstick as her lips were bright red.  Her figure was stunning compared to those her age, but not at the level of wars starting.

    The nurse walks closer and stands very¡­ way too close to me. I take a sip of the water as she starts talking, ¡°Good morning again Mr. Ryu, have you decided whether or not to accept my love yet?¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    I almost do a spit take.

    What did she just say!?

    Okay, I was prepared for some awkward situations because the note said ¡®everyone will act like they know you¡¯¡­ but why on earth is this nurse saying that she loves me!? What did they make her believe!?

    I set the glass down on the bedside table. I take a deep breath, and say while composed, ¡°I will not accept due to the fact that I do not feel the same way towards you nor will I ever.¡±

    She starts blushing and puts her hands on her face, ¡°Just as harsh as ever. I love it!¡±

    I give her a disgusted look, but it just excites her more. She needs some help.

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on¡­ I mean at all. I think I should Google how to deal with a masochist later¡­

    ¡°Umm. Did you forget about me?¡± The other girl stops my thoughts where they were.

    I sigh and ignore the perverted nurse, ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Ryu. May I ask the reason for your visit?¡±

    The girl laughs slightly, ¡°No need to be so polite. I just came to see the person who saved me.¡±

    I tilt my head to the right, ¡°Huh?¡±

    She frowns slightly, ¡°Do you not remember me?¡±

    I furrow my brow and frown, ¡°No matter how hard I think, this bo- I can¡¯t seem to remember who you are.¡±

    The nurse coughs to get our attention, ¡°Most people who are in an accident of that degree¡­ and manage to survive, usually do not remember the happenings of the accident.¡± The girl and I understand at the same time. She looks at the nurse and the nurse nods, ¡°I shall take my leave for now.¡±

    The perverted nurse leaves, and the girl sits on the end of the bed, ¡°You¡¯re lucky to not have any major injuries after that sort of acciden-¡° She looks at my right arm and her eyes go wide. She starts to panic and stutter, ¡°I-I-I¡¯m s-s-so so-so-sorry. B-b-because of m-me y-yo-you lost y-y-you¡¯re a-ar-arm.¡± Tears start to flow from her eyes.

    I put my right hand on her shoulder, ¡°No need to cry.¡± I move the prosthetic around like a normal hand, ¡°Science is wonderful, and it¡¯s almost like the genuine thing, barely even noticeable.¡± I close my eyes and nod.

    I feel my arm move. I hear her shaky voice, ¡°But it has no feeling¡­¡±

    I open my eyes to see that she moved my hand to her chest, ¡°What kind of test is that!?¡± I quickly pull my arm away.

    She ignores my comment, and gets in my face, ¡°What else is injured because of me?¡±

    I sigh lightly, ¡°Nothing else, just some minor bruises.¡±

    Her eyes slightly shine, ¡°Really?¡±

    I nod, ¡°Really, really.¡±

    She smiles and wipes the tears from her face, ¡°That¡¯s good that it is only your arm that got hurt.¡±

    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll tell her I¡¯m right handed. I smile at her, ¡°So who are you?¡±

    She smiles like she never even cried, ¡°I¡¯m Sayaka.¡±

    I nod, ¡°You see¡­ that doesn¡¯t help me at all.¡±

    She nods along with a serious expression, ¡°Well, you see. You saved me from being hit.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Saved you from being hit by what?¡±

    She laughs lightly, ¡°Well here¡¯s what I remember from my point of view. I was walking down the street and was walking across a train crossing listening to music louder than I should have been. I didn¡¯t look for a train and I was suddenly pushed as a gust of wind flew behind me. After I land on the ground my headphones fall off and I hear a train horn. After the train passes I see you there covered in blood and unconscious. I called the paramedics and you were taken to the hospital immediately.¡±

    Inside I was shocked. This body got off with only this much damage after being hit by a train!?

    Outside I stayed composed. I nod, ¡°So that¡¯s how it happened.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°Should you not have more of a reaction after hearing that you were hit by a train?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Nothing can be done about what happened in the past, I just have to look in front of me.¡± I smile lightly, ¡°You have to remember to look left and right though.¡± Her eyes start to water. I quickly say, ¡°It was a joke! A joke!¡±

    She smiles again, ¡°Well, I have to get going now. I have some errands to run. I¡¯m glad that you will recover fine and live a long life still.¡±

    If three more years is a long life, then yeah, I will definitely live a long life.

    Sayaka walks out the door, and the nurse walks in.

    The nurse smiles, ¡°Would you like anything Mr. Ryu? Perhaps you want me?¡±

    I frown, ¡°I would like you¡­¡± I leave a long pause. She smiles, ¡°¡­to leave me alone.¡± She blushes as she walks out of the room.

    She says over her shoulder, ¡°Oh yeah. There is another visitor here to see you. Will you allow it?¡±

    I nod as she leaves. How troublesome to have a pervert nurse.

    I sigh as I stare out the window. All I can see is the sky out the window. Today looked nice outside¡­ what day is it even?

    I frown as a familiar face walks in, Claire. Oh s***, my arm! If she sees this she will not leave me alone. I quickly hide it under my bed sheet. I smile at Claire, ¡°Thank you for coming to visit me.¡±

    She smiles and says in her childlike voice, ¡°It¡¯s what friends do. Anyways, how are you feeling?¡±

    I smile, ¡°I feel great. How about you?¡±

    She starts to cry, ¡°I missed you so much. They wouldn¡¯t let me see you for two months saying you were in critical condition.¡±

    ¡°Two months!?¡± I accidently shout.

    Claire nods, ¡°Yeah, they wouldn¡¯t even tell me what happened to you. All they would say was that you were in a large accident.¡±

    I nod, ¡°I understand your concern as my childhood friend, but I have a really important question.¡±

    Claire nods quickly, ¡°I¡¯ll answer anything.¡±

    I nod seriously, ¡°Did you take extra notes for me in classes?¡±

    This body went to school with Claire. She even had all the same classes as him.

    She nods slightly confused, ¡°Since when were you so interested in school? I did take the notes for you¡­ but I was planning on giving them to you as I left.¡±

    She was carrying a bag on her shoulder. She takes out several colored notebooks. I look at them, ¡°That¡¯s a lot of notes for four classes.¡±

    She looks at the notebooks and puts two of them back, ¡°I almost gave you my personal writing books by accident, tehe~¡±

    I don¡¯t ever want to know what are in those. EVER.

    I smile as she hands the books to me. I grab them with both hands¡­

    ¡°What happened to your arm!?¡± As she sees the prosthetic she screams.

    The nurse comes running into the room, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Claire points at my arm, ¡°Why does he have a prosthetic arm?¡±

    The nurse frowns, ¡°He lost it in the accident.¡±

    I laugh lightly, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, am I right?¡±

    Claire glares at me, ¡°Aren¡¯t you right handed?¡±

    Damn childhood friends! I nod, ¡°I can use the prosthetic to do normal things still.¡±

    She frowns still, ¡°What kind of accident were you in that was so bad that you were in critical condition for two months, and even lost an arm?¡±

    I bite my lip while hesitating. The nurse talks instead, ¡°He was hit by a train.¡±

    Claire gets angry, ¡°How were you stupid enough to get hit by a train!?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything stupid. I totally white knight the s*** out of the situation by saving some random person!¡± I confidently puff out my chest.

    Claire pouts, ¡°It better not have been a girl.¡±

    I start whistling¡­ well, I don¡¯t know how to whistle, so it just sounds like air coming from my mouth.

    A voice comes from the door, ¡°Sorry for intruding I forgot my bag here¡­¡±

    It was Sayaka. Sayaka stared at Claire. A cold atmosphere erupted within the room.

    The nurse heads for the door, ¡°I will take my leave here.¡± Take me with you!

    Claire looks at me with an evil glare, ¡°Ryu¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure what you mean¡­ so I¡¯ll clarify. This is Sayaka, the girl I saved from the train¡­¡±

    Claire closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She jumps at Sayaka and grabs her collar on her shirt, and proceeds to drag her out of the room.

    Sayaka has a ¡®please help me¡¯ expression on her face as she is dragged out of the hospital room.

    I clasp my hands together and lightly bow. I pray that you survive this endeavor. Now let me take a look at these notebooks to catch up on some school. As many famous people have said, ¡®Knowledge is power¡¯.

    I open the first book. ¡®Fantasies of Ryu vol. 21¡¯

    My jaw drops¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know how to react. I close the notebook.

    I don¡¯t know what bothers me more.

    The fact that she has fantasies about me.

    Or the fact that there are twenty volumes before this one.

    I move my hands to my face and rub my eyes. How am I going to deal will all these crazies? Why me? I want out already.

    I hear a knocking sound¡­ From the window¡­

    I look to the window and it¡¯s a face I recognize¡­

    I truly am surrounded by nothing but crazies¡­

    It is my mother.

 Chapter 4: Its all a lie

    Hello to the people who read this :D               Enjoy the Chapter

    Chapter 4: It¡¯s all a lie

    I cover my eyes with my hands and sigh. This is the third floor! What is my mother even doing?

    While I was holding my head up with my hands the window slides open because it was unlocked, and my mother just walks in. I didn¡¯t know I had to lock a window on the third floor!

    My mother walks over, ¡°My poor son! Why did you do something so dangerous?!¡±

    I keep my hands on my face, ¡°Since when does someone¡¯s mother enter on the third floor? Isn¡¯t it just as easy to use the DOOR!? Like a NORMAL PERSON!!¡±

    She puts her hand on her cheek, ¡°Ara~, since when was my son so aggressive?¡±

    I smirk, ¡°Since when did my mother say Ara~?¡±

    Her face changes to a serious expression, ¡°So I want to get straight to the point here.¡±

    I lean back onto the pillow behind me, ¡°It has only been a bit less than an hour or two since I¡¯ve woken up after being transported. The day before I got the memories from this body. And the day before that I found out that I was missing my arm. The day before that I died. The same day I had to kill a man that raised me for a few years after finding out he killed my real parents.¡±

    My mother frowns, ¡°That really is hectic. Well, as your mother, I feel I need to tell you that it isn¡¯t going to settle down for a while longer still.¡±

    I rub my hands over my eyes and sigh, ¡°Well then. What has my wonderful mother come to tell me? Also, why did you come from the window?¡±

    She puts up her index finger, ¡°First, I came through the window because it was faster than talking to people.¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°That is certainly true¡­¡±

    She then raises her middle finger too, ¡°Second, I came to tell you about the real world.¡±

    I slowly tilt my head, ¡°Is the world this bo¡­ I mean¡­ is the world I know a fake?¡±

    She laughs slowly, ¡°If you were trying to hide it you shouldn¡¯t have already said that you died. I know you aren¡¯t my son per say. You have his memories, but you seem to have fully taken over his body.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Is that uncommon?¡±

    She shakes her head while smiling, ¡°It¡¯s a bad sign if the link doesn¡¯t take over the body.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Okay, that makes sense. I think it must be along the lines of the stronger mind takes over.¡±

    She nods and claps, ¡°Good job guessing that on your first try¡­¡± A serious look creeps onto her face, ¡°Well, you¡¯ll learn the exact theory behind it another time.¡± She takes a deep breath and raises three fingers, ¡°Third, I will tell you why you are here.¡± And her fourth finger rises, ¡°Finally, I will tell you who I am and ask who you are.¡±

    I smile, and say in a sarcastic tone, ¡°This sounds like it will be¡­¡±

    She nods, ¡°Fun?¡±

    I hang my head, ¡°That¡¯s not the word I would have used, but I guess it works.¡±

    My mother nods, ¡°So where should I start?¡± She nods slowly and takes a deep breath, ¡°So. To start, I will tell you why you are currently here.¡± She finally sits down on the edge of my bed. ¡°Many millions of years ago, there were ten individuals who were so powerful, they could create or destroy anything with a simple wave of their hands. One day, it was known that two of these individuals had fallen in love with each other and were done with ruling all that existed. The other eight heavily disagreed with the choice these two were making. As no one would approve of the relationship between the two. To clarify, one was male one was female. Anyways, the eight other individuals decided to work together to try and remove the two from existence. The thing about these individuals is that they were all of equal power. The two ran away as fast as they could without being noticed. They made it to the edge of the universe. At the edge, where everyone thought it was nothing, there were countless amounts of monsters, ruled by the dragons. The monsters and dragons were friendly, so the two thought that they would befriend the strongest of the dragons, and they did. Thousands of years went by where these two individuals were with the dragons. The strongest dragon was on equal footing with the ten individuals. The dragon thought that all humans were like the two so, it allowed monsters slowly moved away from the edge of the universe. The monsters eventually made their way to the other eight individuals. The monsters told tale after tale of the nice humans that were on equal footing with the strongest being in their minds. The eight figured it was the plan of the two to destroy them, they were wrong but they started to slaughter the monsters. The eight traced the monsters back to the edge of the universe, where they found the two enjoying their time with the dragons. One misunderstanding after another came into play and the two were then hated by the monsters for using them, and the eight hated them for turning against them. The two had nowhere else to run. Inside the universe, the eight would find them, outside, the monsters would overwhelm them. Inside the universe was a bloody battle that seemed endless. The two were able to hold off the eight using methods taught to them by the dragon. It was a battle no one could win. Both sides ending up giving the other fatal wounds. The eight died before the two but it would not be long before they also followed the other eight. In their last breaths they created a world light years apart from anything else. They made the flow of time surrounding that world twenty five times faster than the rest of the universe. That world was also blessed with the knowledge to become as powerful as they once were. However, human greed degraded the information as most was hidden from the public eye, and those that were made known of its existence were not talented enough in order to reach the peak of power. As the two died, they allowed the beasts onto the planet in order to challenge the people who lived on the planet. Millions of years later in the rest of the universe, the monsters have come from far and wide. The weaker monsters stick to the planet and survive within the atmosphere while stronger monsters exist as you further yourself from the planets.¡±

    My eyes widen as the story finishes, ¡°So you are saying that monsters exist that can destroy planets as easily as someone can snap their fingers!?¡±

    She nods, ¡°Well, supposedly there are. On this planet, there are maybe five people that are powerful enough to travel beyond the atmosphere using only themselves.¡±

    I frown. The technique ¡®ascension¡¯ would only allow a person to fly a couple miles above the ground.

    My mother smiles, ¡°The reason you came to this world is because that world is connected to a seemingly infinite number of other worlds. We call the connection between two people from this world and the other a ¡®Link¡¯. Those people who have a ¡®Link¡¯ are usually taken over by the person of the other world after they die. The average age of those that die is about twenty to thirty years old. After fifteen years in this world, a person will link with someone from the other world and as soon the person from the other world dies, they will come to this world and take over the other persons mind if their age is greater or, their power is much greater.¡±

    I nod, ¡°This makes a lot of sense now that I think about it.¡±

    She shrugs her shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s not very complicated though.¡±

    I lightly laugh, ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad it isn¡¯t.¡±

    My mother takes another deep breath, ¡°Anyways, there are a couple organizations spanning the entire universe called the ¡®Universal Defense Corps¡¯, ¡®Universal Attack Corps¡¯ and the ¡®Universal Knowledge Corps¡¯. These groups do pretty much what is in there name. The UDC defend the planets from stronger monsters. The UAC take the initiative to attack monster infested planets in order to create training grounds for young troops, and even sometimes, schools are founded on these planets. The UKC collects various information from the other world and brings it to the main planets to make people more powerful. This world is for people who have yet to connect to a link. It is protected by the UDC. There is also an illusion barrier cast around the planet to ensure that ¡®normal¡¯ people do not know of what is going on off the planet.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Does that mean everything in this body¡¯s knowledge is a lie?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    She shakes her head, ¡°No, almost all of it in fact knowledge from this planet, not much is false. History and geography are correct. Math is also correct. Astronomy and physics are wrong though. Biology¡­ I think you will see some monsters that will defy all natural laws, so that¡¯s wrong too.¡±

    I smile, ¡°This seems like it could easily get out of hand.¡±

    My mother nods, ¡°It could easily go downhill.¡±

    I frown, ¡°I¡¯m scared to ask, but what realm does it take to travel to other planets?¡±

    She laughs, ¡°Well, a person has to get to the highest known realm.¡±

    I nod and ask slowly, ¡°What¡¯s the highest known realm?¡±

    She frowns, ¡°While I will not call myself an expert by any means, I do know a bit of information. The highest known realm is the ninth realm.¡±

    I bury my head in my hands. Oh the degraded information! I probably know more than the whole UKC combined!

    My mother tilts her head, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you know more? Oh yeah! Training is about twice as fast outside of the other world. Most people double their previous highest realm, some even triple.

    I nod excitedly, ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    She smiles widely, ¡°I knew you¡¯d think so. Also, the average realm people make it to, is the fifth realm. Most people from my time, in the other world, only got to about the second or third realm. How about you? I was the head guard for the twelfth generation fighter emperor, at the seventh realm.¡±

    I nod slowly. Should I stand out or blend in? Here¡¯s where I get the choice. I stood out in my previous life, let¡¯s see if I can blend in this time. ¡°In my time there were many people who had made it to the ninth realm. There was the fighter emperor, the mage emperor, the supreme emperor and his wife, and the man that raised him. I think there were many more that were in closed door practice.¡±

    My mother¡¯s jaw drops, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the fighter emperor and mage emperor positions. What¡¯s with the supreme emperor though?¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Alas, I only know some tales of the man, his identity is almost completely unknown except for the fact that he is the most powerful existence in the world.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°Come on, tell me some stories. Come on!¡±

    I scratch my head, ¡°Well, from what I remember, the supreme emperor was an existence that could not be killed. He beat the ninth realm fighter emperor in a very short amount of time. Also, any magic that came near him was immediately dispelled no matter how powerful.¡±

    She makes a complicated expression, ¡°If he came to this world, I think that he would pass the highest known realm¡­ so tell me this. Did you witness him die, or did you hear about him dying?¡±

    I frown. What do I do? Just lie? Yep, I will just lie to her. ¡°Well, you see. There was a large amount of these monsters you talk about. They came with low ranks at first. Very quickly, the monsters that came were stronger and stronger. From what I saw there was a monster that referred to himself as a ¡®Demon¡¯ His power was stronger than ten of the supreme emperor. The emperor was at a complete disadvantage. Some heard him shout something, but I am not sure what I heard was correct. After he shouted though, his power raised to the point where he could toy with the ¡®demon¡¯, but he killed it quickly. He fell from the sky where he was fighting with the demon¡­¡± I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I heard him talking to his wife after he fell, but I was already dying from an attack that I received moments before. But, from what I heard, he died while fighting the ¡®Demon¡¯.¡±

    My mother makes a very worried expression, ¡°I have a couple things to ask.¡±

    I nod slowly. I will have to answer these carefully. ¡°I¡¯ll answer anything I know.¡±

    She takes a deep breath, ¡°First question I have for you is, what do you think the words he shouted are?¡±

    I make a complicated expression. I will just say the name, even if someone knows the name, it doesn¡¯t mean they can use the technique. ¡°I am pretty sure he said, ¡®Heaven Shattering¡¯.¡±

    She nods, ¡°Okay. Second question. Who are you?¡±

    I open my mouth but close it immediately. Who am I if I want to stay low? I should really think these things through before I decide things.

    My mother smiles gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t tell me, I was just curious because you sound like you were close to the supreme emperor, if not the man himself.¡±

    I smile, ¡°There¡¯s no way I am the supreme emperor.¡±

    My mother laughs, ¡°Ara~, no self-confidence.¡±

    I frown, ¡°What does me saying I¡¯m not the emperor have to do with being confident?¡±

    She smiles and stands up, ¡°I wonder about that?¡±

    A knock comes from the door of the room, ¡°Mr. Ryu, I have come to check on you. Are you awake?¡±

    I look to the door and then where my mother was half a second before. She was gone. So fast! Can I have a break from the crazy nurse? Please? I clear my throat, ¡°Come in.¡±

    The perverted nurse walks in the room carrying a tray with some food on it, ¡°I also brought you some food.¡± She blushes.

    I frown, ¡°Okay, thank you for the food, but, why are you blushing?¡±

    She puts the tray on my bed, ¡°I can tell you were thinking rude things about me.¡±

    I grab the food. It was some sort of mush thrown into a bowl. ¡°What is this mystery mush?¡±

    The nurse smiles, ¡°That was¡­ is supposed to be oatmeal.¡±

    I frown deeply, ¡°You said was! I refuse to eat this. I declare a hunger strike!¡±

    The nurse grabs the spoon while emitting an evil aura, ¡°You. Will. Eat.¡± I nod faster than I have ever before. She smiles and says cheerfully, ¡°Good!¡±

    She brings the mystery mush to my mouth. I take a deep breath and eat the mush. I chew the mush and it actually tastes pretty good. I swallow it, ¡°Hey, this is actually pretty good.¡±

    The nurse smiles happily, ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it. I made it by using my¡­¡±

    I put my hand up, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, and I do not need to know what is in this. Please leave and let me eat¡­ also no more visi¡­¡±

    Claire jumps in the room, ¡°Ryu! I accidentally gave you the wrong book!¡±

    I grab all the books, ¡°You know what. I don¡¯t need any of these as to avoid another mishap by reading these. I feel slightly traumatized and I only read the title.¡±

    She blushes, ¡°You read it? Did you enjoy it?¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Are you deaf? I said I felt traumatized after reading only the title!¡±

    Her eyes start to water, ¡°Really?¡±

    She looks like a sad puppy. Really? Why do you have to look cute now of all times? Guilt! I feel guilt! Stop making me feel guilty! ¡°I¡¯m sorry Claire. No need to be upset¡­ just try to tone down the fantasies. Also, if you like me you should just say it, rather than fantasizing. It¡¯s not good to hold in emotions you know.¡±

    She blushes and screams, ¡°I don¡¯t like you! You idiot!¡± as she runs out of the room carrying the books she gave me.

    I drop my head into my hands, ¡°Seriously. Does everyone have problems with them?¡±

    The nurse puts her hand on my shoulder, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so forceful with women like that. Like that you won¡¯t even be able to get a girlfriend. Speaking of which. Marry me.¡±

    My jaw drops, ¡°Umm¡­ please leave. Wait! Why on earth would I marry someone I barely know!?¡±

    She walks out of the room while blushing, ¡°Have it your way then. I¡¯ll be back to check on you later.¡±

    The door closes behind the nurse. I sigh deeply. I want to relax already!

    I look out the window again. The sun was currently setting. Another long¡­ long day.

    I close my eyes and take a deep breath and attempt to focus on the power of heaven and earth floating around me.

    The sense the power of heaven and earth around me. Now that I think about it, the power of heaven and earth actually seems to be a bit denser than I remember.

    That doesn¡¯t help me right now though. I need small¡­ minuscule amounts of this power right now.

    Two specks¡­ four specks¡­ eight¡­ sixteen. The specks of heaven power circulate through the veins faster with each attempt. It seems after living for so long I am able to control the power better than when I was young.

    I smile to myself. It seems by tomorrow I will reach the first realm.

 Chapter 5: Being sent out

    From here on out is the end of my back log of chapters

    This is where the releases will start to get more sporadic in nature

    Writing these "long" chapters takes quite a bit of time for me (my average chapter length when I was starting out was ~1000 words per chapter)

    Again. Thank you for reading

    Enjoy the chapter.

    Chapter 5: Being sent out

    I wake from my dream and slowly open my eyes.

    I take a deep breath and sit up. What a tough day yesterday was, I wish it wasn¡¯t as fast paced around here.

    I flex my legs on the bed. Ugh, so stiff. I guess not using your legs for a while will do this.

    I take another deep breath and swing my legs out to the left, and step onto the ground. Using my arms I make my way over to the window.

    The sun was just rising, but the sky was already blue.

    I open the window and breathe in some fresh air. I hope today will be less information heavy than yesterday.

    I slowly stumble my way back to the bed and lay down.

    I start cultivating after clearing my mind.

    A very small amount of the power of heaven and earth enters my body. I circulate both at the same time. The veins have strengthened to the point that I am confident of being able to step into the first realm.

    I frown slightly. There is absolutely no challenge in getting to the first realm. The hard part is being able to hide that I am in the first realm. My mother is probably at a high realm, I have a suspicion that Claire knows about this stuff, but I¡¯m not too sure.

    Anyways, I have to get to the first realm now, or I may not have the chance before I leave the hospital.

    I take a couple deep breaths to calm myself completely. An amount of the power of heaven and earth that is larger than normal starts to circulate around my body. In order to get to the first realm I need to absorb these into the void type area near my heart.

    At the first realm, a person will start to collect the power of heaven and earth within oneself. It is collected in a void type area near the heart. The void type area is in this spot because it is one of the two areas where the heaven veins and the earth veins overlap. The two veins never touch each other but are both connected to this void space.

    The power of heaven and earth will get absorbed by the void space and provide power to the body.

    I move the larger than normal amounts of the power of heaven and earth to the void space. Without any issues at all.

    My body numbs momentarily as power flows throughout my body.

    I have reached the first realm.

    Using this world¡¯s numbers, at the first realm a person will have an average strike force of 200 pounds. At the C rank that is. For the B rank it is 250 and at the A rank it is 300. Stepping into C ranked second realm will grant a person with a strike force of 400 pounds.

    I quickly get used to the power by circulating the power of heaven and earth within their respective veins. After ten minutes of circulating the power of heaven and earth I almost have complete control of it.

    The door to my room quickly slides open. The nurse runs in excitedly, ¡°Ryu! It is time for your first morning walk!¡±

    I sigh in my head. It seems like nothing will go as planned recently. This world is way too damn chaotic! Whatever. If the world doesn¡¯t want me to be able to hide the fact that I made it to the first realm then so be it! I look towards the nurse, ¡°That sounds like a great thing. I don¡¯t know why I wasn¡¯t informed of this before it actually happened¡­ but I will gladly go outside.¡±

    The nurse smiles, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful that you agreed to it!¡± She claps her hands together and gives an even wider smile, ¡°Are you able to walk on your own or shall I get a wheelchair to push you around?¡±

    I swing my legs out from the bed and place them on the ground, ¡°I should be able to walk fine on my own thank you.¡± I stand up while slowly putting more and more weight onto my legs to make sure they are stable. Success! I am able to stand up normally! I almost fall to my hands and knees realizing that I am cheering over an accomplishment that even a young child cares nothing for.

    Seeing the depressed look on my face, the nurse tilts her head in confusion, ¡°Mr. Ryu, what is bothering you?¡±

    I raise my hands and shake them in denial, ¡°No it¡¯s nothing. I was wondering where we were going to walk to though.¡±

    The nurse grabs onto my left arm, ¡°No need to worry about that. Regrettably however, the hospital¡¯s rules are set, and the first walk cannot be longer than ten minutes.¡±

    I sigh in relief, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s okay that the walk is only that short.¡±

    The nurse leads me out of the hospital room towards the elevator at the end of the hallway. She looks at me while we wait for the elevator to arrive on this floor, ¡°This is your first time out of the hospital room since after the surgery.¡±

    I furrow my brow. I remember being told that I was out of it for two months. Which means that there had to have been at the very least one month where I never left the hospital room in Verandus¡­

    The nurse moves her face directly in front of mine, ¡°The elevator is here.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± I involuntarily let out a scream.

    The nurse giggles as she pulls me into the elevator. I don¡¯t resist her pull because if I did it would be like her trying to move a post. The elevator slowly descends to the ground floor.

    The nurse and I walk out of the elevator onto the ground floor and make our way to the hospital¡¯s courtyard in the rear of the building. The grass was green and there were a few willow trees scattered throughout the courtyard.

    The sky was a deep blue color with a few light clouds throughout the sky. There was a warm wind that made it feel like summer was near.

    Wait. Summer? Am I out of regular school just like that? For some reason I just can¡¯t accept the fact that so many things that I thought would be useful information from this body would be so useless.

    I sigh while being led around by the nurse. She didn¡¯t seem to notice my sigh.

    A large gust of wind suddenly blows, and the nurse almost falls over.

    However, I know for a fact that that was not a gust of wind, but in fact a person moving extremely fast. I saw a blurry figure for less than a hundredth of a second. There was a small folded piece of paper in my hand.

    The nurse worriedly checks on me, ¡°Are you okay Mr. Ryu?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I¡¯d like to go back to my room if possible.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    The nurse nods, ¡°Certainly. You may rava-¡±

    I cut her off, ¡°I would also like to be left alone if possible.¡±

    She turns to me with a sad expression and I turn away. The nurse sighs, ¡°That can be done. I will leave you to get to your room yourself as I have to report to another patient immediately.¡±

    Why take me for a walk if you leave as soon as I make you upset? Is this how a normal nurse treats her patients? I hope not.

    Oh well. I slowly walk back to my room, wondering what is said in the piece of paper currently in my hand. I have a feeling I should be in my room when I read it though.

    I rub my face with my hands as I get on the elevator. I really hope this isn¡¯t anything serious, I know this is a different world, but even when I was travelling the continents alone it wasn¡¯t this chaotic! My largest worry then was what would I want to eat that night, veggies or meat?

    I sigh as I enter my room. The curtain was drawn at my window, stopping the light from going into my room. I shut the door behind me and sit down on the edge of my bed. I open the folded piece of paper:

    ¡®Unlock your window please,

    Love, Your mother¡¯

    I rip up the piece of paper and throw it in the trash can beside my bed. I will not let her in here. She and chaos seem to be pretty good friends.

    I hear tapping from the window. I put my hands over my ears and lay down. After a while I take my hands off my ears and the tapping had stopped.

    I give up on hiding the power of heaven and earth that I have absorbed and get ready to start absorbing the power of heaven and earth again so I can get to the second realm as fast as possible so that I can start practicing my method.

    I empty my mind and begin to sense the power of heaven and earth. The power of heaven and earth in this world is so much thicker than in the previous world. This is cheating!

    Whatever. I sense the power of heaven and earth within myself. C ranked first realm. Yep, everything seems normal for now.

    I slowly absorb more of the power of heaven and earth. My veins slowly strengthen as I absorb more and more.

    I stop absorbing the power of heaven and earth and feel for the strength of my veins. Above average strength, average endurance. I wonder how long it will take to get to the second realm.

    I sigh as I open my eyes. After opening my eyes I look around my room. In a chair on the other side of my room are some angry looking women. My mother and Claire to be exact. They are both glaring at me with the intent to kill me using their eyes.

    Claire¡¯s tone is filled with disgust, ¡°Look. It finally opened its eyes.¡±

    My mother frowns, ¡°The monster is listening you know.¡±

    The room goes silent as the two stare at me.

    I cough to break the silence, ¡°So. Um, why are you two here?¡±

    Claire frowns, ¡°We were here to ask a few questions about various things.¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°Then ask awa-¡°

    My mother cuts me off with an angry tone, ¡°But the monster was practicing a weird method and has already reached the first realm while in the hospital!¡±

    I scratch my head with an embarrassed look, ¡°Well, you know. I was just using a basic technique that any person could practice.¡±

    Claire moves closer to me, ¡°Oh yeah, any person?¡±

    I nod quickly, ¡°Yeah, any person could do what I was just doing.¡± I start to panic slightly.

    My mother walks to the edge of my bed, ¡°So you say that normal people can absorb the power of heaven and earth simultaneously?¡±

    If I was standing up, I would have fallen over, ¡°What!?¡±

    Claire shakes her head, ¡°You seem to not know this, but no matter what realm someone is, they can sense both the power of heaven and earth, they just can¡¯t absorb both.¡±

    I start shaking slightly, ¡°Well¡­ um¡­ So Claire, I didn¡¯t know that you had a link to the other world. If you had a link why did you freak out like the old Claire?¡±

    She blushes slightly, ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t aware that you weren¡¯t the original Ryu, so I was not able to tell you about my link and therefore had to act like the old Claire.¡±

    I nod, ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    My mother hits Claire on the head, ¡°Don¡¯t lose focus you idiot!¡±

    Claire grabs her head like a child and pouts. I look towards my mother, ¡°Mother, what questions did you come here to ask me? Is it school? How about where I¡¯m going to be living? What realm you¡¯re in? What realm I got to in my previous life? So many questions so little time.¡± I quickly stand up and begin to push them out of the room.

    My mother resists and it feels like trying to push a cement pillar. She looks at me, ¡°I don¡¯t like that you are hiding this. However, every man has a secret or two.¡± She winks at me, ¡°I just wanted to let you know that we are going to Verandus by car in one week. Say your goodbyes to the staff here. You will be going to the general martial arts class as a first year. Also, the school you are going to is Verandus beginner academy.¡±

    I sigh in relief. I¡¯m so glad I was able to convince her to drop it that quickly. This situation is worse than I thought however. I was unaware that people can sense both even though they can only absorb one or the other. My wonderful wife, why did you not tell me this? Because of my Pride? Because you were hiding things?

    My mother pats my head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about going to a beginner academy if you were strong in your previous life. The schools of this world are different than that of the other world. Instead of based on talent, the schools are separated by level. The beginner school will have students as high as the fourth realm then you will go to the intermediate school.¡±

    I smile, ¡°That actually seems better than what the system was before.¡±

    My mother walks on her own towards the door with Claire in tow, ¡°I will come in a week to pick you up for your new school. You shouldn¡¯t need anything.¡±

    I walk back to my bed to sit down. My heart rate through the roof. ¡°Have a safe trip to wherever you go.¡±

    She turns around as she exits the room, ¡°Oh, congratulations on making it to the first realm. I look forward to your success in the future.¡±

    My mother leaves while dragging Claire and closes the door. Silence returns to my room.

    I sigh and lay down onto my bed. How did they even get in here without me noticing them?

    Whatever. At least I get a week to relax from the craziness that is my family¡­ and Claire.

    Claire never ended up saying a lot this visit. I kind of pushed them out as soon as they started to ask me questions regarding my practice methods.

    Oh well, I feel like a nap now.

 Chapter 6: Road Trip

    I''m going to be completely honest with the readers and say that I have no idea how many of the things work on these forum type sites. I have almost no idea what I am doing.

    I looked for some tutorials in the forums and found a few things that helped me.

    I am learning as I go along and hope that you, the readers, are patient as I learn how to do things.

    I made the format of this chapter slightly easier to read<del> and I might go back and do the same to other chapters if I find the time to do so.  </del>   Every chapter has now been spaced properly. Sorry for the inconvenience.

    I managed to finish this chapter and chapter 7 along with it. Chapter 7 will come out tomorrow for sure and if I find time to finish up and edit chapter 8, it will come out the day after.

    Enjoy the chapter!

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Chapter 6:  Road Trip

    After a week I am still at C ranked first realm. Well, it really isn¡¯t that easy to get to the next rank. I sigh to myself in the empty room. Thankfully it has only been the nurse coming into my room. She brings me meals and takes me on walks every day. She really seems like a nice person except for the fact that she¡¯s a pervert.

    I stand up from the bed and walk towards the window. Today is the day I go back to Verandus. Claire isn¡¯t the childhood friend that I thought she was going to be, but oh well. It seems like my peaceful week will come to an abrupt stop.

    My mother thankfully left me a change of clothes to wear to get to our house so I can change into real clothes.

    I take a deep breath as the door to my hospital room opens. The nurse walks into the room with a sad look on her face. I fully turn towards her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Tears start to form in her eyes, ¡°You never told me you were leaving!¡±

    Did I not do that? I almost feel bad. I walk slowly towards her, ¡°Is my ride here to pick me up? Wait a second. As a nurse you should know that I was in good enough condition to go home soon anyways. On top of that, a nurse should be happy to see a person go home to their family.¡±

    Tears start to flow down her cheeks, ¡°I know that I should be happy that you can return, but you¡­ you made me so happy! The files changed overnight from saying you had at least another month to saying that you were ready to leave! On top of that, your mother is already here to pick you up!¡±

    What is this scenario? How do I comfort her? I put my hand on her head, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, okay? I know that you will miss me. People always tend to love what they cannot have. I will sadly say that I do not like you, maybe not even as a person, but someone out there might. It just isn¡¯t me.¡±

    She smiles weakly, ¡°Do you really think that there is someone who loves me?¡±

    I nod with confidence, ¡°I can guarantee that there is someone out there for you. You just have to look. He may be far, he may be close, or maybe even a she. I don¡¯t know what your real preferences are. Nor do I really care. But one thing is for sure, they/it are out there somewhere.¡±

    She wipes the tears from her eyes, ¡°Thank-you Mr. Ryu.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Not a problem. I will now take my leave.¡±

    I walk towards the door as quickly as possible. Where did that talk even come from? Why was I rude to her despite trying to cheer her up? Why was she still happy about it in the end? I walk out of the room and turn towards the elevator.

    Waiting in the hallway was my mother bent over and covering her mouth trying to stifle her laughter. She sees me and uncovers her mouth, ¡°That was the funniest thing I¡¯ve seen from you, you know?¡±

    I hit her on the head, ¡°I was just trying to get out of the room. I wasn¡¯t trying to be mean to her, it¡¯s just that she look really sad so I attempted to cheer her up.¡±

    She points into the room, ¡°Does that look like a woman who is sad to you?¡±

    I lean my head into the room. On the bed was the nurse shoving my pillow into her face and smelling it. I turn and walk towards the elevator, ¡°I see nothing.¡±

    I hear a soft moan come from the room I was previously in, ¡°I miss you already Mr. Ryu!¡±

    I cover my ears with my hands, ¡°I hear nothing!¡±

    I walk into the elevator with my mother following close behind. I finally take my hands off my ears as I get into the elevator. My mother leans towards me, ¡°So first we should go home so we can pack your stuff. Then we will drive you towards Verandus.¡±

    I nod, ¡°So what are the recommended items for Verandus beginner academy?¡±

    My mother walks out of the elevator onto the bottom floor. She walks towards the front of the building, ¡°You will need one set of day clothes, some form of entertainment, and one set of sleeping clothes.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Why so little clothing? Isn¡¯t hygiene a thing in the modern world?¡±

    My mother shakes her finger, ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should know as well as anyone else that there is magic to clean the clothes while they are still on the body. Even though fighters and mages do not get along, that doesn¡¯t mean that we have to deny the existence of spells at the martial academy, right?¡±

    I smile, ¡°I guess that makes sense.¡±

    My mother guides me to the car she drove in. She was driving an all-black car from 2025. It was a four door sports type car with nothing fancy on the outside. It still had two seats in the front with three in the back and a surprising amount of space for luggage in the trunk of the car.

    I open the door to the front passenger seat and see Sayaka. She waves at me while sitting in the car, ¡°Nice to see ya. I¡¯m coming along for the ride if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    I sigh as I close the door and step to open the rear passenger side door. Claire was sitting there and she points to the other side of the car, ¡°You¡¯re on the other side.¡±

    I feel like smashing my head into a wall. Why are they both here? I brace myself for an overly chaotic drive to Verandus, and open the rear driver side door. I sit down in the seat and put on my seatbelt.

    My mother looks at me in the rearview mirror. Apparently she got in the car at some point. ¡°You ready to go?¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready to go home and get my stuff. Why are Claire and Sayaka here though?¡±

    My mother starts the car, ¡°Well, a normal human being would be able to guess it by now, but I¡¯ll say it just in case.¡± Why is my mother so mean all of a sudden? ¡°They are just here for the ride since going to Verandus by any other means usually costs quite a bit of money. So in order to save money, they are coming along for the road trip.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Okay. Can we get going soon? I¡¯m excited to go to the Verandus beginner academy. Maybe I¡¯ll meet up with some people I knew in the previous world.¡±

    My mother starts to drive and Claire pokes my shoulder, ¡°Well, that¡¯s the issue. We don¡¯t know anything about your past life. You refuse to tell us anything. You absorb both the power of heaven and earth, yet seemingly do not have an element affinity, yet you managed to make it to the first realm. We are all very curious about the method you are practicing.¡±

    I want out of this car! I look out the window pretending not to hear Claire. ¡°What a nice view, eh?¡±

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.Out the window is a fifty story skyscraper. Sweat starts to form on my forehead. Not good, not good. Claire pouts, ¡°Come on! Just tell us anything about you!¡±

    I smile gently, ¡°Why is it really necessary for you people to know who I was? Does it really matter that much?¡±

    My mother, Sayaka, and Claire simultaneously shout, ¡°Yes!¡±

    I look towards Sayaka who was glaring daggers at me, ¡°Why are you even so curious about it? I met you because this body was stupid enough to jump in front of a train to save you, despite you easily being able to save yourself.¡±

    She looks down, embarrassed, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have ended any better for me if I was hit by the train. You risked your life to save mine.¡± She mumbles into her arm, ¡°I need to repay you somehow.¡±

    I tilt my head in confusion, ¡°Repay me? Also, this body did more than risk his life! He died! I was lucky to be able to kill the demon lord Alveros by sacrificing myself in the other world. When coming to this world I find out that my link to this world died!¡± I cover my mouth realizing what I just said.

    My mother turns onto the highway. The entire car silent. Shit! My mother knows that about the demon! I even told her the supreme emperor killed it!

    They all start to laugh. I tilt my head and frown, ¡°Why are you people laughing?¡±

    Sayaka is the first to recover from the laughing fit, ¡°Well, I already knew that you were the supreme emperor.¡±

    I hit my head of the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°You what!? How!?¡±

    Sayaka reaches back and pats my head, ¡°You know who I was in the other world?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I have no idea! What are you people going to do to me now!?¡± My voice was shaking slightly.

    Sayaka laughs lightly, ¡°I was the head guard at the castle you know. I was twenty five when the fight broke out. I was heavily injured and I was only able to receive the report before passing on. Also, you were the only person in the known world to have been able to be able to absorb both the power of heaven and earth.¡±

    I rub my eyes in frustration, ¡°I guess that makes sense. Was I the only person who didn¡¯t know that everyone knew about me using both the power of heaven and earth?¡±

    Claire pats my shoulder, ¡°Yeah, because it was considered to be a taboo punishable by death to talk about it near you or even talk about it in general. Only those who came in direct contact and or extremely close to you knew about it though. I was the head of the martial emperor¡¯s battle maids in the other world if you were wondering.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°by the way, I was wondering why some people refer to the title as martial emperor or fighter emperor. Is it just me or are there two names for the same thing?¡±

    My mother jumps into our conversation, ¡°It seems to be a preference thing. It is the exact same position though. Anyways, how hard was it to say that you were the supreme emperor?¡±

    I frown, ¡°Well, I never wanted to say it because it seemed like many people would try to kill me while I was still weak. I had a lot of enemies in the other world believe it or not.¡±

    They all nod. Claire sighs, ¡°I know all too well the grudges that people have against you. You should know that it is only people close to you who knew. Those people who held grudges were deceived somehow, no matter how much people tried to tell them they would not believe that you were able to use both the power of heaven and earth.¡±

    I smile slightly, ¡°Does that mean that my rivals won¡¯t try to kill me instantly?¡±

    Claire shrugs her shoulders, ¡°I dunno.¡±

    I hit my head of the driver¡¯s seat again. My mother yells back, ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t distract the driver!¡±

    I lean back in my seat, ¡°Sorry mother.¡±

    We ride in awkward silence all the way to my house. The drive was only ten minutes total.

    My mother stops the engine of the car after we park in the driveway, ¡°Okay Ryu, go get your stuff quick we girls will stay in the car and wait for you out here. Don¡¯t bother deleting your browser history either, I already checked it. Your body had some weird tastes.¡±

    I open my door and ignore her comment. I walk towards the house and open the front door with my key.

    I walk to my room quickly and change into a black long sleeved shirt and blue jeans. I pack a dark blue long sleeve and a pair of jeans. I grab some clothes to sleep in. I stuff my laptop, a charging cable and a wireless mouse into my bag and zip it up.

    I sigh as I quickly return to the car. As I get back out to the car, I see that Claire and Sayaka¡¯s faces are so red that I can almost see the steam rising.

    I open the rear driver¡¯s side door and get into the car after putting my luggage into the trunk. I tap my mother¡¯s shoulder before she starts the car and she turns around, ¡°Yes my child?¡±

    I point to the two red blobs, ¡°What did you say to make them like that?¡±

    She puts her hand on her cheek, ¡°Oh my, what did I say? Can one of you two girls remind me?¡±

    Sayaka goes to hit my mother, but her fist is caught, ¡°Like I could say that with him here!¡±

    Claire recovers slightly and says quickly, ¡°Your mother asked us if we could seduce you!¡±

    I look towards my mother with a hint of disgust and a lot of anger, ¡°Why would you make these girls do something like that when you very well know that I have to get stronger quickly. I don¡¯t have time for a relationship.¡±

    She smiles widely, ¡°Oh my, so vicious. I was just teasing them a little, just to try and make it more interesting for when you arrive at the academy.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Now why would you have to do that?¡±

    She laughs, a hint of evil can be heard, ¡°You know that this year, there seemed to be a large amount of men that had links.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°The guys¡¯ dorms were kind of full.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    My mother starts the engine to the car and drives onto the road, ¡°So I got the principal to agree to put you in the girls¡¯ dorm. However you could not be trusted in your own room, as you have the body of a depraved teenager, it was decided that you would be put into a room with Sayaka and Claire!¡±

    ¡°NO! NO! NO!¡±

    She shrugs her shoulders, ¡°I went ahead to agree with it since you don¡¯t seem to have feelings for them anyways.¡±

    I beat my own head with my fists, ¡°Why!? Can¡¯t you just get me to sign a blood oath? I¡¯d rather do anything than to sleep in the same room as two women who may or may not get the urge to attack me!¡±

    Claire frowns, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t attack you. I would just kill you!¡±

    I turn to my mother, ¡°See! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡±

    She shrugs her shoulders, ¡°Oh my. It seems like you will have a great time at Verandus academy.¡±

    I sigh in defeat as I look out the window. I am going to have a wonderful time at Verandus, just wonderful.

    My mother turns onto the major highway going east, ¡°Oh yeah. You should look out the window if you want to see something really cool happen.¡±

    As the car slowly leaves the city limits it looks like any other highway going through the countryside. Green grass on either side of the road with trees scattered throughout fields of grass.

    The car suddenly slows down rapidly as we turn onto a dirt road. After five minutes there is a paved stretch of road with no lines painted onto it to the right of the road.

    The car swerves onto the paved stretch of road and accelerates.

    As the car hits 80 miles per hour the sky instantly changes to a deep red color. The trees disappear and it changes to a barren land devoid of all life.

 Chapter 7: Verandus Beginner Academy

    This chapter is about 3500 words long. Chapter 8 is finished and just needs to be edited.

    Without edits chapter 8 is 4500 words long. I hope everyone enjoys reading these chapters as much as I enjoy writing them. Chapter 9 may or may not be done for Monday. I will not make a false promise. I had a sudden burst of inspiration and managed to write ~10000 words in two days. This may happen again, or it may not.

    Anyways, Enjoy the chapter!

    Chapter 7: Verandus Beginner Academy

    The barren land went on into the hills, and probably beyond that. The dirt was a red color, almost like the surface of mars. My jaw drops. What is with this wasteland? How can this planet support life? I cough to grab my mother¡¯s attention, ¡°What is this? It seems so bare compared to, you know. A habitable planet!¡±

    The road the car was driving on is just a long stretch of road that leads into the mountains with no lines painted on it.

    My mother laughs slightly, ¡°This planet actually is not a habitable planet. It was a planet overrun by low level monsters before humans conquered it. Some ninth realm freaks decided to colonize this planet because it is near the edge of the universe. The technology mankind currently has is enough for us to send large groups of people to other planets to colonize, and be able to support themselves even without a proper atmosphere. This planet¡¯s official name is ¡®Behemoth¡¯. It has this name because the power of heaven and earth on this planet is quite a bit denser than most other planets relative to the safety of the planet. More dangerous planets may have more dense power, however the danger will increase relative to the increase in the power of heaven and earth.¡±

    I nod my head, mostly understanding all the new information. It seems that the universe is indeed different from the knowledge in this body.

    The rest of the drive to Verandus is mostly silent, save for Claire and Sayaka singing assorted pop songs together randomly.

    After driving past many metallic like buildings, a large open courtyard with a church-like structure in the center. Old style buildings are behind the main church-like structure. The opening to the courtyard is blocked by a large metal gate.

    My mother stops the car at the front gate. A man in a tail coat walks over from the gate. My mother stops the car, ¡°Okay everyone, get out of the car and grab your stuff from the trunk of the car. The last little stretch is on foot here. Ryu, come with me to the main office and we will go speak with the principal of the academy.¡±

    I nod and get out of the car nervously. I go to the trunk and grab my one bag of luggage and walk towards my mother. She tosses the keys to the man in the tail coat, ¡°Put the car in the usual storage.¡±

    The man bows slightly then gets into the car to drive off. I take a deep breath as I look at the entrance gate. The gate is roughly twenty feet tall. The gate slowly opens while we stand in front of it. Without waiting for it to fully open, my mother starts walking.

    I follow behind her, anxious to meet the principal. Claire and Sayaka went towards one of the buildings in the back, while my mother and I walk towards the church-like building.

    We enter through the front door of the building, and walk straight down the center of the hallway. The corridors were empty and had various paintings of fantasy type landscapes. Is this what other planets look like?

    My mother suddenly stops and turns to the door on her left and knocks, ¡°Hello, Mr. Principal. I have brought my son, Ryu.¡±

    A warm and comforting male voice comes from inside the room, ¡°You may enter.¡±

    My mother opens the door and motions for me to follow her. I nod as I take a deep breath, then enter into the room.

    The room was quite spacious. It had a large desk between two large windows on the back wall. In the middle of the room were two couches on either side of a small table. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with various colored and faded books.

    There was a man sitting in a large office chair. He was slim with light brown hair. He looked no older than thirty. I wonder what his age really is though.

    The man motions for us to sit down, ¡°Please, have a seat anywhere.¡±

    I sit on the couch on the left while my mother sits on the couch to the right. The principal folds his hands and looks to me, ¡°I welcome you to the Verandus beginner academy. I hope you will enjoy your time here.¡±

    I bow slightly, ¡°Thank you for having me here.¡±

    He then looks towards my mother, ¡°So. Vice principal. I heard you made another decision on your own again.¡±

    She scratches her head, ¡°Oh my. I was found out already.¡±

    I stare at my mother in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re the vice principal?¡±

    She nods without looking at me, making eye contact with only the principal. ¡°That is correct.¡±

    The principal coughs, ¡°I heard that you put him into the girls dorm, not only that. You put him in a room with two other girls, when there are so many empty rooms.¡±

    She smiles weakly, ¡°But¡­ the male dorms are full, so I thought-¡°

    He slams his hands on the table, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you think. There was a previous decision to take a section of the female dorm and give it to men who don¡¯t fit into the male dorms!¡±

    My mother has a sad look on her face, ¡°But-¡°

    He stands up, ¡°There are no buts! You are dismissed! Leave immediately! And Ryu!¡± He shouts my name.

    Under the oppressive atmosphere I reflexively stand up and shout, ¡°Yes sir!?¡±

    He gives me a gentle smile as soon as my mother leaves the room, ¡°You can relax. It must have been upsetting to you by being placed into a dorm room with two other women. I have already reassigned your rooming to a section of the female dorms that only has male students who could not fit into the male dorms. You are going to be in a two person room with another person, of the male gender.¡±

    I nod quickly, ¡°Thank you very much. I cannot imagine how horrible it would have been to attempt to focus with women in the same room as myself. Also, I have one question for you.¡±

    He slowly walks towards the door, ¡°Ask me while I walk you to your room.¡±

    I start to follow behind him, ¡°How much do you know about me and my life in the previous world?¡±

    He smiles, ¡°I know everything. There is also no need to hide anything from your teacher and roommate as they have already been informed about you. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you which class you¡¯re in. Ah, I¡¯ll just get your roommate to tell you since you two are in the same class as it is. He will also give you a tour of the school. The school year just started so don¡¯t worry about catching up in anything.¡±

    I let out a sigh of relief as we exit the main building and head towards the female dorms. We enter through a door on the side of the building and the principal turns towards me and stops walking, ¡°This will be your room.¡± He then hands me a key with the numbers ¡®107¡¯ engraved on it, ¡°This is the key to your room. Please do not lose it. One last thing. If you ever have any troubles just come to my office, my real name is Damion, I don¡¯t mind if you use it.¡±

    Damion walks away leaving me alone in front of room 107. I take a deep breath as I unlock the door to the room. I slowly walk into the room with my luggage.

    A loud, enthusiastic shout comes from the bed on the left side, ¡°Come on man, hurry up and come in already. What ya so nervous about?¡±

    I walk into the room and close and lock the door behind me. I look to the guy sitting on the bed. He had black hair that was put into spikes covering his head. He was wearing white undershirt with a blue buttoned shirt, with the buttons undone. He had a friendly smile on his face he stretches out his hand.

    ¡°Nice to meet ya, my name is Jared.¡±

    I shake his hand with a smile on my face, ¡°Like wise. My name is Ryu.¡±

    He lets go of my hand, ¡°In the previous world I was a country bumpkin who grew up knowing little of the world. In this world it was pretty much the same.¡± He laughs lightly.

    I laugh with him, ¡°I was the supreme emperor, and I ruled the other world for a few years. This world, I was hit by a train and lost my right arm and a few internals. I got a three year timer ticking away.¡±

    He frowns, ¡°Woah. That sounds harsh.¡± He scratches his head, ¡°I don¡¯t really know much about the other world, but I do know some stuff about this one.¡±

    I sit down on the bed on the opposite side of the room, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my issues. Nothing that can¡¯t be solved with a little bit of elbow grease.¡±

    His smile returns and he laughs, ¡°True enough!¡±

    We laugh together for a while. I unpack my stuff and put it into the drawer underneath the bed. After unpacking I return to sitting on the bed and look around the room. The walls are a pale white color, the floor was a light brown carpet. There were two beds with matching white sheets on either side of the room. One closet just past the entryway, and a bathroom with a sink, toilet and a small shower. In front of my bed slightly around the corner of the closet is a writing desk, but it only has one chair.

    Jared pats my shoulder to get my attention, ¡°Hey.¡±

    I smile, ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±

    He points to the door, ¡°The principal told me earlier that you would need a tour of the school grounds. Wanna go do that now to get it over with?¡±

    I nod happily, ¡°Yeah. That would be awesome.¡±

    We both stand up at the same time and I let him open the door. He opens the door and walks out into the hallway. He points to the left coming out of the room, ¡°Down that way is the real female dorm. One of the other students said to me that the older female students live on this side, so they don¡¯t have to worry about us first years trying to get them.¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    I wonder how Claire and Sayaka are. I hope they got the news that I wasn¡¯t going to be staying with them.

    As if on que two girls come running down the hall, ¡°You two! Stop right there!¡±

    But it wasn¡¯t Claire and Sayaka. One girl had long hair in twin tails, while the other girl only had hair slightly down her neck. They were both average height and wore some sort of uniform that reminded me of a boarding school.

    ¡°What do you think you are doing in the female dorm!?¡±

    I tilt my head and look towards Jared, ¡°Hey Jared.¡±

    Jared was a stiff as a board, ¡°Yes Ryu?¡±

    I point to them, ¡°Why don¡¯t they know this is the guy¡¯s section of the dorm now since the male dorms were full?¡±

    Jared¡¯s face goes pale, ¡°Well, um. I¡¯m not sure but you should really stop pointing. The one with the twin tails is the ¡®Queen¡¯ of the first years. While the one with the short hair is her ¡®Royal Aide¡¯.¡±

    I look towards the queen and lower my hand. I smile and lightly bow, ¡°Nice to meet you Ms. Queen. My name is Ryu. I regret to inform you that this section is for the male students. I had the principal himself lead me here.¡±

    She clicks her tongue, ¡°Tch. We were not informed of this at all. We will take this to the vice principal immediately!¡±

    Vice principal? Why not the person in charge of it all?

    Jared and I get dragged by the ¡®Queen¡¯ and her aide to the vice principal¡¯s office.

    The ¡®Queen¡¯ knocks at the door to the vice principal¡¯s office, ¡°I¡¯m coming in!¡±

    This room was identical to the principal¡¯s office. My mother was sitting in the chair at the desk looking towards the window.

    She turns around with a wicked grin on her face, ¡°So, who have you brought to me today?¡±

    The ¡®Queen¡¯ pushes us into the room, ¡°I caught these two in the female dorms saying that it was now the guy¡¯s section of the dorm now.¡±

    But it is the guy¡¯s section now! Is what I wanted to yell, but I knew it was not the time to talk back. Also, what is even going on here? Shouldn¡¯t the girls at least know that there is a guy¡¯s section in their own dorm!?

    My mother stares at Jared and I, ¡°Oh my. You should know that sneaking into the girl¡¯s dorm is an offense punishable by expulsion, right?¡±

    Jared¡¯s face goes pale and he lowers his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am, but the principal has several male students in the female dorms male section due to the overcrowding of the real male dorms.¡±

    A smile appears on my mother¡¯s face for a split second, then it returns to a stern look. Jared who had his head down, obviously didn¡¯t notice.

    The ¡®Queen¡¯ changes her expression to one full of rage, ¡°You dare talk back!¡±

    My mother raises her hand to stop the ¡®Queen¡¯, ¡°Enough shouting. By my order as the vice president you two are now her slaves for your stay at the acad-¡°

    ¡°GOD DAMMIT VICE PRESIDENT!¡± the door to the office is kicked open by the principal, Damion. ¡°YOU HAD ONE JOB!! ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS INFORM THEM OF THE SECTION BEING TURNED INTO A MALE SECTION! YOU HAD A WHOLE YEAR TO PREPARE!! YET YOU STILL DIDN¡¯T TELL THEM!!¡±

    My mother¡¯s face instantly goes pale as the principal comes in the room, ¡°Oh my. Did I forget to do that?¡±

    He finally sees me and Jared standing in front of her desk with the two girls beside us. He angrily looks at my mother, thankfully he didn¡¯t yell, he just sighs. ¡°Why on earth would you drag your own son into this? I heard the part about trying to make him a slave, so don¡¯t even try to hide that. Even Jared! My god you are a despicable woman!¡±

    The ¡®Queen¡¯ looks at Damion with an agitated expression, ¡°Who are you to yell at the vice principal?¡±

    Damion smiles at her gently, ¡°I am the principal of this academy.¡±

    Her face goes pale, and she bows, ¡°Sorry sir! Won¡¯t happen again sir!¡±

    The ¡®Queen¡¯ and her aide quickly run out of the room. The ¡®Queen¡¯ glancing back just to glare at me.

    Damion sighs, ¡°Poor Ryu. You fell into a scheme from your own mother. I will call an emergency schoolwide meeting. You two do not have to come as you already know what I am going to talk about. Unless you want everyone to know you have a connection to the principal and even blood relation to this insect.¡± He points to my mother.

    I shake my head, ¡°I¡¯ll pass on being known. I want to try and fly low while I am still weak. Until I reach the second realm I have no skills to use.¡±

    Damion laughs, ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re partway there.¡± He waves his hand and a book appears in his hand. Hey what was that!? ¡°I forgot to give this to you earlier Jared. This is the one you wanted, correct?¡± Damion throws the book towards Jared.

    He catches the book and opens it to the first page, ¡°Yeah, thanks pop.¡±

    Pop? Wait! As in Father!? Really!?

    Damion laughs, ¡°I guess Ryu would have found out eventually eh? As you have easily found out. Jared is my son. Another reason he was chosen as your roommate.¡±

    That makes so much sense! I look to the book in his hands, I can¡¯t see the title of the book from this angle.

    Jared glances at his dad then looks at me, ¡°In this world I may be his son, but in the other world I was just an ordinary farm hand. I never went for my affinity test, nor did I make it to a higher realm. I was killed by suffocation at the age of five. It was a weird magic from some black robed man in a village on the far side of the continent. All I saw was a man in black robes take a twelve year old child away.¡±

    I get a chill down my spine. Was that the village I was raised in? How can I confirm? I take a deep breath, ¡°So Jared, did that village have a population of less than two hundred?¡±

    He nods, ¡°Yeah. It was a small peaceful village. I feel bad for that small boy though. Anyways, this book is a practice method for those with a lightning affinity.¡±

    I start to panic slightly, ¡°Was the name of the village Korten?¡±

    His jaw drops, ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    I point to myself, ¡°You¡¯re looking at that child that was taken away. Well, not physically. In the other world. Well, you get the point¡±

    He just stares at me for a while. After a long period of time a serious look covers his face, ¡°Did you at least kill the bastard behind it?¡±

    I think back, ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever killed the man in the black robe. However, I did end up killing the man behind it all.¡±

    He gives me a thumbs up, ¡°Then that¡¯s all that counts right?¡±

    I laugh as I put my hand on his shoulder, ¡°I guess it is!¡±

    We laugh together for a couple of minutes.

    My mother coughs loudly to get everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°So. Am I good to leave now?¡±

    The principal glares at her, ¡°No! You are coming with me to the emergency school wide meeting!¡± He then turns to me and Jared, ¡°Jared, if you could take Ryu around the grounds for a tour that would be most appreciated, you may ignore the announcement that will be made shortly.¡±

    Jared and I nod then leave the room.

    Jared puts his arm around my shoulder, ¡°Who knew we were born in the same village and even end up on the same planet after coming to this world!¡±

    I laugh while walking beside him, ¡°That is just amazing to me. Once you come to hear some stories, you¡¯ll really be happy about us knowing each other!¡±

    He points to a small building beside the female dorms, ¡°That is the school library. Most knowledge gathered by the UKC is in there.¡±

    I nod slowly. I should go there at some point to try and learn some information regarding this world and the other worlds.

    ¡°ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF! EVERYONE PLEASE REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY HALL FOR AN EMERGENCY SCHOOL WIDE MEETING! I REPEAT! ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF TO THE ASSEMBLY HALL FOR AN EMERGENCY SCHOOL WIDE MEETING!¡±

    The message reverberated throughout the skies.

    Jared points to a large dome shaped building, ¡°That is the assembly hall. Graduation and other school events are usually held in the assembly hall over there.¡±

    I laugh lightly, ¡°That looks like it would be crowded.¡±

    Jared shrugs his shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. I was only there for the entrance ceremony though.¡± We walk behind the female dorm and see many female students heading towards the assembly hall. He points to the buildings to the right of the male dorms, ¡°That¡¯s the third year classes. Next to that is second year, and on the end is the first year classrooms.¡± He points to the building to the left, ¡°And that is the fourth year classes.¡±

    I smile, ¡°That is really easy to understand.¡±

    He nods, ¡°Ya it is! Anyways, our class is the general arts class. This is because there are a lot of people like me who died young without really getting to know much about how things work. You were put in that class, well because you don¡¯t have an element.¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°What happens to the poor souls that don¡¯t have an element that aren¡¯t like me?¡±

    He frowns, ¡°They have their memories wiped and are put into regular society like what our bodies experienced until we establish a link from the other world.¡±

    I quickly change the topic, ¡°So. Is that everything?¡±

    He nods, ¡°Ya, I think that should be everything for now.¡± He nods to himself again, ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go to the training fields to try and practice this method I just got from my father.¡±

    Jared runs to behind the male dorms. I guess that¡¯s where the training fields are. What are they anyways? I¡¯ll just get Claire or Sayaka to show me around tomorrow.

    I guess I¡¯ll just go back to my room now.

 Chapter 8: First rest day

    Enjoy the chapter!!

    Chapter 8: First rest day

    I went to sleep earlier than normal due to the contents of the day. When I went to sleep Jared hadn¡¯t returned so I left a note on the door for him.

    I open my eyes and see Jared still asleep in the bed on the other side of the room. I laugh as I look at the prosthetic arm laying on the ground. Looks like it fell off last night while I was sleeping.

    I quietly change into day clothes using one arm.

    It is still dark out. Wait. I don¡¯t remember seeing a sun. What causes there to be light in the sky then?

    I sigh to myself as I carry my prosthetic in my armpit and quietly leave the room. I am not skilled enough to put it on in the dark yet. The arm is able to be worn 24/7. But it needs to be cleaned occasionally. I think I¡¯ll clean it before putting it on.

    I walk into the public bathrooms at the end up the dorm marked ¡®Men¡¯.

    I grab some paper towel and wet it a little. I wipe the arm down with the paper towel. I wish it looked like a real arm. I wish I could regrow my arm like I will my internal organs.

    I walk out of the bathroom and go outside where there is slightly better light. None of the lights in the entire dorm are on. Does nobody wake up early?

    I take off my shirt and position the prosthetic between my legs. I move the stump of my right arm over the prosthetic.

    ¡°Aaahhhhh!¡±

    A hear a very girly scream behind me. I turn around to see who it is.

    The ¡®Queen¡¯ is standing there in casual clothes by herself. I wave to her with my right arm¡­ well, it just looks like me waving a stump around¡­.

    She falls to her knees, ¡°Y-Your arm!!¡±

    I look at the stump. It doesn¡¯t look to abnormal does it? It was a clean cut, the hospital really cleaned it up nicely too.

    I just tilt my head while looking at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±

    Her jaw drops, ¡°How can a martial practitioner live without his right arm!?¡±

    I attach the prosthetic and the electrodes so that I can move it, ¡°It doesn¡¯t really affect me too much you know. My methods are based on manipulating energy rather than manipulating my body.¡±

    The ¡®Queen¡¯ just laughs, ¡°Where I came from. If you lose a limb, you have to kill yourself or you would dishonor you family.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Is that not a little extreme? This might even give me an advantage later once I get to higher realms.¡±

    She looks down on me, ¡°How so?¡±

    I stand up. I was slightly taller than her. ¡°Well, people might underestimate me and then get themselves into trouble when they realize that I am stronger than them.¡±

    She turns towards the building, ¡°Fine then. It seems like you are okay with it anyways.¡±

    I give her back an evil smile, ¡°You know. Weren¡¯t you just panicking about my arm? Why does it seem like you don¡¯t care all of a sudden?¡±

    She walks towards the dorm, ¡°Why would I care about a lowly C-rank like you!? Even from the general class.¡± She spits in my direction, ¡°I hate when filth take advantage of my kindness.¡±

    It is so easy to provoke this kind of person. ¡°Thank you for worrying about such a lowly c-rank as myself.¡± I say that in the most sarcastic tone I can while bowing.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± She walks away.

    I sigh as I sit back down onto the ground. That ¡®Queen¡¯ is too full of herself. She should learn what true power is soon enough though.

    I sit on the grass and look up at the red colored sky that is slowly lighting up. It looks as if there is a superheated planet that provides light to this planet. That is what gives it this red sky color.

    I should practice manipulating the power of heaven and earth into shields. It might be useful. I was able to do it when I reached the third realm in the other world, but I never really had a chance to use it.

    I close my eyes and focus on the void space near my heart. The power of heaven and earth floating in separate areas. I force the power to float outside my body.

    The power of heaven and earth is invisible, but it is easy to sense. If I condense it into a thin membrane over my skin, that should be able to protect me.

    I work on condensing the power of heaven and earth into a thin membrane over my skin.

    Success! The power of heaven and earth is currently a rock hard, yet flexible membrane over my skin. It seems to stay even after I drop my focus.

    How quickly can I form it? I absorb the power of heaven and earth that I released and circulate it once to return it fully to the gas-like state.

    I deploy it as fast as I can.

    Without stress. Instant! It is practically instant! This is amazing!

    Isn¡¯t this too unbelievable? This is a cheat! In this world is my existence a cheat? Still.

    I need to do some research on this later. I need to understand why this is happening right now.

    This is going to be a perfect defense for a last second save. It uses all the power of heaven and earth in my body at the C-ranked first realm, so I can only use it to protect myself from one hit.

    Still. It was successful!

    I open my eyes. The sky was now a lot brighter. I was laying down in the grass without a shirt on. I quickly put on my shirt and look around.

    I forgot that I¡¯m not supposed to use heaven power at this school!

    Thankfully there was no one around. I let out a sigh of relief.

    I decide to go back to room 107 and lay in my bed for a bit. I move around the prosthetic arm to make sure I put it on properly.  It moves with no issues.

    I walk back into the dorm, and the lights in the dorm were now on. I wonder if Jared¡¯s awake yet.

    I push the key into the lock and open the door. Jared was sitting on his bed reading the book he got from his father with a sad expression.

    I make some noise at the door to grab his attention then talk, ¡°What¡¯s with the sad expression?¡±

    He closes the book as I close the door behind me, ¡°I can¡¯t seem to get to the first realm.¡±

    I sit down on my bed and look at him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it that you can¡¯t use this method or is it something else?¡±

    He tosses the book to me, ¡°Read this book and help me figure it out. I have no idea what I¡¯m doing wrong.¡±

    I open the book after catching it.

    ¡®Before step one even starts, please focus and absorb a miniscule amount of earth power.

    After that, move it to the void type space without absorbing it into your veins and manipulate it into a lightning bolt shape.¡¯

    I pass the book back to him, ¡°Do you know what earth power is?¡±

    He nods, ¡°Yeah, earth power is the opposite of heaven power. Earth power is absorbed by fighters in order to increase their realm and in order to use martial techniques.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Do you know which is which?¡±

    He frowns, ¡°To be honest no.¡±

    I pat his shoulder empathetically, ¡°It¡¯s okay not to know. Most people don¡¯t at first. You just missed a small part of research is all. In your body are these invisible channels called ¡®veins¡¯. One set goes around your internal organs, brain and heart. The other goes to the outer limbs and the brain and heart. So before I tell you which is which. Absorb whichever type of power you can and I will try to help you understand the problem.¡±

    Jared nods slowly and closes his eyes.

    After a short while, he opens them, ¡°The power went through the veins near my internal organs.¡±

    Heaven veins! This kid is a mage! Okay, stay calm and approach this carefully. ¡°Hey, do you want to go talk to your father in his office?¡±

    Jared frowns, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why can¡¯t we talk about it here? Come on man, I thought we were friends.¡±

    I nod quickly, ¡°We are friends you know. Have you shown this to anyone else, anyone at all?¡±

    He lowers his head, ¡°No. I thought it was embarrassing that I couldn¡¯t even get to the first realm in two years, so I asked my father for different techniques constantly after figuring out I had affinity with the lightning element.¡±

    I sigh in relief, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good. Well, um. There is no reason to be ashamed. I will help you tell your father. Is that okay with you?¡±

    His face brightens, ¡°Will you really help me break it to my father?¡±

    I nod, ¡°What else are friends for if not for helping out?¡±

    He stands up and walks towards the door, ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±

    I stand up and quickly follow him, ¡°Yeah!¡±

    We walk together to the principal¡¯s office. We make it there in record time. Jared was almost running the entire way to the office.

    Jared doesn¡¯t even knock and walks right into the office.

    Damion was sitting at his desk writing on some papers. He looks up at us and smiles, ¡°Oh. If it isn¡¯t my son and Ryu! How are you guys?¡±

    Jared looks at me and I nod. Jared drops to his knees and puts his forehead on the ground, ¡°Sorry father! I¡¯m not able to practice that method either!¡±

    Damion stands up, ¡°Son! Raise your head! We can just find you a new martial method.¡±

    He keeps his head on the ground, ¡°I¡¯m sorry father! I can¡¯t practice any martial method because I¡¯m usel-¡°

    ¡°He¡¯s a mage.¡± I interrupt Jared¡¯s apology.

    I get empty stares from the father and son combo.

    Devron gives me a very serious look, ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°I¡¯m a hundred percent sure. Only his heaven veins are unblocked. I got him to absorb power and he circulated it in his heaven veins.¡±

    Damion smiles, ¡°No wonder martial methods didn¡¯t work!¡±

    Jared raises his head to look at his father, ¡°You aren¡¯t upset?¡±

    Damion just laughs, ¡°Why on earth would I be upset? I finally found a way for my son to become powerful. Perhaps more powerful than myself!¡±

    Jared looks at me, ¡°Thanks Ryu.¡±

    I smile as I pat his shoulder, ¡°No problem. It¡¯s what friends are for you know?¡±

    He smiles as he gets up to hug me, ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for helping me!¡±

    Damion smiles, ¡°He¡¯s right Ryu, had you not come along, he would have perhaps been bullied and tortured by the other students. I truly owe you for helping my only son.¡±

    I shake my hands in denial, ¡°No, no. You don¡¯t need to owe me anything, I did it for a friend because I wanted to.¡±

    Damion shakes his head with his eyes closed, ¡°If you deny it like that I can only say this. Think of it as your friend¡¯s father giving you a present.¡±

    I lower my head in thanks, ¡°If you say it like that, it is indeed impossible to refuse a favor. However, at the moment I do not have anything I require. I will take a rain check on the offer though.¡±

    Damion nods, ¡°Of course, of course. Just let me know if you ever need anything.¡± He takes a deep breath. ¡°However, this does put you in a unique situation. Since Jared is actually a mage, he cannot go to this academy. Meaning you no longer have a roommate. Alone in your room in the female dorms. See the issue?¡±

    I put my right hand over my heart and raise my left hand, ¡°I swear on my life and the next that I will not do anything to any of the females within the dorm.¡± I lower my hands, ¡°I will also sign a paper contract if necessary.¡±

    Damion nods, ¡°I will get you to sign a contract then.¡±

    Damion walks towards the desk and finds a blank piece of paper and starts writing it in pen.

    ¡®I [print name here] agree to not defile any women without their consent in writing.

    In the case of breaking this rule. Said person must remover their own right arm from below the elbow.¡¯

    I look at the contract in front of me on the table. I look to Damion and he smiles, ¡°This is fair right?¡±

    I roll up the sleeve on my right arm. My shirt was a long sleeve so it took a while to roll up to above my elbow. I remove the prosthetic, ¡°I thought my mother told you, I¡¯m missing my right arm.¡±

    Can people really not tell that this is a prosthetic when I¡¯m wearing a long sleeved shirt? It makes no sense to me! It is black and clearly has mechanical parts! How does it look real in any way?

    His jaw drops as he looks at my stump of a right arm. He quickly grabs the contract and tears it up, ¡°I¡¯ll just take your word for it. Also, please tell me your mother wasn¡¯t lying about the supreme emperor thing¡­ because that would be really embarrassing for me if she did lie.¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    I laugh, ¡°The supreme emperor thing is true. Just wait until the stories about me come in from other people. I think you will enjoy some of my feats.¡± I start to put the prosthetic back on.

    He laughs nervously, ¡°Should I call someone to finish your tour of the school? I have a feeling Jared didn¡¯t do a very good job.¡±

    I nod quickly, ¡°He may have missed a few things. I have someone I know so, please call for someone named Claire¡­ I think she is in the second year.¡±

    Ten minutes later, Claire appears at the door to the office, ¡°I¡¯m here Mr. Principal!¡±

    Jared had left to go pack his things in his room. Damion was going to send him to his contact at the mage academy on the other side of Verandus.

    Damion shouts, ¡°Please come in.¡±

    Claire comes into the room, ¡°What did you call me here for principal?¡±

    Damion points to me, ¡°I need you to show Ryu around the school. He tells me you two know each other, which makes this process even faster for me. Make sure you take him around the entire academy and show him directly to the first year general arts class.¡±

    Claire sees me then smiles, ¡°Of course I can do that. It is a rest day after all.¡±

    I should ask when classes start.

    As I was about to open my mouth Damion waves us away, ¡°Out you go now, I have some important files to look at and phone calls to make. Oh god, so many things to do!¡±

    Claire starts walking out of the office and I follow her. She doesn¡¯t even turn to me the entire way out of the main building.

    After we exit the building Claire turns to me, ¡°Ryu, did you perhaps get into an argument with someone titled ¡®Queen¡¯?¡±

    I laughs slightly, ¡°Kind of. You see it was a scheme that my mother had planned out to enslave some male students to her. Turns out, I was friends with the principal¡¯s son, and a friend of the principal himself.¡± I shrug my shoulders.

    Claire smiles, ¡°That¡¯s just like the old you. Not caring about anything. Anyways, I asked that because she said she met someone that had a prosthetic right arm just outside the female dorms. I guess it¡¯s the male section now though.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yeah, the prosthetic fell off last night while I was sleeping so I had to go outside to put it on because all the lights in the entire dorm were turned off when I woke up.¡±

    Claire sighs, ¡°That makes even more sense to me now. You see, she has decided to put everything she has into destroying you.¡±

    ¡°Why!? I don¡¯t remember doing anything wrong!¡±

    ¡°It seems she likes you.¡±

    ¡°How does that relate to this?¡±

    She shrugs her shoulders, ¡°Figure that out yourself.¡±

    I sigh deeply, ¡°Can¡¯t we just start the tour now? Also, when do classes start?¡±

    Claire nods, ¡°So classes start tomorrow for elements and the day after tomorrow for general arts. First stop on the tour is the female dorms.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°But I already know where that is.¡±

    She laughs, ¡°I wanna show you my room and introduce you to my roommates. We will also collect Sayaka for the tour.

    ¡°Collect? Doesn¡¯t that make her sound like an object?¡±

    Claire smiles, ¡°I dunno~¡±

    I lower my head and sigh as I am led towards Claire¡¯s room in the female dorm. Her room is room ¡®256¡¯. It is on the second floor of the three stories of the dorms. Claire takes out her key and opens the door.

    The room is almost identical except for the fact that it is larger and has four beds and two desks. A four person dorm room.

    Claire drags me into the room with an evil grin on her face, ¡°I brought a new student that I¡¯m going to be showing around! Please be nice to him while I get ready!¡± She pushes me into the center of the room while running into the bathroom.

    I bow without looking at the people in the room, ¡°Hello, my name is Ryu. Nice to meet everyone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

    I hear a loud shout from a familiar voice. I raise my head and see two empty beds, Sayaka laying in another bed on top of the covers reading a book, and ¡®Queen¡¯ standing up and pointing at me.

    Sayaka waves to me over her book without looking at me, ¡°What¡¯s up Ryu?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Not much, just going to get Claire to show me around the school. Oh yeah, she wants you to come with us for some reason.¡±

    She closes her book and rolls over onto her face, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go!¡±

    I laugh as I see Sayaka¡¯s reaction. ¡®Queen¡¯ sits back down with an angry expression. I look towards her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong Ms. ¡®Queen¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Kelly!¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°What?¡±

    She glares at me, ¡°My name is Kelly! Use it!¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Okay ¡®Kelly¡¯.¡± I turn towards the bathroom, ¡°You almost ready to go Claire!? Sayaka said that she didn¡¯t want to come with us!¡±

    Claire peeks her head out of the bathroom, ¡°Are you not arguing with Kelly?¡±

    I look towards Kelly over my shoulder. She has an angry expression on her face. I just shrug my shoulders. I look back towards Claire, ¡°Let¡¯s go then if you¡¯re ready.¡±

    I grab her by her head and drag her out of the room. Claire doesn¡¯t fight as she is dragged out of the room.

    Claire sighs, ¡°That was boring. I was hoping she would try to attack you or something. I guessed she would by the way she was talking about you last night and after the morning.¡±

    I hit her head, ¡°Don¡¯t try to start fights. It¡¯s bad.¡±

    She grabs her head, ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like a child! Seriously!¡±

    Claire points towards the first year class building, ¡°We will head there so I can show you where your classroom is.¡±

    I nod and start walking towards the building together with Claire. The grounds were not empty by any means. There were a large amount of students walking around in random directions. A lot of the students were walking in groups of two¡¯s and three¡¯s. There were still the odd person alone, but they were heading in the direction of the practice fields or the library.

    Claire and I arrive at the entrance to the first year building. She opens the door and we enter into the hallway. The building had two floors and fifteen rooms on each floor.

    Claire brings me to room ¡®111¡¯. She opens the door to the classroom, ¡°Is anyone in?¡± Claire shouts into the classroom.¡±

    The voice of a middle aged man responds, ¡°Yeah. Why are students here two days before classes start though?¡±

    Claire walks into the classroom, ¡°Why is a teacher here two days before classes start?¡±

    I walk into the room. The man stands up pointing at Claire with a smile on his face, ¡°Touch¨¦ Claire.¡±

    I look at Claire, ¡°You know him?¡±

    Claire nods, ¡°Yeah, this was my first year water element teacher.¡±

    I lightly bow in the direction of the man, ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Ryu¡±

    The middle aged man laughs, ¡°No need to be so formal. I¡¯ll be your teacher in this class Ryu. I¡¯m sure the principal already informed you of my knowledge on your identity.¡±

    I nod and start rolling up my right sleeve, ¡°So you don¡¯t get surprised later on I¡¯m going to tell you that I do not have a right arm.¡± I finish rolling up my sleeve and the part where the stump rests in the prosthetic is visible.

    The teacher makes a complicated expression, ¡°For someone of your status that seems like it would affect you quite a bit.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders as I roll my sleeve back down, ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter too much.¡±

    Claire pulls a phone out of her pocket and quickly answers it, ¡°Yes. Yes. Why on earth did you do that? I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can. Bye.¡± Claire turns to me. ¡°Sorry Ryu, I will have to leave the rest of the tour to another day. You should know where all the basic things are¡­ hopefully. Anyways, Sayaka did something stupid again and I have to go help her. See ya!¡± Claire sprints out of the classroom.

    The teacher laughs calmly, ¡°As energetic as usual, eh?¡±

    I nod, ¡°She was like that even before the link so it seems.¡±

    The teacher walks over and pats my shoulder as we stare at the door, ¡°Do you know where the cafeteria is?¡±

    I frown, ¡°Nope. I didn¡¯t know this academy had one. In the other world I got used to not eating for weeks at a time, so I didn¡¯t really think about food too much.¡±

    The teacher laughs, ¡°You can call me Mr. Grey. Want to eat breakfast with me?¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yeah, sure. Can I ask a few questions about the school system in this world? I was never admitted into any schools in the old world so I don¡¯t have the faintest idea what this school will be like.¡±

    He motions for me to follow him. So I do so. He leads me out to beside the Assembly hall, ¡°To the left of the assembly hall when facing it from the main building is the cafeteria. The food isn¡¯t the best, but it is edible.¡±

    I nod, ¡°So the first question I have is what this first year second year stuff is about?¡±

    He laughs, ¡°So the first year is for students that are not yet in a realm, or students that are in the first realm. To move up to the second year class, a person has to complete at least one year of the first year classes and be in the second realm. To move onto the third year classes, you have to spend a year in second year classes and be in the third realm. I have no idea why it is ¡®Year¡¯ after each grade because some people stay in the same ¡®Year¡¯ for multiple years.¡±

    I smile, ¡°That makes more sense to me. Next question. Are there school rankings?¡±

    Mr. Grey sighs, ¡°As the other world¡¯s top of course you ask that.¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I actually don¡¯t feel like doing anything to put myself out there currently. I want to try and lay low for a while. I had a lot, I mean a LOT of enemies in the other world. Many of them I personally killed. So they will surely be here before me, and very likely more powerful than the current me.¡±

    He nods slowly, ¡°I understand a bit now. Anyways, the ranking system is divided by ¡®Year¡¯. If you want to look for an hour or two you can find the rankings that go down to the class. Normally people who are about to get to the next realm or have already gotten to the next realm compared to the rest of the students in the same ¡®Year¡¯ are at the top of the ranking list.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°That makes sense. Also, what are the general arts classes like?¡±

    Mr. Grey frowns, ¡°Why would I give my lesson plan to a student just because they ask?¡±

    I deny it, ¡°I don¡¯t want the lesson plan I just want to know what things I will learn in the class.¡±

    He coughs, ¡°Sorry for my misunderstanding. So, um, the first few classes are basic knowledge about martial arts, and what the other world would consider ancient history. Also, similar to all the first year classes, I will teach about the real laws of the world.¡±

    I nod, ¡°That is all the questions I have for now.¡±

    He laughs, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± He puts his hand into his right pocket, ¡°I almost forgot to give this to you.¡± He pulls out a gold colored card about the size of a credit card.

    I grab it and turn it over a couple of times, ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°That is a ¡®gold card¡¯. Naming is nice and simple but the card itself is not. The card signifies that you are an important person within the school. With it you have access to anywhere in the academy and all but school records in the library. Also, just flash that to any student you are having troubles with and they will immediately stop whatever they are doing.¡±

    I stare at the card for a while.

    This card is way too convenient!

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Thank you for reading to the end of the chapter.

    I was just curious, but I am wondering about something.

    I know my grammar is not perfect and also I know one aspect of my writing style goes against everything I learned in English class (ex. Ryu smiles sadistically, "I can''t believe how horrid his English is.")

    I was wondering if you, the readers, are enjoying the story so far. I just want honest opinions. Even if the majority is negative, I will still continue to write, I will just try to adjust my writing style slightly in order to have proper grammar. Maybe.

    Just think of this as my weekly checkup.

    Have a nice day!

 Chapter 9: Second rest day

    Hello again! Nothing really to say this time.

    Enjoy the chapter!

    Chapter 9: Second rest day

    After eating breakfast with my teacher I decided to go back to my room to cultivate.

    I was finally able to get to B-rank first realm. I should now have a strike force of 250 pounds.

    After getting to B-rank it was late at night so I had no time to mess around with my laptop.

    I wake up with my prosthetic arm on the ground yet again. I wonder if duct tape would keep it on better while sleeping? Maybe I should just start taking it off before going to sleep.

    I sigh as I change into my day clothes. I look at the sky out the window. It was another nice day. Does it even rain on this planet? Does it have enough atmosphere to do that? How can we stay here if the planet has no atmosphere? So many questions...

    Jared had left for the mage academy long ago. So I was alone in this room for now. I like it that way.

    I really do wonder what people think when they sense heaven power coming from me though. Not a single person has talked to me about it either.

    While worrying pointlessly I leave the dorm and head towards the cafeteria for my breakfast.

    I walk to the cafeteria and secretly show my gold card to the lady handing out food. It apparently gets me better food. However it looks identical to the mush that everyone else is getting on their trays.

    I sigh as I take the mysterious mush that is supposed to be food to the tables. I choose a table in the back of the room with no one sitting at it. I think I will gather the power of heaven and earth today. I need to get to higher ranks as soon as I can. At this rate, I won¡¯t make it.

    I sit down and eat my food while thinking of methods to speed up cultivation.

    While I was contemplating, a young woman walks over, ¡°May I sit here?¡±

    I look up from the mush on my tray. She was quite tall and slender. Her hair was a light brown color and her eyes were a bright blue.

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Why not. I¡¯m Ryu, nice to meet you.¡±

    She smiles at me as she sits, ¡°My name is Alice. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±

    I nod and go back to eating my mush on the tray. Wow, it is actually really good. It tastes like meat pie.

    I quickly finish the delicious mush that was on my tray. Alice stares at me with a frown, ¡°How can you find this stuff edible?¡±

    I smile, ¡°Mine must have been fresh.¡± I get ready to stand up from the table.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Alice grabs my arm as I stand up.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I tilt my head and look at her.

    As we were in the back of the room there were not many people, and the people that were there did not pay any attention to us.

    ¡°I would like to talk to you about some things before you leave.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I slowly sit back down to where I was before she grabbed my arm. I smile at her, ¡°What do you want to talk with me about?¡±

    She takes a deep breath after pushes her tray of mush to the side. She puts her elbows on the table and covers her mouth to one side and whispers, ¡°Why do I sense the power of heaven coming from you?¡±

    Finally someone who asks. I can¡¯t believe it took this long. I give her a weak smile, ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about. I am not a mage. I am a fighter. I use martial techniques.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°I am at the third realm. I am clearly able to sense that you are at the B-ranked first realm and have both the power of heaven and earth within you.¡±

    I also frown, ¡°If I still say I know nothing?¡±

    Alice shrugs her shoulders. ¡°Very well. There may be a chance that I am just seeing wrong. I apologize for taking up your time. I am in the third year wind class. If you would like to speak with me again, you may find me there.¡±

    I nod and stand up, ¡°Have a nice day.¡±

    She nods, ¡°It was nice to talk with you.¡±

    I slowly exit the cafeteria. She was¡­ weird. That may not be the right word for it. She was oddly polite at first, then quickly became questioning.

    Whatever, I can¡¯t be bothered with something like that. I want to do cultivation, but I cannot think of any methods to speed up my cultivation.

    I look at the entrance to the female dorm. Currently waiting outside with a sword like object was ¡®Queen¡¯.

    She sees me and I start to run towards the library as fast as possible. I run slowly due to the unfit body. I may be at the first realm but my body is inadequate. It is a miracle I¡¯m able to walk normally now that I think about it a bit.

    I look behind me. ¡®Queen¡¯ is running after me at full speed holding a real sword. Even with my very limited knowledge of weapons I can safely say that that is not a practice sword, and one meant to kill!

    ¡°Stop running!¡± ¡®Queen¡¯ shouts at me who is stopped.

    I refuse! I wanted to shout, but decided to run with full concentration towards the library. If I make it there, she won¡¯t try to kill me inside of the library¡­ right?

    ¡®Queen¡¯ was gaining on me. It seems she is only A-rank in the first realm. Why did she call me lowly at the C-rank if she was only at A-rank? She only has 100 pounds more of strike force than the me of that time. At low realms, a little bit of skill would allow a person to fight against a higher rank than themselves.

    I see the library. There are many students in front of the library. I need to get in as fast as I can.

    I see that the door to the library is open, there are just students talking to each other in front. If you¡¯re just talking get out of the way!

    I get to the crowd of students. Most of them are looking at ¡®Queen¡¯ chase me. Not moving.

    I zig zag through the unmoving students like wind through trees.

    I looks behind me to see that the students are trying to stop ¡®Queen¡¯ by questioning her. She swings her sword at some of them. My god she is scary! I don¡¯t need that in my life!

    ¡°Stop running!¡± ¡®Queen¡¯ shots while the students start to crowd her, ignoring me.

    That¡¯s what you get for being popular! Wait a second. Why do all these people know her if they are all first year students? I guess some questions are better left unanswered.

    I lose focus and bump into someone knocking them over. I quickly help them up.

    It was a guy who looked like he could eat me for breakfast. Tall and muscular. He gives me an angry look, but moves on.

    I sigh in relief as I enter the library.

    ¡°Welcome to the library. How can I help you?¡± A man wearing glasses calls over from the desk beside the entrance.

    I try to speak but I am breathing too heavily. The man at the desk calmly laughs at my appearance.

    ¡°Were you running from someone and came to the library for safety?¡± The man at the desk asks me in a clam tone.

    I catch my breath, and nod, ¡°Yeah. I was being chased by ¡®Queen¡¯ but since I¡¯m here I might read a few books.¡±

    He scratches his head, ¡°I think she is the person that spoke to the first years at the entrance ceremony. The entrance ceremony was not too long ago either if I remember correctly.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t know. For some reason she really wanted to kill me. She was chasing me with quite a sharp sword. She was even swinging it at other people to try and get to me you know.¡±

    The man lightly laughs, ¡°She seems to really hate you. Well, that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Very few people actually come into the library as they need silver cards or higher in order to read the books. Students only get bronze cards normally. So most people either come here for safety or for a quiet place to do some work on their own.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Why do they need silver cards?¡±

    The man sighs, ¡°Anything that you can learn in the classes is in here. If a student comes here to read, there is a small chance that there will be a leak of answers on a test. Do you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°I understand. Another question. Why do students come here for safety? I just came here on a whim, hoping that ¡®Queen¡¯ wouldn¡¯t try to kill me with a large amount of witnesses around.¡±

    He smiles and stands up, ¡°Students come here because of the library rules. First rule: Try to stay as quiet as possible at all times. Second rule: no violence in the library. Third rule: No stealing books or reading above your authority level.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Those are simple rules.¡±

    He walks to a nearby shelf and grabs a book, ¡°So. If you would like to read please show me your card if it above the bronze level, I will take you to the section you request. I am the librarian here, if you don¡¯t need anything, you may leave.¡± He opens the book and starts to flip through the pages.

    I pull out my gold card, ¡°I don¡¯t really know what kind of things are here. It would be extremely helpful if you could show me around and tell me what kind of things are available for me to read.¡± I test the authority of the gold card.

    The librarian reveals a shocked expression, then recovers his expression. He quickly closes his book. He then bows lightly, ¡°Why of course sir. If you had a gold card, you should have notified me sooner. I would not have been anywhere near as disrespectful as I was. I will certainly do as you request.¡±

    I frown, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, but I do not know what this gold card means. I was given it just yesterday, and told its basic uses.¡±

    The librarian nods, ¡°Of course I can tell you sir. Let me start with the lowest level card. Bronze cards are for regular students. It is proof that they are a student here at this school and allows them to get food from the cafeteria and nearby cafes. Bronze card students may only leave the academy grounds twice a week. The next level up, silver cards, are for teachers and high ranking students. It allows people to get slightly better food from the cafeteria and more food from nearby cafes. Silver card students may leave the academy grounds four times a week. It also allows them to get low level access to information in the library. Silver card students are allowed to challenge any student to duels in the dueling arena once a week.¡±

    I hold up my hand to stop him, ¡°Dueling arena?¡±

    He nods, ¡°They are beside the training field, sir. Have you perhaps not ventured to the training field?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I have not gone there yet. I will maybe go there after reading for a while.¡±

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The librarian nods, ¡°Certainly. Then I shall continue. Along with all that silver card students are able to skip two classes a week for personal training. The next up is gold cards. People with gold cards are normally high ranking people within the school, and important guests from other sectors. I have never heard of a case where a student has a golden card so I do not know what extra privileges you have in that category. I recommend you ask the principal if you are unsure. Gold cards allow you to get the best quality food from the cafeteria and you may order whatever you want from nearby cafes. It also allows you to have access to all information within the library except school records. Teachers will usually escort those with gold cards around, making sure that no students try to harm them. However you are a student, so you clearly do not have an escort. Would you like to request one?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I¡¯ll pass on the escort. I would like to know if there is any information in this library about cultivation, and possibly methods to speed it up.¡±

    The librarian bows, ¡°I am sorry to inform you that I am not ranked high enough to go near the gold section. I can lead you to it. The principal himself is the one that manages the gold section. Most gold card individuals are guided here by the principal himself and he shows them where things are.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Can you at least lead me to where I need to go to read things about cultivation then?¡±

    He nods, ¡°Why of course I can sir. If you need anything while reading just come to me and let me know and I shall have someone help you get it.¡±

    The librarian leads me to a corner of the library with a large metal door. There is what looks like a key card scanner to the right of the door.

    He points to the scanner, ¡°If you pass your gold card over the scanner the door should open. I will go back to the front desk then. Have an enjoyable time reading, sir.¡± He lightly bows then walks away towards the front of the library.

    I slowly think to myself before opening the door. Why did he not tell me to be careful with the books? Are people with gold cards so important that people instantly trust them!? I should try not to abuse this. My identity in the other world may be the reason for me getting this. If so, I have to work hard to live up to my reputation of the world¡¯s strongest.

    I wave the gold card in front of the scanner. A red light flickers, then with the sound of a lock opening the light changes to green.

    The large metal door slides to the left, opening the room. I calmly walk into the room.

    As I get past the door the room is brighter than the rest of the library. There are only shelves on the walls and there is a large table in the center of the room with ten large office chairs around it.

    The door closes behind me as I enter the room.

    I walk towards the shelves. ¡®Theoretical cultivation¡¯ ¡®The art of manipulation¡¯ ¡®Questioning theories on cultivation¡¯ ¡®Fred¡¯s theory on cultivation¡¯ ¡®Cultivation 101¡¯ ¡®Nonsensical cultivation¡¯ ¡®Going against the gods¡¯ ¡®Dragons¡¯ ¡®Atlas of monsters¡¯ ¡®Omniscient beings among us¡¯

    So many interesting titles. Which do I read?

    I come across a different book that catches my eye, ¡®Spatial Energy¡¯

    I grab the book from the shelf and go to the table. I wanted to find a couple books before sitting down, but I am intrigued by the title of this book.

    I sit down and open the book.

    ¡®Spatial Energy¡¯

    ¡®Part one of two: How I came across it.¡¯

    This seems like it is a groundbreaking theory. If this got out to general public I have a feeling that bad things might happen. I haven¡¯t read it yet, but I can tell this is probably groundbreaking.

    ¡®Thank you for first and foremost, picking up this book. My name is Dr. Frizen. I have written this book in order to share my discovery. Only one copy will ever be printed. So if you hold this in your hands, fate must have favored you greatly. I will now begin to explain the theory.

    I have been in this world for seventy years as of 2023. I have long since reached the ninth realm. I started to devote my time to thinking of ways to getting stronger. Until it happened one day.

    To make this clear. I was already at the A-rank of the ninth realm so there was nowhere else for me to go.

    I was in the middle of cultivating when I sensed a very small amount of this foreign energy within the power of heaven and earth. I decided to attempt to inspect it.

    Here. I made a series of mistakes.

    1: I was overconfident with my ability to control the foreign object.

    2: The object itself seemed to have a will of its own, and I was forcefully inspecting it.

    3: I absorbed it after it seemingly looked harmless.

    There are my mistakes. If you come across this. DO NOT forcefully inspect it!

    This energy had a will of its own and did not like being probed. I will spare you the details, but I will say I was incredibly injured. This energy did not like me.

    After recovering I searched for it again and found that it was as common as, if not more common than the power of heaven and earth. It is extremely more powerful too.

    I regret that I forcefully absorbed this energy, for if I gave it time to attempt to acknowledge me, I might be more powerful than any other person.

    So here is my theory.

    I think that this energy works in tandem with the power of heaven and earth in order to raise realms. During my painful experience of attempting to absorb this foreign energy I figured this out; there are more internal veins than just those for the power of heaven and earth.

    If you choose to keep reading, be advised that the rest is unimportant knowledge that theorizes more about this energy.¡¯

    My god. What is this energy? I have never sensed anything like that before. Have I?

    I set the book down on the table open so that I do not lose the page.

    I close my eyes and steady my breathing. I enter into cultivation.

    I sense the power of heaven and earth around me. I slowly open my eyes while still sensing the power of heaven and earth. The air is slightly vibrating, but there is no change in color.

    I try to sense for foreign energy within the power of heaven and earth but feel nothing. What was this guy talking about?

    A sound that could be likened to glass shattering resounds through my head.

    A massive pain wracks my entire body.

    ¡°Arggghhh!!¡±

    I scream involuntarily. Am I dying? Was I murdered? This room has no windows though. Why was there glass shattering?

    My vision darkens. I¡¯m losing consciousness!

    But I am able to retain normal thought! What is happening!?

    I forcefully stand straight up.

    As suddenly as the pain started, it randomly stops.

    What was that? I look around the room. It is the exact same as it was before. I wasn¡¯t attacked. Then what was that sound?

    I sigh as I sit back in the chair. That was a little much for a random burst of pain.

    I grab the book and continue to read.

    ¡®Part two of two: Spatial energy?

    I have many questions about this energy, but only one main question that I really want to be answered.

    What can this energy do?

    A simple question, but sometimes the simple questions are the hardest ones to answer. I have travelled around from planet to planet and found that the level that this energy is at is constant throughout the entire universe.

    I went and asked my colleagues about their opinion, but most thought I was crazy. Those that listened to me tried to sense the same energy.

    One out of ten were able to sense it. The first time sensing it, those below the ninth realm said that they heard a light sound and a small headache before they were able to sense it. The lowest realm of my colleagues that tried and succeeded was at the B-rank in the seventh realm.

    I do not have time to research any longer as my funds are getting lower and lower.

    I leave this for anyone who wants continue this research. None of my colleagues were able to be acknowledged by this energy. They all suffered serious injuries, but all managed to recover fully.

    I have arbitrarily named this energy, ¡°Spatial Energy¡±

    Thank you for reading this. It may not be as detailed, but it is the one with the most traction compared to other theories.¡¯

    The pain from earlier? Was that the trigger for me being able to sense the energy?

    I take some deep breaths to calm myself. There is no use getting excited about it. Especially if I don¡¯t get the approval of this strange energy.

    I enter into cultivation¡­

    An energy that seems many times more unfathomable than the power of heaven and earth is moving throughout everything.

    I take a deep breath and just watch it floating through everything. It looks¡­ peaceful.

    I do not dare to do anything with it in accordance with the book I just read. I will wait until it comes to me before I try to absorb it.

    I sigh as I go put the book back to where I got it from. I am about to start looking for other books when a voice runs through the room.

    ¡°Attention people that are in the library. The library is closing now. Please leave the library unless you are being escorted by a higher up. Sorry for the inconvenience and have a nice day.¡±

    That¡¯s my call to leave I guess. Did it really take all day to read that? Maybe I actually did go unconscious at some point.

    I wave my card over the scanner and the door opens once again.

    I walk to the front and see the librarian. He looks at me, ¡°Oh, did you enjoy your time here sir?¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°Yeah. The books in there are very informative. I wish I could come back first thing in the morning, but I have classes to attend to.¡±

    The librarian smiles, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to come back any time you want sir.¡±

    I leave the library and thankfully, ¡®Queen¡¯ was not there to greet me. I sigh in relief as I start walking towards my room.

    I think today was a very good day.

    I can¡¯t wait for the day when I can use this energy.

 Chapter 10: First classes

    no time to post anything wordy.

    enjoy the chapter!

    Chapter 10: First classes

    I open my eyes and look out the window of my room. Still dark. What time do classes start? I guess I can just go and ask Claire. I slowly get out of bed and stretch. I wonder what kind of things I have in store for me today?

    I have a quick shower as I may have forgotten to last night. I don¡¯t particularly remember.

    I dry myself off and grab my prosthetic arm. I have gotten better at putting it on now that I take it off more. It really is a hassle not having a right arm. I wonder if there are any better prosthetics I can use. Maybe I should ask the principal.

    I walk out of my room, the dorm lights are still off, but some of the room lights are still on. I hope Claire or Sayaka is awake.

    I walk towards Claire¡¯s room. I wonder if ¡®Queen¡¯ will be there. I hope not. She really seems to hate me.

    I take a deep breath and knock on Claire¡¯s door.

    My heart stops as I hear ¡®Queen¡¯ shout, ¡°I¡¯m coming, give me a second.¡±

    I brace myself for when ¡®Queen¡¯ opens the door to Claire¡¯s room. ¡®Queen¡¯ opens the door wearing her sleeping clothes. I wave, ¡°How are you? I¡¯m just here to ask for when classes start. I have no idea to be honest.¡±

    ¡®Queen¡¯ blushes, ¡°Wait for me and I¡¯ll go with you to classes. Wait right there! Don¡¯t run like yesterday!¡±

    I sigh at my misfortune. I wonder if she likes me because of how she acted just now. If she does, why does she try to hurt me with a sword? I¡¯m pretty confused. I know a type that will act angry with the person, but usually not to the point where they try to kill the other person in question.

    I wait out in the hall for ¡®Queen¡¯. I wonder why I don¡¯t just run. Oh yeah, I have no idea when classes and this is the easiest way to learn.

    Sighing yet again, I lean against the wall and slide into sitting position.

    ¡®Queen¡¯ comes out of the room wearing the boarding school type uniform, ¡°You ready to go Ryu?¡±

    I stand up slowly, ¡°Yeah. So ¡®Queen¡¯, when do-¡°

    She stops and stares at me, ¡°Kelly!¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Yes that is your name.¡±

    Her face goes red in rage, ¡°Use my damn name!¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Whatever Kelly. I just want to know when classes start. I was never told the start time for classes. A certain teacher and principal like to leave out information when they talk to me.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°You are a horrible person you know?¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yep. I know. I ignore other¡¯s feelings in order to benefit myself. I ignored everyone who wasn¡¯t my wife in the other world you should know.¡±

    She blushes, ¡°What if I was your wife in the other world?¡±

    I frown, ¡°I don¡¯t remember my wife having mood swings from loving, to wanting to kill in such a short amount of time.¡±

    Kelly starts to walk away, ¡°Just follow me already!¡±

    I follow behind her while we head to the first year building. I walk up beside her, ¡°So, what class are you in Kelly?¡±

    She turns her face away from me, ¡°I am in the general arts class.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Why is the high and mighty ¡®Queen¡¯ in the general arts class?¡±

    She turns to me with an angry expression, ¡°I am not high and mighty!¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I guess so. Anyways. I talked to Mr. Grey two days ago, but I never really found out what class we have today.¡±

    She sighs as she brings her hand to her face, ¡°What do you know?¡±

    I smile, ¡°I know a lot of things¡­ just not things that are useful to me at the moment. Once I hit the second realm though, I will be a force to be reckoned with.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°And you are what? At the B-rank in the first realm. Tell me. How long until you make it to the second realm?¡±

    I think for a second and just shrug my shoulders, ¡°I don¡¯t really know. It could be tomorrow. It could be a month from now. I have no control over fate.¡±

    Kelly stays silent. We arrive in front of the first year building.

    Mr. Grey was standing outside the building. He looks at me and waves me down, ¡°Hey, Ryu. I¡¯m sorry about not explaining the card I gave you the other day. I will walk you around after classes if you want. Well actually¡­¡± his head hangs down, ¡°The principal yelled at me for not guiding you around. However, he did get the report that you went to the library to read some books. I should also notify you of the student functions of the¡­¡± He finally notices Kelly beside me. ¡°Oh. Hi Kelly.¡±

    Kelly walks into the building, ignoring Mr. Grey.

    He shrugs, ¡°What a pleasant person to deal with. So, anyways. Today¡¯s class is going to start in the training field in a couple of minutes. After that we will come back to the classroom to learn about cultivation and how it works.¡±

    I nod, ¡°I will follow you to the training field as I do not know where they are.¡±

    He nods, ¡°I thought that would be the case. So let¡¯s go now. All of the students should already know where to come.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Why is that?¡±

    He laughs, ¡°At the entrance ceremony, the students were separated by class and afterwards were taken by the teachers of their class to talk about class times, class rules, and the basic content of the class.¡±

    I nod, ¡°I guess that makes sense now that I think about it.¡±

    Mr. Grey starts walking and I follow beside him. He looks to me, ¡°Are you okay with doing a basic strength test?¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°Um, I should be able to do a basic strength test. I guess we are doing a strength test in the training field.¡±

    He nods, ¡°You are quick on the uptake. But are you sure you¡¯re fine?¡±

    I nod confidently, ¡°A little bit of strength is nothing to me. This should be easy.¡±

    He sighs, ¡°I guess I can¡¯t stop you then.¡±

    Mr. Grey walks towards the general class students that are gathered together in the training field, ¡°Welcome to general arts class! I thank all of you for coming! First things first we will start with jump height! Get into lines based on your rank! A-rank on the left, B-rank in front of me, and finally C-rank on the right!¡±

    The students quickly get into the lines. I am in the middle of the middle line.

    Mr. Grey walks in front of the C-rank group with a clipboard, ¡°Okay, C-ranks! You first! After you jump your highest from standing, go to the back of the line! Remember! No using any martial techniques as it will get your score instantly set to zero!¡±

    The C-rank average was about five feet.

    Next was my line. Mr. Grey stands in front of the line, ¡°Same as the C-rank! No using martial techniques. If you do, it will result in an instant score of zero!¡±

    The average jump height for the B-ranks was about six feet. I jumped exactly six feet high while trying my best. My body isn¡¯t as weak as I thought! Yay!

    The average jump height for the people in the A-rank was seven feet high.

    Mr. Grey stands in the middle again, ¡°Now will be the final section of the quick strength test! I feel like mixing things up now! A-ranks will go first followed by C-ranks, then finally the B-ranks! This final section of the test is arm strength!¡±

    I frown. I¡¯m practically last now!

    The A-ranks go first.

    Mr. Grey shouts, ¡°Remember! No martial skills! If you use anything of the sort, it will result in an instant zero! The target for punching will be this scoring rock. The name is stupid, but it shows the number of pounds of force the rock has been hit with! The name sucks but the functionality is still there!¡±

    The first person steps up. I see a small amount of the power of earth gather on his fist. He punches the stone.

    ¡®400¡¯

    ¡°Zero!¡± Mr. Grey yells as the rock gives the number.

    The student turns to Mr. Grey, ¡°Come on man, I didn¡¯t use any skill at all!¡±

    Mr. Grey shakes his head, ¡°You say that, but I could clearly sense the power of earth gathering on your fist! If you think you can fool me by using a low output or even a stealth skill, think again! I am at a much higher realm than all of you! Even if you all came at me combined I could defeat everyone here! Do the test properly!¡±

    The rest of the A-rank students go up, but no one else tries anything like the first student. Even Kelly was proper. As expected of a queen.

    The average strike force is 300 pounds

    Next is the C-ranks.

    The first few students hit with exactly 200 every time.

    A student with a larger than average build goes up to the stone. I sense a large amount of power of earth on his fist.

    Mr. Grey shakes his head as he already writes the zero on the clipboard.

    The student punches.

    ¡®100¡¯

    Everyone, but Mr. Grey, who sensed the power of earth slightly tilts their heads. What just happened?

    Mr. Grey sighs, ¡°Seriously!? You used too much power, then pulled your punch because you realized you messed up! I will give you pity marks! 50!¡±

    The rest of the C-ranks go and the average strike force is 200 pounds.

    Finally time for the B-ranks.

    The first few people go and average 250 pounds of strike force.

    A smaller girl goes up next. She uses a very small amount of the power of earth on her shoulder. Probably to increase the speed of the punch.

    Like usual, Mr. Grey sees this and automatically writes a zero on the page.

    ¡®230¡¯

    ¡°Zero!¡± Mr. Grey shouts after the rock shows the number.

    Seriously though. This rock is weird. It just shows a number on its surface. So weird.

    Everyone so far has only used their right arms.

    I guess it is my turn to do this now. I take a deep breath as I walk up to the rock. Mr. Grey has a worried expression as I arrive in front of the rock.

    All I have to do is a normal punch right? I wonder if the rock is going to hurt once I punch it. Well¡­ it is a rock.

    I get into a good stance and ready my right arm. I take a deep breath.

    I swing my right arm at full speed towards the rock.

    Oh shit! My right arm is prosthetic! My arm is already too close for me to stop the punch.

    I continue with the full force punch.

    ¡®175¡¯

    The hand of the prosthetic arm disintegrates into dust. The rest of it has cracks running through it as it falls off.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.I look at my arm on the ground, ¡°Well. I guess I forgot again.¡±

    Most of the students look at my arm on the ground with their jaws wide open. Some look at the dangling sleeve by my side. The rest are looking at the score on the rock.

    Mr. Grey yells to all the students, ¡°Yes everyone! This student does not have a right arm from slightly above his elbow! He may also be stupid enough to forget he doesn¡¯t actually have an arm anymore! That does not mean that he is in any way inferior to any of you! Ryu!¡±

    I stand up straight and look at Mr. Grey, ¡°Yes sir?¡±

    He points to the rock, ¡°Hit it again with your left this time! We will use the greater score for you grade!¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    All the students still have their jaws open as the watch me ready my left arm to hit the rock. I move my left arm quickly and hit the rock.

    ¡®300¡¯

    Oh? I¡¯m only B-rank, I shouldn¡¯t have that much strike force.

    ¡°Great job Ryu! I look forward to seeing you grow in strength!¡± Mr. Grey shouts.

    No wait! I have no idea why that number was so high!

    I sigh as I pick up the broken prosthetic. What am I going to do about this poor broken thing? I kind of need an arm for daily functions¡­

    The testing ends finally. All the students start to head for the building. I start to go with them, when I am waived down by Mr. Grey.

    I walk over to him, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    He puts his head in his hands, ¡°Do you not know how most people find disgrace in losing limbs? Some people here in this class were even people who were killed because they had lost a limb in battle.¡±

    I laugh, ¡°If getting hit by a train, then having your right arm amputated, along with several internal organs crushed, then me having to die in another world in an extremely painful way, just to come to this body with a three year time limit to get to the ninth realm in order to stay alive, counts as losing a battle. Then I have fought the hardest battle of everyone here! Do you know how hard it is to be able to joke around while knowing that I have a time limit on my life!? Do you!?¡± I broke slightly, ¡°I killed the man that raised me!¡± I shrug my shoulders and tilt my head, ¡°Well. I say he raised me, but he spent a few years with me telling me how useless I was that I couldn¡¯t use an element! He killed my real parents just because a crazy old man ¡®Prophesized¡¯ that I would become the supreme emperor! It came true! But he tried to kill me for the title! I married a beautiful woman! She held me in her arms as I DIED! Do you understand that I let her down! She loved me and I left her! I have no idea if she came to this world or not!¡±

    Mr. Grey sits there as I yell at him. There was a sad look in his eyes. He isn¡¯t looking me in the eye anymore.

    I see Kelly walk behind me. She was standing behind me and listening. I continue to shout, ¡°I will not give up until I make it up to her! I will find the source of what made me sacrifice my life! I will find my wife and I will make it up to her!¡± I move so I look directly into Mr. Grey¡¯s eyes, ¡°I will not give up because I started missing an arm! If something that trivial stop me from reaching my goal, I would have already been in this world for quite some time! I refuse to give up! Mark my words! If a single man tries to stop me it will not work! If a thousand man army stands in my way, I shall slaughter them all! If heaven itself decides to stop me from reaching my goal! Then so be it! I will go against the heavens! If you want to kill me now, all because I am missing my right arm! Then do it already!¡± I spread out my arms and keep my vitals wide open.

    Mr. Grey stands up. His head was down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean anything when I said that, I was only trying to warn you that people will make fun of you for not having your right arm.¡±

    I take a deep breath and try to calm myself, ¡°I understand. Just remember what I said. I will not stop until I find my wife. Nothing will stop me except death itself. Even if I have to crawl there without legs.¡±

    Mr. Grey takes a deep breath and nods, ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand then. Class will continue in ten minutes. Please make your way to the classroom for the lecture.¡±

    I nod as Mr. Grey walks off.

    Kelly hugs me from behind, ¡°I didn¡¯t know your life was so hard!¡± She was crying.

    I look at her tears. They are real tears. She feels some sort of emotion towards me clearly. I don¡¯t know what to do though. I would feel bad if I was mean to her now. I need to go to class though. I decide it, ¡°Hey Kelly.¡±

    She opens her eyes to see my face really close to hers. She jumps back, ¡°Yes R-Ryu?¡±

    I hold out my hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go to class. I made you listen to something sad. I will take you somewhere for dinner if you want¡­ well I say that, but I have no idea where anything is outside the school, so I need you to guide me around. But I will make sure we eat somewhere nice.¡±

    She nods while wiping the tears from her eyes, ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s do that after class.¡±

    Kelly and I walk into class together. Kelly was directly beside me. I had rolled up my right sleeve as walking around with it dangling was annoying. The stump was clearly visible as I walked into the classroom. Many students turned to look at me as I entered beside Kelly.

    Some students stared at the stump. Some stared at my eyes with a hint of jealousy.

    Kelly points to a place at the back of the room with two empty seats beside each other, ¡°Let¡¯s go sit there.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Sure. Remember something though.¡±

    Kelly drags me to sit down, ¡°What is it?¡±

    I put a serious look on my face, ¡°You heard me when I was yelling. I am completely devoted to my wife. I refuse to do anything with any other women beyond a simple hug. Even that is a bit much actually. I am a man who keeps his promises after all. I will take you out to dinner, then that is it. I will not date you nor will I have any feelings towards you. You do know all this right?¡±

    She nods cheerfully, ¡°Yep!¡±

    I sigh as I sit down in the chair at the desk. It is weird how this looks identical to a university classroom though. I feel slightly accomplished just being in this room.

    Why is Kelly so happy about going out to dinner with me? It is only dinner. Isn¡¯t it?

    Mr. Grey walks into the classroom, stopping me from thinking about it further. He sets a book down on the teacher¡¯s desk at the front of the class, ¡°Okay class! What is the main goal of this school?¡±

    Several students raise their hands. Mr. Grey points to a girl in the front row. She stands up, ¡°Yes! The main goal of this school is to better yourself!¡±

    Mr. Grey slams his hands down onto the desk, ¡°Wrong!¡± He points to a male student near the middle of the class.

    He stands up, ¡°The main goal of tis school is to learn and improve!¡±

    ¡°Wrong again!¡± Mr. Grey smiles as he looks at me. ¡°Ryu! Tell us the main goal of this school!¡±

    I get it. I must have said it at some point during my rant. I don¡¯t really remember all that I said, but I will just take a shot in the dark, I stand up.

    ¡°The main goal of this school is to teach students to persevere no matter how tough a situation is! Students are going to learn not only how to protect themselves, but learn how to protect those around them!¡±

    Mr. Grey grins widely, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself!¡± He slams his hand on the desk again, ¡°In this school, No! This class! I will teach you how to persevere no matter what the cost! Not too long ago it was brought to my attention that there are all kinds of different people in this world! Those who quit, and those who succeed in life! What do you want to do?¡±

    The students all yell in unison, ¡°Succeed!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± He stands up straight, ¡°You all want to succeed! Even if for example, lose an arm!¡±

    Everyone in the class looks towards me at the same time. Kelly also looks at the stump. Even you!?

    Mr. Grey slams the desk to get everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°Even if someone loses an arm! They will push on to their goal! Sometimes you might face a single man! Maybe even a thousand men! If it is to accomplish your goal¡­ Persevere! Fight until you can¡¯t fight any longer!¡±

    He grabs the book, ¡°A student once said to me, ¡°If heaven itself decides to stop me from reaching my goal! Then so be it! I will go against the heavens!¡± Learn from this student! If you find this student cheer him on! If you do not choose to change and persevere to achieve your goals. You may leave this class right now! I refuse to teach students who do not try their hardest to reach their goals!¡±

    This feels more like a motivational speech than a class right now¡­

    Mr. Grey takes a deep breath and lowers his voice to a normal volume, ¡°That being said. I will now start the real section of class we were going to do today. I hope you all listen carefully.¡±

    Mr. Grey sits down in a chair at the front of a class, ¡°I am going to start talking about the money system here at this school. Money at this school can be used to do lots of things. First is martial techniques. The school has an endless amount of techniques for beginners to use. The first five are free for general arts class students. After that they will cost 200 dollars per book. Second are cultivation methods. Some of the cultivation methods that are known to you guys are degraded versions of the real method. This school offers you a chance to get a new method. Oh yeah. This school also has a method to test potential. Potential test are strictly confidential and not to be shared with any other student and only the examiner, the principal, and yourself will know your latent potential.¡±

    The class starts to chat as Mr. Grey stops there. A student raises their hand. Mr. Grey points to them and they stand up, ¡°When do we do the latent potential test?¡±

    Mr. Grey smiles, ¡°The principal will personally contact you by order of importance. Gold card students, silver card students and then bronze card students.¡± Mr. Grey looks at a clock on the wall. ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it normally is. Everyone will have their latent potential tested today. The principal will work hard to test every student from this class today. That being that. Those with cards better than bronze, please head down to the principal¡¯s office. He will be expecting you.¡± A third of the students in the class stands up and walks towards the door of the classroom, including myself and Kelly.

    The teacher looks towards me, ¡°I expect great things from my students!¡±

 Chapter 11: Unexpected happenings and a gift (Part 1)

    In the interest of keeping my fingers attached to my hands, I have split chapter 11 into two parts.

    (this is being posted earlier than normal because i am busy later today and i would rather have it be released earlier than later.)

    This is mainly because it is ~6000 words long in total. Thus, it has been split into two parts.

    Part 2 will be slightly longer than this part because i was not planning to split this at first. I thought i would keep daily posts for as long as i can, and the chapters are getting longer and longer.

    Anyways. Enjoy the Chapter!

    Chapter 11: Unexpected happenings and a gift (Part 1)

    I am currently waiting in front of the principal¡¯s office. I was currently sitting down on the floor with my legs crossed. I spent my time watching the spatial energy float through the air.

    It was floating around everybody, making sure not to touch them. It even stayed quite a distance from some people. Is this their affinity with spatial energy?

    I sigh as I stop looking at the spatial energy.

    I wonder how this latent potential test works. I will find out soon enough though.

    The students that are here right now are all talking with each other about various things. None of them being important to me, I chose to sit by myself at the edge of the hall. The rest of the students are crowding around the door to the principal¡¯s office.

    Kelly walks over to me, ¡°Hey Ryu. What was you realm in the other world?¡±

    I close my eyes in response to her question. She sits down beside me saying nothing. After a short amount of time, I sigh, ¡°You know my identity from the other world. You should easily be able to guess what realm I was able to make it to.¡±

    She nods, ¡°Is that really who you were? I thought that an emperor would act a bit more¡­ you know¡­ like an emperor.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders and smile, ¡°I left most of the boring work to my wife.¡± I look towards the ground, ¡°Another reason why I still have to thank her.¡±

    Kelly pats my shoulder, ¡°You will meet her again soon I bet.¡±

    I take a deep breath, ¡°Meh, who knows. I just know that I won¡¯t give up until I do find her.¡±

    The door to the principal¡¯s office opens. Two men walk out of the room and stand at either side of the door. A man wearing a blue cape with a hood walks out of the room, followed by the principal, Damion.

    Damion claps to get everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°Welcome students! This is the latent potential test for the general arts first year class! There are a few rules! First, once the door is closed behind you after entering the room, take out your card and show it to this man!¡± Damion points to the blue caped man. ¡°Second, follow his orders directly! Third, no yelling in complaint at your latent potential! Any further instructions will be given out by this man! Please form an orderly line in front of my office! One student at a time will enter! That is all for now!¡± Damion walks back into his office and the blue caped man follows him into the office.

    The students all get in the line in front of the office. The two men stay at the sides of the door. They are probably there for security. The student in front is motioned to go into the room by the two men outside the door.

    The door closes. Five minutes later the door opens and the student comes out of the room with a pale face. Several students were about to go console him when they realized they would lose their place in the line. The student slowly walks towards the direction of the classroom.

    The next few students have the exact same appearance as they exit towards the classroom.

    I frown, ¡°What¡¯s with all the horrible potential?¡±

    Kelly turns around and hits me, ¡°Be nice.¡±

    I smile, ¡°Not like you weren¡¯t thinking the same thing you know.¡±

    Kelly and I are at the back of the line. I will be the very last student for this group.

    More and more students are coming out of the office with sad looks on their faces, some shocked, and some who don¡¯t even know what kind of face to make.

    I sigh as I look at the shrinking line, ¡°Come on Kelly. Don¡¯t you think there has to be a single person who has had decent results?¡±

    She slowly nods while looking back at me, ¡°There may have been a few, but just hid it due to not wanting to attract attention. Since we are the last two, there really will be no need to hide it.¡±

    I lightly laugh, ¡°No matter how much you ask, I won¡¯t tell you the results of mine. I already know there may be some issues with mine due to some¡­ let¡¯s just say, complicated matters.¡±

    She pouts, ¡°Even if I tell you my results?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°You can tell me yours all you want. I won¡¯t do the same though. I have a feeling you will get to the ninth realm given enough time. I just have a time limit to get there unlike most.¡±

    She tilts her head, ¡°Can¡¯t a different person at the ninth realm just heal you?¡±

    I sigh and shake my head, ¡°If it was that simple, I can guarantee I would be healed already. My injuries are worse than you think. Almost half my internal organs are fake. If a person other than myself were to try and heal me, it would end with my death, because I would not be able to heal fast enough. I need to get to the ninth realm myself. No one can learn my techniques either. They are unique to me¡­ for a variety of reasons.¡±

    She nods slowly, ¡°Is it because you also have the power of hea-¡°

    ¡°Shh.¡± Put my finger to my lips, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it so normally in front of other people.¡±

    A couple students were looking towards us.

    She nods and turns to look away from me. She stays silent right up until her turn to go into the office.

    As she was about to go in she turns to me, ¡°Wish me luck!¡±

    I give her a smile and a thumbs up.

    She has been really nice to me lately. I wonder what changed. I shrug my shoulders as I give up thinking about it.

    I start a one sided staring contest with the man on the left of the door. He just looks into my eyes. He blinks first! I win! Now for the guy on the right.

    The door to the office opens and Kelly has a huge smile on her face.

    She looks to me, ¡°I will wait here for you. By the way, you were right!¡±

    I sigh as I enter into the room. Kelly gives me a thumbs as I turn to look at her.

    The door closes behind me. Damion looks at me, ¡°Welcome Ryu.¡±

    I take out the gold card and show it to the blue caped man. He laughs lightly, ¡°This young man has a gold card? Can I expect a lot from him?¡±

    Damion nods, ¡°Of course. He was an emperor in his previous life. That said though, he never acts like an emperor.¡±

    I smile while putting away the gold card, ¡°Thank you for the flattery, but that was the other world. In this world I am nothing but an injured young man with a missing right arm.¡±

    The blue caped man laughs, ¡°I will start the process then. First, you will hold out any hand. Then, you will wait for me to give the verdict.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Why did it take so long for the other students, if that is all there is to it?¡±

    The blue caped man sighs, ¡°I normally have to explain how this process works, but I assume you already know how this works.¡±

    I scratch my head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really don¡¯t know how this works.¡±

    He laughs, ¡°That¡¯s okay. I will give you a quick summary then. This works by referencing your current practice method with your previous practice method and calculates the realm in a numerical value. The technique I use releases a gray colored mist. If the mist does not form into a number, the person has no talent and should not be at the first realm. Then one through nine to reveal which realm is the peak realm you will make it to in your lifetime. I will tell you a legend that has been passed down through the generations along with the technique. The legend says that there are some people who have trained into the realm of gods. The numerical values for these realms are much higher than regular realms, but no one I personally met has ever seen a number larger than nine appear. So. Are you ready?¡±

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    I nod slowly and take a deep breath, ¡°As read as I¡¯ll ever be.¡±

    He nods, ¡°The hold out your left hand.¡±

    I hold out my left hand in front of me with my palm facing up.

    [Grading]

    The man speaks the technique name. A gray mist appears around my palm. It swirls around my palm for a long amount of time.

    The blue caped man frowns. As he was about to call it off the gray mist slowly forms into a two digit number.

    Before the number even forms fully, both Damion and the man¡¯s jaws have dropped almost to the floor.

    I smile. I expected this to happen. I wonder how high these numbers will go. I remember that demon saying something about ¡®Heaven Realms¡¯ but I have no idea what that really is.

    The mist slowly starts to condense into real numbers. My jaw is the last one to drop, but at this number, how could it not? The mist had finally condensed into numbers

    ¡®40¡¯

    We all blankly stare at the location of the numbers even after they start to fade. The blue caped man coughs to clear his throat, ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Damion nods, ¡°Certainly¡­¡±

    I lower my hand, ¡°This was¡­¡±

    The blue caped man looks between me and Damion, ¡°We shall never speak of this again. We will not even tell our wives of this news. This secret will die with us¡­¡± He looks to me, ¡°If you aren¡¯t immortal at that point.¡±

    I take a deep breath, ¡°I apologize for this. I knew it would be double digits and should have warned both of you beforehand. I want to note however. I never made it past the ninth realm in the other world. My method cannot be used by any other person in the entire universe. To my knowledge, I am the only person in existence to use this method.¡±

    The blue caped man¡¯s expression turns serious, ¡°Where on the planet did you learn this method?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I did not stumble across this method. Nor, was there someone guiding me along. I made it to the second realm without using any method. After that,¡± I remember the crystal I had before my death in the other world. I wish I still had it. ¡°I got the technique from some¡­ things¡­¡±

    The blue caped man nods, ¡°I will leave immediately to go do research on this. I apologize for not being able to continue testing. This is currently a high priority issue for me right now.¡±

    Damion nods, ¡°I agree. I will talk with Ryu a bit longer, and get him to inform his classmates of the news.¡±

    The blue caped man opens the door and runs out of the academy.

    Damion quickly closes the door, ¡°Ryu. Does this matter have to do with the people who want to kill you?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°No. They just want revenge. This and that are unrelated. Also. I am just as confused as you are about that number. That blue caped man should be on his way to figure out what it means. I trust that he will keep it a secret. He seems like the kind of person that loves to experiment on things without really caring how the rest of the world works.¡±

    Damion laughs, ¡°You couldn¡¯t be more right if you tried!¡± he takes a deep breath and looks at me with a serious expression, ¡°That¡¯s true. However, the other schools also have this test. I will think of a way around them while you just go to classes. To keep those around you safe. Don¡¯t tell them anything. Words of that number d not leave this room. You, will possibly start to face a lot of danger if word of this leaks around.¡±

    I frown, ¡°This is a huge issue, but in order to not make anyone any more suspicious I should leave as quickly as possible.¡±

    Damion nods, ¡°I agree that that is the best conclusion. Go back to class and say that the rest of the testing has been postponed until further notice.¡±

    I nod and turn to leave the room.

    ¡°One last thing,¡± Damion smiles, ¡°Have a good date.¡± And gives me a thumbs up.

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°It is just me repaying a favor. If you know that much you probably know about the rest of the speech too.¡± I wave my left hand behind me as I walk out of the room.

    Kelly was waiting for me outside of the room and sees that my face is slightly pale, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I quickly calm myself and take a deep breath, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­ that was just. More shocking, than I thought it would be.¡±

    Kelly frowns, ¡°Are you not going to make it to the ninth realm?¡±

    I weakly smile, ¡°Oh yeah. I¡¯ll make it to the ninth realm no problem. It is just that Da- I mean the principal knew that we were going out after classes today.¡±

    Kelly tilts her head, ¡°He asked what our relationship was and I said that you were only repaying a favor to me.¡±

    I sigh in relief, ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how he knew.¡±

    Kelly pulls my arm, ¡°We have to go back to class now. We need to tell them that it is the rest of their turns.¡±

    I start walking with her towards the first year building, ¡°The rest of the tests are cancelled until further notice. The tester¡­ had some private matters to take care of.¡±

    Kelly nods, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll help you tell the class!¡±

    I hang my head, ¡°Why are you so enthusiastic about everything? Yesterday you were trying to stab me with a sword and today you have been extremely nice to me. You were nice this morning for no reason¡­ I was expecting to be stabbed when you opened the door.¡±

    She blushes, ¡°I just wanted to be nice. I figured that being mean wasn¡¯t the way to get close to you, so I wanted to try being nice.¡±

    She grabs my hand and starts running towards the classroom, ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly! The rest of the class is waiting!¡±

    I sigh and run up beside her. We make it to the classroom quite quickly.

    Mr. Grey looks towards the door to the classroom, ¡°Welcome back. Please take your seats!¡±

    I walk up to the front and stand beside Mr. Grey, ¡°The principal has told me to inform those of you you that have not taken the latent potential test yet, to inform you that the tester had some personal things to take care of so he has left until an unknown date! Because of this, the latent potential test has been postponed until the tester can come back!¡±

    I look at Mr. Grey. He nods. He claps once to get everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°As he said the test is postponed indefinitely! We shall now get back to the lesson!¡± He looks towards me and speaks quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened but I¡¯m just going to say, ¡®Good job!¡¯.¡± He secretly gives me a thumbs up as I walk back to my seat.

    Kelly sits down beside me, ¡°You seem to be friendly with a large amount of higher ups.¡±

    I quietly pull out the gold card and hand it to her under the desk, ¡°This is why. You know my identity. The rest should be simple.¡±

    She shakily hands me the card back, ¡°So that¡¯s why.¡±

    I put the gold card away again. Kelly and I start to pay attention to the class.

 Chapter 11: Unexpected happenings and a gift (Part 2)

    Here is part two of chapter 11

    I feel so tired. Real life is a drag. The chapters continue to roll out though!

    Enjoy the Chapter!

    After a boring class on martial cultivation Kelly and I head towards the cafeteria for lunch.

    The class was about various information such as earth veins and the power of earth.

    I already know all that needs to be known about it, so I was almost falling asleep during class. The only thing that saved me was Kelly poking me occasionally to keep me awake.

    I quickly flash my gold card to the lunch lady. I get a scoop of good smelling mystery mush onto my tray.

    Kelly looks at the mush on her tray and frowns. I go to the same table in the back of the room that I sat at yesterday. Kelly follows me to the table to sit down and eat.

    I start to eat my food when Alice comes over to sit with me again, ¡°May I sit here Ryu?¡±

    I nod without saying anything. Kelly whispers to me, ¡°Do you know her?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Not really. I know her name and that is about it.¡± I look towards Alice, ¡°So, who are you Alice?¡±

    She smiles, ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Claire¡¯s. She has told me to watch over you for the time being. Just to make sure you are safe.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Thank you for your concern, but at this school I feel I am relatively sa-¡°

    My sentence is interrupted by a large, muscular, man slamming his hands down onto the table, ¡°Oy, ya first realm brat!¡±

    I tilt my head and point at myself, ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Of course you! Why are you talking with my woman!?¡±

    I point to Alice, ¡°Her?¡±

    Alice glares at the large man, ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I have to tell you. Just because you sold me as a slave in the other world, does not mean you own me in this one!¡±

    I frown. This seems like it is going to escalate really quickly. I can wait until dinner for some food. I try to stand up and leave.

    The large man puts his hand on my shoulder and forces me to sit back down, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going cripple?¡±

    My face twitches, ¡°Oh yeah? Cripple?¡± I shake free from his grip and pull out the gold card and start shouting to attract attention, ¡°YES! I AM A CRIPLLE! What are you going to do about it!?¡± I slam the gold card onto the table. ¡°I challenge you to a duel one month from now! In duels it is unavoidable if someone is critically injured! It means that they took on an opponent that was too strong!¡± I sneer at him, ¡°Do you dare accept?¡±

    His jaw drops at the gold card on the table. He shakes his head and regains his composure, ¡°Of course I accept! Exactly one month from today will be the day we duel! It will be at the dueling arena! I will go register it!¡±

    The large man quickly leaves the cafeteria.

    I look at my food on the table. It is still there. I guess I can continue to eat.

    Alice has an extremely confused look on her face, ¡°How can you be so calm right now?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I have more important things to worry about right now. As you see, I have a gold card. If I am not strong enough in one month to fight him I can always call it off using my authority.¡± Speaking of which, I forgot to put the gold card away. I slowly put it back into my pocket.

    A lot of students had started to look over to me. Some with eyes full of respect, but most with eyes full of a mix between disgust and pity.

    Alice stands up, ¡°He is at the A-rank in the third realm! Is it even possible to get up that fast?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°Probably not. All I need to do is get to the C-rank of the second realm and I should be able to hold my own against him.¡±

    She sits back down even more confused, ¡°That sounds even more impossible. Everyone knows that at the A-rank in the third realm, a person will have 1200 pounds of strike force. That is just the base strength! Techniques raise the strength even more!¡±

    I smile, ¡°Fighting across realms is a common thing. Especially in the lower realms. High quality techniques that can grant a couple hundred extra pounds of strike force will allow someone to fight a realm higher than them easily within the early realms.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°Do you know any of those methods?¡±

    I laugh, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t I could easily get one with my gold card.¡±

    She shakes her head and stands up to leave, ¡°I was watching you all morning, good speech, and have fun on your date. I want to know why the tester ran out of the office after testing you later.¡±

    I frown deeply, ¡°You are very creepy.¡±

    She smiles, ¡°Thank-you!¡±

    ¡°That was not a compliment in any way you know.¡±

    She nods happily, ¡°Yep! Bye-bye!¡±

    I sigh as I lower my head to the table.

    Kelly pats my shoulder, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    I turn my head to look at her while keeping it on the table, ¡°In this world. Is there a single sensible person? Anywhere?¡±

    Kelly frowns, ¡°Aren¡¯t I close enough?¡±

    I laugh, ¡°If major mood swings make a person sensible then yes. I know I¡¯m not perfect myself, but I have my reasons.¡± I sigh as I stand up from the table. I clean up my tray and put it with the other dirty trays, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to class so we can get our seats.¡±

    Kelly nods as she starts to walk with me towards the first year building. Kelly and I make it to the classroom.

    I sit down in my seat. The classroom is practically empty. Class is only a couple minutes away though.

    Kelly sits down beside me, ¡°What method do you use Ryu?¡±

    I sigh, ¡°If I told you that I didn¡¯t know the name of the method would you believe me?¡±

    She makes a complicated expression, ¡°Yes. I would trust you. Can you at least explain to me what kind of method it is?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I doesn¡¯t matter even if I did tell you. It is impossible for you to use.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°I just want to know the type then. Fast training with lower overall strength, slow training with higher base strength, or the average method?¡±

    I put my head on the desk, ¡°None of the above, it is a unique method.¡±

    She smiles, ¡°What kind of special method? The requirements or painful initiation?¡±

    ¡°Both.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°That seems like a tough method to use. Why not use another method until you can use that one?¡±

    I sigh yet again, ¡°I would love to if I could. However, the requirements for the method I use require me to get to the second realm without using any other method. This is normally impossible due to elemental restrictions¡­ but I have no element affinity, so I am not restricted the same way normal people are. Also, the pain is so intense that it would cause a normal person to lose consciousness immediately, but the method forces you to stay conscious and bare the pain in full.¡±

    Kelly has a sad expression on her face, ¡°So is that why you haven¡¯t even used any techniques yet?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I can copy a technique just by using the power of heaven and earth together. It is extremely inefficient, but it is doable.¡±

    She nods, ¡°I understand.¡±

    Kelly and I stay silent as more and more students enter into the room, waiting for class to start.

    Mr. Grey enters the room, ¡°I hope you all had a fantastic lunch break! I want to let you all know the reason for the tester leaving so early. The principal said that his wife was injured in an accident and he left to go see her!¡±

    Lies¡­ well, whatever. Not like I am any better.

    ¡°In this half of class we will continue the lecture from this morning about the money system within the school.¡± Mr. Grey takes his seat at the teacher¡¯s desk. ¡°Where did I leave off? Oh yeah, buying cultivation methods. Buying cultivation methods will always cost money. There are no freebies like with techniques. Money is stored on the cards all of you students have. At the start of every week, depending on your school rank, the realm you are in, and the type of card you have, a different amount of money. The lowest amount a bronze card holder will receive a week is 100 dollars. The lowest amount a silver card holder will get is 300 dollars. The lowest amount a gold card holder will get is 1000 dollars a week.¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    A few students look towards me with envy. They must have been in the cafeteria during lunch.

    Mr. Grey continues, ¡°You can bet money in duels. Also, silver card holders can challenge other silver card holders and bronze card holders, but they are not allowed to challenge gold card holders. Only gold card holders can challenge other gold card holders, but they can also challenge silver and bronze card holders. This is so those at higher realms in the bronze rank do not steal money from gold card holders in other lower realms. All duels must be accepted. The person being challenged has the right to decide the match time and location. However, special permission needs to be granted for a duel that is anywhere but on the dueling platforms.¡±

    A student raises their hand. Mr. Grey points to them, they stand up, ¡°What happens if someone who is say¡­ in the second realm, challenges someone in the third realm and wins?¡±

    Mr. Grey nods, ¡°Excellent question! The answer is actually quite complicated. You see, if a student in the second realm defeats a student in the third realm, a lot of third realm students will think that the second realm student cheated and attempt to challenge the person in the second realm to almost endless duels until they are crippled. However, if a person fights a third realm student while at the second realm and avoid the oncoming party of third realms, they will be able to receive an extra 1000 dollars that week. Keep in mind that if you lose, medical bills at this school are not cheap.¡±

    The students all nod. Medical bills are never cheap no matter where you are.

    Mr. Grey starts again, ¡°Bronze card students can leave the school grounds twice a week. So only for a weekend! Silver card students are able to leave four times a week. Gold card students are able to leave whenever they wish. Gold card students are exempt from attending classes, and may even go to another class to listen to that lecture if they want.¡± Mr. Grey looks at the clock. ¡°Well then. I think I talked slow enough to bore most of you poor souls to death. I will let you all out of class early¡­¡±

    Mr. Grey pauses and some of the students get ready to rush out the door of the classroom.

    ¡°Except those who have silver and gold cards.¡±

    The bronze card students sprint out of the classroom before they are called back by Mr. Grey.

    The rest of the students sit dejectedly in their seats, wishing they could leave the classroom.

    Mr. Grey smiles as he looks at the students, ¡°I am aware that I said that the results of the latent potential test are supposed to be secrets. However, are there any students that would like to share their results?¡±

    One particularly depressed looking student stands up, ¡°My latent potential was said to be the fourth realm at the most.¡± The student slides back into their seat, proceeding to slam their head down on the desk.

    A student gets out of his seat and walks to the other student¡¯s side. The student pats the other students back, tears streaming down his face, ¡°You will do better than me! I will only get to the third realm.¡±

    A lot of the students nod. Kelly and I sink down in our seats. Mr. Grey smiles, ¡°Would you two in the back like to share the results?¡±

    I look towards Kelly. Her eyes say, ¡®you first.¡¯

    I sigh as I stand up, ¡°I will say only this! It is not lower than the sixth realm.¡±

    Kelly stands up, ¡°Mine is also not lower than the sixth realm!¡±

    Mr. Grey claps, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! Everyone is dismissed. Except you two!¡± He points towards Kelly and I. Can I leave soon? I want to get this outing with Kelly over with.

    As soon as everyone has left the classroom Mr. Grey walks to the back of the classroom to talk to us, ¡°So what realm are you guys going to get to?¡±

    I frown, ¡°Am I not allowed some privacy with this matter? I was told I was able to keep it a secret. I shall keep mine a secret for various reasons, but you should know that I will never tell anyone who doesn¡¯t know. If that is all I will take my leave now. Thank you for teaching today. I look forward to future lessons.¡± I grab Kelly and drag her out of the room with me. I look behind me and see that Mr. Grey just has a large smile on his face.

    ¡°You can stop dragging me now!¡± Kelly shouts from behind me.

    I let go of her arm, ¡°Yeah, sorry. I just wanted to get out of there fast so we can get this outing over with. I¡¯m ready to go right now. How about you¡­ wait. What happened to that other girl that was following you the other day?¡±

    Kelly thinks for a second, ¡°Oh yeah her. Turns out she was a mage. She got into an argument with me and I haven¡¯t talked to her since that day.¡±

    I shiver, ¡°Women are brutal.¡±

    Kelly gives me an angry look, ¡°I¡¯m right here you know!¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Yeah, and¡­?

    Kelly shakes her head and sighs, ¡°Whatever. I know a great restaurant for us to go to. There is no need for us to change clothing either. Let¡¯s go immediately!¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Kelly grabs my hand and drags me to the entrance to the academy. The guards at the gate look at us, ¡°Please show your school card.¡±

    Kelly pulls out a silver card while I pull out a gold card. The immediately let us through the gate.

    Kelly drags me down several streets and points at a restaurant after a while of walking.

    The name of the restaurant is, ¡®Garden of Swords¡¯. Doesn¡¯t sound very inviting¡­

    Kelly drags me into the restaurant, ¡°Table for two please.¡±

    A waiter who was standing at the door greets us and seats us at a table for the two of us. We sit down at the table.

    On the table was complimentary bread sticks. I grab one and start eating as I was quite hungry.

    Kelly looks at me, ¡°So Ryu. What is your goal after finding your wife?¡±

    I smile, ¡°Get revenge on those who plotted my death. Nice and simple if you ask me. I plan to get to the ninth realm as quickly as possible. Figure out ways to get stronger, then kill those who oppose me while ignoring those who don¡¯t. I just feel like exploring.¡±

    Kelly smiles and blushes slightly, ¡°What if I said I wanted to come with you on your journey?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°You can do what you want. I refuse to have concubines though. I will be faithful to my wife. If you follow me, you are responsible for your own livelihood though. I won¡¯t ask you for help and you don¡¯t ask me for help. I think this is a fair offer.¡±

    She smiles widely, ¡°I accept.¡± She suddenly turns to look out the window behind me, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    As I turn to look out the window a sharp pain runs through my entire body and my vision instantly goes black.

    ¡®Welcome. Young. One.¡¯

    My vision is still black, I have no control over my body. I can hear a familiar speaking. I feel oddly calm.

    ¡®It. Has. Been. A. While. Since. We. Last. Met.¡¯

    Oh, these guys?

    I laugh within my mind, ¡®Why yes it has been oh mysterious beings.¡¯

    ¡®Great. You. Are. Able. To. Speak¡¯

    ¡®May I ask why you are talking to me right now?¡¯

    ¡®You. Forgot. Something.¡¯

    A familiar crystal floats in my mind. ¡®This is!¡¯

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    I laugh within my mind again, ¡®I will take better care of the gift this time. I have no idea what you are. Nor do I think I should know right now. I will talk to you things some other time.¡¯

    ¡®We. All. Look. Forward. To. Our. Meeting. Young. One.¡¯

    My consciousness finally slips into complete nothingness.

 Chapter 12: Ranking

    Hello everyone!

    Rough times in my house right now. I want to keep typing for you all to enjoy no matter how tough the situation is!

    Most people let real life problems drag them down! Not me! No! I keep on going! I drag real life down! In order to properly kick real life back into its corner. I decided to start writing a side story! It has no relevance whatsoever to DE. It is titled, "Win to Live". As of this post it is still awaiting approval from the mystical gods that govern Royal Road. Go read it if you want, don''t if you don''t. I won''t force anyone. Huge thanks to all of you who have supported me thus far and I hope you continue to do so!

    I feel a bit cheap doing a self plug here, but no worries! This chapter is where things finally start to heat up!

    Enjoy the chapter!

    And remember: Don''t let life kick you into a corner! Kick it into its corner first!

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Chapter 12: Ranking

    I slowly open my eyes. A bright light shines into them.

    I let my eyes slowly adjust to the light. How long was I out for?

    Once my eyes finally adjust I look around. Wait! I look around quickly once again.

    It is the throne room from the other world! Why am I here!?

    I look around the room. I realize that I am already standing.

    There is no way this is anything but an illusion! What is going on!?

    ¡°Looks like you have already realized it.¡± A voice that sounds close yet so far away comes from everywhere within the room.

    I nod slowly, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    It laughs, ¡°¡¯What¡¯ would be a better word for that question you know.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°What are you?¡±

    A shadowy figure of a human forms in front of me, ¡°Pleasure to meet you¡­ Well, you have two names, so I shall call you your current name. Let me try this again.¡± The shadowy figure coughs, ¡°Pleasure to meet you Ryu. I have been watching your progress as of late and I would like to congratulate you. I have approved of you. You are not the first, but I will tell you that it is few. My favor is not easy to gain you should know.¡±

    I frown, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have no idea what is going on right now. I was in the middle of eating dinner with a girl when BAM! I black out.¡±

    He scratches his head, ¡°Well, since you were able to gain my favor, I thought I would let you show off in front of the girl¡­ but who knew that you were able to gain my favor while you were still at the first realm still? Your body was unable to handle it. However, I will tell you that in your world, no more than a couple of hours have passed.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Then what was out the window?¡±

    The shadowy figure laughs, ¡°Not a thing. That girl will probably tell you when you return.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°What a confusing woman.¡± I look at the shadowy figure and try to figure out his identity.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to tell by looking.¡±

    ¡°You can read my mind?¡±

    The shadow shrugs, ¡°I have existed for as long as the universe is old.¡±

    I frown, ¡°I am sorry. I have no idea. May you please tell me?¡±

    The shadow laughs, ¡°Of course!¡± The shadowy figure holds out its hand. A large amount of energy is coming from the palm of its hand.

    Spatial energy!

    I can tell the shadowy figure is grinning, ¡°Looks like you figured it out. I am spatial energy. I have existed for so long I have formed a conscience. You are now able to safely absorb as much spatial energy as you see fit. Make new techniques or copy old ones. Walk an untraveled path or follow the paved road. From here on, those decisions are for you to make. Well, I say all this, but what does it matter if you don¡¯t make it to the ninth realm soon?¡± My vision starts to fade, ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me!¡±

    My vision once again fades to black.

    I can feel my body now. I feel oddly warm¡­

    I slowly open my eyes. This is my room. Wait!

    What the Fuck!?

    I turn my head to the left, I see Kelly¡¯s face extremely close. This is a one person bed.

    I turn my head to the right, I see Sayaka¡¯s face less than an inch from mine. This is only a one person bed!

    I feel movement from on top of me.

    I look under the blanket and see that Claire has curled up in a ball on my stomach. How little does she weigh!?

    Wait! That¡¯s not the issue! Why are the three of them in my room and in the same bed!?

    I quickly jump out of bed. Everyone but Kelly falls off because she was against a wall. They all wake up though.

    ¡°RYU!!!¡± All the girls shout at the same time.

    I cover my ears, ¡°So loud! Just calm down for now! Everything is okay!¡±

    Kelly jumps onto me and hugs me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    I peel her off of me, ¡°There is no reason for you to be sorry. I just¡­ uh¡­ didn¡¯t sleep enough so I passed out.¡±

    Claire jumps at me, knocking me over. So strong despite her small appearance! She frowns while looking into my eyes, ¡°Why did you take Kelly on a date? It seemed like you hated her!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember saying that.¡±

    ¡°Then you like her?¡±

    ¡°I never said that either!¡±

    ¡°Then why did you go on a date with her!?¡±

    ¡°I owed her a favor and decided I would take her out to dinner! That is all it is! You may not have heard this yet so I will tell you now! I had a wife in the other world, I will stop at nothing to find her in this world! I will not go near any woman in that manner other than my wife!¡±

    Sayaka has tears in her eyes, ¡°You never told me you had three years left to live¡­¡±

    How¡¯d she find out? I push Claire off of me, ¡°Now is not the time to panic or burst into tears. I have to go do something!¡± I quickly run out of the room.

    I was still wearing the clothes I was yesterday. It was now the next morning.

    I run towards Damion¡¯s office at full speed. I use the power of heaven and earth to make my sprinting faster.

    I arrive in front of his office and go in without knocking. I close the door behind me.

    I turn to look, there was a young looking woman standing in the middle of the room.

    The principal sees me and frowns, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this interruption Ms. Frizen.¡± He looks to me, ¡°What is wrong now Ryu?¡±

    That name seems familiar.

    I am panting so my sentence doesn¡¯t come out quite right, ¡°Girls¡­ chasing¡­ me¡­ after¡­ I¡­ ran.¡± I fall to my knees out of breath.

    The woman¡­ Ms. Frizen scowls at me, ¡°What is a lowly first realm student doing here?¡±

    I quickly catch my breath. I take out my gold card that was miraculously still in my pocket, ¡°I am not as simple as you think¡­¡± I smile widely as I remember why her name sounds familiar, ¡°Dr. Frizen.¡±

    She turns to Damion, ¡°This kid?¡±

    Damion frowns, ¡°I am sorry. His identity is strictly confidential. Even I barely have enough access to know his name.¡±

    I bow slightly, ¡°Hello, My name is Ryu. I am a student at this school. I have read your theory on ¡®Spatial Energy¡¯ and I found it to be quite¡­ conclusive.¡±

    She jumps at me much faster than I can react and grabs onto my shoulders, ¡°Can you sense it at only the first realm!?¡±

    My eyes widen in extreme surprise. I quickly talk within my mind, ¡®Hey! Mr. Spatial energy! Am I allowed to show this woman?¡¯ No response¡­

    The woman starts to shake me violently, ¡°Can you sense it!?¡±

    ¡°Stop shaking me!¡±

    She quickly stops shaking me, ¡°So can you? Can you sense it?¡±

    I close my eyes and focus. I sense the spatial energy near me, and I bring it to me. I move it to just in front of my face, ¡°I can do a bit more than sense it. Do you want to know what the correct parts of your theory are?¡±

    She drops to her knees and puts her head on the ground, ¡°I am not worthy enough to know my faults!¡±

    Damion¡¯s jaw drops. He shakes his head to recover, ¡°Ryu. When did you read Ms. Frizen¡¯s theory? She came here today to ask for it back...¡±

    I think about it, ¡°I read it about two days ago and was able to sense spatial energy after reading the book. I lost consciousness in the moment after being able to sense it for the first time, and then I was out for dinner and BAM! I wake up talking to Mr. Spatial Energy himself.¡± I look towards the woman bowing down to me¡­ a nostalgic feeling arises in me but I shoot it back down, ¡°Raise your head. It is I who is not worthy. If I didn¡¯t read your theory I probably never would have come across this.¡±

    She looks up at me from the floor, ¡°Have you absorbed any of it yet?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°No. I really¡­ REALLY want to though. But I fear that it may conflict with my method if I start to absorb it before I am able to use my cultivation method. I feel no harm in telling you, since I owe you quite a bit for making that theory, my cultivation method is a special method where I have to be at the second realm without using any other method. I fear spatial energy will lock my method if I try to absorb it before I can use my method.¡±

    She quickly glances to Damion, ¡°How special is he?¡±

    Damion frowns, ¡°I cannot personally tell you. If you want to know, ask him, not me.¡±

    I smile as Dr. Frizen slowly stands up. She coughs, ¡°Excuse my earlier performance, I am Dr. Frizen it is nice to meet you erm... Ryu. I would like to ask who you were in the other world if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°Since you won¡¯t know of the position I had, mainly because I created it. But, I was able to defeat my generation¡¯s martial emperor in under five seconds. The mage emperor could not even touch me. So I crushed them both, creating the position of Supreme emperor.¡±

    Her jaw drops, ¡°Y-you mean. B-b-both!?¡±

    I nod, ¡°Well¡­ Yeah.¡±

    Stolen novel; please report.

    She looks towards Damion, ¡°Did you know about this?¡±

    He nods. Dr. Frizen goes to sit down on one of the couches that has been moved to the side of the room. She stares blankly at the ceiling.

    Damion looks towards me, ¡°I think you broke her.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that it was so easy to break people.¡±

    Dr. Frizen looks at me with tears in her eyes, ¡°My descendants are so worthless! I was a mage emperor! Did you know it was our bloodline that was powerful in the arts of magic! Spells that would normally take a minute to cast could be instant cast by us. How can you dodge instant casting!?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I used my skills to his disadvantage. He was just unlucky to have met me. He was probably quite powerful against other people, but I don¡¯t know those kinds of things. My wife took care of paperwork and important events.¡±

    Dr. Frizen falls to her hands and knees on the ground, ¡°I have to wait until you get to my realm to fairly challenge you to a duel properly. Just you wait! Once you get to the ninth realm, I will find you and fight you!¡± Dr. Frizen runs out of the door.

    I look towards Damion with a confused look on my face, ¡°Is she normally like that?¡±

    He sits at his desk and slams his head on it, ¡°Yes. She¡¯s my wife.¡±

    I pat his shoulder, ¡°There, there. At least you don¡¯t have three girls who are crazy and stick to you.¡±

    Damion raises his head and looks at me, ¡°So. What did you need before you got on that tangent with my wife?¡± He slams his head on the desk again.

    I tilt my head. ¡°Oh yeah!¡± I remember what I needed, ¡°Damion you have to help me. Kelly, Sayaka and Claire were all in my bed when I woke up from passing out. Also. Spatial energy is sentient to the point where it can have a fluent conversation with me. It also has its own weird sense of humor.¡±

    Damion raises his head, ¡°It had a sense of humor?¡±

    I sigh, ¡°While I was out with Kelly last night, I was going to look out a window when I suddenly blacked out. At that point Mr. Spatial Energy decided to give me access to spatial energy, which caused me to lose consciousness immediately.¡±

    Damion frowns, ¡°I didn¡¯t know it had that kind of property. I should tell my wife once she calms down. Maybe she will be able to use it if she talks to it enough.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°So what are we going to do about those three girls?¡±

    He smiles, ¡°Just leave it to me. You should head onto class without Kelly, and she probably won¡¯t be there until the afternoon classes, and maybe not even then.¡±

    I nod, ¡°I can work with that.¡±

    I leave Damion¡¯s office and head towards class. I don¡¯t have a watch on my so I guess the time by looking at the sky. It looks like there is about an hour and a half until class starts. I guess I can just have a nap on the desk until class starts.

    I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something¡­ Nah, I don¡¯t think I would forget anything if it was important.

    I walk towards the classroom. Very few students were moving around. I guess there are a lot of last minute kind of people around here.

    I walk into the classroom and see a couple of female students huddling in a circle. As soon as they see me they sit down into various chairs.

    I ignore it as random girl talk being interrupted and go to my seat. I lay my head on the table and just rest there unmoving. I decided not to sleep because there are other people here already.

    I glance at the clock on the wall. Two hours until class starts¡­ Was I really that off by guessing from the brightness of the sky? Well, with a blood red sky, it is kind of hard to tell.

    I hear the girls start talking again, ¡°Is he asleep?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Um, no he isn¡¯t. I think for sake of convenience I will label them in my head while they talk.

    Girl A: ¡°Okay, then we can continue the meeting.¡±

    I was about to speak up and say I wasn¡¯t sleeping when I hear the next sentence, Girl B: ¡°The meeting on how to rid of the filth within this class will now start.¡± Shouldn¡¯t you girls use a codename for something that severe?

    Girl A: ¡°Okay. We will have two major chances to get away with this. The first: The class ranking tournament. The second: The group test in the forest of a thousand trials.¡±

    Girl C: ¡°The forest of a thousand trials?¡±

    Girl D: ¡°I stole the teacher notes temporarily and found out that there will be a test that stresses teamwork. The forest it designed to be done at any realm, but only the first few trials can be done at the first realm though. As a person¡¯s realm gets higher, they are able to challenge more trials.¡±

    Girl A: ¡°That being that. We need to get Ryu to fight one of us during the ranking tournament. If not, he may be able to get to a higher realm and defeat us. We need to crush him while he is still weak.¡±

    Girl C: ¡°Why do we need to do this?¡±

    Girl A: ¡°There are two great reasons! First! He has too many girls by his side, and he isn¡¯t faithful to ¡®Queen¡¯! Second! He is a cripple. We cannot allow a cripple to taint our school¡¯s name! We have to-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ve had just about enough of this!¡± As I was just about to ¡®wake up¡¯ Mr. Grey walks into the classroom. ¡°Ryu, stop fake sleeping and just confront them already!¡±

    I sit up slowly, ¡°Well, this is kind of awkward for me.¡±

    Mr. Grey walks to me, ¡°Why did you let them talk like that about you? You of all people should be yelling to high heavens right now!¡±

    I smile, ¡°I was actually about to go on my patent pending rant. You¡¯ve heard it already, it is a work of art if I do say so myself.¡±

    Mr. Grey laughs, ¡°Come on let them have it! I want to see their reaction!¡±

    I laugh with him, ¡°Some kind of teacher you are. I¡¯ll shorten it so no one walks in while I¡¯m ranting.¡± I take a deep breath and start to yell in the direction of the girls, ¡°You think you are better than me! You think just because I came to this world from the other one I wanted to be missing my dominant arm!? In the other world I died in my wife¡¯s arms after an intense battle! You think that because this body was hit by a train saving someone¡¯s life! I currently have a little less than three years left on my life if I can¡¯t make it to the ninth realm!¡± I walk towards the girls and spread my arms, ¡°You want to get rid of me now!? Go ahead! I won¡¯t resist for a second.¡±

    The girls look at me dumbfounded. One of the girls breaks down and starts to cry.

    I look to Mr. Grey, ¡°I even shortened it. Are they all going to break down because of a small sob story?¡±

    He frowns, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about you saving the person from a train.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yeah, do you know a girl named Sayaka? Yeah, it was her.¡±

    He makes a complicated expression, ¡°Oh my. She must feel horrible about doing that to you.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I¡¯m not angry at her, in fact I want to thank her for leaving me another reason to be strong.¡±

    By this point all the girls had registered the story and were crying. The one was clearly not feeling remorseful. Girl A: ¡°I¡¯m so very sorry about plotting against you.¡±

    The rest of the girls are legitimately crying so when they try to talk it almost sounds like choking.

    I sigh. What is wrong with this Girl A? She really wants me dead?

    I walk back to my seat and set my head down on the desk, ¡°Now if that is all you need, I am trying to rest. I won¡¯t be sleeping so please don¡¯t try to talk about me in the open, mkay?¡±

    Mr. Grey sighs as he sits beside me, ¡°So, Why are you here so early?¡±

    The girls started to leave the room quickly. I look towards Mr. Grey with my head still on the desk, ¡°I had a run in with three girls, then Dr. Frizen. Then I was here.¡±

    He frowns, ¡°I won¡¯t ask any more details¡­ mainly for my own safety. But, do you want to know about the class ranking tournament?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Sure, why not.¡±

    Mr. Grey smiles. He takes a deep breath and begins, ¡°The class ranking tournament is used to decide the class ranking. There are five first round fights that are one on one, continuing until there are six people left. After that they will be put into a larger arena for a six way fight. Free for all style. The winner, no matter how it is done, is the last person left standing. The class rankings are not done individually. There are the top six, first rank, second rank, all the way to sixth rank. Rank will be decided by fighting style, victory speed, and placing in the tournament. For example, someone who loses in the second round, can still be first rank. But only the top six in the tournament can be put in the top six ranks.¡±

    I nod, ¡°That makes a lot of sense. So what happens if you are in the lowest rank?¡±

    He smiles, ¡°Absolutely nothing. However, there are rewards for those who make it into higher ranks. For example a fifth rank can get a bonus of money weekly or one technique book a month. Fourth rank can get two a month, third rank can get three, second rank can get four, and first rank can get up to five technique books a month. Of course the can choose money if they would rather have that. Technique books will vary in cost depending on the quality so most people choose to use technique books as their reward.¡±

    I frown, ¡°What about the top six?¡±

    He shakes his head, ¡°If only I could have made it to the tops six when I was in school, I don¡¯t think I would be here right now. Anyways, the top six get to choose a new cultivation method to practice for free. Compatibility is chosen by the principal himself.¡±

    The top six eh? I don¡¯t really need anything though. I¡¯ll just lose the first fight on purpose. Well, not like I can really win with the method I currently use. I can¡¯t use techniques until I start using my cultivation method.

    Seriously. I can¡¯t help but think I¡¯m forgetting something important.

 Chapter 13: Learning

    Hello everyone!

    I don''t have much to say for today.

    Just that Win to Live is now up. I think that is everything... yeah, it is.

    Enjoy the chapter!

    Chapter 13: Learning

    The rest of the class had finally gathered within the classroom. I was sitting in my usual spot. Like Damion said, Kelly is not here right now.

    Mr. Grey claps to get everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°Okay class! We have a special guest here today to talk about the structure of the various worlds and basic information! Please treat them kindly!¡±

    Dr. Frizen walks into the classroom, ¡°Hello first year students! I will be teaching you about the various structures of the universe. I will also talk about the various rankings that monsters have, and the major ways to be able to tell the difference between something you can fight and something you should run from immediately if you see it.¡±

    I slowly sink down in my seat to try and not be noticed by her. Why is she here? I thought she ran off to some faraway place to plot here revenge against me. Maybe, she is here to plot her revenge already!

    She continues, ¡°So, first things first. You may refer to me a Dr. Frizen. I am a ¡®researcher¡¯ for lack of a better description. I research things in various fields regarding cultivation and the monsters that exist throughout the universe. My main field is top secret, but a certain student made more advances than me in a very small amount of time¡­¡± She smiles and glances in my direction without anyone noticing, ¡°But that is another story. Anyways, we will start with information of the universe.¡± She turns to look at Mr. Grey who had moved to his chair.

    I frown. I can¡¯t believe she noticed me so easily. Wait. She probably already knew I was in this class. I just sigh as I sit up properly in my chair.

    Dr. Frizen continues, ¡°As most of you may already know. This planet is near the edge of the universe. The name of the floating rock we are currently on is ¡®Behemoth¡¯. ¡®Behemoth¡¯ is locked in a binary system with the molten planet R-2865J2. The planets are the perfect distance apart with a stable rotation. This causes the days to be exactly twenty four hours.¡±

    A student raises their hand. Dr. Frizen points to them and they stand up, ¡°I was wondering how this planet is able to support us considering a molten planet should not be able to act as a replacement for a sun.¡±

    Dr. Frizen nods, ¡°Good question and that can be answered simply. It doesn¡¯t. The technology that has been created with the help of the UKC is able to create an artificial atmosphere using magic to create the basic elements a human needs to live.¡± She walks to the exact middle of the room, ¡°The rest of the universe is similar to what you have learned in other schools before coming here. However the universe is in total only five light years across. Solar bodies are much closer to each other than what you learned in school. Gravity is also something to be cautious of. Some planets will have gravity that is almost a hundred times that of normal gravity due to how dense they are. Even most of those at the ninth realm like me do not dare to go there. Only the more adventurous will go to planets like that. Colonies also exist on other planets. They all learn the exact same thing throughout the entire universe. Some planets are entirely inhabited by normal people and are sealed from access.¡±

    A male student leans back in his chair and sighs, ¡°When will we learn about the monsters? This planet stuff is boring!¡±

    A piece of chalk flies straight at his head from the direction of Dr. Frizen. The student falls to the ground while the piece of chalk disintegrates. When did she get chalk?

    Dr. Frizen looks at the student, ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me. I¡¯m getting there. So everything is basically the same as when you learned it in school with some minor exceptions. So now I will move on to talking about monsters.¡± She walks to the back of the classroom and stands behind me, ¡°So. Monsters come in all various shapes and sizes. But don¡¯t be confused, just because a monster is small, that doesn¡¯t mean it is weak. Alternatively, don¡¯t think that an incredibly large monster is very strong. Monsters are put into ranks. Ninth rank monsters are things that you guys should be able to easily kill. The way to tell a ninth rank monster is the aura it emits. If you don¡¯t feel fear from it. It should be safe to fight it. Eight rank is equivalent to a second realm practitioner. At the realm you are at, you will unconsciously feel fear from its aura. You should have started running about a minute ago if you encounter one now. This scales similarly until you get to the first rank. First rank monsters are as strong as a ninth realm practitioner. You will probably need new pants if you sense an aura on one of those. After you sense it, it is most likely too late for you. Just hope that you don¡¯t anger the beast. I think that is all for now. I will take this convenient seat beside this completely random student now and listen to Mr. Grey finish the morning lesson.¡± Dr. Frizen sits down in the seat to my left.

    Mr. Grey frowns as Dr. Frizen sits down next to me. I frown also. Why does she have to be here? Why can¡¯t she just go do something else?

    Dr. Frizen passes me a piece of paper under the desk;

    ¡®Why do you have both the power of heaven and earth within your body?

    When will you absorb spatial energy? How long until you make it to the ninth realm so I can fight you fairly?¡¯

    I sigh as I rip up the note and ignore her. I get a fierce stare from her.

    Mr. Grey claps loudly to get everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°I would like to thank those of you who paid attention to Dr. Frizen¡¯s knowledge on monsters and the basics of the universe. With the remainder of the morning class, I will talk about the upcoming ranking tournament and the forest of a thousand trials. Raise your hand if you want to learn about tournaments first and keep it down if you want to learn about the forest of a thousand trials.¡±

    Seventy percent of the students keep their hands down.

    Mr. Grey nods, ¡°Okay. Forest of a thousand trials it is. Let¡¯s see. Okay, the forest of a thousand trials is actually not a forest. It is large building far away from the school. At the end of every month, students will form into groups in order to test teamwork and personal strengths. A person must enter in a group of six. The forest of a thousand trials has exactly one thousand trials. Some say this is because it lacks a forest so it had to stay true to the second half of its name. The trials you guys at the first realm will be doing are the first ten trials. These trials will seem extremely hard to you because they do not require any strength to complete, but teamwork instead. This will be a test. This test will be in eight days. Please try to mark it somewhere you can remember. Now onto the tournament¡­¡±

    ------------Lunch--------------

    I was sitting by myself eating some mush in the cafeteria. Dr. Frizen didn¡¯t move when the class was dismissed so I took my chance to escape from her.

    ¡°There¡¯s a three way fight at the dueling arena!¡± A student burst in the doors of the cafeteria. ¡°Two second year students along with a first year student known as ¡®Queen¡¯!¡±

    Is it those three!? I leave my tray at the table and sprint out of the dueling arena. I use the power of heaven and earth to sprint faster. Pretty much everyone can sense it on me anyways. No use trying to hide it anymore. I use it sparingly because the dueling fields are quite far from the cafeteria building.

    After a while of sprinting full force and keeping up with the second realm students I make it to the dueling arena.

    ¡°I only started this because of the stupid bet I lost!¡± Kelly was yelling at Claire and Sayaka.

    ¡°Then why do you keep doing it?¡± Claire yelled at Kelly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know why you feel anything towards him Claire, and you! Sayaka, why do you feel things towards him!?¡± Kelly was getting visually heated up.

    Sayaka puffs out her chest, ¡°I like him because he saved my life. He was cool. He risked his life for me!¡±

    Claire frowns, ¡°That was the previous him! The current him might not have done that!¡±

    Actually, I might have. I would just be smarter about it than jumping in front of the train. It is clear that they are talking about me here.

    Sayaka smiles, ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter to me! I like him because I like him!¡±

    Claire frowns once again, ¡°I like him because of his calm and cool personality! His determination is amazing! I like him!¡± Claire is yelling with a bright red face.

    Kelly starts to blush right up to her ears, ¡°I like him too! I was only being nice to him because you guys forced me to after I lost a bet! I fell in love with him while I was staying with him! I realized it when he talked about his death in the other world!¡±

    The girls were arguing about liking me? Damion! What did you say to them!? I look around the fields for Damion but I don¡¯t seem to find him. I guess I can talk to him after I stop this mess.

    As I was about to walk into the dueling area, Damion appears in the center of the girls, ¡°You all agree to this three way fight? If so let me tell you the rules! They are simple! The last one standing wins! No attacks that can mortally wound, only slightly injure! A bonus rule that is special for you three! If the man in question is brave enough to step out and stop this¡­¡± Damion looks to me in the crowd, ¡°He may fight each of these women individually in order to stop them from fighting each other!¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The entire crowd looks to where he was looking. Some of these looks are scary! Do I really have to go up and fight? Are you testing my fighting ability before I can even use martial techniques? I will only be able to strengthen myself slightly and use my knowledge of fighting to win!

    Bring it on!

    I slowly walk up to the dueling area taking deep breaths. I¡¯m slightly nervous. This will be my first real fight since coming to this world. I have a feeling their feelings are true, but it was rushed due to Damion¡¯s plan. Come on Damion.

    This was planned for me to fight. There is no way around this no matter how rushed it is. If I make excuses here. I will be the enemy of many men and women alike.

    But there are some issues. I don¡¯t use weapons and I don¡¯t have a right arm. Another issue is that I am only B-ranked in the first realm and only have a small amount of power to use. I can try and absorb it between fights or even during the fights if I can focus enough.

    The first issue can be solved with the fact that I never really used weapons in the first place. The second issue¡­ is well¡­ impossible to solve right now.

    I sigh as I finally make it to the stage. Damion smiles, ¡°Why if it isn¡¯t you Ryu? I had no idea th-¡°

    ¡°Cut the bullshit.¡± I cut him off.

    He smiles as he realizes that he was already seen through, ¡°You figured that out pretty quick. So are you able to fight or should I stall while you prep yourself?¡±

    I sigh and shrug my shoulders, ¡°I am as ready as I¡¯ll ever be. I can only say I have confidence if I fight them one on one though.¡±

    He laughs, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± He turns to the large crowd that has gathered. ¡°Welcome everyone! I am the principal of this school! You should recognize me from the opening ceremony, but this is a special unplanned event! A first year student at only the B-rank of the first realm will fight these three one by one starting with the one in the lowest realm! Kelly! Or as most of you know her, ¡®Queen¡¯! The rules of the fight are the same! Fighters go to opposite sides of the dueling arena!¡±

    Kelly¡¯s weapon was a one handed longsword. It was just a basic steel sword with nothing special. It happens to be the same sword I was chased with the other day. She holds it gracefully in her right hand.

    I take a deep breath as I walk to the side away from Kelly. She has an apologetic look on her face. I just smile back at her. It isn¡¯t completely her fault. Kelly and I are on opposite sides of the dueling area. It is about 55 yards from me to her.

    Damion smiles, ¡°Three!

    Two!

    One!

    Fight!¡±

    Kelly leans forward in to a sprint to close the distance quickly. Her face was full of determination to hit me with that sword.

    I¡¯ll have to pass on that though.

    Kelly arrives in front of me as I stand in place. She starts to swing her sword up from the bottom left towards the top right.

    I move my body at the last second to dodge. I fall to the ground and use my left arm as a brace and spin to kick out her shins.

    Kelly doesn¡¯t react fast enough and she falls to the ground with no grace.

    Her right arm is slightly in the air as she falls so that she doesn¡¯t stab herself with sword on the way down to the ground.

    I take advantage of that and twist my body while standing up and give a nice roundhouse kick to her hand and the hilt of the sword. The sword flies out of her hand about ten feet away from us. While she is disoriented I move over her and place my right heel on her throat.

    The crowd is silent.

    Kelly has a confused look on her face.

    I tilt my head. Did I really do something so crazy? I don¡¯t have my right arm so it would be more strategic to use my legs to my advantage.

    Damion quickly calls the fight, ¡°Ryu is the winner! So Ryu. We all have one question for you. How did you predict her movements to the point you could pull off precise movements like that?¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°I never predicted anything. All I did was react to what she was currently doing. I have fought many times in my previous life. Just because this is the first time I am fighting in this world, it does not mean I am a weak opponent. This fight was not as simple as it looked. I had to be careful because I don¡¯t have a right arm. My opponent also had a weapon while I didn¡¯t. I also didn¡¯t want to injure her so I used the simplest method to make the best of it all. I was luck and didn¡¯t have to use any internal energy. If she would have used a feint attack instead of fighting head on I might have been in a bit more trouble.¡±

    Most of the crowd has dead eyes. Damion coughs, ¡°Well then. That being that. Are you ready for the next fight against Claire? She is at the C-rank of the second realm! Are you up for it!?¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m ready.¡±

    Claire walks to the spot across the dueling area. Her weapons were gloves with hard parts on the knuckles. A brawler? These fights are always quick when on an arena.

    Claire frowns while I smile to myself. She looks like she really wants to win. Her small frame will make her really light and agile. This just keeps getting better and better for me.

    Damion starts the countdown, ¡°Three!

    Two!

    One!

    Fight!¡±

    Claire slowly walks forward in a defensive stance that reminds me of something similar to kick boxing.

    I take the initiative and sprint towards Claire.

    She lunges forwards and swings using her left. I know she is right handed.

    This can go one of two ways. This is a feint and she will pull back and swing with her right hand, or she will jump and twist her body to kick my head.

    She arrives in front of me and starts to push out her right arm.

    I lean to my right to dodge the punch.

    She put her bodyweight into the punch so she lurches forwards slightly.

    I take the chance and grab onto her wrist. I use my momentum to pull her completely off balance. I quickly shift my footing and lift her off the ground while spinning. I strengthen my arms for a split second as I throw Claire into the crowd of spectators outside the dueling area.

    She was thrown almost twenty feet. She is super light.

    I sigh as Damion calls the outcome, ¡°The winner is Ryu by default! The duelers must always stay in the dueling area, failure to do so, even by external means results in instant loss!¡±

    I figured that would be a rule. Claire stands up from the crowd and walks back towards the sulking Kelly, they both sit next to each other with sad looks on their faces.

    I sigh. I wonder what is at stake for these matches.

    Sayaka is already prepped at her side of the dueling area. She is using twin daggers. I hope she doesn¡¯t throw them. Throwing weapons are annoying for me.

    Damion takes another deep breath, ¡°The final match is between Ryu and Sayaka! Sayaka is the B-rank of the second realm!¡±

    Sayaka bows slightly as I make it to my side of the dueling area, ¡°Let¡¯s have a good fight.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Let¡¯s have a good fight.¡±

    Damion nods, ¡°Then let¡¯s begin! Three!

    Two!

    One!

    Fight!

    Sayaka instantly starts sprinting towards me.

    I match her and we meet in the center of the arena.

    [Blade dance!]

    Sayaka used a martial technique! The spectators start to cheer.

    Sayaka starts to swing the knives gracefully around me. They are full of energy and seem very, very sharp.

    I don¡¯t think I want to be cut today.

    Sayaka swings the blade in her left hand towards my right side. I jump right up to her, so close that I can easily hear her breathing. While she was caught off guard I move my left arm in front and place it on her left shoulder. I move my right leg at the same time to her right side at her ankles.

    I twist and she falls to the ground.

    I put her in the same finishing as Kelly.

    I place my right foot on her throat and this time I apply a bit of pressure so that she doesn¡¯t think about stabbing my legs.

    She drops the daggers onto the ground, ¡°How are you so strong?¡±

    I shake my head as Damion starts to walk over, ¡°I¡¯m not that strong, I am just using battle experience to my advantage.¡±

    Damion yells to the spectators, ¡°The duels are over! The winner is Ryu! Everyone please return to your classes as they are about to start!¡± Damion looks at me as the crowd leaves, ¡°Hey Ryu. Did you know that you just made 2500 dollars?¡±

    I smile, ¡°That is convenient if I have to say. Anyways, just what was the point of all this pointlessness?¡±

    He smiles, ¡°I just wanted to test your battle abilities. It seems like I don¡¯t have to worry about anything for a while. How would you currently deal with a person in the third realm?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°Sayaka was tough to pull down. I just managed to catch her off guard. If she was willing to fight a bit more she could have chanced stabbing at my leg with her daggers but she clearly didn¡¯t want to injure me that badly, so I abused that fact.¡±

    Damion shakes his head, ¡°You sure are ruthless.¡±

    I laugh, ¡°I prefer to call myself quick thinking.¡±

 Chapter 14: Relaxing

    Well. Another day.

    Another chapter.

    Enjoy this one!

    Chapter 14: Relaxing

    After the fight with the three girls, they disappeared with Damion and I went to go read in the library because I didn¡¯t feel like going to class. I read about some useless information regarding different monsters and their abilities. I also read about the forest of a thousand trials.

    The forest of a thousand trials has existed as long as this planet. No one knows who created it, but it is used by various schools for testing their students. The first ten trials are puzzles that change depending on the size of the group. No information on the trials was inside the book.

    After reading, it was dark, so I went to bed.

    At this school there is a rest day every three days.

    I wake up and sigh as I remember that I no longer have a prosthetic. I wonder if I could get Damion to help me find one that can be used in fights. I guess I can go ask him right now. I hope Dr. Frizen isn¡¯t there.

    I get out of my bed. Thankfully no one was in my room this morning. I have a quick shower and get dressed.

    I grab the door handle and take a deep breath. Another day at the Verandus beginner academy.

    I open the door. I suddenly feel my internal energy circulate faster than normal. I smile.

    A-rank of the first realm. Just one more step to go. I am excited to use spatial energy.

    I know that this step will be easier because advancing to the next realm is easier than getting to the next rank. It is a matter of skill rather than gathering internal energy and strengthening the body. I hope that it goes smoothly from here on out.

    I was hoping those girls would try when they were fighting me.

    They tried to go easy on me but lost almost instantly. Sayaka was the only one that used a technique. It was slightly depressing. I bet Damion feels the same way because he was clearly testing my fighting ability.

    I sigh yet again while walking towards Damion¡¯s office. How was he even able to become the principal?

    Whatever. I think he owes me quite a bit now though.

    I helped his only son. I kind of helped his wife with her theory. I wonder what type of prosthetics I can get.

    I arrive at the office and knock on the door.

    Damion calls from inside the room, ¡°Please come in.¡±

    Damion was facing the wall in his office chair. He turns around as I enter the room. I smile, ¡°Hey Damion. I need a new prosthetic. Could I possibly order a good one that can be used in battle through you?¡±

    He nods, ¡°Well, I was just waiting for you to ask. I already have one for you. I prepared it as soon as I found out that you just had a standard prosthetic.¡±

    I hit my face with my hand, ¡°Tell me these things sooner!¡±

    He shrugs his shoulders, ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, does it? Anyways. Here it is.¡± Damion grabs something from underneath his desk.

    He tosses me the prosthetic. It weighs about as much as a normal arm. It looks like a large chunk of metal. It has joints where there should be joints and looks like A normal arm, except made of metal. I look at it for a little while. As I place it on my arm I correctly place the straps.

    Damion laughs, ¡°It looks too natural for you. That aside, this one is different in that it is controlled by the circulation of internal energy rather than sensors. It will not actually use up any internal energy, but if you are out of internal energy, you will have no way to control the arm. It should have the strength to last you until at least the fifth realm.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Well, thank you for this. It seems like it could be better than my other arm after some practice. I was thinking this talk would take longer¡­ I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m going to do next.¡±

    Damion starts writing on some papers on his desk, ¡°Well. You brought your laptop, right? Why not surf the internet. Learn some things that aren¡¯t taught in school. Oh, you¡¯ll need this.¡± He opens a drawer on his desk and throws me a small USB. ¡°Install the file on this on your desktop and run it. You will then get access at the gold card level.¡±

    I grab the USB out of the air, ¡°Thanks. I guess I¡¯ll go now. I¡¯ll see you whenever you are done with your next scheme.¡± I wave behind me as I leave the room.

    Damion is such a nice person. Well I have a suspicion someone higher up is pulling all the strings behind the scenes. That doesn¡¯t really matter to me right now though.

    There is still this nagging feeling I have that keeps telling me that I am forgetting something incredibly important.

    This is annoying. I need to figure out what this feeling is as soon as possible.

    My stomach growls. I will do it immediately after I eat.

    I turn towards the cafeteria. While I¡¯m walking I see a lot of zombie like students. Why are they so tired?

    A random student walks up to me and pats my shoulder, ¡°Good job man. You defeated students that we could only wish to defeat.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. If you are talking about the fight yesterday, I only won against the second realm girls because they were going easy on me. Their real fighting strength is most likely a lot higher.¡±

    The student laughs, ¡°No man, you took it too literally. You got them all to like you dude. You can have what most men dream of, a harem!¡±

    I hit my face with my hand, ¡°I seriously don¡¯t want that. I just want a normal relationship with my wife from the other world once I find her. First I need to apologize, then I need to repay her for everything that she did for me.¡±

    The student frowns, ¡°Dude. That sounds depressing.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Most people cry or rethink their life when they hear about my story. I¡¯m hungry, so I¡¯m going to get going. Also, start telling people that I do not want a harem. A harem is the worst thing a man can do. A man must stay faithful to one woman and one woman alone. That is my personal belief.¡±

    The student shrugs as he walks towards the training fields. I continue to walk towards the cafeteria.

    I make it to my seat in the cafeteria. Alice should come to sit down here soon.

    Almost as if on que, ¡°Hello Ryu. Pleasure to meet you again.¡± Alice sits down across from me like normal.

    I sigh, ¡°You seem content just sitting and talking to me while I am eating, what¡¯s up with that?¡±

    She frowns, ¡°I just wanted to be friends with you. Speaking of which, I saw your fight with Kelly, Claire and Sayaka. It was amazing how you beat all of them without exerting much energy. In fact, I think you only used it to throw Claire further.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yeah, they didn¡¯t even try. I¡¯m sure you noticed. The only person who even kind of tried was Sayaka, and even then, she could have easily escaped my hold on her if she tried to stab at my leg, but because she didn¡¯t want to hurt me, I abused the fact.¡±

    She laughs, ¡°You sure are ruthless.¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°No. I am quick thinking. Anyways. They were too easy. I can¡¯t use weapons too well and on top of that, I can¡¯t use any of my techniques until I get to the second realm. So I am at a disadvantage no matter who I fight right now. If I falter even slightly, a serious injury is bound to occur. So I am just not allowed to be careless until I get to the eighth realm at least. Even then, I was still killed when I was at the ninth realm. There are some scary things out there in this world.¡±

    Alice nods, ¡°Yeah. So Mr. Supreme emperor, what is your plans for today?¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°Hmm, I need to remember something I forgot and then I am going to-¡°I finally realize what she just said, ¡°What did you just call me?¡±

    She smiles, ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. I have enough facts now. Stories from Claire and various other things. I can safely say that you were the supreme emperor.¡±

    I smile, ¡°So what if I am?¡±

    She stands up and bows, ¡°I was your head battle maid sir. Pleasure to meet with you once again.¡±

    I reveal a shocked expression, ¡°Really? This seems a little too convenient for so many people that I knew from the other world to be here.¡±

    She laughs quietly, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t know, but this is one of the few schools across the entire universe. The odds of meeting more people you knew are greater than you think sir.¡±

    I smile, ¡°So that makes sense.¡± My expression changes, ¡°I have a couple quick questions for you.¡±

    She nods, ¡°Ask away sir.¡±

    I take a deep breath, ¡°What happened to my body in the other world after I died there?¡±

    She frowns, ¡°We had to clean you up first because there was a lot of dirt and blood all over your body. There was the crystal around your neck that was buried with you. It disappeared so we had to go on without it. Your wife was quite upset about that. After all is said and done, pretty much the entire capital city paid their respects to you. The ceremony lasted a total of seven days and seven nights.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Then the next question. What happened to my wife after all this?¡±

    She lightly bows, ¡°She left on a journey, but I was killed in a raid on the castle a week after she left so I do not know the outcome.¡±

    I nod slowly. So it seems that I have to wait until I find her myself. I hope I find her quickly.

    I stand up. I remember what I have been forgetting about. I look towards Alice, ¡°Well, I have things I need to go do. I will talk to you later. Have a good day.¡±

    She nods as I leave the cafeteria.

    I quickly sprint back to my room. I receive various thumbs up from male students and some angry glares from female students. Come on people! Who believes in rumors nowadays!?

    I sigh as I make it to my room. I quickly search around my room. Where is it!?

    I need to find it now!

    I rummage around my room. The desk drawers, the bathroom. Nothing is left unsearched.

    I lie down onto the bed. Where is it!?

    I sigh. Could those godly beings really have a sense of humor and never actually gave me the crystal back?

    I look in the last place I can. I lift up the bed completely.

    There it is!

    I finally have it back! Even the chain is still attached from the other world! I immediately put it around my neck. The crystal itself is a long pillar type structure. I say long, but it is only an inch long and its diameter is only an eighth of an inch.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The crystal itself, is indestructible by any means I have available to me at the current time.

    I put the power of the heaven and earth into the crystal. The names of my many techniques go through my memories just like in the other world. I take a long deep breath. This is a really nostalgic feeling.

    I smile widely as I see a technique that will really help me once I get to the second realm. My rank rises too quickly in this world to be considered anything but an anomaly.

    The technique is named [Hidden]. It allows me to conceal what rank I am at. Even those at the ninth realm will not be able to see my real rank when I use this technique. It uses an almost no internal energy to execute this technique, so I can keep it active continuously.

    I smile as I go through my memories. This is going to be awesome now that I have this crystal again.

    I take another deep breath as I sit up. I laid down at some point while going through my memories.

    I lean to the drawer under my bed and grab my laptop out of it. I boot up my laptop. Man. I am glad I got the memories from this body. Figuring out how to use this thing using only knowledge from the other world would be utter torture.

    The login screen appears. What was my password? Hmm. Wait! Really!?

    I type it in. The laptop finishes booting up. No way¡­ that¡¯s a horrible password. When has ¡®1234¡¯ ever been a good password!?

    I sigh as I place the USB Damion gave me into the USB port.

    Words appear on the screen, ¡®Welcome Ryu. We are glad to have you connecting to our services. You are a ¡°Gold¡± card member. This means you have access to most sites and have a free range of downloads, and of course, access to the web that normal people would have. Thank you for choosing our services and have a nice day.¡¯

    I sigh as I launch my web browser. The first thing I do is go and clear my previous browser history. This body was not a very good person on the internet.

    I look at the line flashing in the search bar.

    I don¡¯t know what I should search for first. I¡¯m here, so I should search for relevant things.

    ¡®What is the highest realm?¡¯

    -ERROR-

    ¡®Access level not high enough to search for this information. Please try a different search or use an account with proper access.¡¯

    I frown deeply. This means that something fishy is going on. Let¡¯s try this then.

    ¡®Is the ninth realm the highest realm?¡¯

    The screen displays an uncountable amount of results.

    ¡®Theory by Dr. ------: is the ninth realm the end?

    Theory by Dr. ------: is the ninth realm really the limit?

    Theory by Dr. ------: the ninth realm is not the end!

    Theory by Dr. ------: the voice that is in my head tells me this isn¡¯t the end!¡¯

    I think I will question the last one¡¯s sanity¡­ but these aren¡¯t what I want. I can¡¯t just read theories my entire life! I need to search more directly.

    ¡®The tenth realm exists!¡¯ That should do the trick¡­ or find me some crazies again.

    -ERROR-

    -FORCED SERVER DISCONNECT-

    Uh oh. I¡¯m in trouble.

    -CONNECTING TO MODERATOR CHAT-

    ¡®Hello there Mr. Ryu. We have noticed that you are searching for information that is beyond your access level. You seem to know more than the average gold card member. May I inquire why this is?¡¯

    I nervously type into the chat, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I was just simply curious if this was a thing. I am a very determined person. I heard someone mention that the ninth realm didn¡¯t feel like the end in my previous life. I just learned about this online method of searching not even an hour ago. I apologize for wasting your time.¡¯

    After a short wait there was a reply, ¡®We are aware that you only connected a very short time ago. However, if you require greater access the UKC is responsible for the various card rankings. I myself am a member of the UKC. If you give us a piece of useful information, depending on its usefulness, we will reward you appropriately. We have almost no information on you and only some hints on your previous identity and feats. Such as, but not limited to, your title as supreme emperor.¡¯

    I frown, ¡®Information travels quite quickly nowadays I see.¡¯

    Another message appears, ¡®It sure does Mr. Ryu. We immediately promoted you to gold card based on your title and information regarding you is actually placed at one rank higher than that.¡¯

    I tilt my head as I type, ¡®I can gather information on other people on here?¡¯

    A minute passes, ¡®Yes. For example, I just searched information on one of your friends, ¡®Claire¡¯. She is currently at the C-rank of the second realm and prefers to use glove type weapons. She likes to go close combat and a recent addition is that she lost to you in a duel in under thirty seconds.¡¯

    I smile as I type, ¡®That is kind of really creepy. So, where could I possibly sell information?¡¯

    Instant response, ¡®Right now. I will show you my qualifications.¡¯

    A picture of a lot of code type messages appear on the screen.

    Another message comes in, ¡®Not like any of that will mean anything to you. I will send one of my people to you at a later date if you wish to sell information.¡¯

    I laugh as I type, ¡®That would be great. How about fifteen days from now?¡¯

    Another near instant response, ¡®That is acceptable. I will now forcibly disconnect you. Go cultivate or something. The internet will rot your brain.¡¯

    -FORCING SHUTDOWN-

    Well, that seems like it was counterproductive if anything at all.

    I sigh as I close my laptop. When will something go as I plan?

    I will forcibly make something go as I plan! I swing my arm around.

    My control of this arm is almost at a perfect level already. It is so simple to use. I just keep my internal energy inside of it and it moves to my will.

    I open my door and sprint to the training fields. I¡¯m curious what exactly goes on in those things.

    As I arrive I see a couple students sparring with each other and some moving around trying new techniques.

    I smile. I need to relieve some stress. I normally don¡¯t challenge people first, but I think I should test this new prosthetic arm a little.

    Lucky contestant number one! Come on down!

    I spot a group of people sitting down on the ground. I notice they are all in the C-rank of the second realm. These guys are perfect!

    I slowly walk up to them, ¡°Hey guys, are you done sparring? If not, would it be possible could I join you guys? I need to test my limits against people who want to actually fight me.¡±

    The group was all male students. Five in total.

    One of the guys stands up, ¡°Nah man, we were just about to start! If you would join us that would make it so we have a group of six. That makes partner rotation slightly easier. We are in the second year class, how about you man?¡±

    I laugh, ¡°Well, I am a first year.¡± Some of the guys start to frown, but I continue quickly, ¡°However, I am easily able to fight in the second realm. However I can¡¯t use any of my techniques yet. My name is Ryu. I was wondering if any of you might know my name.¡± I hate acting this arrogant.

    The guy standing up widens his eyes, ¡°The harem guy!? Man, your fight was awesome! I was personally there! I was in the back so I didn¡¯t get a good look. I clearly saw that he didn¡¯t have a right arm though.¡±

    I roll up my sleeve to show him where the prosthetic connects, ¡°The real reason I came here was to test out this new prosthetic I got. Also to test my strength. Those girls didn¡¯t even try.¡±

    The guys all laugh. The on standing up pats my shoulder, ¡°No worries man. We will help you no problem. Among the men of this school you are like a living legend.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Let me get this straight for you right now. I do not, nor will I ever want a harem.¡±

    He laughs, ¡°Of course, of course. Shall we get started then? I will fight against you first. You said you can¡¯t use techniques yet? I won¡¯t ask why, so should I use mine or nah?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°You can do whatever you like. I just want to test my strength against a proper opponent.¡±

    He nods, ¡°You start. I am not really good with starting these things.¡± He picks up his weapon from the ground. It is a single small dagger.

    I nod as he readies his stance. I take a deep breath.

    My first real fight! Let¡¯s do this! I lunge at him for the first move.

    He dodges to the left and slashes at me.

    I grab for his wrist and he twists his body to go for a kick at chest level. I cross my arms over my chest as his kick connects.

    I grab his ankle while his leg is still in the air. I strengthen my arms for a split second as I toss his leg up into the air. He flips upside down.

    While he is in the air I land a punch on his abdomen with my new prosthetic. It sinks in slightly.

    He falls onto his back and bounces off the ground. He coughs up some saliva and raises his arm in defeat after dropping the dagger.

    I slowly walk to him and help him stand up.

    He smiles while he stands up, ¡°Man, your reflexes are so fast. It is almost like you predict my moves.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Someone else has said that too. I just react to things as I see them. I have a lot of battle experience compared to your average person though. Maybe that has something to do with it.¡±

    He laughs, ¡°Nah man. You are just too good. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to use any techniques yet. The average students just aren¡¯t a challenge for you.¡±

    I smile, ¡°This was a good enough test for me. I¡¯ll leave you guys to you practice now. I¡¯m going to go eat something.¡±

    The sky was starting to get dark. He nods as he looks to the sky, ¡°No problem man. I¡¯ll see ya around.¡±

    I nod as I leave towards the cafeteria.

    I wonder why these people are so weak. I can¡¯t even use any techniques yet. What will happen then? Is my body stronger or something? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.

    Whatever is going on, just isn¡¯t normal. Not at all.

 Chapter 15: Walk in the dark

    Hello everyone!

    It is my weekly checkup day! How is everyone enjoying the story so far? The school arc is always the most boring though...

    Anyways, if you, the readers, have any suggestions, I am all ears.

    Enjoy the chapter!

    Chapter 15: Walk in the dark

    After eating dinner I went to the library again to read up on some random things.

    I learned about various monsters with different elemental attributes and their weaknesses. Nothing useful to me right now. I hope it benefits me later in life.

    I also learned that the UKC has a lot of card rankings. There might be more, but this is what I found out.

    Bronze to silver to gold to crystal to platinum to diamond. I couldn¡¯t find information on anything higher than that in the library. I guess that I don¡¯t need to worry about if for now.

    I stand up and stretch. My muscles were incredibly stiff. I look to a clock on the wall. It was midnight. I think the librarian trusts me now. He just left me here alone. I shrug my shoulders as I walk out of the library.

    It was unlocked, so I guess I will just leave it like that for now.

    I look into the sky. The black sky was sprinkled with dots of various colored stars.

    I want to test something.

    When I was younger in the other world, I was able to walk on water by manipulating the power of heaven and earth. I did it unintentionally then. Can I use the same concept to float in the sky?

    I focus and gather the power of heaven and earth beneath my feet without absorbing it. I move it slightly above the ground and I step on it.

    My foot passes right through. I almost stumble because I was expecting solid footing.

    I try again without focusing too much. It feels like placing my foot into a decaying log. Not very pleasant to say the least.

    I completely focus on just walking. I ignore the power of heaven and earth save for moving it and holding it in place.

    Solid footing.

    So I have to ignore it for it to solidify? That is a strange property.

    I just go with it as I slowly ascend into the sky. Since doing this requires very little mental focus I can look around at the academy grounds.

    Some of the dorm rooms still had their lights on. I keep walking into the sky.

    I start to trust it a little more so I start to jump up in the air to quicken my ascent. I reach the height I want to be at. The air is a little bit thinner up here. I¡¯m not that high up. What¡¯s up with that? Maybe it is because of the way the air is artificially held near the ground it thins quicker. I should be careful when I do this from now on.

    I want to do more testing¡­ but this is pretty high up. I might get pretty injured if I mess up. Oh well! In the name of science I shall continue!

    I gather some spatial energy making sure not to absorb any at all. I wonder if this will really not allow me to use my cultivation method if I absorb it.

    No! I would rather be safe than sorry!

    I manipulate the spatial energy and move it to under my right arm. My arm feels weightless momentarily as it passes through the spatial energy. Weightless?

    It felt weightless? I wrap my arm in spatial energy being very careful not to absorb it into my arm. My arm feels weightless. The only reason it is moving is because it is attached to the rest of my body that is feeling gravity.

    Zero gravity!?

    I quickly encompass my entire body in spatial energy. I remove the platform of the power of heaven and earth beneath me. I float in place.

    I float there unmoving. I move around slightly to see if it is actually zero gravity.

    No reaction. I just float in place. Success!

    Let¡¯s start round two! I create a block of the power of heaven and earth beside me. I push off of it. I slowly move away from the block. I don¡¯t speed up, yet I don¡¯t slow down.

    I rotate my body and condense a block to push myself towards the ground.

    I am going quite fast towards the ground¡­

    How do I stop!?

    I had somehow managed to aim for a window on the female dorm. I don¡¯t know how to stop so I will just crash through the window!

    I create a barrier the best I can to hopefully prevent the glass from going over the entire room.

    I curl up into a ball and release the spatial energy as I crash through the window on the room.

    It was a two person room on the third floor of the female dorms.

    ¡°AAAAHHHH!!!!¡± a loud scream is heard from the bed.

    A girl was sitting straight up and staring at me. I quickly apologize to her in my head. I jump up and cover myself in spatial energy again. I turn and use a block to push myself out of the room at an angle towards the ground.

    I brace for yet another impact. My back crashes into the ground as I release the spatial energy. I bounce off the ground and then skid to a stop after a few yards.

    Note to self: learn how to stop properly.

    I groan as I get up from the dirt. I¡¯m thankful I didn¡¯t hit the concrete pathway. I feel really bad for breaking that girl¡¯s window.

    I dust myself off. I look up¡­

    ¡°Fancy meeting you here. I was just out for a walk and I saw something floating in the air, so I followed it. Who would have guessed that it was you?¡±

    I see Damion standing in front of me. He has an angry look on his face.

    I get on my hands and knees, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Damion frowns, ¡°Do you even know what you were doing? Using the power of heaven like that so openly in a fighter school, does that not seem like a bad idea to you!?¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t thinking about it. I just wanted to test some things. It seems to have gone¡­¡± I look towards the broken window, ¡°Slightly awry.¡±

    Damion sighs, ¡°Well, it really isn¡¯t that much of an offence. I just wanted you to feel bad about breaking a window. I was probably the only one that sensed it.¡± Damion starts to laugh. ¡°How about we go apologize to that girl since she is clearly frightened. You will be paying for the window of course.¡±

    I nod, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I slowly stand up.

    I should really have tested more before I tried full blown flight. This is going to be tough to get a hang of. This means that I can fly though. Be it that I am just floating through the air.

    I sigh as I stand up and walk towards the female dorms with Damion in front of me. Damion leads me to the room and he knocks on the door.

    The door quickly opens. A girl that looks very scared comes out of the room.

    She notices it is the principal, ¡°Principal! A person came through my window! They smashed the window and the glass is only in the one area somehow.¡±

    The barrier worked! Go power of heaven and earth!

    Damion pulls me in front of him, ¡°Here is the culprit, he was doing something strange and somehow managed to fly through your window.¡±

    I wave, ¡°Yo. Sorry for the scare.¡±

    I receive a punch to my face from the girl, ¡°I don¡¯t care how it happened! I want you to pay for disturbing my sleep!¡±

    I bow, ¡°I am very sorry. I did not mean to crash through your window. I was doing some experiments and everything went very wrong very quickly and I ended up somehow aiming for your window. I am very sorry.¡±

    The girl tilts her head, ¡°Experiments? What kind of experiments can you do that cause you to crash through a window on the third floor of a building?¡±

    I look to Damion, he has a curious expression on his face. I sigh, ¡°As you can easily tell. I am only at the first realm. I love to experiment so I was questioning what would happen if I used the power of heaven and earth¡­ without absorbing it. I ended up high in the air and things just started going downhill from there.¡±

    Something sparkles in her eyes, ¡°For repayment I want to see these experiments!¡±

    Damion laughs, ¡°Don¡¯t be too crazy Ryu. You should remember that you have classes later.¡± He lets go of me and starts to walk away, ¡°The money for the window will be automatically deducted from your account. Try not to break anything else.¡± Damion disappears down the hallway of the female dorms.

    I sigh. I guess I should go to sleep soon.

    My shoulders are suddenly grabbed, ¡°So when do we continue experiments!? Right now!?¡± The girl was panting heavily while staring into my eyes.

    I push off me, ¡°Woah there! Calm down! I don¡¯t even know you! I also need to go sleep.¡±

    She takes a few deep breaths.

    After several minutes she calmly speaks, ¡°I apologize for being so rude. My name is Amy. What should I call you? Boss?¡±

    I frown, ¡°Why on earth would you call me ¡®Boss¡¯?¡±

    She smiles and laughs, ¡°Because I am going to be helping with experiments, so I thought I could start as an employee and work my way up.¡±

    I nod, ¡°I guess that makes sense, but I¡¯d rather you just call me Ryu. You heard my name from the Principal. Wait! Who said you were going to help me with experiments!?¡±

    She jumps up and down slightly in excitement, ¡°I did!¡± She bows slightly, ¡°I look forward to working with you!¡±

    I sigh. I really should have figured out how to stop before actually going forwards.

    Amy bounces around happily as I walk out of the building, ¡°I¡¯m so happy I finally found an experiment to do! My mother was a scientist. My mother¡¯s mother was a scientist and so was her mother! They all did experiments daily! I was so jealous! Now I can finally experiment for myself!¡±

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    This girl might be too much for me to handle¡­

    We walk towards the training fields. I think this way I can avoid more windows¡­

    I look at her bouncing around outside, ¡°Can you please stop bouncing around. I need to get this working properly.¡± I think I will only work on the power of heaven and earth.

    Is it possible with only the power of the earth?

    I forcibly grab onto Amy to get her to stop moving, ¡°Okay. Amy. This is where you come in. How good are you at copying things you see?¡±

    She makes a complicated expression, ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I have never really tried to copy anything I¡¯ve seen before.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. I am about to start the experiment.¡±

    I gather the power of heaven and earth and start creating small platforms. I slowly walk up until my feet are at head level, ¡°Here is what I have found out so far. I can gather the power of heaven and earth outside of my body and move it to a designated area. It will not disperse unless I completely lose focus of it. However, for some reason, if you focus on condensing it, it will do the opposite. You need to only move it to a designated are without absorbing it and it will condense naturally. I do not know why¡­ but this is where you can help.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°Can a fighter even use heaven power like that?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I am not technically anything¡­ well you should not use me as an example, so I cannot tell you if you can use heaven power like this. The only way to find out is to do it for yourself. Whatever you do. Do not try to absorb it. That is not what we are experimenting today.¡±

    She closes her eyes without talking any further. I can sense that the power of earth is moving, and only the power of earth. Her expression changes slightly.

    She keeps only slightly moving the power of earth and the power of heaven is unmoving.

    She opens her eyes, ¡°I am sorry, I am not even able to manipulate the power of heaven. Let alone move it to where I want.¡±

    I nod, ¡°Hmm. Interesting. Okay then. Try just using the power of earth using the method I described.¡±

    She nods and takes a deep breath. I sense the power of earth move beneath her foot.

    First try and it looks mostly solid. She goes up to where I was standing in the air, ¡°I did it! This is incredible! It doesn¡¯t use internal energy at all! It does feel like I am getting tired quickly though¡­¡±

    Now that she mentions it, it is mentally exhausting. I guess it should be safe to ask her, ¡°This is just a hypothetical situation, but what if an abject is unaffected by gravity and is moving forwards. How would you stop it?¡±

    She tilts her head, ¡°Why would you ask that?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Pure curiosity¡­ but would you know any solutions to this?¡±

    She scratches her head, ¡°Well, there are a few solutions¡­ but can we get to the ground. I am not used to standing above it¡­¡±

    I nod, ¡°Yeah. It is kind of weird.¡± Amy and I drop back onto the ground. She looks lightly more disoriented than I am. However, I almost stumble over like I was drunk.

    Amy sits down on the ground, ¡°The first solution to you problem is to accelerate in the opposite direction. If you accelerate in the opposite direction than the direction of travel, you will gradually stop. The second will depend on the objects speed. You can just crash it straight into a wall or the ground. The third option is to use friction and slopes.¡± She lays down completely on the ground, ¡°If you have a slope that gradually flattens out, you can slide the object along that until it stops. The angle of the slope will vary depending on speed. Goodnight.¡± Her head hits the ground and she goes out like a light.

    I poke her while crouching. Is she alive? I see that she is breathing¡­ I guess she actually fell asleep.

    I sigh as I put her onto my back. She is oddly light for her height¡­ are all women like this? This needs to be tested.

    I carry her back to her room. The door is locked¡­ What was I expecting?

    I knock on a door that has a light on in the room nearby.

    After a minute someone finally opens the door. A short girl that looks very, very tired¡­

    She sees Amy on my back, ¡°Did she fall asleep while you were on a date?¡±

    I just sigh at the obvious teasing, ¡°No. I was doing an experiment with her and she fell asleep while talking. So I was going to bring her back to her room, but her door was locked and I didn¡¯t want to search her for it while she was sleeping.¡±

    The girl nods, ¡°Come in, just set her on the bed. I¡¯m her friend, Selina. Thanks for taking her back. Most people just leave her where she falls asleep. She can be too much to handle sometimes. Do you want any tea or anything?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°Once she was actually doing things she was quite easy to get along with, she has a good understanding of things¡­ and she may tell you some crazy stories about me. My name is Ryu. And sorry, but I¡¯ll pass on tea.¡±

    She tilts her head, ¡°The harem guy?¡±

    I set Amy on a bed after entering the room. I bring my hands to my face, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be remembered as ¡®the harem guy¡¯. How is it my fault that they had an argument about that in the open? Damion set them up to it!¡±

    Selina frowns, ¡°The principal?¡±

    I nod, ¡°He just wanted to test my strength! He could have just waited until the tournament! Whatever. I have plans for the tournament!¡±

    Selina pats my shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s okay Ryu. I understand now. You want Amy, not those people!¡±

    I bash my head on a nearby wall, ¡°No! I had a wife in the other world! I hate having to explain this repeatedly!¡±

    Selina frowns, ¡°Calm down, you¡¯ll wake the entire dormitory.¡±

    I sigh again, ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m going to go to bed now. I have classes to attend tomorrow. It is already way past one in the morning, so I should get going so that I don¡¯t collapse like Amy here.¡±

    Selina laughs, ¡°Of course, of course. I won¡¯t hold you here any longer.¡± She opens the door for me, ¡°I¡¯ll see you around Ryu.¡±

    I slowly walk back to my room. What an eventful night.

    But really a slope to slow myself down. It isn¡¯t the most practical way to end a normal flight. It will have to do. I want to do one more test with it before I go to sleep for tonight.

    I walk out of the female dorms and use spatial energy to help me get high into the sky. Well. This will either work¡­ or I will get very, very injured.

    I take a deep breath to calm myself. I stop at a couple hundred yards above the ground.

    I rotate my body and kick off a block made from the power of heaven and earth. I move extremely quickly towards the ground. I create a slope using the power of heaven and earth.

    As I come into contact with the slope I release the spatial energy and gravity is now being applied to my body.

    I make contact with the slope and start losing speed rapidly. I safely make it to the ground without any injuries.

    Success! Thank you Amy for your ideas!

    I happily walk back to my room in the male section of the female dorms.

    Another long day¡­ maybe I should find a way to relieve stress. I should just cultivate more seriously though.

    I will probably get to the second realm at some point in time within the next couple of days.

    I can¡¯t wait for this! I really hope that everything will go smoothly until then. If I make it to the second realm and start using my method before going to the forest of a thousand trials, it should be a breeze.

    I take a deep breath as I open the door to my room.

    I change into sleeping clothes and lay down into my bed.

    I close my eyes and start to drift off to sleep.

    Instead of sleeping¡­

    ¡°Hello again child. It seems you found a use for spatial energy, well¡­ me, which no one else has found yet. I just wanted to congratulate you on your find.¡± It was the figure condensed out of spatial energy.

    I smile, ¡°I came across an event when I was a child in the other world and I was forced to learn how to walk using the power of heaven and earth. Be it that I was walking on water at that point¡­ Anyways, I wanted to test it with spatial energy, and what would you know, it did something.¡±

    The figure laughs, ¡°I see you are having a good time. So what are you going to do with this knowledge?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I think I will sell it to the UKC for a higher ranked card. Information never hurt anybody. If other people manage to be able to use spatial energy it could be used to benefit humanity. It could make moving across the universe that much easier.¡±

    The figure scratches its head, ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting that. Whatever. I was just bored so I thought I would talk to you for a bit. Oh, and why haven¡¯t you absorbed any yet?¡±

    I frown, ¡°Well. I am very sorry that I haven¡¯t absorbed it yet, but I have a special cultivation method that requires me to be at a certain realm before I can use it. I just didn¡¯t want to take any chances with it and then not be able to cultivate my method.¡±

    It laughs again, ¡°Very well then! I will talk to you whenever.¡±

    I drift off completely and go into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 16: Tournament Preparations

    Hello again!

    I have another fun chapter for you guys to enjoy!

    Chapter 16: Tournament Preparations

    I somehow manage to wake up before the sky is bright.

    I get up out of bed and stretch. What a long day yesterday was. Classes today are¡­ I don¡¯t know. I should have gone in the afternoon two days ago, then maybe I¡¯d know what today¡¯s class is going to be.

    I sigh as I remove my prosthetic. I have a long and hot shower to relax my muscles.

    I leave my room and walk towards the cafeteria for breakfast. The food there is pretty good, despite its appearance.

    I grab my food and sit down at my normal table in the back of the room.

    I quietly eat my meal. I guess Alice isn¡¯t going to show up today.

    I finish my meal in complete silence as I leave the cafeteria. I guess it should only be an hour before classes start, it should be safe to go sit in the classroom.

    I get to the first year building and notice that there are very few people here. Am I super early again!?

    Is it a gift? Or is it a curse?

    Whatever it is, it is convenient for now. I open the door to the classroom and walk in. There was only Girl A sitting at her desk. She is writing something furiously on a piece of paper.

    I talk to her from the door, ¡°Hello, how are you today?¡±

    She looks at me and quickly puts the piece of paper away, ¡°What do you want you dirty cripple?¡±

    My right eye twitches slightly. I take a deep breath and just smile at her, ¡°Oh nothing. I just came to class early again. I wanted to talk to Mr. Grey for a bit. Why do you hate me so much? If you could tell me that would be wonderful.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer to a cripple.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders and swallow my anger again. I walk towards my seat.

    Mr. Grey walks into the classroom as soon as I sit down. He looks to me, ¡°Great! You¡¯re here! I need to talk to you about a few things.¡± He quickly walks over to sit beside me.

    I smile, ¡°If it about what I missed, that would be perfect.¡±

    He sighs, ¡°Well, if it is about the class you missed, it was just Dr. Frizen yelling at random students. Anyways, I heard about your duel! I can¡¯t believe you fought against people in the second realm and won!¡±

    Girl A hears Mr. Grey and turns to look this way with a shocked expression on her face. Do you live under an angry rock? How have you not heard about this until now?

    I sigh, ¡°Yeah, but everyone could clearly see that they never went all out. They didn¡¯t even want to hurt me at all. I just used their hesitation to my advantage and surprised them with various non-martial techniques that I know.¡±

    Mr. Grey smiles, ¡°Then what about at the training field yesterday? It is all over the school, ¡®Mystery student only at the first realm?¡¯ It is a very popular topic recently. Most of the students are talking about it in various corners of the school.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I am slightly stronger than average, so what? I hope that the dueling tournament lets people open their eyes to reality.¡±

    He sighs, ¡°The class tournament is tomorrow. Please be prepared. I expect some great results.¡±

    I set my head on the desk, ¡°Don¡¯t expect too much from me. I might feel particularly lazy tomorrow.¡±

    Mr. Grey laughs, ¡°Whatever. Class will start in about an hour and a half. There really is no need to be here so early.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s a curse.¡±

    He laughs as he walks back to the teacher¡¯s desk and sits down and starts to write things on pieces of paper.

    For the next hour and a half, I kept getting glances filled with hate from Girl A.

    I just smiled at her every time.

    The class finally starts. Mr. Grey walks to the center of the room, ¡°Welcome everyone to class! Today I will talk about the class tournament! People are able to pick their first opponent if they feel the need to. This is so that students who want to fight a friend for fun in the tournament can do so if they really want to. The second round and so on are done by draw. Umm. Well that was fast. So I will give you time to pick your partner for the duel! After that, you may go to the training fields in order to fine tune your techniques for fighting against a real opponent. Sparring with others is recommended! Remember to get consent from both sides before attacking! If you do not you will get in a fair amount of trouble when a teacher finds out. Go on! Start already!¡± Mr. Grey waves with his arms to indicate the students move.

    The students all start to yell at each other from across the room and some even jump tables to talk to a friend. Mr. Grey just shakes his head and sighs as he sees all this taking place.

    Girl A gets my attention by poking my neck, ¡°Fight me in the tournament.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Sure. Not like it really matters to me. I was just about to go challenge you.¡±

    Girl A smiles and walks out of the classroom. An evil grin appears on her face as soon as she is out of sight of Mr. Grey.

    I get up and stretch. One minute of talking and the rest is for practice? I guess I should go practice using the power of heaven and earth. Maybe I should play around with some students using spatial energy.

    Nah, that isn¡¯t like me. I¡¯ll just do my own thing with the power of heaven and earth until lunch time.

    I start to walk to the training field when a group of angry looking guys surround me, ¡°We got a fresh one here.¡±

    ¡°Whaddya say we have some fun?¡±

    ¡°Now!¡±

    The guys jump at me almost as soon as they surround me, not giving me a chance to talk to them.

    You know what. This isn¡¯t worth my time to fight back, I¡¯ll just let it happen.

    As I prepare to be hit by the group of men,

    ¡°Honestly Boss! Fight back a little!¡±

    I hear Amy from above a building. She is floating several yards off the ground and still walking normally.

    I just sigh as she walks up to me, the guys are frozen, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were just going to let it happen?¡±

    I just shrug my shoulders, ¡°I was in fact. I didn¡¯t really feel like trying to fight back. I have enough issues to deal with right now. I don¡¯t need a group of idiots chasing after me too. And it is in the middle of class, my class was sent to the training fields to practice for the upcoming class tournament. I was on my way.¡±

    Amy drops down to the ground, ¡°Come on Boss! Let them experience a little of your technique!¡± There was an evil smile on her face. Her eyes were telling me to hurry up and surprise them.

    I sig as I gather the power of earth only. I walk into the air. Using only earth power is a lot more mentally taxing than using both the power of heaven and earth. It also feels slightly weaker in strength. Amy walks up beside me.

    She smiles at me while we walk away from the men above them, ¡°So Boss. Who are you fighting in your class tournament?¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Some girl who constantly plots against me. She calls me a cripple and refuses to look at me as an equal.¡±

    Amy tilts her head, ¡°Cripple? How are you a cripple? I haven¡¯t noticed anything¡­¡± She finally notices the metallic right hand.

    I roll up my sleeve to show where it connects to the stump that is left of my arm, ¡°I don¡¯t have a right arm. This body lost it in an accident before I came to this world.¡±

    She makes a complicated expression. Suddenly, she smiles widely, ¡°Just like my Boss should be! Able to live without worrying about what others think! So admirable!¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Well then. That¡¯s a new reaction to this.¡±

    She laughs, ¡°Of course! My Boss is the greatest!¡±

    I sigh as I slowly walk towards the ground. Somehow, the only people that saw us was that group. I look to Amy, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else who taught you that technique, okay?¡±

    She nods, ¡°Of course Boss! See you around!¡± Amy walks into the air and disappears over a building.

    I take a deep breath and walk towards the training fields. I ended up taking quite the long route.

    As I arrive I see Mr. Grey with a smile on his face. I slowly walk towards him. He pats me on the shoulder, ¡°Good pick for the first round of the class tournament!¡± He points to the field full of practicing students, ¡°I was thinking you wouldn¡¯t turn up! Oh yeah! Kelly is over there too, she wanted to spar against you.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I think that she should find someone more worthy to fight. I just use cheap methods to end the fight quickly. I can¡¯t use techniques yet either.¡±

    Mr. Grey frowns, ¡°That can¡¯t be true. In a real fight the only person who complains is the loser.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Well, these aren¡¯t real fights are they.¡±

    He laughs, ¡°That¡¯s true! However, you should go spar with her, she is just sitting there right now.¡±

    Kelly was sitting on the ground looking off into the distance. She looked incredibly bored.

    Mr. Grey pushes me forwards. I glance back at him and he just smiles at me.

    I sigh as I reach Kelly, ¡°It¡¯s been a while eh?¡±

    Kelly looks up at me and smiles, ¡°It has been a while. I was told by Damion that you¡¯ve been doing some cool things recently. He wants me to learn it from you since you¡¯ve already taught it to someone¡­ or so he said.¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°So he got you to start calling him Damion?¡±

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    She nods, ¡°he said it was weird that we just kept on calling him ¡®Principal¡¯ so he got us to call him his real name.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Claire and Sayaka too?¡±

    She nods, ¡°Damion has been talking to us for a little while, trying to teach us how to join you on a journey.¡±

    I bring my hand to my face, ¡°You know you just have to ask right. I will probably go on a journey once I make it to the ninth realm in less than three years.¡±

    She frowns and stands up quickly, ¡°It isn¡¯t normal to get to the ninth realm in three years you know!¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°I guess not.¡±

    She smiles and leans closer to me, ¡°So what is ¡®cool thing¡¯ you¡¯ve been doing recently? Damion stressed this importance of learning this as quickly as possible.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Do I really have to do it where there are so many people? I could lose my advantage if people know my secrets.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°Come on Ryu! You already taught someone else! Teach me! Come one!¡± She was grabbing onto my shoulders and shaking me with quite a bit of force.

    I give her a serious look, ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t blame me for not explaining it to you. Figure it out on your own.¡±

    A couple students were already looking this way from all the commotion. I guess I can just use earth power for this thanks to her yelling.

    I gather earth power and jump up, I place it beneath my feet. I was already seven feet in the air. I float there. The power of heaven and earth is invisible, so someone who wasn¡¯t paying attention would think that I was flying.

    The entire training field goes silent. I look around and notice that everyone is staring at me with their jaws nearly hitting the ground.

    Kelly tilts her head while her jaw is still dropped. I smile at her, ¡°So this is the ¡®cool thing¡¯ Damion was talking about. I won¡¯t teach you how to do it, but this is some of the things that are possible.¡±

    I test while attempting to show off in front of my classmates.

    I start to walk in a straight line above everyone¡¯s head. I jump up another seven feet.

    I start to run and jump around in the sky. No one looks like they understand what is going on.

    The first person to recover is actually Mr. Grey. He shouts to me, ¡°He Ryu! Come talk to me for a second!¡± Mr. Grey actually jumps onto a nearby building. Being at a high realm must be nice.

    I quickly walk over to him, ¡°What is it Mr. Grey?¡±

    He has a serious look on his face, ¡°That techniques doesn¡¯t use any internal energy, don¡¯t you think that is cheating?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°No, it is very taxing on the mind. It uses the power of heaven and earth in the air to its advantage. You have to move it to where you want manually. It really takes quite a bit of practice to master. I don¡¯t think a normal person could even walk normal speed while doing it without exhausting themselves in a matter of seconds. The smaller the area you create the less taxing it is and vice versa.¡±

    He makes a complicated expression, ¡°You do know that that is still a cheat.¡±

    I smile and shrug my shoulders, ¡°If that¡¯s a cheat I can¡¯t wait until you see what else I have up my        sleeve.¡±

    He frowns, ¡°I don¡¯t look forward to it. Anyways, how did you manage to create something like this? This is just ridiculous.¡±

    I smile, ¡°I accidently did it when I was younger in the other world. I had to walk quite the distance over some water you know.¡±

    He puts up his hand, ¡°Stop there. I don¡¯t want to go in to motivational speech mode again, I got quite the scolding from nearby teachers.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Whatever. Can I go back to practicing with Kelly now¡­ you were also the one who told me to go spar with her, then you take me away.¡±

    He scratches his head, ¡°Well¡­ I was wondering if you could teach me how you do it.¡±

    I frown, ¡°I don¡¯t teach just anyone. Well, I did teach someone for testing purposes, but that isn¡¯t the point. I am almost done with testing, and the report I get from Amy should be enough to finish up with my testing.¡±

    He tilts his head, ¡°The Amy you are talking about is a third year right?¡±

    I tilt my head too, ¡°Is she? I don¡¯t really know too much about her. She just really seems to like experimenting on things so I thought it would be fine.¡±

    He sighs, ¡°Be prepared for the most detailed report of your life. She is a really focused person. Once she starts something she won¡¯t stop until she reaches a conclusion. Be careful. She isn¡¯t the type of person to steal work either. She really throws herself into the subordinate position type easily though so just be careful.¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°That warning came a little too late, she calls me ¡®Boss¡¯.¡±

    He laughs loudly, ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. Just treat her like a normal person though, even though she is a little odd. That being that. What would I have to do to get you to teach me?¡±

    I tilt my head and think about it. I sigh after a short time, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t think of anything I need right now, I¡¯ll let you know first if I need anything.¡±

    He smiles, ¡°Awesome! You should go back, most of the students are still in shock, so you should be able to spar for a small amount of time without being bothered.¡±

    I nod and start to jog back towards Kelly.

    I make it to the ground. She jumps at me, and I quickly dodge her. She grins, ¡°Teach me! Teach me! Teach me!¡±

    I laugh, ¡°I will teach you on one condition! Defeat me in a spar while going all out!¡±

    Kelly runs quickly to go grab her weapon. She comes back with a look of excitement on her face, ¡°I will fight you right now! Prepare yourself!¡±

    I smile, ¡°Come at me then!¡±

    All the other students backed away when Kelly was running to get her sword.

    [Boost!]

    Kelly shouts a skill right out of the gate. I recognize this one. It allows the person to move 1.5 times faster than normal for about thirty seconds.

    She quickly closes the distance between me and her.

    I dodge to the left as she swings her sword vertically. Her longsword is looking extra sharp for some reason¡­

    As I go to the right Kelly slashes her sword towards me after changing her momentum by spinning to the right.

    [Heavy Strike!]

    Her sword is now covered by a scary looking aura. I should dodge this.

    I jump over her blade.

    [Feint!]

    Dammit!

    Kelly slams her right foot on the ground to kill her momentum and slashes vertically towards me.

    I¡¯ll be decapitated!

    I quickly move the power of heaven and earth from the air to the location to where the sword is going to be. I hope this has enough strength.

    A sound of metal hitting metal reverberates in the air. Kelly has a shocked look on her face.

    I am also extremely shocked. I land on the ground and Kelly has already recovered.

    Is this really a thing?

    [Heavy Strike!]

    She slices from the left.

    I cover my body in the power of heaven and earth. I get extremely tired as soon as I do it. I guess attaching it to a moving object is more taxing.

    I take a deep breath and let the sword hit the thin barrier around my body.

    Another metallic sound rings through the air.

    As the sword makes contact, my vision goes slightly blurry.

    I recover quickly as Kelly starts to swing again.

    [Piercing Strike!]

    She stabs the sword towards me. I dodge to the right. This is insane! How much internal energy does she have!?

    I go to kick the longsword out of her hand but she pulls her arm towards her shoulder.

    I twist my body and dodge as she swings from the top right. I sweep her legs out and kick her shoulder with my other leg after spinning slightly.

    She falls to the ground but rolls backwards and stands up again.

    She rushes forwards swinging her sword.

    [Heavy Strike!]

    Come on! More!?

    I use my internal energy to speed up my movements. I will not lose this fight!

    I dodge to the inside and grab on to her with the prosthetic right hand. I quickly rotate and put my back to her and lift her over my head using my strengthened limbs.

    I throw her vertically.

    As she falls I jump up slightly. I flip forwards and drive my leg into her stomach.

    She hits the ground so hard it knocks her unconscious.

    I am breathing heavily. I would have lost if I didn¡¯t cheat and use the power of heaven and earth.

    The students are all frozen. Not a single student dared to move.

    I look towards Mr. Grey who had a complicated expression on his face, ¡°Mr. Grey! I need you to take a look at Kelly to make sure she is okay! It was a really tough fight, I just barely won that one.¡±

    Mr. Grey runs over to Kelly and checks her. He sighs in relief, ¡°She¡¯s fine. She used all her internal energy, plus she hit the ground at an awkward angle with too much force. That finisher was certainly overkill Ryu.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°If you¡¯re going to do it, you got to do it right.¡±

    He sighs, ¡°Yep. You are definitely ruthless.¡±

    My vision goes blurry as I fall to the ground. I am really tired.

    I¡¯ll just close my eyes for a second.

 Chapter 17: Recovery

    Some people talk too much in real life. I wish they could just get to the point of the conversation without giving five thousand examples first. I''m not much better though...

    Anyways, here is chapter 17. This chapter is VERY confusing. I almost got lost while writing the thing. However it is necessary to be here. I apologize in advance!

    That said. Enjoy the chapter!

    Chapter 17: Recovery

    I slowly open my eyes. My head hurt so badly.

    Light floods into my eyes.

    I lift up my left arm and cover my eyes.

    After my eyes slowly adjusted I realized that I wasn¡¯t in my room. I was in a room with white walls and a couple sick beds with curtains¡­ the school infirmary? We had one of these things?

    I smile. I collapsed from mental exhaustion. Looks like it is possible. There is a limit on what I can do with the power of heaven and earth. I also used internal energy without sparing it.

    I still managed to win though.

    I don¡¯t have to teach her now. Not like it would have been that hard to teach her anyways.

    I slowly get out of the bed. I was still in my clothes from the battle, but my prosthetic was removed. I look around for it. It is on the table beside my bed. I get up and stretch.

    It doesn¡¯t feel like I was out for long. I should really find the nurse.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake already. I just went to get my lunch, I was hoping you¡¯d sleep a bit more so that I could eat.¡± A woman in casual clothing wearing a white lab coat type thing walks into the room holding a container of food. Something feels odd...

    I smile, ¡°Nah. It takes more than that to keep me down.¡±

    The nurse sighs, ¡°You were unconscious for about two hours. Kelly is still unconscious in that bed if you want to stay with her.¡± The woman¡­ who was probably the nurse pointed to a bed that had a curtain around it still.

    I slowly walk towards the bed. I slide the curtain and I receive a not so gentle push from behind. I glance behind me as I fall forwards. The nurse was behind me with a large smile on her face, she closes the curtain and walks away.

    I land on Kelly¡¯s bed. I am suddenly dragged fully onto the bed and pinned by my arms. Kelly was sitting on top of me and is pinning me down on the bed.

    The nurse talks from the entrance to the room, ¡°Enjoy your time!¡± I hear the door close and lock.

    I don¡¯t really like this situation!

    Kelly smiles, ¡°Now. Will you teach me the technique? You clearly cheated! I couldn¡¯t even hit you!¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°If you hold me down like this, even if I wanted to I couldn¡¯t teach you the technique.¡±

    She frowns, ¡°Then promise you will teach me or I will make it so that your wife will never want you!¡±

    I give her an angry look, ¡°How would you do that?¡±

    She smiles, ¡°The girls and I have discussed and we would be okay with being in your harem.¡±

    I frown, ¡°I do not want a harem nor will I ever want a har-¡°

    Kelly leans down and forcibly kisses me. My eyes are wide open as she presses her mouth on mine.

    I try to push her off but it doesn¡¯t work at all. I am still not able to move properly from waking up. Something feels off¡­

    She finally lifts her face up. Her face is bright red, ¡°Now do you understand how I feel?¡±

    I nod slowly without responding. I¡¯m sorry my wife! I am being forced into this! I will deny this until the day I die!

    A sound like glass shattering fills my ears as the image fades in front of me. It is replaced by a blinding whiteness.

    The surroundings fade until everything is black. What is going on?

    I open my eyes again and see that I am in my room.

    What was that!? What!?

    I quickly stand up and look around the room. I don¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary.

    I am questioning its authenticity after what happened¡­

    I felt head pains. My body also felt tired and sluggish like it should after passing out. So it wasn¡¯t a dream.

    I rub my eyes heavily. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.

    I need to know what is causing this! Is it illusions? Is it hallucinations? Am I still in bed sleeping away?

    I DON¡¯T UNDERSTAND!

    I grab my head and crouch down on the ground. I need to understand what is happening!

    Okay. I will calmly go through this.

    I was fighting Kelly and then passed out from mental exhaustion from using the power of heaven and earth too frivolously.

    If that is the case¡­ what is with this illusion like scenarios? Above all else. What was with the content of them?

    I calmly stand up. I need to figure out if I am still in the illusion or if I am in the real world.

    I slowly walk to the window and open the blinds. There is a moon in the sky, causing it to be slightly blue.

    Okay. Illusion again¡­

    But how do I get out of this one? I was thrown out when I said I would deny having a harem. I have rational thought in these illusions which is nice.

    I sit down on my bed carefully. So. First things first.

    I know I am in an illusion. That is all I know. The method to escape from these illusions is not a method I know. I don¡¯t know how long I have been unconscious for in the real world so I need to be careful when I do get out. I don¡¯t know the reason for these illusions either.

    I make a complicated expression. I¡¯m in a rough situation aren¡¯t I?

    I stand up again and walk to the door of my room. I try to turn the handle but it is stuck in place. So I am trapped in this room.

    That means the solution is in this room.

    What are these illusions based off of? Regrets? Fears?

    I definitely am not okay with getting a harem. Not to the point that I would fear it though.

    Regrets? I regret not being able to stay with my wife longer.

    I regret not being able to do things for her. I regret not being hard working. I regret making her do all the hard work. I regret not being the best person I could be¡­

    I have a lot of regrets.

    This could be troublesome if these illusions are based off of my regrets.

    I pace around the room slowly. This illusion. The only thing that is different so far is that the sky is blue. This is odd. I don¡¯t know what I need to do to escape this illusion nor is there an event that would help me solve this.

    I sit back down onto my bed. Can I use the power of heaven and earth within these illusions?

    A solid block condenses in front of me. That means the answer is yes.

    How about spatial energy? I move my arm through an area and it feels weightless. Yep. I can use spatial energy too.

    It doesn¡¯t seem to have any mental strain attached when I¡¯m in this illusion. Okay. So that is how I can test if I am back in the real world.

    First I need to get back though.

    What am I missing here?

    I look around the room. I don¡¯t see anything off.

    My laptop!

    I open the drawer underneath my bed and pull out my laptop. I try to boot it up.

    The screen instantly turns white. Text starts to appear on the screen,

    ¡®If you leave now, you will never leave, for you are already back.

    If you stay here, you will never return, for you are already gone.¡¯

    I tilt my head as I stare at the screen. What is this supposed to mean? How do I escape?

    If I leave, I am already back? But if I stay I am already gone? I get a riddle!?

    Okay. In theory, all I have to do is wait it out and I will be able to leave¡­ but how could it be that simple?

    I set my laptop down after making sure that there was nothing else on the screen.

    If I try to leave. I won¡¯t be able to.

    But if I try to stay, I will be able to leave. How can I stay here? Aren¡¯t I already here?

    The door is glued shut, and forcing it would result in possible injury, and I don¡¯t know what the consequences of being injured in these illusions are. Nor do I really want to know.

    I smile as I lay down on my bed. I can¡¯t forcefully leave. Everything is locked and forced shut. I am in my room.

    It¡¯s night¡­

    Something clicks in my head. Stay? What happens if I just try to sleep in my bed?

    I roll into sleeping position and close my eyes.

    After a minute or so a sound similar to glass shattering is heard. That was nice and simple.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    I open my eyes with a wide grin on my face. The blinding whiteness is everywhere and is already fading to black.

    I open my eyes once again. Dammit!

    Around me was the throne room from the other world. I can instantly tell this is an illusion because it is physically impossible for this room to exist in the other world.

    I walk over to the throne. I look at my arms. They are both normal. I am in my old body. Yep, definitely an illusion.

    I sit down in the throne. I let out a small laugh and smile. I remember doing this a few times.

    Suddenly the doors to the room open and guards rush in. Two of them are dragging a woman who has her head down, so I can¡¯t see her face. Her body was covered in bruises and cuts. Her clothes were dirty with blood. Her hair was also wet with blood.

    I frown upon seeing her appearance. I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this.

    One of the guards rushes forwards and kneels in front of me, ¡°Emperor! Permission to speak!¡±

    I wave my hand, ¡°Granted! Now rise!¡±

    The guard stands up, ¡°Thank you sir!¡± He points to the woman, ¡°This woman was found sneaking around the castle. She tried to fight the guards so we had to subdue her which caused these injuries. She said she wanted to have an audience with you so we brought her here to speak with you.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Very well! Let her speak then!¡¯

    I stay in the throne and wait for the woman to speak. Nothing.

    I lightly laugh and smile, ¡°I don¡¯t intend to harm you for your actions. I believe my guards to be in the wrong.¡±

    ¡°But si-¡°

    ¡°Enough! You did not have to wound her to the extent that she won¡¯t even talk!¡± I stand up and walk towards the woman.

    As I approach her she starts to slowly mutter some words, ¡°Must¡­. Escape.¡±

    I frown as I crouch down to where the woman was, ¡°Can you please repeat that?¡±

    She raises her bloody face, ¡°You must escape. They are coming! They are almost here!¡±

    I frown as I calmly speak to her, ¡°Who are they?¡±

    She starts to laugh, insanity not being a question anymore, ¡°They are coming! They will destroy everything! Nothing is safe from them!¡± She frees her right hand from the guard and she tears out her own throat. Blood flies in front of her.

    I had moved away as soon as she freed her arm.

    Okay then. This is an interesting situation. How do I leave this illusion?

    The guards leave the room without saying anything else. They seem like they are on rails.

    I sigh. Now what do I do? ¡®They¡¯ are coming. Who are ¡®They¡¯?

    The body of the woman is still in the throne room with me. The guards left her here with me.

    The room is empty other than the decorations and this body.

    In the last illusion, everything in my surroundings was important. I hope this is the last illusion and I can find out what is going on.

    I take a deep breath and think about it. The condition to clear this one might be to figure out who ¡®They¡¯ are. Or it could be to defeat them. I have the strength of the other world in this body currently so defeating them is out.

    It shouldn¡¯t be impossible. So I just need to figure out who they are.

    Clearly enemies. Their messenger suicided. So they clearly don¡¯t think we can get along.

    I frown. I need to figure out who ¡®They¡¯ are before ¡®They¡¯ get here. ¡®They¡¯ are almost here if I take what this woman says for the truth.

    There is also the possibility that she was insane and ¡¯They¡¯ do not exist. I need more information!

    I swallow my saliva as I walk slowly towards the body of the woman. She was a mess. Her whole body was covered in blood, and there was a puddle of blood beneath her.

    I make a very complicated expression as I flip her over. There was a loud slopping noise as she rolled. I let out a weak laugh.

    She is wearing a chain necklace with a locket on the end.

    I apologize to her even though I know it is an illusion. I open the locket.

    It is a picture with her and a monster. I say monster because it looks like Alveros. He is identical.

    A serious look covers my face as I take a deep breath. Alveros? I wish I could forget him. He is the reason for my death and he said he was a ¡®Demon¡¯. I need to figure out what they are.

    The scene instantly changes.

    The field where I killed Alveros.

    Where I died.

    I frown. The field has the remnants of battle.

    The battle where I died.

    I lost my life here. I see the corpse of the Demon Alveros.

    It lost its life here alongside me. I wonder if that thing has been reborn.

    I laugh slightly. I see a scene of my wife holding me as I take my last breath.

    I take deep breaths. Staying silent and watching. What are these illusions?

    One of the possible future, one of the possible present, and one of the possible past.

    Possible. These are things that could have happened and that did not. I did not ever meet that woman. If I met her would it have made any difference?

    I frown. This is ridiculous. What is going on here? I have no control. I have to figure things out on my own, but there are different triggers to break the illusion.

    I need to escape, not move to the next one!

    I smile. I get it!

    These are going through my memories! Trying to get me to fail! Altering my memories in order for me to question reality! I just need to remember what actually happened!

    I laugh loudly. That day I went to kill a man! He ruined my life! I killed him then came back to all of this mess! I ended up dying in my wife¡¯s arms after saving the city!

    I smile so wide that my face was starting to hurt.

    I hear a clapping from behind me as the familiar glass shattering sound occurs once more.

    ¡°Congratulations on surviving the illusion poisoning.¡±

    I turn to see the figure of spatial energy in the bright white space. I frown, ¡°Poison? When did I get poisoned?¡±

    It shrugs its shoulders, ¡°I cannot tell you. You must find that out on your own. You will now go back to the real world now. Barely thirty seconds has passed in the real world. Kelly is still unconscious and your body is being carried by your teacher towards the principal¡¯s office.¡±

    I frown, ¡°What are you? A narrator?¡±

    He starts to wave as everything is fading to black once again, ¡°Good job!¡±

    I slowly begin to feel my body again as I slowly open my eyes.

    Mr. Grey was running through the main building with me in his arms. I take a deep breath as I feel like I am finally back. Mr. Grey notices that my eyes are open.

    He nearly drops me. He looks into my eyes, ¡°Ryu?¡±

    I laugh weakly, ¡°Yeah? I just had a little stumble. Nothing too serious. However, I would like to talk to the principal.¡±

    He frowns as he keeps running, ¡°I have something to report to him too. It is great that you are awake now¡­ but you have more issues than what you know.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Okay then. I will go with you to Damion.¡±

    He nods as we reach Damion¡¯s office. He knocks on the door. Damion¡¯s voice comes from inside, ¡°Come in please.¡±

    Damion sees my laying almost limp in Mr. Grey¡¯s arms and frowns. I weakly wave at him, ¡°Yo Damion.¡±

    He frowns, ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±

    Mr. Grey sets me down and starts his report to Damion.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------

    Author''s corner:

    Hello everyone. Thank you for everyone who has read my book/novel/whatever it actually is, Divine Elementalist, to this point.

    There was a version of this that was written before hand. This is the "New and improved" version. The old version was a complete failure with plot holes larger than a planet. The reason i post this on chapter 17 is because the old version was dropped at chapter 17. Mind you, it was volume 2. The new DE is actually longer already than both volumes of the old DE.

    What i''m trying to say is, I DID SOMETHING GOOD!

    That''s basically it. The old version is... horrible now that I look back at it, and those of you who have found me from Wuxiaworld, know exactly what I am talking about. Most were there for the humor and that was it.

    Anyways, I''m done my rant. Have a good day/night depending on where you are.

    Thank you again for reading all my nonsense that is a story

 Chapter 18: The Tournament

    Hello everyone.

    Real life has finally caught up. The odds are high that there is not going to be a chapter tomorrow. I am hopefully going to sleep. As of this post I have nothing of chapter 19 written and I missed it in my planning, so I have a random chapter to write. If any of you want something special, (within reason) I can do my best to throw it in.

    I''m feeling really tired today.

    Enjoy the chapter.

    Chapter 18: The Tournament

    Damion nods, ¡°So he just randomly collapsed after winning a fight against Kelly. I see.¡± Damion then looks towards me, ¡°So, why did you collapse?¡±

    I smile, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you with Mr. Grey here.¡±

    Mr. Grey frowns, ¡°Then I will leave after I say one more thing. His face looked incredibly pale, he was sweating fiercely and wasn¡¯t breathing.¡±

    Damion frowns as Mr. Grey leaves the room. He takes a deep breath after the door is closed, ¡°Ryu, what happened?¡±

    I frown, ¡°I was poisoned. Someone tried to kill me, but for some weird reason they used a poison that is fairly easy to survive. I was lucky enough to be given quite an easy time with it.¡±

    Damion makes a complicated expression, ¡°What type of poison was it?¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°Illusion poisoning.¡±

    Damion looks around the room nervously, ¡°That isn¡¯t the kind of thing you should be telling me. Did you know the chances of surviving illusion poisoning are one in a thousand? It is such a unique poison that very few people know how to make because the poison has to practically have its own personality in order to properly work. It will read the memories of the person it has been put into and alter them. It will fabricate future, then give you a trial, then change your memories from the past. If you manage to pass all of them without getting injured. You live.¡±

    I frown deeply, ¡°I don¡¯t need to know who poisoned me or why. What I want to know is it possible to survive it again?¡±

    Damion smiles, ¡°Illusion poisoning is a curse as well as a gift. Believe it or not, if you can survive illusion poisoning once, you will never be poisoned by it again, you will only feel slightly light headed for about five seconds. Maybe a bit more.¡±

    I sigh in relief, ¡°Thank goodness. Anyways, I¡¯m going to head back to class as soon as I can stand up.¡±

    Damion frowns, ¡°No. Go back to your room and sleep¡­ actually I¡¯m going to force you.¡±

    Damion walks over to me and puts me on his back. I try to fight, but my body is still feeling slightly restricted. I frown, ¡°Why can¡¯t I go back to class?¡±

    Damion smiles, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to do much because of that poison. I can tell that you don¡¯t have full control of your body. I will secretly take you back to your room. What will happen if the person who poisoned you is in your class, then you go back and they see that you are fine, won¡¯t worse things come out of that?¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°Won¡¯t I just be going back to class tomorrow?¡±

    Damion smiles, ¡°Tomorrow is the class tournament for your class. It will make it infinitely easier to find anyone who tries to kill you during the class tournament. I¡¯ll talk to Mr. Grey about all this, but I will leave out the poison part because that is a serious matter. I will ask you about those illusions you saw at a later date if I can remember. Anyways, hold on tight.¡±

    Damion leans forwards slightly. I grab on as tight as I possibly can, as I have a feeling that I know what he is about to do.

    [Velocity]

    He uses a skill that increases his speed for a short amount of time.

    I wish I was still at the ninth realm.

    Damion makes it to my room in seconds. He quickly opens the door and then tosses me in. He smiles at me, ¡°Be good and stay here until I come and personally get you. Do not open the door for anyone. You should use your laptop¡­ but be careful. I got a call from someone in the UKC and they said that you requested a visit to sell information. I approved¡­ but they said they will be here in two weeks.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Yeah, I requested them to come. If I can get a higher ranking card I can look up useful information.¡±

    Damion sighs, ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll be back here tomorrow to collect you for the tournament.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like an object.¡±

    He laughs as he closes my door and I am left silently in my room.

    Well then. I guess I can play games on my laptop.

    -------------The Day of the Tournament--------------

    I slowly open my eyes. My body feels much better after a night of rest.

    I was playing games for the entire afternoon yesterday. Having faster reflexes from being at a higher realm really made some of the games easier to play.

    Enough of that, I should get ready for the tournament. I have someone trying to kill me.

    I have a quick shower and clean up my prosthetic.

    I sit back down on my bed and attach the prosthetic.

    I wonder how Jared is doing. I haven¡¯t seen my mother in a while either. Is she a teacher along with being the vice principal?

    I take a deep breath as I lay down onto my bed. I hope my plan for this works.

    There is a knocking at my door, ¡°Ryu, it¡¯s time for the tournament.¡± It was Damion¡¯s voice.

    I stand up and walk to the door, ¡°Awesome, I¡¯m already ready to go.¡± I open the door and see Damion carefully looking down the halls.

    He sees me and smiles, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go now. You have everything you need?¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Is something wrong? I already said that I was ready to go.¡±

    He frowns, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be cautious because of the poison. I haven¡¯t been hit by it so I¡¯m not immune like you. Most people are usually scarred for life after going through illusion poisoning. I had a friend who died because of encountering it.¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°Is it really that scary? Was I actually that lucky to get an easy trial for the second part?¡±

    Damion laughs lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what it was right now, as any distractions could lead to some pretty serious consequences. You should still be careful Ryu. If a person can get their hands on illusion poison, and get it into the school, and poison a student without anyone noticing, they should be pretty skilled.¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°If, just by chance, I capture and kill the person that poisoned me. Would I get into a lot of trouble even if I can prove that they were the ones that tried to kill me? What about if I have a witness?¡±

    Damion frowns, ¡°If you have appropriate proof we can send them to somewhere else¡­ but killing is a little, much. Is it not?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I just have a lot of things to do before I can die. I need to make sure my enemies stay quiet until I can do what I need to do.¡±

    Damion sighs, ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting such a dark thing to come out of your mouth. Please try and keep it to a minimum from now on please.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°I guess I can do that, but it won¡¯t stop me from achieving my goals you know.¡±

    Damion nods, ¡°I realize that much. So what do you plan to do for this tournament?¡±

    I give Damion an evil smile, ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡±

    He frowns, ¡°That smile worries me greatly. Anyways, we are here. Go sit with your teacher and he will tell you when your first match is up.¡±

    I nod as I walk towards Mr. Grey, ¡°See you later Damion.¡± I wave behind me without looking as I walk towards where Mr. Grey was sitting.

    The dueling platforms had been surrounded with stands like an old high school football field. When did they put those together?

    Mr. Grey notices me, ¡°Hurry up Ryu! You¡¯re up first after the introduction from the judge.¡±

    I sit down next to Mr. Grey, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Oh, is my opponent still Girl A?¡±

    He tilts his head, ¡°Girl A? Is that what you call her in your head? At least learn her name.¡±

    I smile, ¡°Could you possibly tell me her name my wise teacher?¡±

    He sighs as he places his hand on his face. He raises his head after a while, ¡°Her name is Juliet.¡±

    I laugh a little, ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to have a Romeo around her. Her personality seems a bit off from what I remember.¡±

    Mr. Grey makes a complicated expression, ¡°You seem a bit off today Ryu.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°No more so than usual.¡±

    He sighs, ¡°Very well then. Just quiet down and listen to the introduction so you can know what to expect from the judging.¡±

    I sit back in my chair and take a deep breath. I am a bit tense after learning about the poison I was hit with. Any normal person would be tense after learning they had a near death experience after already dying once, right?

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    I take a deep breath as a middle aged man walks onto the stage. He smiles widely as he looks at all the students there. He takes a deep breath and starts to yell, ¡°Welcome first year general arts class! I will be the judge for your group today! My name is Nathan! I have been judging these things for over five years! I will judge the winner based on performance and speed of the loss! Other variables may apply depending on the situation! Remember that winning does not equal the victory!¡±

    Mr. Grey smiles at me as the last line is finished, ¡°Okay, Ryu you should start walking up there now. Please. For the love of god, don¡¯t kill her. She may be a mean person to you, just let it be a fair fight.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°If something bad happens don¡¯t blame it on me.¡±

    He sighs as I stand up and start walking. The middle aged man on stage shouts once more, ¡°First round of the tournament will be Juliet versus Ryu!¡±

    I walk on to the stage as soon as he is done talking.

    Juliet is not far behind me, she walks on stage almost five seconds after. Her weapon choice is a blue metallic scimitar.

    The crowd starts to talk, ¡°Isn¡¯t he the harem guy?¡±

    ¡°The harem guy?¡±

    ¡°GO HAREM GUY!¡±

    ¡°Disgusting. What kind of girls would want to be in a harem willingly?¡±

    I stare towards the crowd with the fiercest glare I can. Everyone stops talking. The middle aged man on stage laughs.

    He smiles at me as I look at him, ¡°I see you¡¯re popular lad.¡± He takes a deep breath and starts to yell, ¡°Okay everyone! The first round will now be starting! Participants! Shake hands before the match!¡±

    I nod and extend my hand towards Juliet, ¡°May we have a fair match.¡±

    She smacks my hand out of the way, ¡°I don¡¯t intend to shake hands with a cripple!¡± She shouts this so that everyone can hear.

    The only person who is confused is the judge. I roll up my sleeve and show him. He nods, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± He takes a deep breath once more, ¡°The rules are simple! First one knocked out of the ring or to concede is the loser! Participants get ready!¡± I just stand on my side of the platform. Juliet leans forwards slightly, ¡°Five!

    Four!

    Three!

    Two!

    One!

    Fight!

    The middle aged man who was judging the tournament steps off the platform as he yells to start the match.

    [Boost!]

    Juliet sprints towards me at an extremely fast speed. I stay where I was standing.

    I cover myself with just the power of earth that was in the air, creating a solid barrier.

    Juliet smiles with an evil grin as she arrives in front of me.

    [Lightning Slash!]

    I click my tongue. Damn, lightning affinity.

    Juliet hits the barrier around my body. The barrier is about half an inch thick around my entire body.

    The scimitar bounces off the barrier with a loud metallic sound. All my hairs are standing on end from the lightning elements in the air.

    Juliet frowns. Wait. Did she not see my fight against Kelly yesterday? If not, I can use that to my advantage.

    Juliet stares at me as I stand there. I smile, ¡°If you won¡¯t make a move I will!¡±

    I lean forwards and aim to kick out her legs.

    She jumps to avoid my sweep. I smile as I spin into a punch with my right hand aimed for her stomach.

    She aims for my shoulder with her scimitar. It bounces off the barrier made with earth power. My fist connects with her stomach.

    She stumbles backwards slightly after she hits the ground.

    [Surging Strike!]

    Juliet uses another skill on me. She jumps towards me and moves her arm to swing at my head. It will hurt even if I am protected, there is a chance the electricity might seep through the barrier too.

    I tilt my body slightly too dodge her, but she changed the direction of the sword last second and chops towards my left shoulder.

    The electricity causes my arm to go numb, but there was no damage done to my arm.

    Juliet swings her sword at me again without using any skill.

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I feel light headed. Have I used earth power to cover my body for too long?

    Juliet grins evilly, ¡°Had enough yet?¡±

    I grin widely, ¡°Never!¡±

    Her sword swings towards my body from the right.

    At the moment, the barrier of earth power around my body disappears. I can¡¯t use my internal energy either. What¡¯s happening?

    The middle aged man judging the tournament frowns.

    I don¡¯t have control over the arm if I can¡¯t use my internal energy!

    Juliet¡¯s grin never fades as her scimitar tilts towards my throat.

    Do or die!

    I grab the sword with my left hand ignoring the searing pain that shoots to my brain.

    ¡°AAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!¡± I let out an unintentional shout.

    The scimitar easily slices to my bones and cuts slightly into them. Juliet has a surprised look on her face.

    I take advantage of the adrenaline going through my veins and twist my body and roundhouse kick her straight in the temple.

    She immediately loses her balance as lets go of the scimitar. Chance!

    I breathe deeply trying to ignore the pain coming from my badly wounded left hand. I throw the sword slightly into the air and grab onto the hilt.

    Juliet is practically unconscious but as she is about to stand up, I shove the blade through her right hand, carefully avoiding the tendons in her hand to the best of my ability. I pin her hand to the platform.

    ¡°AAAAHHHHHH!!¡± Juliet screams right before her whole body goes limp.

    The middle aged man runs over, ¡°The winner is Ryu by knockout! We need a medical team stat!¡±

    I laugh to myself. That went better than planned for the ending. However, why could I not use even my internal energy?

    A few men carrying basic medical supplies come onto the platform. They look at Juliet¡¯s hand pinned to the ground and check her breathing. She still is breathing.

    They carefully remove the sword from her hand. There is barely any blood. Seems like I managed to avoid almost everything.

    The medical team frowns as they look at my left hand.

    I tilt my head, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I can tell right now that nothing major is wrong with it that time can¡¯t heal.¡±

    One of them shakes his head, ¡°I¡¯m not so much worried about the injury itself. Rather, it¡¯s that you seem way too calm despite being poisoned.¡±

    I smile weakly, ¡°Again. What is it this time?¡±

    He frowns, ¡°It isn¡¯t anything serious. Just a restrictive poison. It should be out of your system in a few hours. Just remember to drink lots of water, this poison really seems to dehydrate people¡­¡±

    He makes a complicated expression. I join him with a complicated expression of my own, ¡°What¡¯s wrong now? Anyways, how can you tell that I have poison just by looking at my hands?¡±

    He grabs onto my wrist and feels my pulse, ¡°I can tell that it is poisoned due to the courses that they drilled into me at medical school. But, you seem to have another poison in your system¡­ but it doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ Illusion poison.¡±

    I smile, ¡°Illusion poison?¡±

    He nods slowly with a grim expression, ¡°I¡¯m afraid all we can do is wait for the illusions to come and then wait. There is no antidote that we know of. I¡¯m terribly sorry!¡± He bows to me.

    I start to laugh loudly. I had been walked off the platform long ago and I was currently going towards the main building with the medical team.

    He looks at me with a sad expression, ¡°Why are you laughing so happily?¡± he makes a surprised face and then his jaw drops, ¡°You mean¡­¡±

    I nod figuring that he¡¯s guessed it, ¡°I¡¯ve survived illusion poisoning once. I was lucky and received some fairly easy to break illusions. I also have things I need to do before I actually die again.¡±

    The man laughs slightly, ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± He takes a few deep breaths to calm himself. After a few seconds we arrive at a room with many medical supplies for treating wounds already laid out. He sighs, ¡°This is going to sting¡­ well¡­ a lot, so just hold on for a second.¡±

    He grabs a gauze pad with a sterile solution on it to clean my wound. He starts to dab the wound lightly.

    By this point the adrenaline had worn off, ¡°AAAAAGGGGHHHH!!¡± I let out a scream as he treats my wound.

 Chapter 19: Finally

    Hello everyone, it has been over a month since my last post. Writing constantly like that for two weeks straight wasn''t a good idea now that I look back on it. I don''t regret doing it though.

    Now we get back into the swing of things. This is a very short chapter. This is because of a couple reasons, but I will just end this discussion here for now.

    Enjoy the chapter!

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Chapter 19: Finally

    I woke up in my bed with my prosthetic arm beside me. My left hand is bandaged so tight that I can barely even use it.

    I breathe deeply as I get up and stretch. I hope today is going to be relaxing.

    A voice comes from my door, ¡°Hey Ryu, are you awake?¡±

    I recognize the voice immediately, it¡¯s my mother, where¡¯s she been? I walk over to the door and open it with my left hand carefully, ¡°Hey, where have you been?¡±

    As I finish my sentence and the door is opened fully I am talked by my mother, ¡°I missed you so much!¡±

    I pat her head, ¡°I guess it has been a little while.¡± I smile as I look at her gently, I wonder if this is what my family should have been like.

    My mother moves away and starts to talk, ¡°I was tasked with going out to get the yearly permits for the forest of a thousand trials for the school. The principal called it my punishment.¡± She makes an indifferent face and shrugs her shoulders, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I did wrong.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Most of them were plots against me. Also, isn¡¯t this school a little too¡­ safe? Everyone knows about my identity and you said that enemies will appear on all sides. What¡¯s up with that?¡±

    My mother frowns suddenly, ¡°Everyone knows? That is certainly not good.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Why? Except for one girl, everyone treats me normally.¡±

    Her face gets a more serious expression, ¡°Ryu. You have dug your own grave. I cannot help you beyond this point. Whether you survive or not is no longer in my hands, nor do I have any way to predict when or what will happen, just be cautious. Very, very cautious.¡±

    I nod slowly while frowning, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think may happen, but I hope I live too.¡±

    My mother¡¯s phone rings, ¡°Give me a second Ryu, I need to take this.¡± She answers the call, ¡°Hello, this is code name: Raven. Yes. Yes. No. Why should I do that!? No! Fine. I¡¯ll be there in five hours.¡± My mother turns to me with an apologetic and sad smile, ¡°See you Ryu. I probably won¡¯t see you for a while. I¡¯ll miss you. Bye.¡±

    I give a weak smile, ¡°Bye mom.¡±

    She slowly walks out the door with a grim expression on her face. The atmosphere in my room turning darker and darker with each passing second.

    I take a deep breath and grab my prosthetic to leave the oppressive atmosphere of my own room.

    I slowly attached my prosthetic and moved it around to stretch. What a rough morning already.

    I walk to the cafeteria to eat breakfast. I get the same breakfast mush as usual and slowly eat it.

    Alice sits at the table with me, ¡°Hello Ryu, you know lessons were cancelled today due to an attack on the school right?¡±

    My jaw drops, ¡°Why are we even allowed to walk around like this if the school was attacked!?¡±

    She laughs lightly, ¡°The school has a barrier around it that even a person in the ninth realm would have trouble breaking through.¡±

    I sigh as I slowly calm myself down, ¡°So what are the students supposed to do?¡±

    Alice smiles, ¡°The students were given free time, they can go to the training fields, the library, or just sit in their rooms all day. The students are not allowed to leave the school grounds for any reason. Students seen attacking others will be arrested on spot, unless it was a duel approved by a teacher.¡±

    I lean back in the seat, ¡°Sounds absolutely boring.¡±

    She shrugs, ¡°Depends on how you look at it.¡±

    I laugh lightly, ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Alice and I then eat in silence for a few minutes when suddenly she stands up, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave, I¡¯ll talk to you another time.¡±

    I was confused why she was leaving so suddenly, was the silence too awkward?

    My question was answered almost immediately, ¡°Ryu!¡± I heard Claire call out my name from the entrance of the cafeteria.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    I sigh and hang my head. I get up and put my tray on the stack near the garbage cans. I then walk towards her, ¡°Hey Claire, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Claire grabs onto my arm once I get close enough to her. Her head barely touching my shoulders, ¡°Hey Ryu, let¡¯s go on a date!¡±

    A person sitting nearby listening to her does a spit take with his water. I feel sorry for the guy sitting across from him.

    I frown slightly, ¡°No.¡± I sigh heavily, ¡°Anyways, even if I said yes, where would we go?¡±

    Claire smiles, ¡°I have a good spot! Come on!¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Fine then, not like I had anything better to do today.¡±

    Claire raises her arms, ¡°Success!¡±

    ¡°When you said you had a good spot¡­ you didn¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    Claire had just dragged me into the female dorm building.

    I sigh, ¡°Is there any way you could explain all this to me. I mean, what happened to the, ¡®I don¡¯t like you at all¡¯ air that you and the two other girls had around you? You all changed in an instant. It seems¡­ off. You know what I mean?¡±

    She frowns, ¡°Ryu, I have no idea what you are talking about. I have always loved you!¡±

    No, this is wrong. This is wrong on so many different levels. I understand the fight between them, me being at the center of it. That made sense. What doesn¡¯t make sense is that they are openly admitting that they like me now. Especially Claire.

    Something is going on here, I need to fi- ¡°Is something wrong Ryu?¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong.¡±

    Claire smiles, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the room then!¡±

    Claire drags me into the building while I start to think again. What could cause them to change like this? This shouldn¡¯t be the illusion poison, it has been too long of an illusion if it is. What is causing the girls to act like this? It isn¡¯t normal no matter what angle you look at it from.

    Before I knew it, I was in front of Claire¡¯s room with her. She had a small smile on her face, ¡°Ryu. Are you feeling okay?¡±

    I nod slowly after collecting myself, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Claire opens the door and I see Sayaka and Kelly sitting in the room already.

    Claire has a shocked expression on her face, ¡°Why are you guys here?¡±

    Sayaka laughs, ¡°We tricked you in order to lure Ryu here!¡±

    Kelly smiles, ¡°You even fell for it! We knew that you would invite Ryu here if we said that we were going to leave for the day!¡±

    While they argue I leave. I walk back to my room. The three arguing girls didn¡¯t even notice me as I walked away.

    I went back to my room to try and get to the second realm.

    The days started to pass by quickly.

    Classes had begun again and we talked about how the forest of a thousand trials was going to be done.

    For the first section of the forest of a thousand trials, groups have to be formed. No one really wanted to pair with me as Kelly was not in class.

    I was forced into the group of girls I hated the most by Mr. Grey. He did it with a smile on his face.

    Juliet was thankfully not in class either.

    The next day we all practiced in our groups. I say practiced, but they all ganged up on me since I could not use my left hand which had the most motor control. What made it worse was that Juliet had decided to show up¡­ but she was fully healed of her injuries.

    I went back to my room that night with a lot of bruises.

    The next day was more practice. This time for the entire day. I went back to my room and was glad that tomorrow was a rest day, so I did not have to practice with the group of vicious girls.

    I woke up in the morning with a huge smile on my face, ¡°Finally.¡±

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hello again. I will now continue to rant on.

    I will attempt to try and put out chapters every couple of days or so, every day is too much for a small time guy like me that does it for fun. This is a project that I intend to see to the end (hopefully). It will be a long road, and I hope all of you readers enjoy the ride!

    Remember to comment if you have any concerns. I always enjoy reading the comments and replying to as many as I can.

    Have a good day!

 Chapter 20: Pain after Pain

    Hello again lovely readers. I thank all of you that have made it this far in the story.

    I can almost guarantee that a lot of you may not enjoy this chapter for various reasons, and I will talk more about that at the end of the chapter, but for now:

    Enjoy the chapter!

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Chapter 20: Pain after Pain

    I slowly put on my prosthetic after my shower. The smile not leaving my face for a second. I finally reached the second realm after training for so long without a specialization.

    I can start the technique that I used in the other world that helped me rule the continent.

    Without hesitating I sat down in the center of the room after locking my door. I really hope this doesn¡¯t hurt too much¡­

    I go over the method in my head. In order to start this method, I need to form symbols representing the elements within the void space.

    Fire¡¯s symbol is a volcano. Wind¡¯s symbol is a tornado. Water¡¯s symbol is a tsunami. Earth¡¯s symbol is a collapsing mountain. While lightning¡¯s symbol is a lightning storm.

    The first challenge is forming them all simultaneously. They all have to start forming at the same time and finish forming at the same time.

    The second challenge lays in the fact that even at the second realm the void space does not have the storage space for enough of the power of heaven and earth to form all the symbols.

    The third challenge is then to destroy them all at the same time. Not just dispersing them, but completely shattering them. In order to shatter the formed heaven and earth power, I have to flood my veins with as much heaven and earth power as possible.

    The fourth challenge is to repair my heaven and earth veins by fusing them. I don¡¯t understand this process very well. The veins will be completely damaged while destroying the symbols within the void space. Fusing the veins sounds weird because the concept of fusing veins is a complete unknown to anyone I have ever talked to. The process is simple, yet complicated. There are probably several conditions that need to be met in order to fuse veins, but I do not know them. But, after this process I have to fuse them together¡­ somehow¡­ I did it in the other world, shouldn¡¯t be too hard to do it again¡­ right?

    The fifth and final challenge is to stay conscious throughout the entire process. If I lose consciousness for even a split second the power of heaven and earth will run rampant inside my body and tear me apart from the inside out.

    I take several deep breaths in order to calm myself. I need absolute focus in order to do this.

    I start to circulate the power of heaven and earth within their respective veins. The power of the second realm has a base strike force of 400 pounds at the C rank, with normal methods anyways. My method is a lot different. With my method, my strike force is fifty percent higher than the base strike force. So my strike force at the C rank in the second realm would be 600 pounds.

    The power of heaven and earth moves towards my void space as I carefully control it. I take another deep breath and close my eyes.

    I start to form the five symbols within the void space. The five symbols are incredibly close to each other.

    With the symbols only a quarter formed my internal energy runs dry. I quickly absorb as much of the power of heaven and earth as I can without overstepping my limits.

    The symbols are slowly forming while sweat starts to cover my entire body.

    The process is extremely exhausting in the first part. I take yet another deep breath in order to keep my focus.

    The symbols are now three quarters formed. An incomparable pain goes through my entire body, I almost scream out, but managed to just barely make it through my gritting my teeth.

    There is now a burning pain that is coursing through my entire body from head to toe. The pain has started.

    My eyes quickly open as the symbols completely form. The pain in my body has tripled.

    Gritting my teeth can only go so far as my breathing gets heavier. I don¡¯t know why this methods hurts this much.

    Forming everything went flawlessly. No worries about failing now¡­ unless I lose consciousness and the power of heaven and earth run rampant inside me.

    Next step. Destroy it all.

    In the process of getting enough of the power of heaven and earth, my veins will be destroyed respectively. Then, I have to fuse them.

    I quickly start to move as much of the power of heaven and earth inside my veins as I can. I let out a low grunt as my veins deal with the massive surge of the power of heaven and earth.

    The surge of the power of heaven and earth reaches the void space and shatters the symbols instantly.

    The power of heaven and earth stored within the symbols floods into my veins not caring for their respective power. Audible tearing sounds are heard from the invisible veins. The veins are being destroyed.

    ¡°AAGGGHHH!!!¡±

    I let out a loud scream. Shit. People may start coming. I have to hurry!

    I grit my teeth. Holding back the screams of pain. My body is tightly clenching all of its muscles without responding.

    My veins are now thoroughly destroyed, I have to do this now, or I will have no chance to even be at the first realm!

    I focus my mind and start to manipulate as much of the power of heaven and earth as I can to start forcing the veins to fuse. In order for them to fuse now, all they have to do is touch¡­ but they technically don¡¯t exist¡­ so I have to do my best.

    I have to move the earth veins from my limbs in order to meet with the heaven veins surrounding my internal organs.

    I manipulate the power of heaven and earth in a way that moves the veins towards each other slowly. The veins slowly move to the same location and are existing within each other, but they haven¡¯t fused yet.

    Why haven¡¯t they fused yet? This is when they should start fusing and the pain goes away!

    I realize it a split second too late¡­

    ¡°AAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!¡±

    The veins collapse in on themselves as the pain becomes so large no amount of willpower could stop me from screaming at the top of my lungs from the pain.

    I¡¯m missing a portion of my earth veins.

    To solve this issue I either have to remove a portion of my heaven veins to balance it out¡­ or find a way to fuse them regardless of the differences.

    ¡°AAAAGGGHHH!!¡±

    I let out another scream as my body collapses onto the ground. I have no control over my body.

    I decide to try and fuse them regardless of the differences.

    I wrap the veins with the power of heaven and earth and compress them further.

    ¡°AAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!¡±

    This causes an intense pain to move through my entire body. The veins are compressed to an incredibly small size.

    I move the power of heaven and earth away from the veins and hope that they fuse.

    The veins near my heart start to fuse slowly. The fusing process is supposed to start relieving the pain¡­ but¡­

    ¡°AAAAAAGGGGHHH!!¡±

    I let out another scream. This hurts so much!

    My breathing was incredibly heavy. The veins were fusing faster and faster. Let¡¯s try something, anything will be better than this!

    I try to absorb the power of heaven and earth into the newly fused vein.

    The pain finally starts to dull.

    I absorb as much of the power of heaven and earth remnant from the process into the fused vein. The pain is finally within levels where I can control my body again.

    I sit up and take deep breaths as the process finishes.

    The newly fused vein feels stronger than it should normally. Well, I¡¯m not going to complain about it, but it seems odd. The process still should have been the same regardless of missing a section of the earth vein. To begin with they aren¡¯t the same length. The earth vein was actually the same length of the heaven vein after losing the section in my arm.

    Is that it? Equal length makes them stronger when thy fuse? Seems too good to be true¡­

    I sigh as I check what rank I am.

    A rank of the second realm¡­

    Huh? That¡¯s not right. I was only at the C rank this morning! This didn¡¯t happen in the other world!

    I take a deep breath to calm myself when a knock comes from my door, ¡°Hey man, you okay in there?¡±

    I don¡¯t recognize that voice.

    I walk to the door and open it, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, just a bad dream is all.¡±

    When the door opens all the way I see a guy that looks the same age as me. He holds out his hand, ¡°I¡¯m in the room next to yours. I heard a bunch of screaming so I thought I¡¯d come check on you¡­¡± He quickly pulls away his hand and slowly backs away while looking at the door handle.

    I look to the door handle also¡­ it is completely crushed.

    I smile weakly, ¡°I seemed to have went up a realm overnight. Sorry for the scare.¡±

    He scratches his head, ¡°No problem¡­ well, see ya round.¡± He then quickly walks back to his room with a grim look on his face.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Why is everyone around me being like that?

    Oh well, back to what matters.

    I can now use some of the skills that I gathered in the other world. I will limit myself to ones I can use continuously rather than once, because I think it is better to be able to hit a lot continuously than go for a single strike and have it miss.

    I carefully go through my memories to try and remember what skills I can start using.

    Hmm. I can use the lower ranked version of ¡®Velocity¡¯, ¡®Speed¡¯.

    I should also be able to use the fighting skills, ¡®Heavy Strike¡¯, ¡®Speed Strike¡¯, and ¡®Redirection¡¯.

    ¡®Redirection¡¯ is more of a defense skill that will help move the incoming attack by slightly changing its momentum. The other two skills are pretty simple, heavy strike makes you hit harder at the cost of speed, while speed strike makes your movement fast at the cost of damage.

    I take a deep breath as I check the time¡­

    Noon.

    I hang my head as I slowly stand up and head to have another shower as my body was covered in sweat from head to toe.

    I start to think to myself. What has been going on recently? If I go all the way back to before I died the first time, I can see how odd that demon¡¯s appearance truly was. I was the ruler of what was thought to be the only continent on the entire planet¡­ but that might have just been my defining mistake. How large was that planet truly?

    According to what my mother told me, that planet was created by two beings at the very peak. How could a planet that was created with all their might be something so small? How come a lot of the people that I knew in the other world are conveniently placed with me on the same planet?

    Another thing that is bothering me. How come I am roughly the same age as these people in the other world, but I am late coming to this body?

    I wonder if I will ever find the answer to these questions.

    I take a deep breath to calm myself and start to dry myself off from the shower.

    I put on my clothes after attaching my prosthetic. My stomach lets out a quiet sound.

    I should probably go eat.

    -------------The Day of the Test-------------

    I let out a long sigh as I head towards the front of the school grounds in order to meet up with the other students. Even though I¡¯m 30 minutes early, almost everyone is here already.

    Juliet walks towards me and kicks my shin, ¡°This way idiot.¡±

    I put on a weak smile as I follow her towards the group that I am in. The students avoid me as I walk.

    I haven¡¯t seen Kelly in a while. She isn¡¯t here either. Where is she?

    I look at the other students, they all have weird smiles on their faces that are a mix between being excited and feeling fear.

    I let out a sigh as I stop thinking about it, distractions now may lead to an injury in the forest of a thousand trials. It had been a couple days since I have stated to use my technique. The days passed with me acting exactly like I did before and no one knows that I am in the second realm except for me alone.

    The principal appears in front of everyone a couple minutes later, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that everyone is here early! Since everyone is here early I shall start the explanation! First of all! The groups shall be formed before getting on the transportation vehicle! There are only six people per group! The transportation vehicles only transport six people at a time! Every group will get their own transportation vehicle! These vehicles are controlled externally via a computer system! The first group will be decided by me!¡±

    Damion, the principal looks into the crowd and sees me and smiles evilly, ¡°Ryu¡¯s group will be the first group to go! When you arrive at the forest of a thousand trials the guards at the door will recognize you and will let you in immediately! Do not wait for everyone to show up and enter as soon as you arrive!¡±

    I hang my head and sigh. Juliet smiles widely, ¡°Hey idiot, looks like we get to go first!¡±

    The first vehicle arrives. It looks like a large hummer. It is painted pure black. The windows are so tinted I can see the reflection of the sky in them. The wheels are off-road tires. How long is the drive?

    Damion stops me as I was about to step in the vehicle, ¡°Hey Ryu, are you sure you want to be in that group? This whole thing is seeming too sketchy, also¡­ just between you and me, your mother, the vice principal has gone missing.¡±

    My jaw drops, ¡°How long has she been missing for?¡±

    He looks down slightly, ¡°Since the day after you got here.¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°I talked to her a bit less than a week ago. She came directly to my door, but since she got a call and had to leave I didn¡¯t follow her when she left.¡±

    Damion frowns more than I¡¯ve ever seen, ¡°Ryu. This isn¡¯t me as a principal asking you not to go with that group for fear of bullying. This is me as a friend, please don¡¯t go. This is a very, very bad situation.¡±

    I sigh lightly, ¡°I¡¯ve been in more complicated situations. I need experience in this world. I have questions that need answering, and I won¡¯t get them by sitting within the protection of this school.¡±

    Damion shakes his head, ¡°Ryu, I¡¯m begging you. Don¡¯t go.¡±

    I give him a weak smile, ¡°I may not be strong right now, but this experience will help me get stronger.¡± I walk into the vehicle and turn around before closing the door, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you when I get back. It won¡¯t take long.¡±

    Damion makes a pained expression as I get into the vehicle, but walks off anyways. I wonder why he says it was so dangerous.

    I realize it too late. The attack on the school¡­

    My mother showing up.

    The unwavering hate that Juliet has towards me.

    My eyes widen as I realize I really have dug my own grave.

    The girls in the vehicle gossip while completely ignoring me smashing my head off of various surfaces.

    We arrive at the entrance to the forest of a thousand trials. I was expecting a tower, but it seems this is all underground. The only way to tell that there is something here is the tents that are set up around the area, and a small opening in the ground revealing a large spiral staircase. My head lowered, I walk out of the vehicle and look at the guard with a pale face.

    He makes a complicated expression as he begins to talk, ¡°Group one. You may enter now.¡±

    I give a weak smile as the girls enter before me. I should focus on the trials or I might end up having different issues.

    ¡°Hurry up idiot!¡± Juliet yells at me as I jog to catch up. I have a really bad feeling. I know exactly how this is going to end¡­ but I did this to myself. How long until it happens I wonder?

    We get into the room of the first trial after walking down for several minutes we all arrive in a high ceilinged room that was light by a bright ball on the roof. The room had several switches on the near side and an abyss in the center, and stairs leading down on the other side.

    There was writing on the wall. It says;

    ¡®This is a puzzle, solve it.¡¯

    ¡­ Really?

    So much for the super mysterious atmosphere¡­

    Juliet and the girls walk over to the switches and start pulling them randomly. There¡¯s no way that¡¯s going to work at-

    I get cut off as a bridge starts extending across the abyss. There¡¯s no way they were pulling them randomly!

    ¡°Idiot, how come you didn¡¯t help us?¡± Juliet frowns as she walks over to the bridge.

    I walk onto the bridge first, ¡°Well I was going to say that we should check for clues to solve the puzzle. To be honest I didn¡¯t expect it to be so easy. There wasn¡¯t even any repercussion from pulling the wrong switch.¡±

    She makes a complicated expression, ¡°They do that normally? Why didn¡¯t you stop us then?!¡±

    I sigh, ¡°It was because you went over too quickly.¡± I step onto the bridge in order to cross. I was kicked in the back of the head and lose my balance, ¡°Wha-¡°

    Juliet is there with her leg in the air. A huge smile on her face. As I start to fall into the abyss she mouths, ¡®Idiot¡¯

    While falling I hear laughing from all of the girls echoing down the abyss with me.

    Well, who knew it would actually happen like this? The day I die¡­ again.

    I lose. I¡¯ve lost again! Why can I not do things properly! I should have laid low like my parents said!

    I close my eyes as I prepare to hit the bottom of the abyss.

    I could now feel that I was extremely close to the bottom¡­

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hello again, I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter.

    I really just wanted to clarify a couple things, in this chapter there will be many questions as to what actually happened. Also, it seems as if there are many plot holes appearing. This is (mostly) intentional, and shall be fixed soon enough.

    Feel free to tell me your opinion, as I am interested in what all of you, the readers, think.

    Have a nice day!

 Chapter 21: Isolation

    Hello everyone! I hope all of you are doing well!

    I managed to injure my wrist playing games! It''s kinda sad... but it won''t affect releases, it may just mean more spelling errors than normal, so I ask that you tell me if you see anything wrong spelling or grammar wise. Thank you!

    Anyways, that''s enough rambling. On with the chapter!

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Chapter 21: Isolation

    I can¡¯t see the bottom, but I feel that it is close.

    An idea pops into my head. This might work!

    I move close to the wall¡­ this is by no means how this move is supposed to work, but it¡¯s worth a shot!

    [Redirection!]

    It doesn¡¯t remove my momentum completely like the one outcome I had hope for, but it changed my momentum from vertical to horizontal¡­ well, mostly anyways.

    I cover my body in spatial energy. I am now floating mostly horizontally along the abyss at high speeds. The abyss is much longer than the room I fell from.

    Now, the next part. I have to slow down, or go back up.

    I create thin walls in front of me using only the power of heaven. I never expected I¡¯d have to use these techniques like this.

    I create the walls as weak as I can in order to break through them and slow my momentum.

    I crash through the first wall as if it were paper. Let¡¯s make the next one slightly stronger.

    The next wall slows me more, but the strain on my body is intense. I need to go up now though.

    I look above me¡­ I look back down. Let¡¯s not go up¡­

    Above the abyss is slowly moving in on itself, closing. If that was all I wouldn¡¯t be as scared as I am now. I see several ninth realm monsters flying around.

    I don¡¯t recognize any of these monsters from the other world! I only know they are ninth realm because of the tyrannical aura they emit.

    I quietly hope inside myself that none of the monsters come after me.

    After breaking through many more walls my momentum has slowed to a crawl. I release the spatial energy to gain accelerate downwards so I don¡¯t get crushed by the closing opening above me. After getting to a speed I know I can go straight into the ground at, I cover my body in spatial energy again.

    I see a light at the bottom of the abyss after fifteen minutes of slowly falling. I use condensed blocks of the power of heaven and earth to help move me to the opening.

    I reach the opening and go through it. I emerge in a small room that is no more than 10 feet long and 8 feet wide, the ceiling no higher than 15 feet.

    On my left side there is a closed door and all other sides of the room have smooth walls. The floor is a brick type pattern.

    I hit the ground and roll. After standing up I dust myself off. ¡°Well¡­ that was an experience.¡±

    I look at the ceiling of the room from where I thought I entered, but the ceiling was smooth like the walls, without even a scratch.

    All I see in this room is a closed door. I don¡¯t like this situation. I hope I can escape¡­

    Wait. Now that I think about aren¡¯t I way too calm in a situation like this where my life is in danger? I fell into the abyss, but only lost my composure for a couple minutes, then thought of a plan to help me stop my fall. The abyss closing above me. The ninth realm monsters. The light at the bottom of the abyss. Finally this room.

    Where even am I? Is this still the forest of a thousand trials anymore?

    I take a deep breath and head towards the door in the room. It was closed, and it looked like a simple wooden door which didn¡¯t match the room at all.

    I reach towards the handle and try to open the door. The door doesn¡¯t move at all.

    This is a puzzle!? I look around the door for clues. On the top of the door there are words in a font so small you can¡¯t read it unless you are less than a foot away. It reads;

    ¡®This is a door, open it.¡¯

    ¡­ This again!!!?

    I punch the door as hard as I can with my prosthetic in anger. Cracks appear in to door as it slowly opens.

    I guess I¡¯ll take it¡­ I guess.

    I walk into the doorway and go into a room that is completely covered in ice. Before I take a single step forwards I notice that I can see multiple reflections of myself within this room. The ice is almost completely invisible save for the fact that it reflects my image at a certain angle.

    I see a small inscription above the door I came through;

    ¡®This is a maze, finish it.¡¯

    I pretend that I never read anything and move on to finding the exit to the maze.

    I remember reading somewhere that if I put my hand on the right wall, I will eventually find the exit of the maze. I look around the room to see if there are any clues in the transparent ice.

    After looking around the room I realize that it seems as if I am floating. There are exits on multiple layers. Which means this maze is multi-tiered and has fake exits. This is going to be a literal hell.

    Stolen story; please report.

    After 2 hours I found myself checking the fifth door only to be greeted with a wall behind it.

    I tried to break through the ice as soon as I realized that the maze was multi layered. However, the ice didn¡¯t even scratch. The room was not very cold, thankfully, but it was definitely below freezing.

    Where am I even going? If I solve these puzzles do I even get to escape? I guess my only option is to keep going and hope for an exit, going back the way I came is impossible.

    I look around the room again. There are 6 more doors to try. 3 above 3 below. I guess I¡¯ll try the top ones first.

    After 3 hours I find myself at the last door on the top layers. I take a deep breath as I open it.

    ¡®You¡¯ve probably been here a while, here¡¯s a hint. The exit isn¡¯t a door.¡¯

    A vein appears on my forehead. So that¡¯s how it is eh?

    The ice is completely transparent so it seems as if I am floating around. It is really hard to keep track of where I have been in this maze.

    So the exit isn¡¯t even a door. I look around the room to check for an exit that isn¡¯t a door. I don¡¯t see anything¡­

    I start by trying to go all the way to the bottom from the top where I am.

    After another 2 hours I make it to the bottom. It helped that I knew the route most of the way down after having taken it before.

    My stomach growls.

    Oh shit. I have no food.

    All I have are the clothes on my back. There is no way this is going to end well. I don¡¯t have any water to drink either.

    I just realized the kind of situation I am in. Because I am at the second realm I can survive for some time without food and water¡­ but I am still human. I need to start conserving my energy and not wasting it or I will run into serious issues very soon.

    I calm my breathing that went slightly out of control. Panicking will do me no good in this situation, I just need to stay calm.

    After calming myself I look around the room to try and find the exit to the maze.

    After looking around for a few minutes I see an oddity in some of the transparent ice. The ice is reflecting a different area than what is behind it. It is a perfect mirror. The reflections it shows are not distorted in the slightest, and if I wasn¡¯t looking carefully, it would be hard to tell that anything was wrong in the first place.

    After another 4 hours I find myself lost in the ice maze. Getting to the area I wanted seemed simple at first, but whenever I got close it would be another dead end. I thought maybe it wasn¡¯t the exit and was just a tease in order to lure me away from the real exit, but even after looking around more I couldn¡¯t find anything else resembling an exit.

    I sigh as I try going to the top of the maze to try and find another different route.

    6 hours pass and I start to get tired. I am on the final path in this maze. To my knowledge I have gone on every other path in this entire maze. Why didn¡¯t I choose this one earlier? Because it looked like a dead end at first but had a small path way I had to move sideways through that I missed the first time I passed through.

    I slowly walk through the maze. If I fall asleep now it will be dangerous because the room is kind of cold, so I may not wake up if I go to sleep now.

    I see the mirrored surfaces as I walk through the path. I cheer a little on the inside, but I feel oddly tired compared to how long I have been awake.

    I walk into the mirrored section. After going in a spiral pattern towards the center there is a stairway that leads down.

    Is this the true exit? I hope so.

    I start to go down the stairs and there is text on the ceiling that is probably to be read while descending;

    ¡®Good job completing the 2 bonus trials. Whether you came here on purpose after seeing the bottom of the abyss using a special technique or you were pushed in by your comrades and luckily survived the fall, I congratulate you nonetheless. There is a reward that will be given to you based on your realm and latent potential. If you are injured¡­ you are on your own. Good luck.¡¯

    I sigh as I keep walking down the stairs.

    After a couple more minutes of walking down the stairs I reach a room that has a white pedestal in the middle of the room and a red carpet down the center from the entrance I just came out of.

    I look around the room and see that it is mostly made of marble. The floor and walls are made of the same material, however, the designs differ greatly. There are carvings on the walls of many monsters that I cannot recognize. The floor is a spiral brick pattern.

    On the pedestal is a book.

    I slowly walk to the center of the room to get a look at the book on the pedestal.

    The title on the book is, ¡®Elements for Dummies¡¯

    No way.

 Chapter 22: Getting Stronger

    Hello Readers!

    I would like to wish a merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate! (Still Christmas for me. 6:40 pm as of this post)

    Thank you to all of you readers who have made it this far. Also, if you have any questions that you''d like answered (no spoilers though) I will answer them if you comment or send a personal message. I am inept at using this site, so I apologize in advance if I do not get to your question, and I suck at anything technical, so please forgive me.

    Anyways, Enjoy the Chapter!

    Chapter 22: Getting Stronger

    Is this a serious thing!?

    My hands go up to my face. The forest of a thousand trials¡­ is a joke. One large joke from someone who was clearly bored!

    I slowly open the book expecting the worst.

    As I open the book I realize that it was just a false cover. The real title of the book is, ¡®The Truth about the Elements of This Universe¡¯.

    This title is normal!

    On the inside of the false cover was some writing;

    ¡®I congratulate you on being able to pick up this book despite its false cover. If you are holding this, that means you should have the potential to be as strong as myself, if not stronger. Despite my attempts to make the title of the book more humorous, the contents of the book are quite bland, but greatly informational. If you are still reading this, it means you have too much free time, try and find an exit because you were probably pushed into the abyss by your companions judging by your low rank. Off ya go!¡¯

    I sigh. This is not good for me in any way at all.

    I¡¯m alone and have no food. None.

    I don¡¯t even have a bag to carry this book around with me. I can¡¯t say my memorization skills are too bad, but there is no way I can memorize this book in what little time I have. I¡¯ll just have to improvise.

    I look around the room and in a corner there is a tattered curtain that has fallen to the ground.

    I lift up the tattered cloth to see a skeleton underneath. The skeleton¡¯s bones are covered in thick layers of dust. It was probably a large and powerful man who was injured judging by the cracks all over his body.

    As the tattered cloth is moved away completely the skeleton¡¯s equipment was beside him. There were empty food packages and a small bag. Under the bag was a katana like sword in a sheath. Attached to the handle was a piece of paper.

    I debate with myself in my head whether or not I should take this stuff. Damned if I do, damned if I do not.

    I decide to take the skeleton¡¯s things despite what my morals are telling me. After taking the bag and the sword I wrap the skeleton the best I can in the tattered cloth.

    I bow slightly, ¡°May you rest in peace.¡±

    I take the bag and open it to see if there is anything inside. Inside is empty water bottles and empty tins of food. Not even a crumb of food was left, nor a drop of water. Isn¡¯t that just lovely.

    I empty out the bag into the corner of the room and then put the book inside.

    I then take a look at the piece of paper attached to the katana like sword.

    ¡®This is a katana. Name: ¡®Generic Box Cutter number 1284¡¯.¡¯

    ¡­¡­ This again!?

    I give up with the creator of the forest of a thousand trials. His very existence drives me insane. Every second I spend here makes me want to kill him more and more.

    I unsheathe the sword and inscribed in the blade are the words, ¡®Myth Weaver¡¯.

    I sigh as I realize that the person who created the forest of a thousand trials is a good person, but just loves to trick people.

    I put the sword back into its sheath and tie the sword to my waist using a strip of fabric from the curtain.

    I look around the room for any possible exits. As I¡¯m looking around, I notice that the entryway I came in has disappeared. The room¡¯s walls were now smooth, and the pedestal in the center has disappeared.

    An old and quiet voice resounded inside my head, ¡°Congratulations on making it this far. From this point on you should be at the third realm, if you aren¡¯t, well, you really should not have survived that fall and should have received an adequate prize from the pedestal. Anyways, to get back to the trial area you must use your internal energy to fill up this container, after that, the door will naturally show itself. You have as much time as you want¡­ but be warned that there is no food or water here, so you should manage your resources well. Until we talk again traveler.¡±

    My face turns dark. I have to be at the third realm to leave this room. Where is this container the voice spoke of?

    I look around the room and behind me there was a pedestal that was not there a moment ago. I¡¯m not liking this appearing and disappearing while I¡¯m not looking thing, it makes me feel like I¡¯m in a horror movie.

    I sigh as I look at the object on top of the pedestal. It was a small black box that had circular markings all over its surface. I unconsciously reach out for the box and try to grab it, but it is extremely heavy for its size. On the other side of the object was a sheet of paper, on it, it said, ¡®This is a heavy box, no lifting.¡¯

    I think this is getting old now.

    I sigh as I look around the room again, while I wasn¡¯t paying attention the room changed into a small black room. There was a small orb of light on the ceiling that was lighting the small room I had been transported into.

    The room had similar markings to the small container on the pedestal. The walls were maybe 20 feet from each other.

    I just go with the flow once again as I look at the container to try and figure if I could trick it.

    I use my internal energy to inspect the container but my internal energy is stopped before it even goes near the container. I frown. Do I really have to be at the third realm to fill this container? Also, what are these markings? I have never seen them, are they some type of sealing formation, restrictive formation¡­ also, I didn¡¯t know that formations could be this small. Maybe it is one of those things where the inside is larger than the outside.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    I look around the room and see that the markings on the wall match up with the container when I look at it from the right angles.

    After 2 hours my eyes get heavy as I realize that I haven¡¯t slept recently. I may be at the A rank second realm, but my body is still too weak to go without sleep for longer than an average human. The only reason I could do it in the other world was because it was something I did for so long that my body became used to going without sleep for extended periods of time. It was the same thing with food and water, because I never trained my body in this world to go without food and water for any amount of time, I will have issues without them now that I have nothing to live on.

    I slowly lay on the ground and put the bag under my head as a pillow. I have removed the sword from its sheath and placed it beside me. I do this just in case I have to wake up quickly and fight, dying because of something as stupid as not being prepared was absurd.

    I slowly close my eyes and drift off into the world of dreams.

    ---------- Waking Up ----------

    I open my eyes and quickly look around the room to see if there is anything that could harm me while I focus on anything else. After looking around the room I see that absolutely nothing has changed since I went to sleep. I don¡¯t know how long I slept, but I do feel refreshed despite the conditions I was sleeping in.

    I look back at the container and sigh. How am I supposed to get to the third realm so quickly? It would normally take a least a couple of months for a talented person. I just got to the second realm, so there is almost no chance of me making it in time.

    I start to calculate in my head. Since I have lost a large amount of my original organic mass, my body will require less fluids to survive than the average person. Then add the fact that I am in the second realm¡­ I should be able survive roughly 20 days without water. No need for me to calculate food, I will be dead long before I need food if I don¡¯t manage to get any water.

    I take a deep breath to calm my thoughts. So how do I get to the third realm as fast as possible?

    I slowly think to myself. If I rush it I have a chance for my veins to be destroyed¡­ veins¡­ Spatial energy!

    I can start absorbing spatial energy now that I have started practicing my method. I don¡¯t have to worry about it stopping me from starting my technique. I just really hope that it doesn¡¯t kill me when I start practicing with it¡­

    I slowly clam myself. I start to focus on the spatial energy within this room. It seems as if the spatial energy is gathering in this room from the outside.

    It is a lot denser than it would normally be. The power of heaven and earth are even denser than anything I have ever seen.

    I slowly start to absorb the spatial energy and see if there are spatial veins first as I have no way to tell the correct path without some spatial energy internally.

    As I absorb the spatial energy I make an astonishing discovery. The spatial veins actually exist, they run throughout the entire body and connect to the vein I have fused from the heaven and earth veins.

    As I absorb more and more spatial energy the veins become less and less distinct as they expand and merge, basically creating a sheet of spatial energy within my body. The sheet of spatial energy is connected to the void space and is slightly expanding it.

    The process is not painful at all and it actually feels soothing. My body relaxes as spatial energy flows throughout my entire body.

    After what seemed like a short amount of time I open my eyes. I was floating slightly above the ground.

    After noticing it I sink to the ground and fall over. My body feels much, much lighter than before I absorbed spatial energy.

    It was much easier to stabilize than the power of heaven and earth. Spatial energy flowed in almost out of my control, but it never hurt throughout the entire process.

    Does it have a different effect when it is internal compared to external?

    I wonder what the effect is. I do not really have time to fool around and test it though.

    I start absorbing more spatial energy, it has finally stopped expanding the void space, and has stabilized. The spatial energy is flowing around randomly inside my body and slowly being absorbed into the void space.

    I wonder what would happen if I absorbed the power of heaven and earth at the same time as spatial energy? I really hope that it doesn¡¯t collapse my internal organs.

    No sense holding back in a situation like this.

    I calm my breathing again and sit on the ground while crossing my legs. I move all of my focus onto absorbing both the power of heaven and earth and spatial energy. Spatial energy starts to flow into my body first, then the power of heaven and earth makes its way through the fused vein.

    The power of heaven and earth quickly get absorbed into the void space, but instead of collecting in the void space normally, the power of heaven and earth is being absorbed by the void space and is strengthening it. It is making it so that it can hold denser energy within it.

    The Spatial energy starts to weave around the heaven and earth vein inside my body. It is making the power of heaven and earth flow faster than before. The spatial energy weaves itself into a lattice type structure even when I try to move it away. The power of heaven and earth is getting absorbed faster and faster by my body. I have almost no control over it as the spatial energy is working without my control.

    I just sit with my legs crossed and observe the power of heaven and earth strengthen the void space near my heart. I was expecting this to be complicated¡­ but it goes without me really focusing on it. Maybe it will still go when I am moving around or even sleeping, but for now I will just watch the power of heaven and earth strengthen the void space until it stops.

    I cheer a little on the inside about the large amount of strength that my void space has acquired.

 Chapter 23: Greatest Enemy

    Happy new year!

    I hope you all had a good a 2015 as I did (hopefully better!), and wish you all the best for 2016! I hope to be more consistent with this novel in 2016. My goal a couple months ago was to get to chapter 50 by today. Well, I kinda missed by more than half. Oh well. I do actually have another chapter written, but I want some feedback please!

    I love the people who consistently thank me for chapters, it makes me feel good on the inside.

    Anyways, back to the main topic. I know my story has little to no plot... well. That wasn''t intentional, but you know, some things just kinda happen... but I would like for you readers to give me insight on to what I could possibly do better. I love reading comments... actually I just love to read.

    My goal is 5. That''s right, just 5 constructive comments or reviews and I will post the next chapter. I will make sure to respond to questions and concerns as well.

    That''s enough talking! Chapter time!

    Chapter 23: Greatest Enemy

    Five days have passed since I first absorbed spatial energy.

    I have found that it is almost impossible to understand what spatial energy is fully capable of because it has a mind of its own and does as it pleases. Even if I try to manipulate it, it just moves around my body freely, this is, of course, when it is trying to do something, when it is ¡®resting¡¯ I can move it to my will.

    I called the time when it stops moving ¡®resting¡¯ because it does absolutely nothing during this time. I have full control over its effects, but I am not able to discover its uses that are available to me. I¡¯ve deemed the moments when they are moving on their own, ¡®active¡¯.

    When the spatial energy is ¡®active¡¯ I can just do my own thing and the spatial energy will cultivate for me.

    The ¡®active¡¯ time lasts for about 10 hours while ¡®resting¡¯ lasts for 4 hours. It doesn¡¯t line up with the days very nicely, but it works for what I am doing.

    I have not been able to talk to those mysterious figures nor Mr. Spatial Energy. Despite having the crystal back in my possession, I have yet to discover any changes to it, even though it has travelled across worlds.

    I lay on the ground and hold the crystal above my head, with it dangling from its chain. This crystal brings back so many memories.

    I remember one year after getting the crystal from those mysterious figures, I was just travelling around the continent trying to learn the information that was injected into my head. I had already started to use the technique and my body was much stronger than those at the same level as myself, and most monsters would look at me with eyes of longing.

    I still don¡¯t understand it, but I was rarely attacked by monsters. The only times I were attacked was when I accidentally wandered into high ranking monster¡¯s territory.

    After a while of travelling I came across a small village that was similar to the village I was born in. It was surrounded by fields of assorted crops, and the villagers were in the middle of harvesting the majority of their crops.

    I wander slowly into the village on foot.

    A nearby child shouts to an older man that is talking to a group of small children further away, ¡°Someone is entering the village!¡±

    The older man walks to meet me on the road, ¡°Why hello there traveler, my name is Bastion, I am the head of this village. Pleased to meet you.¡±

    I was wearing a large black cloak that covered my eyes from the hot sun. In order to properly greet the man I lowered my hood, ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is not needed as I am just a mere wanderer. However I was wondering if it would be too much trouble for a meal and a place to stay. I do not have normal currency, but I can pay using monster materials.¡±

    The older man, Bastion, laughs slightly and nods, ¡°Of course you can stay, and no need to go out and hunt monsters just to pay for one night. I¡¯ll just ask that you help with the harvest for the day. At the end of every day of harvesting we always have a large meal with everyone in the village.¡±

    I take off the black cloak completely and throw it to my left with my right hand, but before it even has a chance to go very far it disappears, ¡°I¡¯d love to help out. I needed a good workout today anyways.¡±

    Bastion¡¯s jaw drops, ¡°Where did the cloak go?¡± He was shaking in fear.

    I wave my right hand slightly and a hardened bottle made of monster skin appears, ¡°It is simple magic. Only have to be at the fifth realm to use it.¡±

    Bastion starts to wobble, ¡°F-f-fifth realm¡­ simple?¡±

    I grab on to his shoulder to stop him from falling over, ¡°What realm I¡¯m at is a secret, but I will gladly accept to help you with the fields. What should I do?¡±

    Bastion wipes the cold sweat from his brow, ¡°There¡¯s no way we could ask someone with a status such as yours for help tending to fields. It would be disrespectful!¡±

    I shake my head slightly as I back away again, ¡°No need to treat me any differently from a normal wanderer. I haven¡¯t even been to a small town for quite some time now. Let me at least help earn my keep.¡±

    Bastion makes a complicated expression, ¡°Would you like me to keep it a secret from the other villagers, or do you not care?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°So where would you like my help?¡±

    Bastions sighs, ¡°I see, I will make the decision myself. It would be great if you could harvest the wheat field to the west.¡± He looks up into the sky, ¡°Our goal was to get halfway through harvesting the wheat field by the end of today. It is midday now, so if you could help them finish up with that. Do you know how to harvest wheat?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°Sorry I don¡¯t, if it isn¡¯t too much trouble could I get you to teach me?¡±

    Bastion laughs with a light smile on his face, ¡°Of course I can. How old are you?¡±

    I smile, ¡°I am 31 years old.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Bastion smiles back at me, ¡°So to harvest wheat you need to cut it at the base of the plant a bit off the ground. Then after you gather an armful, tie it up with some string and put it in the pile with the other ones.¡±

    I nod after listening to the short instructions, ¡°Okay, I think I get it. I should be able to finish in less than time than it takes to kill a forest rabbit. Do you mind if I harvest the entire field?¡±

    Bastion¡¯s head falls as he sighs, ¡°Do what you want, just don¡¯t hurt anyone from the village please. Also, if you do that much I won¡¯t know how to repay you.¡±

    I wave my hand as I walk towards the wheat field, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just join you for food and rest here for the night.¡±

    I can hear the old man sigh as I walk away from him.

    I arrive at the field and see a couple villagers swinging harvesting scythes. One villager notices me and walks over, ¡°Hello there stranger, what brings you to this ¡®ere field?¡±

    I scratch my head, ¡°Village head Bastion asked me to come help you guys. I am just a simple wanderer that needs to work for his food.¡±

    The villager nods cheerfully, ¡°The more the merrier! There ¡®re some extra scythes over in the tool shed, and some string is on the top shelf behind the pots.¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I have an idea to harvest this field almost instantly. All you¡¯ll need to do is tie the bundles. I could probably stack them too, what do you think?¡±

    The villager tilts his head, ¡°What ¡®re you talkin¡¯ ¡®bout?¡±

    I point to the villagers in the field, ¡°Is it possible for you to call everyone here? It would be dangerous if the stayed there once I started working.¡± The villager frowns and as he looks like he is about to refuse but I continue to talk, ¡°Could you please, these villager¡¯s lives will be at risk and they might die if you don¡¯t call them out of the field, it will be worth your time. Trust me.¡±

    He sighs and turns to the field and starts to yell, ¡°Come ¡®ere guys, this wanderer is going to harvest this whole field fer us!¡±

    The villagers, male and female alike all start to slowly wander towards me. I smile slightly as they all look confused. The first villager I talked to puts his hand on my shoulder with a smile on his face, ¡°Show us what yur made of!¡±

    I snap my fingers as I see that all of the villagers are out of the field.

    [Wind of a Thousand Blades]

    This technique is one of the most powerful techniques I can use at the seventh realm.

    Wind rushes through the field and the villagers will see it as a strong gust but those with trained eyes will see that there are small distortions in the breeze that are heading towards the wheat field. All of the wheat flies into the air as I snap my fingers again.

    [Barrier]

    The wheat is collected into several spherical barriers that I just created. They are shrink causing the wheat to gather into confined areas. I lower the barriers to the ground without moving my body an inch.

    The villagers¡¯ cheers almost deafen me as the wheat touches the ground and the barriers are dispersed.

    ¡°Thanks fer doing that! This saves us so much time!¡± The first villager rushes towards one of the stacks and starts to bundle it.

    Bastion walks up beside me and laughs, ¡°That¡¯s some might powerful magic you have. Are you a mage from the Mage Empire?¡±

    I shake my head and let out a small laugh, ¡°Something like that.¡±

    After that, the entire village gave me their thanks. The entire wheat field was harvested in a quarter of the time, leaving them time to work on the other crops.

    Bastions walks over after all the food is gone from the makeshift tables that were set up, ¡°You really help us out today, will you give us your name so we can tell stories to the children so they try and become as strong as you?¡±

    I laugh, ¡°My name is Ryusei. Don¡¯t make the story too fancy, I¡¯ve never liked fancy things. I just help people because I feel like it, I don¡¯t need to be thanked or worshipped in any way for it.¡±

    Bastion laughs, ¡°You¡¯re a good person. You know that?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I wonder about that.¡±

    I slowly open my eyes. I fell asleep while remembering the scene from my previous life. I remember that village was expanded and made into the main farming village for the castle town after I became emperor. Bastion was so surprised when I came back to the village with so many supplies.

    He wouldn¡¯t stop thanking me, I even made him head of agriculture within the castle. He had a wife and three kids. Two boys and one girl. He was such a nice man, I wonder if he survived that whole ordeal in the other world.

    My stomach growls loudly and my vision darkens slightly as I try to sit up. The human body really is so weak.

    I lean myself against the corner of the small room and smile slightly. I am at the very peak of the A rank of the second realm. Just a little more and I will reach the third realm to pass this trial!

    -Two days later-

    C rank of the third realm! I made it!

    My body makes a couple of strange cracking noises as I crawl towards the cube.

    I pour energy into it. My consciousness slowly starts to fade. It has only been seven days¡­

    Why am I so out of it? My calculations shouldn¡¯t have been wrong¡­

    Maybe it is because I was cultivating, causing my body to use more nutrients. Ranking up probably didn¡¯t help my situation either.

    This was supposed to be a happy occasion.

    The cube disappears completely after it has been fully filled and the room immediately changes.

    It was a large room like the first trial room, just with a different puzzle that looked much, much harder.

    I drop onto the ground as my vision slowly starts to fade. Ahead of me was a group of people with surprised expressions.

    The last words I heard were: ¡°Capture him now!¡±

 Chapter 24: Look on the Bright Side

    My blurb is at the end of the chapter, and probably will be from now on.

    Chapter 24: Look on the Bright Side

    I slowly open my eyes and see complete white surrounding me. Is it the mysterious beings trying to talk to me?

    I notice that I am floating around in the air. I realize that there is no way for me to tell where the walls of this room are. I don¡¯t even know which way is up.

    Spatial energy is in its ¡®resting¡¯ phase right now, and I am not circulating it¡­ meaning this is a zero gravity environment. Is this the next puzzle in the forest of a thousand trials?

    I realize that I am missing my prosthetic off my right arm. Did those guys from earlier take it!?

    I also realize that I am no longer hungry.

    ¡°Nice of you to finally wake up Ryu. Or should I call you Ryusei? Which would you prefer?¡± A voice that sounds like it has been put through a horribly low quality speaker fills the ¡®room¡¯ I am in.

    I just close my eyes to try and ignore the feeling of dizziness, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The man talking through the speaker laughs, ¡°It is hilarious how a runt like you could think to ask questions while in such a situation presently.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders as I know I was being watched, ¡°Never pays to panic, no matter how dire the straights.¡±

    The man laughs harder, ¡°What an interesting personality!¡±

    I stay silent and think about the situation while the man laughs in the background. I¡¯ve been captured, and this is probably some form of interrogation. Let¡¯s just see how this play out.

    The man coughs to regain his composure, ¡°Ahem, let us continue. Current name Ryu. Formerly known as Ryusei and also known as the supreme emperor. Is all this correct so far?¡±

    I frown, ¡°Why would I respond to that?¡±

    ¡°You will respond appropriately, for if you don¡¯t, we will make your stay here less comfortable.¡±

    I smile, ¡°So it is a ¡®We¡¯. Intriguing.¡±

    I can hear the man slam his fist against something, ¡°Don¡¯t think you can manipulate us the way you want!¡±

    An electric shock runs through my body. My muscles spasm uncontrollably for half a minute. After the spasm were over my body felt like it was on fire. Other than the spasms, I never let anything on my face show.

    ¡°Do you understand the situation you are in now?¡±

    I nod slowly without responding to the man.

    ¡°Good. Now we shall continue yet again. Cause of death, forbidden technique by the name of ¡®Heaven Shattering¡¯. Was married with no children. Wife¡¯s location¡­ unknown.¡±

    Thank goodness. They haven¡¯t found her. That makes me so happy.

    The man continues, ¡°Currently the second know practitioner of Dr. Frizen¡¯s named ¡®Spatial Energy¡¯. Is also the only documented existence of a person being able to cultivate both the power of heaven and the power of earth. Is able to control the power of heaven and earth to the same degree of someone at the ninth realm with ease. Has killed thousands if not tens of thousands of monsters in the previous world, along with the demon, ¡®Alveros¡¯ at the thirteenth realm. The only human in existence to form a contract with the sword ¡®God Killer¡¯. Also, killed demon ¡®Elsvyre¡¯ after it-¡°

    ¡°STOP!¡± I yell at the top of my lungs as the memories start to resurface.

    The man laughs slightly, ¡°So, is talking about-¡°

    ¡°IT¡¯S ALL TRUE! ALL YOU HAVE SAID IS TRUE! JUST STOP! Please stop¡­¡± My voice trails off as I remember something from my past I had desperately tried to forget.

    The man makes few humming noises as he sees my reaction, ¡°So next we have the questioning phase. Are you ready?¡±

    I rub my eyes that became slightly watery, ¡°I am ready.¡±

    ¡°First question. How were you able to start cultivating ¡®Spatial Energy¡¯?¡±

    I shake my head slowly, trying to disperse unnecessary thoughts, ¡°I just read Dr. Frizen¡¯s book and was able to sense it. All I did was watch it until it came to me. Nothing too complex.¡±

    He makes another humming noise, ¡°I see. So next question. Why are you able to cultivate both the power of heaven and the power of earth?¡±

    I frown, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I was just born that way.¡±

    Another shock runs through my body, ¡°ANSWER TRUTHFULLY!¡±

    After the spasms stop I reply calmly, ¡°That was the truth, I was taken from my parents at a young age and forced to manipulate the power of heaven and earth without knowing what it was in order to walk on the surface of the water for many years straight. Past that I know nothing.¡± I had finally calmed down after the memories had resurfaced. It may take a while to forget them again.

    ¡°Fine. That seems like it is the truth anyways. Moving on now. Where did you learn the cultivation method you practice?¡±

    I smile, ¡°Up your a**¡±

    A shock runs through my entire body causing it to spasm again, ¡°You seriously think that will help your situation? You are on trial for the murder of a UKC member.¡±

    I lose my cool after the spasms stop, ¡°I haven¡¯t killed anyone in this world!¡±

    ¡°This world, you haven¡¯t. But that doesn¡¯t mean in the other world! My son was killed by you in the other world and went through a painful experience!¡±

    A wide smile appears on my face, ¡°So you¡¯re with the UKC¡­ I see! You people at the UKC hold grudges from the previous world! The only human I have ever killed was the man who claimed to be my father! Good thing he died! If I see him again, I¡¯ll kill him in this world too!¡±

    A large shock runs through my body causing my muscles to seize without a single spasm. It is so intense I feel as if I am about to die. After five minutes the shocks stop.

    I hear a voice in the background, ¡°Did you want to kill him father!? We need to torture him more! We need to get all of his secrets!¡±

    ¡°I agree son, just be patient and go back to the waiting room. Your father has work to do.¡±

    I laugh lightly, ¡°So that was your son? Seems he is doing well!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! I am the one asking the questions!¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the next question, Mr. High and Mighty?¡±

    ¡°You will answer the question of where you learned your cultivation method! If not I will personally remove one of your other limbs!¡±

    I smile so wide my teeth show, ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try!¡±

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    ¡°F*** it! Bring her into the room!¡±

    Bring who into this room? I open my eyes and notice that there was a glass wall with small holes in it separating a section of the room that was a slightly different color. The most noticeable thing was that there was a door on the wall behind the glass.

    When did that appear?

    ¡°Okay Ryu. I will ask you one bonus question while ¡®She¡¯ is on her way. What is the highest realm you know about?¡±

    I frown, ¡°Why would I tell you? Anyways, why are you asking about my methods? It is impossible for people to use them.¡±

    ¡°My boss is higher than the ninth realm, yet refuses to tell us anything about how he managed to get past the ninth realm! You are my only chance to surpass my boss! I have been stuck at the ninth realm in this world for thirty years! I have been the lowest of the low at the UKC because of it!¡±

    I laugh, ¡°I see! This all makes sense to me now! You had me captured not because you worry about your son that I KILLED, but because you are so jealous of those above you that you will steal from whomever happens to pass by! So whose ¡®order¡¯ was it from above that you were to capture me?¡±

    ¡°Why do I need permission to capture a no name brat like yourself!? F***! S***! You make me so F***ing angry! Bring that B**** in faster! I want this brat to CRY!!¡±

    I smile to myself as I wonder who they could bring in. The only person that could move me at all would be a¡­ no. No. NO. NO! ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± I shout at the top of my lungs as the door to behind the glass opens.

    Two bulky men walk into the room first, but behind them was someone I knew very well from this world. My mother. She was wearing a blindfold and her hands were cuffed with bulky handcuffs that definitely had some sort of restrictive effect on them.

    ¡°Hey Ryu! You recognize this woman!?¡±

    I start to yell, ¡°What are you doing with my mother!?¡± Even though I didn¡¯t talk to her much in this world, I had inherited the memories from this body when I came to this world. She had raised me, and it isn¡¯t like living was tough going or anything. She was there when she needed to be there. She was a fantastic mother. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t get as much time to spend with her after coming from the other world. It has been quite busy after all.

    ¡°Ryu.¡± My mother calls out my name softly. Her voice sounds rough. Even though she is wearing a blindfold I can see that the sections near her eyes are wet with tears.

    In this world, before my consciousness took over this body, my mother would always try to come in time for meals¡­ on weekends anyways. She always comforted me when I was younger. I was never popular when I was young and quite often made fun of¡­ but who really cares about that stuff. It¡¯s only sad if you make it sad.

    ¡°Mother.¡± I softly call out to her as I float around the room without any control. It isn¡¯t like she can see me anyways.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me Ryu. I¡¯ve lived a long life you know? I¡¯m not as young and beautiful as I used to be.¡± A smile appears on her face, ¡°I love you Ryu. I hope you keep your secret safe.¡± My mother relaxes her body and starts to breathe calmly.

    I wish this was just some sort of illusion or body double, but the likeness to my mother is too real for this to not be her. There was also enough time for her to be captured and brought to wherever this place is.

    ¡°One last chance you F***er! What is the cultivation method you use!? Answer me in 3 seconds or we slit her throat!¡±

    ¡°You dare!?¡±

    ¡°Three!¡±

    I calmly think. If I tell him, it will most likely be known to the world. He will most likely die when he eventually tries to use this cultivation method.

    ¡°Two!¡±

    The odds are that he may not tell anyone and end up killing himself without telling a soul about the cultivation method.

    ¡°O-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! Don¡¯t hurt my mother!¡±

    ¡°You think you are able to order me around!? Kill her!¡±

    ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Ryu!¡± As we call out to each other her blood spurts out onto the glass from her throat. A small amount of blood seeps through the small holes in the glass. The glass itself looks as if it is crying tears of blood, but this isn¡¯t a sign of a higher authority. It is my mother¡¯s blood.

    I force myself to keep a calm expression even though my mind is in a state of chaos.

    ¡°I will commend you on your ability to stay calm given the situation. However, your inability to comply at first is what caused this whole situation. You know what they say, live and learn. I guess your mother won¡¯t be doing either.¡± His voice mocking me.

    ¡°I will F***ing kill you! I swear on my life that if I don¡¯t kill you in this life, my spirit will F***ing haunt you!¡±

    ¡°You and what army!? Restrain him!¡±

    I see people come at me with many restraints. The gravity in the room was set again and I fell on my head. I stand up to fight them, ¡°I will kill all of you! F*** the UKC! I WILL DESTROY YOU!¡±

    The people coming in the room hold me down with almost all of their strength. Most of them are at the seventh realm while some are in the eighth realm. S***! This could not get any worse!

    The last thing I see before a bag was put over my head was the corpse of my mother lying lifelessly on the ground.

    I swear I will ruin the UKC for this! Even if it is the last thing I do!

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hello readers of my story thing!

    I got a donation button! Yay!

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    Anyways. Enough joking around. I would like to thank all of you in advance that choose to donate. In the future I may put a goal or something like that for art or something. (I read it in the donations FAQ and thought it would be a good idea.)

    I wanted to post this earlier, but only a single person gave a constructive comment (as of this post). Thank you to Scientia Pyre for the only constructive comment (after the goal was set!).

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    Thank you to all who donate, and thank you to those who don''t. You are all wonderful for reading this weird story thing I have created.

    Have a good day!

 Chapter 25: A Fate Worse than Death

    Chapter 25: A Fate Worse than Death

    The bond that I shared with my mother was stronger than I thought. Her death right in front of my eyes caused me so much grief that I stopped all other things. After yelling at the people from the UKC for several hours I lost my voice so I could no longer retort to anything they said, but nor could I give them information as easily.

    I was currently in a mock hospital room strapped securely to a bed. The only thing I could move, were my fingers and wrists. I was strapped in to the hospital bed in a sitting position. At least it was comfortable.

    ¡°So Ryu. How are you feeling?¡± A large man wearing a doctor¡¯s uniform came in to check on me. This man I called a doctor was also in the seventh realm.

    I give him the middle finger the best I possibly could with my hand restrained.

    ¡°I see. However, I have something important to tell you. Here in this branch of the UKC we have just developed a new drug. However, it needs a bit of testing. Since it probably won¡¯t kill you, we here have decided to use you as our test subject. Just give me one second here to read the list of possible side effects.¡± The large man reaches into his shirt and pulls out a piece of paper.

    ¡°Side effects may include: Nausea, weight loss, dizziness, upset stomach, headaches, migraines, rashes, a slight tingly feeling, loss of consciousness, extreme hunger, extreme thirst, explosive diarrhea, cysts, coughing, and cancer.¡±

    What an impressive list of side effects. Not like I can argue about it though.

    The doctor pulls out a small pill bottle, ¡°Such small pills. It says that you need to take five of them at the same time for immediate effect, but it will result in maximum chances of side effects.¡± He turns the pill bottle around in his hands.

    I see the five pills inside the bottle tumble around. They were roughly the same size of a dime. I don¡¯t really think those are small. I pray to whatever higher life form I can, hoping that they can be taken like a normal painkiller. I really hope so.

    ¡°These pills really are amazing you know. The name that the scientist gave it was way too long to even try and remember, but it was given a nickname. Want to know what that name is?¡± The doctor waves the pills in front of my face.

    I shake my head with an annoyed expression.

    The doctor presses the pill bottle to my forehead, ¡°Well too bad, I¡¯m telling you anyways. These pills were given the nickname, ¡®Fate worse than death¡¯. Want to know why? Wait, why am I even asking? Of course you want to know! These five nice pills were given that name because of the effect they have. You will no longer need to eat food or drink water. At all! Isn¡¯t that wonderful? However. Two of the side effects are permanent. And others are just temporary, and some may not even appear! Such an amusing little drug!¡±

    The doctor seems to start going into his own world as he starts to talk to himself about completely unrelated things.

    I take a couple deep breaths. I wonder which of the two are going to be permanent.

    The doctor suddenly coughs and comes back to his senses, ¡°So Ryu. You have two choices for this pill. You can be good and take them with some water, or, we can go for the more, ¡®scientific¡¯ method.¡±

    I make an ecstatic expression. That¡¯s an option! Finally something is going the way I want!

    The doctor brings over a glass, ¡°I may be from the UKC, but I still feel you were treated wrongly. Most of the people here do. We have secrets that we are all hiding from the higher ups. Especially the one that wrongly treated you. However, in order to keep you the safest, we need your cooperation.¡±

    I make a complicated expression and tilt my head as if asking, ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯

    The doctor gives me a weak smile, ¡°You¡¯ll know soon. Just sit tight and enjoy the ride. This will hurt a lot at first, then for a bit after¡­ but you will probably get used to it.¡±

    What is with this personality change? I don¡¯t trust any of these guys. They killed my mother!

    The doctor checks a watch, ¡°Looks like times up.¡± He looks to a corner of the room. ¡°Nice to see that you chose to be good Ryu. Try not to choke!¡±

    His personality changed again. Why?

    The doctor opens the bottle of pills and places them into my mouth. He then puts the glass of water to my mouth and tipped the water into my mouth.

    Despite the weirdness of the scene, I swallow the pills.

    My mouth and throat instantly start to feel like they have caught fire. I try to move my arms to grab the glass of water to drink more.

    The doctor sees this, ¡°You want more water!? Are you a masochist or what? Water will make it worse, but if you want I¡¯ll give you more!¡±

    I shake my head quickly. If water will make this worse I¡¯d rather die of dehydration! This pain is crazy!

    I clench my teeth in order to not make weird noises as my vocal cords have definitely been strained. I definitely would not want them to be permanently damaged because of some pain.

    The doctor smiles as he looks at his watch again.

    I lose focus on the world around me as my conscience slowly slips away.

    Right before I lose consciousness, the pain stops and I quickly breathe deep breaths in order to regain composure.

    The doctor smiles at me gently, ¡°We should have a small amount of time to talk, so I will make this as quick as possible. We here in the lab have decided to give you a small gift, but please do not tell anyone about this. The pills you took will make you extremely hungry and extremely thirsty all the time, however you will not need to eat anymore. I mean at all. These pills will form a small lump on the outside of your stomach and absorb minute amounts of the power of heaven and earth in order to create nutrients. Also, you played a lot of games right?¡±

    I nod slowly.

    ¡°This should make it simple then. Say if you had a regen potion for your health bar, it would work for a couple seconds at least and then wear off. Well. As a gift. This will absorb another miniscule amount of the power of heaven and earth in order to give a small regeneration effect. You will have to supply it on your own using internal energy. But that really isn¡¯t much of a drawback compared to the effect. That is the gift from us here at the lab. The burning pain you felt was your vocal cords probably repairing. It is a fast acting drug. However, it will not help your condition currently as it can only help with minor injuries. Broken bones and deep cuts cannot be healed, nor can anything life threatening. The hunger and thirst will appear in three days.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Testing.¡±

    The doctor frowns, ¡°What an interesting way to test vocal cords.¡±

    I give him a light smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is some sort of joke, but what I do know is that you are under a lot of pressure. I¡¯ll help you keep fooling those guys.¡± I use my eyes to motion over to the corner of the room. I am still not happy about the fact that the UKC had a hand in the death of my mother and I wish I could do something to get back at them, but I know now is not the time to make a scene. This doctor and the others in the ¡®Lab¡¯ clearly have decent intentions, even when acting on orders.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    It would take someone who knows absolutely nothing not understand the hints up to this point.

    The doctor checks his watch again, ¡°This is the last we will be able to talk normally. We will have to use roundabout means in order to talk. I hope you can look past this. When you start to take your revenge, I would like to keep my head attached to my shoulders. Anyways, I¡¯ll take my leave. You are being sent out in the next couple of days.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Where am I being sent?¡±

    The doctor starts to smile sadistically, ¡°An Idiot like you wouldn¡¯t ever truly appreciate where you are about to go! You should be truly grateful to us here at the UKC! We are going to send you on an all-expense paid vacation towards a different planet! You will be spending seven months in space before crash landing onto the planet ¡®Numonos¡¯.¡±

    I give him an angry smile, ¡°F*** you! Who said I wanted a trip into space!? How would you even get me to a different planet!? Space travel is so inefficient!¡±

    The doctor laughs deeply, ¡°You think a ship travelling at near light speed would be slow? I have more important things to do than to talk with trash like you. Be good and try not to kill yourself while in space!¡±

    ---Two days, Three hours, Five minutes and Thirty-seven seconds later---

    I was staring at the clock on the wall. Bored out of my mind.

    Today was the day I was going to be put into the ¡®spacecraft¡¯ and sent off to the planet known as ¡®Numonos¡¯.

    Throughout various conversations, the doctor told me about the planet itself, and how the actual landing was going to work.

    The planet was actually colonized and was a researching planet. It had a real atmosphere and was in a solar system with a real sun. It was similar to what was taught in the fake world, ¡®Earth¡¯. Except, it was roughly twice the size. The gravity was about twice as much as the current planet ¡®Behemoth¡¯. That doesn¡¯t really mean much for people that are past the second realm.

    There are many cities on the planet, but also a large amount of wilderness and monsters.

    The largest city was thousands of kilometers long. It was ¡®Pneumatic¡¯. I wonder why it was called that.

    Anyways. The landing procedure is extremely complex. The spacecraft will slow itself by disintegrating. That means as I enter the atmosphere, I will get progressively less and less protection.

    I am scared for when the day comes, but I should be fine for now. I should really think about how to get through that sooner rather than later though.

    For now. I wonder what the ship will look like.

    Two large men come in to the room and start to unstrap me from the chair, ¡°So Ryu. It is time for you to board the spacecraft. Are you going to cooperate today, or will we have to strap you to another chair while you float off into space?¡±

    I smile gently, ¡°I will cooperate today. If I make the wrong move, you guys will knock me unconscious without a moment of notice. So I figure it would be best to cooperate and be allowed to walk like a normal human.¡±

    The men both nod while looking at each other and unstrap the restraints on the hospital bed.

    I slowly stretch my arms and legs before trying to use them.

    The men guide me through the facility. One standing in front of me and one standing behind me.

    After walking through the entire facility we leave through large double doors.

    As my eyes adjust to the light outside I see the launch pad¡­ and the abomination of a spacecraft that they want to put me in.

    I¡­ I have no words capable of describing this monstrosity. The person who designed this should be shot and killed¡­ separately.

    It was the most awkward, irrelevant, and oddly shaped object I have ever seen. For an object designed to travel at near light speed, it looked as if a tiny gust of wind would make it disintegrate.

    I felt a small part of me die upon glancing at this ¡®Spacecraft¡¯.

    ¡°So Ryu. This is the last time we will meet for the next couple of years. How¡¯s it feel?¡± This was the man who ordered my mother to be killed.

    I take deep breaths in order to try and stay calm. I need to stay calm. Stay calm. Stay very calm.

    I nod, ¡°This is farewell sir.¡±

    The man laughs, ¡°Make sure you remember my face! While you are at it trash, remember my name! My glorious name is Hannah!¡±

    I try my hardest to not laugh at his name. That is not a name a guy should have!

    I just realized it. But his voice is so high pitched in real life, it almost hurts. He looks like a large pig walking on two legs¡­ no wonder he is the lowest of the low.

    I would say appearances don¡¯t matter. But his personality is horrible too. This man¡­ thing¡­ pig?... has no redeeming qualities.

    I¡¯m holding back my laughter so much I start shaking.

    He notices me shaking, ¡°Ha! Scared of me now that you realize what you are looking at! Trash like you will never be able to reach me!¡±

    The two men that escorted me earlier started to move me onto the ¡®Starshit Galactiderp¡¯. I just named it. I think it is the best name this thing will ever receive.

    I sigh as I board the ¡®Starshit Galactiderp¡¯. The hatch is closed and I hear the spacecraft pressurize. I wasn¡¯t given a space suit or anything to help with the G forces from acceleration.

    The inside of the spacecraft was barren. It was just a bluish white colored metal without any design on it.

    I get a single window to look out of¡­ and¡­ I was already in space¡­

    WHAT!?

    ¡°Now isn¡¯t this a piece of art?¡±

    I recognize the weird voice belonging to Mr. Spatial Energy.

    I look at him while still slightly surprised, ¡°Fancy meeting you here.¡±

    The figure shrugs its shoulders, ¡°I guess you don¡¯t remember that I am ¡®Everywhere¡¯. I am not a physical being¡­ unlike you. Speaking of you¡­ You¡¯re in quite the situation.¡±

    I make a disgusted expression, ¡°No S***.¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Well, my proofreader said he wanted a section to speak... so I gave it to him. He, for some weird reason, wanted to keep even his internet name anonymous, so I let him. Enjoy his section!

    Hi Guys, I am Proofreader-kun who tries and mostly succeeds at proofreading for RagedEclipse. I''ve also been helping with some naming he needs...

    I¡¯m like the co-author who''s an intern...

    That makes me sad...

    Anyways, this and the last chapter were especially fun to create mostly because of what voice we had given to Hannah before her/his/its name. I¡¯ve also dubbed this scientist who gave Ryu ¡®Medicine¡¯ ¡°Geoff¡±. Why? I felt like he was a Geoff. Also the Starshit Galactiderp, my best, stupid idea yet.

    Now for my section!

    It seems like chapter 24 was not well liked. Oh well, what''s an author to do?

    Anyways. Thank you for reading to this point and I promise it gets better! I promise there is planning until the end of this arc!

    Have a nice day!

 Chapter 26: A Strange Meeting

    Chapter 26: A Strange Meeting

    ¡°You were too showy. The reason you were captured was due to your own carelessness.¡± Mr. Spatial Energy was talking to me while I was sitting against in a corner.

    ¡°I realize that much you know. I went against all the advice I was given. I really should have just secluded myself. Less people would be hurt that way.¡± I keep my eyes closed as I hug my legs.

    The figure pats my shoulder, ¡°Well. That would have been much worse for you. You would have died in three years because of your internal clock.¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°Oh yeah. Unless I can get to the ninth realm, I won¡¯t be able to live for longer than three years. Another thing to add to the list.¡±

    I can tell that if Mr. Spatial Energy had a face, he would be making a wry smile, ¡°You know Ryu. Not all hope is lost. I kind of feel pity for you.¡±

    I lean my head back slightly, ¡°Great. Now I have an omniscient being that feel pity towards me. May the heavens strike me where I stand!¡±

    ¡°You do know you are sitting down, right?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Mr. Spatial energy moves to the other side of the Starshit Galactiderp, ¡°Hey Ryu, I have a question for you.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Well, actually two questions. First question. Do you not feel fear talking to an entity that could kill you without really doing much?¡± Mr. Spatial Energy drops a loaded question.

    I slowly open my eyes and face towards him, ¡°Why should I fear you? If you had wanted to kill me, you would have already done so without me even knowing or having the chance to even try and fight back. Also, if you wanted me to suffer, you wouldn¡¯t be talking to me at this moment. Finally, if I did show fear, it would be your win. So I see no reason to submit.¡±

    The figure nods, ¡°I see, I see. So the next question then. Have you ever had a teacher?¡±

    I tilt my head, confused at the question, ¡°Of course I¡¯ve had a teacher before.¡±

    Mr. Spatial Energy waves his arms, ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that kind of teacher. I mean something like master and disciple.¡±

    I slowly shake my head, ¡°I have never had such a thing¡­ but you should already know that.¡±

    The figure scratches its head, ¡°Well, about that¡­ I am not truly ¡®Everywhere¡¯, as there are several places throughout the universe I cannot reach. One of those would be the planet your soul was birthed on.¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°What are the other places?¡±

    Mr. Spatial energy laughs, ¡°You are much too weak to know about what those areas truly are. But, I will tell you this. The ¡®beings¡¯ that live there are stronger than me.¡±

    My jaw drops, ¡°Stronger than you? Is that even possible!?¡±

    The figure laughs, ¡°Sure it is. In reality I am but a weak external cultivation method. Only weaklings up to the¡­ Woops, almost let too much slip there. You will naturally learn more as you get stronger. How would you feel if I said I wanted to be your teacher?¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°That¡¯s some important information, plus a huge question. Do I get time to think?¡±

    The figure speaks in a serious tone, ¡°You have seven months to get strong enough to survive a crash landing. Could you do it on your own?¡± That is a good point. ¡°Also, you don¡¯t know any of the specific techniques you can use once you have acquired spatial energy. Also, you don¡¯t even know how complex it¡­ I truly am. Even though I am weak, I am by no means weak.¡±

    I frown, ¡°That last sentence made no sense.¡±

    He sighed, ¡°Then let me reword it. In terms of the whole universe, I am weak, but, for the strength you need right now, I am perfect.¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°So you will teach me for seven months so that I can continue to survive. I see this as only beneficial for me. Why are you doing this? If you say it is just on a whim, I have no reason to trust you.¡±

    The figure sits down in the air, ¡°If I said I owed a favor to a friend and they asked me to nurture you during this period of time¡­ Would you believe that?¡±

    I sigh as I think about what has happened. This entity known as spatial energy wants to be my teacher. What is spatial energy actually? I have a feeling there are more secrets hidden in this simple phrase than there are stars in the sky. But what else can I do? I¡¯m like a snake stuck in a deep hole. I have nowhere to run.

    I shrug my shoulders with a wry smile on my face, ¡°I have no choice but to believe you. I am really curious as to who this ¡®friend¡¯ might be, but I know you won¡¯t tell me too easily. To throw some icing on this cake of secrets, I will become your student.¡±

    Mr. Spatial energy stands up immediately after I finish talking, ¡°Great! So we start right now!¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°I have nothing else to do. Let¡¯s do this!¡± I stand up motivated.

    ¡°I can also tell that you still call me Mr. Spatial Energy in your head. So just give me a name or something.¡± The figure scratches its head.

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°My naming sense is horrible, and, it feels weird to give a name to something similar to a shadow.¡±

    The figure raises its arm, ¡°This should make it better.¡± He snaps his fingers.

    The shadow like figure instantly turns into the form of an old man with long gray hair. Cleanly shaved though. His eyes were pitch black, which made me worry slightly.

    The old man smiles, ¡°Should be easier to give me a name now.¡±

    I frown. A name¡­ what name should I give this fool? ¡°I got it. I will call you Spacey!¡±

    Spacey frowns, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve been put at the same status as a pet?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Does it really matter Spacey? When do you start teaching me?¡±

    He sighs and makes a gesture with his arm, ¡°Now!¡±

    Suddenly my body hits the ground as my feet slip out from underneath me. It felt like my body had suddenly gotten many times heavier.

    The old man laughs, ¡°Classic gravity training! How do you like it!?¡±

    I let out some words with pain, ¡°A warning¡­ would be nice¡­. for next time.¡±

    Spacey just laughs as I slowly breathe in order to not lose consciousness. I wish these memories would just burn already though.

    The memories from my past life.

    The memories of two people I once knew.

    The good and bad times we had together.

    The sword that stains my soul.

    The demon that turned my life upside down.

    The promise I made.

    The reason why I became emperor.

    The memories that resurfaced because of the questioning. No matter how much time passes I am still unable to forget those two.

    It all started shortly after I got to the eighth realm in my previous life¡­

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I wonder if I can eat those.

    My mouth becomes wet with saliva as I stare at some monster eggs I stumbled across. They were the size of a humans head and there were six of them.

    I had just run out of food the day before, and was on the hunt to replenish my stocks. These monster eggs were going to be my breakfast.

    ¡°RRROOOOOOOAAAAAARRR!!¡±

    However, their mother did not appreciate the idea of me stealing her eggs. So, I am currently being chased by a ninth realm monster. I really did bring this upon myself.

    I was just hungry. What¡¯s a man got to do to eat some eggs in the morning?

    ¡°You know I will just settle for one?¡±

    BOOOM!

    The ground behind me exploded as the monster tries to jump on top of me. I guess it isn¡¯t a monster of reason.

    ¡°Fine! Have it your way! I¡¯ll just take them using force!¡±

    I stop suddenly and surprise the monster.

    It looked like a giant lion. Why this monster lays eggs¡­ I don¡¯t think I want to know.

    The monster stops to try and figure me out. It stares at me with its cat eyes. If glares could kill, I would definitely be on the ground by now. This kitty is mad.

    ¡°Nice kitty. You know I don¡¯t want anything much from you.¡±

    ¡°ROOOOOAAAARR!!¡± It starts to jump towards me.

    [Endless Skills][Wind Merger][Velocity][Barrier][Hands of Steel][Speed Strike][Heavy Strike]

    ¡®Endless skills¡¯ allows me to continuously use skills in a split second, as normally there is a lag time between each skill. I use ¡®wind merger¡¯ in order to increase my speed and ¡®velocity to give myself a bust of speed. I activate barrier and cover my body with it. Hands of steel does exactly what it advertises, and speed ¡®strike¡¯ and ¡®heavy strike¡¯ will raise both speed and power because the negative effects are outweighed by the positive effects.

    I hit the lion thing at the base of its neck¡­

    It stares at me like I was an annoying mosquito that just bit it.

    ¡°ROOOAAARR!!!¡±

    ¡°Plan B! RUN AWAY!¡±

    The lion thing turns to face me again and gets ready to jump again.

    ¡°Catch me if you can!¡±

    [Endless Skills][Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity]

    BOOM!

    I loud, explosion like, sound rings out behind me as I escape from the ninth realm beast in the blink of an eye.

    I cough up a small amount of blood. Going from zero to faster than the speed of sound really places a large toll on the human body.

    After a not so short amount of time, my speed quickly drops to normal running speed. I see that I am surrounded by monsters¡­

    Well. It was a short life I lived.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you came from, but don¡¯t stop running if you want to live!¡±

    I finally notice two people running beside me away from the rampaging monsters. A male and female.

    ¡°Oh, Nice to meet you. My name is Ryusei.¡±

    ¡°Shut up and run!¡± The male angrily shouts at me

    ¡°How rude, I was just trying to lighten the mood. Also, where do you plan on running, these are all eighth realm monsters, so you are evenly matched. Running away will do you no good. A monster¡¯s stamina is much higher than the-¡°

    ¡°Shut up already! You think we don¡¯t know that!¡± The female starts to snap.

    ¡°Hey girly mage.¡± I talk to the girl directly.

    ¡°What do you want!? Also, I¡¯m not a girly! I¡¯m thirty-five this year!¡±

    ¡°Okay then ma¡¯am. What flavor of mage are you?¡±

    ¡°Flavor!? What are you talking about you lunatic!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, my mistake, what element do you practice?¡±

    ¡°Wind! Why do you need to know this! How can you stay calm while being chased by this many eighth realm monsters!? Aren¡¯t you only at the C-rank of the eight realm!?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders while still running, ¡°Why panic when I can leave safely? How do you think I got here?¡±

    Their faces have shocked expressions. The male talks first¡­ well¡­ He yells, ¡°Can you save us. We will reward you!¡±

    I smile gently, ¡°No need to reward me, I am but a humble traveler. Also, if Gir- Ma¡¯am was a fire mage it would be perfect¡­ but I guess this¡¯ll work. So I have a plan, you up for it?¡±

    The both nod quickly and at the same time shout, ¡°Of course!¡±

    I nod happily ¡°Good. So here¡¯s the plan. I need miss mage to cast as many Barrier as she can on us, otherwise you both may end up dead.¡±

    The male frowns, ¡°What a flawed plan.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Most plans have flaws. Anyways, we will be travelling faster than the speed of sound using ¡®Velocity¡¯. You up for it?¡±

    The male¡¯s jaw drops, ¡°Is that even possible!?¡±

    I nod, ¡°You just have to trust me. Start casting barrier ma¡¯am.¡±

    {-- Barrier!}{-- Barrier!}{-- Barrier!}{-- Barrier!}

    After one minute the barriers all activate. I sigh, ¡°This is why I hate normal skills. The lag is incredible.¡±

    The both tilt their heads. I just shake my head as I suddenly grab on to both of them and stop, ¡°Buckle up!¡±

    [Endless Skills][Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity] [Velocity][Velocity]

    The barrier protected us from the initial shock of going from zero to faster than the speed of sound.

    I give the female a thumbs up and try to get her to control our movements from here on¡­ but I lose consciousness before we drop below the speed of sound, so I have no way to talk to her.

    As my vision fades due to exhaustion of internal energy. I see a thumbs up from the male¡­ that¡¯s not what I wanted.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    IMPORTANT!

    A little note: if you see [  ] without an ! in it, it means that the person is not saying the skill out loud, but the main character knows what the skill is. If there is a ! in the [  ] then the person is shouting the skill. (ex. [Velocity!])

    Since I have yet to use spells, I have decided that I will use {  } to depict spells. (ex. {Fireball})

    Spells require chants. So in front of spells there will be --. Chant-less will have nothing in front of the name of the spell. (ex. {--Fireball!})

    Hello readers! Welcome to the flashback arc! If anything gets too confusing, don''t be afraid to ask. I will help you! (It''s the least I can do)

    I hope that you all continue to enjoy this story! Have a great night/day!

 Chapter 27: A Shrine?

    Chapter 27: A Shrine?

    ¡°This isn¡¯t training anymore! This is torture! I only have one arm!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one that needs to be at the sixth realm before you crash into the planet!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ¡°Is that any way to talk to your teacher!? Five thousand more!¡±

    ¡°NOOOO!¡±

    I was currently doing pushups with gravity at ten times normal gravity. Pushups with one arm is normally hard!

    I regret taking Spacey as my teacher! This has been hell!

    Day after day of endless exercises. The only thing that I couldn¡¯t do was running. Spacey said that it was impossible to create a separate space safe enough for me to enter¡­ which means he can create one.

    I don¡¯t like the sounds of it. It feels like I have a long way to go to becoming strong though.

    ¡°Hey Spacey.¡± While I was doing pushups I calmed myself enough to speak to Spacey in a calm tone.

    He tilts his head ¡°What is it?¡±

    I smile slightly, ¡°Is it possible for me to become stronger than you?¡±

    He shrugs his shoulders, ¡°It depends on how hard you work and you luck. I am an entity that was birthed by the universe itself. My cultivation will not be the same as a different entity that has been created. You could easily surpass me. However, I need to know one thing.¡±

    I tilt my head while still doing pushups, ¡°What is it Spacey?¡±

    He makes a serious expression, ¡°Are you okay with no longer being human?¡±

    ¡°What? What are you talking about? Is that even possible?¡± I make an extremely confused expression, but I don¡¯t dare to stop doing pushups.

    Spacey¡¯s expression becomes calm, ¡°No need to worry about those things for now. It will make more sense as you grow stronger.¡±

    I smile slightly, ¡°Spacey, if you tell me that much, my mind will jump to conclusions you know.¡±

    He sighs, ¡°I know it will. You¡¯re a smart kid. Sometimes too smart for your own good. Moving on to today¡¯s actual activity. You reached the fourth realm, right?¡±

    Sadly, Spacey was right. I had reached the fourth realm just before I collapsed from exhaustion the night before.

    It has been three weeks since the Starshit Galactiderp left Behemoth. Roughly six more months until I reach Numonos.

    To be honest. Spacey¡¯s training makes me want to curl up in a corner and die¡­ but it works. It works so well it hurts.

    My muscles constantly feel like they are on fire.

    The worst part. The part that makes it almost unbearable is the unceasing hunger.

    Spacey felt sorry for me so he got some food for me. I don¡¯t really want to know where it came from, but when I ate it, it made me hungrier until it digested completely.

    So it is better to not eat anything at all. Water was the exact same. Spacey thought that this drug was more a blessing than a curse despite its effect.

    That is because of the minor healing effect that is continuous.

    My muscles will constantly heal themselves when I exercise them. Instead of the process of them breaking down completely, they will grow back stronger as they heal.

    It hurts a lot, but it means that I can exercise almost endlessly. I still have to sleep. The drug doesn¡¯t help with being tired.

    Thank you science. You made my life a living hell.

    Despite my complaining I enjoy getting this strong so fast. I am worried about my skills deteriorating because my body will not be used to the massive strength increases. Spacey said I shouldn¡¯t worry about those things, but it still worries me.

    I frown, ¡°Today¡¯s main activity. Please be anything but squats. Please don¡¯t be squats.¡±

    Spacey frowns, ¡°You didn¡¯t answer the main question. Are you in the fourth realm?¡±

    I smile, ¡°Yep! As a reward we shouldn¡¯t do squats!¡±

    He leans his head back, ¡°Oh how I would love to make you do more squats, we have to start practicing the fourth realm spatial skills.¡±

    I smile as I continue to do pushups, not daring to stop until I am told to, ¡°Spatial skills, what kind of skills do I get to use?¡±

    Spacey gives me an expression full of pity, ¡°You can keep doing pushups while I teach you the basics of the first spatial skill, ¡®Dimensional Rift¡¯. It is the easiest skill to use out of all of the spatial skills.¡±

    I smile widely, ¡°That sounds powerful! What does it do?¡±

    Spacey laughs, ¡°It is but a mere defensive skill. Most spatial skills are movement or defense skills. Hence why so few people practice it.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°How does such a menacing name end up attached to a defensive skill?¡±

    Spacey takes a deep breath, ¡°Well, first of all, I named most of these skills myself. Secondly, the names of most of the skills make it so that the actual skill does not need to be described for too long. However, in your case, you need to learn it, so I will need to explain all details of it.¡±

    I nod my head while continuing to do pushups, ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±

    Spacey nods, ¡°So then. Let¡¯s start.¡±

    Spacey stands up from his invisible chair and walks to the center of the room.

    He snaps his fingers and I see the air around him grow hazy, ¡°This is the skill ¡®Dimensional Rift¡¯. This skill will allow you to absorb the damage from incoming attacks. It works by opening a nearly invisible rift in space. This leads to a space that not even I could hope to survive in it is so chaotic. So there is no need to worry about anything on the other side. In order to start the skill, you need to move your internal spatial energy outside your body and arrange it in a lattice type pattern that is extremely thin and then force it to rotate.¡±

    I smile, ¡°That sounds really simple.¡±

    Spacey shrugs his shoulders, ¡°I did say it was the easiest skill out of all the spatial skills to use. However there should be one thing you must note. The amount of power the rift can absorb before it returns to normal space is based on the amount of skill you have using the skill, and the realm you are in. At your strength you could absorb three hits from another person at the fourth realm and maybe half a hit from someone at the fifth realm.¡±

    I make an excited expression, ¡°When can I start practicing this skill!?¡±

    ¡°Now!¡± Spacey snaps his fingers and gravity changes to what it would be on Numonos. Two times what I was used to.

    I slowly stand up and stretch my arm to start practicing the skill. However, my mind wanders.

    Ever since I started to remember the past, I can¡¯t seem to get the memories out of my head.

    Shortly after I regained consciousness from overusing my internal energy¡­

    ¡°Hey Elizabeth! He¡¯s waking up! Get him some water!¡±

    ¡°Quiet down Darius. He must have a hard time thinking straight after using that much internal energy.¡±

    I hear the two argue as I start to wake up. I see, we made it away. That¡¯s nice that they didn¡¯t leave me alone while I was unconscious. Well, most people wouldn¡¯t, especially if you saved them. Well, whatever, I¡¯m just thinking too much.

    I slowly breathe in order to calm my mind quickly. I quickly stand up and dust myself off, ¡°Ah. How unsightly of me. I talk big about saving you guys, but then just pass out in the middle of it.¡±

    The two look at me, flustered. The male, probably Darius suddenly smiles, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We really appreciate the help.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°I just do things on a whim, no need to thank me.¡± I turn around and wave, ¡°I should be going now! I have things to do! May we meet again if fate allows!¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Before I walk even two steps my waving hand is bragged by small hands, ¡°Please don¡¯t leave us! We found an amazing area, we need some help! We can give you a third of the treasure we find!¡±

    As I turn back around I see that it was Elizabeth that grabbed my hand, ¡°You¡¯re quite the forward person aren¡¯t ya Lizzy.¡±

    She pulls away her hand as she blushes, ¡°I already have a husband¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    I pat her head gently, ¡°I was just teasing you. No need to worry. So Darryl.¡±

    ¡°Darius!¡±

    ¡°Darrey?¡±

    ¡°Da-Ri-Us!¡±

    ¡°Mark?¡±

    ¡°How is that even close!?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Whatever. The real topic is I want half of whatever treasure is in that place you found. Judging by your actions and reactions. You two are married¡­ or at the very least, engaged.¡±

    Their faces stiffen. Lizzy is the first one to talk, ¡°How did you figure that out so quickly?¡±

    I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Mostly a guess, but it seems I was somewhat right. Doesn¡¯t matter. If you don¡¯t accept my offer, I have better things to do with my time. I will give you ten seconds to decide.¡±

    The two quickly start whispering to each other.

    [Endless Skills][Insta-Cast]{Super Hearing}

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just let him do it?¡± Lizzy

    ¡°We need to get some money in order to try and convince our parents.¡± D-man

    ¡°Well yeah, but do you think money is going to solve the issue of hate between our families?¡±

    ¡°We always try¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°I think it is better if we make this guy our friend. He seems to be more powerful than he looks. Also, he doesn¡¯t really seem to care all too much about anything. He might be in a similar situation to us. Maybe he needs money more than we do.¡±

    ¡°I guess you might be right.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it. We can give him half of whatever we find in that place. I hope it is worth it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    My ears feel like they start bleeding because of the unexpected shouting from D-dude. I cancel the spell as I smile, ¡°So, what¡¯s the verdict?¡±

    ¡°We can give you half, on one condition. You tell us the reason you are travelling.¡± Lizzy asks me an unexpected question.

    D-person looks as confused as I am. I make a complicated expression, ¡°Well, I was basically thrown out. That is all I feel comfortable telling strangers.¡±

    They both shrug their shoulders. D-buddy starts to laugh lightly, ¡°We are in a similar situation to being kicked out, so we understand. Pleasure working with you Ryusei.¡±

    I nod and hold out my hand, ¡°Pleasure to work with you Dare.¡±

    Lizzy laughs as I call him by anything but his proper name.

    D-thing shakes my hand, ¡°Maybe you could call me by my name?¡±

    I look to Lizzy after shaking his hand, ¡°So where is this place, Can we go now? You have got me interested.¡±

    They both look at me. This is getting tiring. Can¡¯t they just work together and decide who talks when?

    Lizzy starts talking first, ¡°It is a place that is completely surrounded by seventh and eighth realm monsters. The building is collapsed from what we saw, but we can safely assume there is an underground area where there might be some treasure.¡±

    I scratch my head, ¡°Assumptions and possibilities. Sounds like my thing! Let¡¯s go! Lead away!¡±

    The two look surprised at my quick acceptance.

    Darius speaks up, ¡°It is a short distance from here. It is to the northwest and if we sprint we might make it before noon.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders as we start running at full speed.

    Darius moves next to me while running, ¡°What skill did you use to help us run away from all those monsters earlier? Also, are you sure you don¡¯t need to rest?¡±

    I smile, ¡°First question is a secret, and the answer to your question is more complex than what you could understand, so I will leave it at that. It looks like the monsters are already appearing.¡±

    Lizzy smiles weakly, ¡°Any of you had a plan?¡±

    Darius frowns, ¡°I thought you had a plan!¡±

    I smile, ¡°I have one. Just walk right past them, the monsters shouldn¡¯t even notice you unless you are stupid enough to touch them.¡±

    [Endless Skills][Hidden: No Realm][Insta-Cast]{Scent Removal}{Sound Dampening}{Cold Blooded}

    I love these skills and spells.

    Hidden will remove the presence of the realms. Insta-cast¡­ self-explanatory. Scent removal removes all smells so the monsters with strong senses of smell can¡¯t find us. Sound dampening removes almost all sounds so that monsters with good hearing won¡¯t find us. Cold blooded makes it so that monsters that can sense heat won¡¯t find us.

    I take deep breaths in order to calm my internal energy, ¡°If a monster manages to find us right now, I think I would cry.¡±

    The both look confused but trust me regardless.

    We easily run all the way to the collapsed building. The amazing amount of monsters made us slow our running down in some spots just due to how many of them there were.

    I am glad my spells were in working order.

    I feel an ominous aura coming from the collapsed building. It was a single story building that used to have a gate. The roof had long since disappeared and was replaced by plant life.

    The inside was very dusty, but it was clear that there was something moving through here constantly. On the far side of the building where time had taken less of a toll on the building there was a door and above were the words, ¡®Basement Access¡¯.

    I frown, ¡°That seems way too convenient.¡±

    Lizzy nods, ¡°I definitely agree. However, we did just walk here without having to fight anything. Normally this would be the treasure after the fight.¡±

    Darius opens the door, ¡°Well if you two aren¡¯t going in, I¡¯ll just take all the treasure for myself.

    I walk in behind him, ¡°Who said I wasn¡¯t going in?¡± Lizzy follows close behind me.

    After walking down a long spiral staircase, we arrive at another door. I slowly open after a moment of hesitation.

    It was a large room with a ton of chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The floor and walls were covered in gold colored marking that shone with a sliver radiance.

    In the center of the room there was a sword on a pedestal being held up by two gold rods on either end.

    The sword was still in its sheath, but it was a straight blade with a Blue gold handle with the grip being wrapped with red string.

    The floor and wall markings all connected to the center pedestal in one way or another. The pattern was winding, but seemed straight. It was flat, and yet seemed to pop out. The marks were stationary, yet it seems to move.

    I was mesmerized by the markings until I heard an aged voice from beside me, ¡°Welcome to my shrine. How may I help you?¡± There was an old man standing beside me. When did he get there?

    I take a deep breath, ready to talk to the old man that suddenly appeared near us.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hello again peoples.

    I was trying to be consistent with releases.... but that''s a thing that just doesn''t happen with me.

    Anyways, I hope you are all enjoying this arc in the story.

    I know this doesn''t have the ''Reader Interactive'' tag, but, I am wondering what kinds of things you guys/gals would like to see happen when Ryu gets to ''Numonos''. I already have most of it planned, but I am curious to see what you would like. You can send me a personal message or just comment on this thread.

    Have a nice day/night!

 Chapter 28: Just a Simple Test

    Chapter 28: Just a Simple Test

    I collapse onto the ground after exercising again.

    ¡°I guess you can rest. You¡¯ve earned it. However¡­¡± Spacey walks over to me and crouches down. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gotten to the fifth realm yet? With my training and cultivation assistance, you should be at the fifth realm¡­ are you forcefully suppressing ranking up?¡±

    I make a complicated expression, ¡°If I rank up too quickly won¡¯t it be bad for my future?¡±

    Spacey frowns, ¡°of course it wouldn¡¯t, not with your method and mine together. Why would you think it would be bad to be stronger faster?¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°If you rank up too quickly your body won¡¯t be used to the extreme amount of power that the body can use and you may injure yourself horribly.¡±

    Spacey shakes his head, ¡°I wonder where you were taught. Well, whatever, what matters is right now. You don¡¯t realize how special your method is. Your veins will be nurtured while you cultivate. No other methods do this because of the danger involved. You also had to get to the second realm without using a single method at all. That is a feat in its own right.¡±

    I shrug my shoulders as I sit up against a wall, ¡°I guess it is. So I should break through to the fifth realm right now?¡±

    Spacey nods, ¡°It will slow today¡¯s plan slightly, but I guess we can skip pushups.¡±

    I cheer slightly on the inside as I start to break through to the next realm.

    Breaking through to the fifth realm is exactly like breaking through to any other realm before it.

    After the requirements have been met. A-rank of the fourth realm, enough confidence and skill, breaking through is as simple as willing it to happen.

    The quantity of internal energy will stay the same throughout the life of the practitioner¡­ as far as I know anyways.

    However, the quality will change when you move up into a new realm, and a very slight change when going between ranks.

    I close my eyes and wait for the quality of my internal energy to change. After a couple seconds, my internal energy starts to circulate my body. The energy starts to become stronger and stronger the more it circulates.

    I was thinking. The quantity does increase too during these breakthroughs. It just gets added to the quantity as quality, rather than adding more. It purifies the energy that is there using more energy. If that happens, why can¡¯t I just add more during this process?

    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you keep that up you know.¡±

    Spacey notices me using more energy to break through¡­ it¡¯s no good it seems.

    I finish breaking through in a couple of minutes. Spacey smiles at me, ¡°It looks like you are trying new things while breaking through. That¡¯s good¡­ but not at these low realms, your body isn¡¯t strong enough to force realm leaps.¡±

    I leap up in front of Spacey, ¡°It¡¯s possible to leap through realms!?¡±

    Spacey raises his arms, ¡°Calm down Ryu. No need to rush it. Should be two months until you reach the sixth realm at this rate.¡±

    I start to shake Spacey by his right shoulder, ¡°Come on! Tell me how it¡¯s possible to leap across realms!¡±

    Spacey pushes my shoulders to get me off him, ¡°I said calm down Ryu. You don¡¯t have to know about it, as you have no chance of doing it until a bit later. Maybe the Sky realms¡­ maybe¡­¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Sky realms¡­ Sky realms¡­ I remember now! I have a method to enter the sky realms! This stupid crystal thing only gave me information right before I died in the other world so I nearly forgot!¡±

    Spacey tilts his head, ¡°Crystal thing? Let me see it!¡± His face suddenly gets serious.

    I frown, ¡°I would if I could. Those bastards at the UKC took everything that looked valuable off my body¡­ I don¡¯t even have my prosthetic anymore.¡±

    Spacey disappears instantly and then reappears half a second later holding something, ¡°Is this it?¡±

    Spacey holds the crystal that is dangling from a chain, ¡°That¡¯s it! How¡¯d you find it so quickly!? Wait! How did you even bring it here so quickly!?¡± My mind is full of questions.

    Spacey smiles as he tosses me the crystal thing, ¡°It was in the pig¡­ I mean Hannah¡¯s pocket. Remember Ryu. I am an entity, not a being. Your logic does not apply to me.¡± I caught the crystal while he was still talking and put it around my neck.

    I sigh as my shoulders drop, ¡°You really are too mysterious Spacey.¡±

    He frowns slightly as he looks at the crystal in my hands, ¡°That really is a memory crystal. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen one of those since¡­ well. It¡¯s been a long time¡­ or was it not too long ago?¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°How old are you Spacey?¡±

    He smiles, ¡°I have lived for much longer than most. Humans have been around for roughly two billion years. I have seen the rise and fall of many heroes and many demons. Most of them more powerful than myself.¡±

    I make a shocked expression, ¡°You are really an old man.¡±

    He shrugs his shoulders, ¡°Technically not a man. I could change my voice and appearance to female if you want.¡±

    I raise my arm, ¡°No thank you. I have enough women in my life.¡±

    He shrugs his shoulders again, ¡°Have it your way then.¡±

    I nod, ¡°So. What is so important about this crystal?¡±

    Spacey makes a complicated expression, ¡°You know who you got that from? He is the strongest ¡®existence¡¯ in the universe.¡±

    I make a serious expression, ¡°Why do I feel that this is suddenly a much more serious discussion suddenly.¡±

    Spacey looks at me with a very serious expression, ¡°If someone more powerful than me sees this crystal, they will stop at nothing to kill you and take it.¡±

    I frown, ¡°I had no idea this was that important.¡±

    Spacey looks at me, an invisible pressure pushing me down, ¡°Have you ever shown this to anyone!?¡±

    I panic slightly, ¡°N-n-no¡­ just m-m-my w-wife from t-the other w-w-world¡­¡±

    He rubs his face, ¡°It followed you across worlds?¡± I nod slowly. Spacey sits down against the wall, ¡°Ryu. This crystal will take you further than ever. I am going to teach you a technique to create another ¡®space¡¯ that only you can enter. I need you to keep that crystal in that ¡®space¡¯ and never take it out again. Ever. Can you promise me that?¡±

    I put my hand on my heart, ¡°I promise you that as long as I live, I will never take this crystal out of the ¡®space¡¯. Even if I die, I will make sure no one touches it.¡±

    Spacey nods, ¡°Good. Let¡¯s start with this skill as soon as possible.¡±

    [Dimensional Storage Creation!]

    The spatial energy moves into a small space and condenses until it forms a hole in space and then vanishes¡­ this is the spatial version of the skill I have that only works at the seventh realm called ¡®Item Storage¡¯.

    Spacey smiles, ¡°This skill will allow you to store items in a small area as long as the dimension stays open. It takes a massive amount of energy to create this dimension at first, but takes no energy at all to maintain. In order to close it, you have to be at the ninth realm, but it is possible to open it at the fifth realm. Now you try it, I¡¯m sure you saw how it worked.¡±

    I nod, ¡°I have a similar skill that I can use called ¡®Item Storage¡¯, but I can¡¯t use it until I get to the seventh realm.¡±

    Spacey nods, ¡°I see. That would make sense. Not really, but I¡¯ll accept it. Try it already!¡±

    My mind wanders yet again as I start to try the skill.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    I was looking that old man straight in the eyes¡­

    ¡°Nice to meet you good sir. My name is Ryusei, we apologize for intruding so rudely.¡± I bow slightly towards the old man. Lizzy and Darius also do the same.

    The old man laughs, ¡°I know you are here for the treasure. You aren¡¯t the first ones to try and do so, and maybe not the last¡­¡± the old man looks at me with a smile, ¡°Or one of you may leave here today with a new weapon.¡±

    I knew this was no simple old man. He looks frail and wrinkled, but when he looks at me it feels as if I am being stared down upon by an incredibly tall mountain.

    Darius starts to shout, ¡°I got this in the bag! How could walking up and grabbing a sword be so hard?¡±

    Lizzy and I talk at the same time, ¡°¡±Idiot¡±¡±

    The old man laughs, ¡°It is as simple as he says. In order to collect this sword, you just need to walk up to it. And grab it. Nothing less. However, please note that this will test your strength, courage and willpower all at the same time.¡±

    Lizzy and I nervously look at the sword while Darius shows no change in appearance. He starts to walk towards the sword.

    The distance from the entrance of the room to the sword is one hundred meters.

    Darius smiles back at us, ¡°This is going to be my win!¡±

    As soon as Darius makes it fifty meters he flies towards the entrance at amazing speeds.

    Lizzy reacts as fast as she can.

    {-- Soft Landing!}

    Lizzy tries to chant magic but Darius crashes into the wall first.

    The wall cracks like a spider web. I sigh as I make sure Darius is okay. He is just unconscious from the sudden impact. He is still breathing, luckily.

    Lizzy gives me a wry smile, ¡°I don¡¯t use swords, but I kind of want to see how hard this truly is.¡±

    I nod without saying anything. This seems like it is going to be more complicated than what the old man says¡­ wait. He never said it wasn¡¯t complicated. He said it wasn¡¯t anything less. What clever word play old man.

    The old man notices my glance and smiles at me after Lizzy starts to walk towards the sword in the center of the room, ¡°You seem like you just figured something out Mr. Visitor.¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°Yeah, you really know how to use your words old man. My name is Ryusei. I hope you treat me well.¡±

    He scratches his head, ¡°Ah, I was found out.¡±

    We both stay quiet to watch Lizzy go near the sword. I didn¡¯t notice it, but Lizzy has several barriers cast on herself.

    She easily makes it halfway to the sword, but her face is pale.

    At seventy-five meters she turns back towards the entrance and runs as fast as she can back.

    She has a horrified look on her face, ¡°What was that!?¡±

    The old man smiles, ¡°That¡¯s the courage section. You failed. I suggest that you do not try again as it will be harder next time.¡±

    Lizzy sits down beside the unconscious Darius as her legs were shaking too much to stand, ¡°Why would I want to do that again anyways!?¡±

    I take a deep breath to calm myself. I wonder what could have scared her enough to do that. She seems like a level-headed person.

    She looks at me, ¡°Ryu. Be careful. That was the most unnerving feeling I have ever felt. I thought I would die. I was there for less than a second¡­ but it felt like an eternity.¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This old man wouldn¡¯t make an impossible challenge¡­ but I have reason to believe it wasn¡¯t this old man who created it. It was someone much, much more mysterious. That sword must be very special.¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye, I see the old man smiling. He must be expecting a good show.

    I take a deep breath.

    {Barrier}{Barrier}{Barrier}{Barrier}{Barrier}

    That should be good. I hope these are strong enough to handle the pressure.

    I start to walk towards the sword.

    The pressure starts to push from all sides on my barrier, trying to make it collapse.

    At halfway the barrier is bending in ways I never thought to be possible. I take deep breaths as I continue to walk.

    I am one step away from where Lizzy sprinted back.

    As I take the next step my face instantly goes pale. It is similar to the aura the figure that gave me the crystal emitted, but it is menacing rather than just being there.

    I swallow my saliva as I manage to continue walking forwards.

    The menacing aura continues to get stronger and more menacing. It feels like I am being killed without being touched. The aura is riddled with killing intent.

    Ninety meters.

    Ninety five meters

    I stand in front of the sword, breathing heavily and sweating from every pore.

    My hands are shaking as I reach for the sword. The aura make we want to run away screaming like a little girl, but I feel that this sword is calling to me. I slowly grab onto the sword. I hear it calling me.

    I quickly circulate my internal energy and move it into the sword.

    ¡®S¡­¡­. W¡­¡­.. Y¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..I¡­¡­¡­..O¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    I hear very faint sounds, but cannot make anything out of it. My head suddenly starts to hurt as I lift the sword off the pedestal.

    I immediately hit the ground with one hand and one knee.

    Out of the corner of my eye I see the old man put his arm out to stop Lizzy from rushing to me.

    The sword emits an intense heat, but I feel that the worst thing I can do right now is to let it go.

    I hear a voice inside my head.

    ¡°I am the ¡®God Killer¡¯. I have been handled by many men and women alike. I have killed millions. My aura alone is enough to kill mortals. You have now contracted with me. I am you, just as much as you are me. Forget that not. I am unbreakable, yet fragile. I am ferocious, yet kind. I am brutal, yet gentle.¡±

    As the voice fades my head stops hurting and the oppressive aura disappears along with the pressure that was pressing down on me.

    I slowly stand up and look at the sword in my hands. ¡®God Killer¡¯. What a scary name. I am scared to use this thing. If I just give it to someone else, it should just be a normal sword¡­ right? If I use this, I fear I may destroy more than the enemy in front of me.

    I unsheathe the sword without paying attention to anything else.

    The blade of the sword is blue and has gold markings on it that resemble the markings on the ground and walls.

    The old man walks up to me, ¡°Congratulations. That sword now belongs to you. What are you going to do with it?¡±

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hello lovely readers!

    I am posting another chapter today as I finished a lot while my proofreader went missing. This chapter marks the achievement of 88888 words!

    Anime has just started to air for the year. I am excited for a couple of the new ones.

    I get distracted a lot when writing and not writing, but one of my favorite distractions is a game called OSU!</a> It is a free game... but I digress.

    My friend wants me to ask: "What would you do for a Klondike bar?"

    Finally, what are some of your favorite distractions?

    Have a good day/night!

 Chapter 29: The Position + Very important authors note!

    The author''s note will be at the end of the chapter!

    Chapter 29: The Position

    ¡°These skills are insane!¡±

    ¡°Stop complaining. We need to work harder now! We only have four months left! I said before that you only needed to get to the sixth realm. I just changed my mind. We are aiming for A-rank of the sixth realm if not the seventh realm!¡±

    ¡°You monster!¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t human to begin with!¡±

    Spacey has made my life this past month a living hell. After I learned the skill he wanted me to, he told me a few more facts about various things.

    The sky realms, is actually quite common.

    The continent I lived on in the other world was possibly the smallest. Spacey has no idea, as he can¡¯t go anywhere near the planet.

    He assumed that I was not the strongest, nor was I anywhere close to it. Spacey tells me the gap between the ninth earthly realm and the first sky realm was the same as the difference between a tiny grain of sand and a large mountain.

    I was extremely surprised after hearing this. The strength estimations he gave were even more surprising. The average person at the ninth earthly realm has an average strike force of about 50 000 pounds, while the average of the first sky realm was at the lowest, 200 000. Also, once a person reaches the sky realms, ranks no longer appear. They are either at the first or second sky realm, no in-between.

    During one of my ¡®Breaks¡¯, I looked at the method to enter the sky realms. It wasn¡¯t just as simple as refining internal energy like within the earthly realms. It was a matter of understanding. First of all, you have to know of the existence of the sky realms, then, it is a matter of removing all of your earthly internal energy. Basically go down to having no realm, and absorb the power of heaven and earth at an insane rate while purifying it into sky internal energy.

    I don¡¯t understand this at all. Why does it sound unnecessarily complex?

    I just gave up after a while because my head started to hurt.

    During the last month, Spacey has taught me three new skills, ¡®Thousand Mile Step¡¯, ¡®Flight¡¯, and ¡®Gravity Manipulation¡¯.

    ¡°Hey Ryu, how comes the theory for ¡®Thousand Mile Step¡¯?¡±

    I peel myself from the wall I just crashed head first into, ¡°It seems to work in theory, but I can¡¯t fine tune it in this small a space without changing the skill.¡±

    Spacey shrugs his shoulders, ¡°I guess that is the best we can do then. How about ¡®Flight¡¯?¡±

    I start floating off the ground and maneuvering around the small room the best I can, ¡°It seems to work okay, like ¡®Thousand Mile Step¡¯, I can¡¯t really tell without a larger area.¡±

    Spacey nods, ¡°I would assume so. Then next is ¡®Gravity Manipulation¡¯. How many times can you increase gravity?¡±

    I activate it, ¡°I can increase gravity by twenty times. I can also change gravity to one third normal.¡±

    Spacey smiles, ¡°Seems like we just need to make you advance realms now and practice skills.¡±

    I smile, ¡°Do I have everything I need to survive the crash landing now?¡±

    Spacey shakes his head, ¡°You do not have everything. I have given you all the tools you need to survive the basics from now on, you just need to sharpen them yourself. I just wish I could give you a weapon¡­ I was told I wasn¡¯t allowed to.¡±

    I laugh slightly, ¡°If it¡¯s a weapon, I already have one.¡±

    Spacey tilts his head, ¡°I don¡¯t see any weapons on you¡­ you! YOU HAVE A SOUL WEAPON!?¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°A soul weapon? What¡¯s that?¡±

    Spacey¡¯s head almost hits the floor. After taking a deep breath to most likely calm himself he talks to me, ¡°Ryu. I want to ask something¡­ can you call this soul weapon out? If you had a soul weapon, A, why didn¡¯t you clear out the UKC base with it, and B, why don¡¯t you know what a soul weapon is!?¡±

    I smile, ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, but I couldn¡¯t call out the sword at the third realm, the sword itself weighs too much to be used anyways. I have to be at the fifth realm in order to call it out and I can only still barely move the thing.¡±

    Spacey makes an ecstatic expression, ¡°Ryu, hurry up and call it out!¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I want to know what exactly a soul weapon is first.¡±

    ¡°A soul weapon is a weapon that can be stored away and called out by the users will. Very few will possess sentience, and even fewer will be at a level called an artifact.¡± Spacey explains this as fast as he can.

    I nod, ¡°Then like I promised, I will call the sword out now. It makes me feel weird, but I need to use words to call the sword out¡­¡±

    Spacey nods, not caring about my hesitation. He completely ignores my discomfort.

    I take a deep breath, ¡°¡¯God Killer¡¯, Heed my call! Slayer of the immortal! I call forth the sword bound to my soul! I vow to slay all my enemies with this blade for long as my soul lives!¡±

    While I die a little on the inside the blade appears in my left, and only, hand.

    The sword itself weighs 2500 pounds.

    It appeared in my hand out of its sheath, and its sheath appeared on my right hip. I¡¯m glad the sword understands that I have no right arm.

    Spacey stares at the sword with his mouth open.

    He suddenly jumps to the other side of the room, ¡°Do not ever, EVER, swing that thing at me!¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Why is that?¡±

    Spacey nervously looks at me, ¡°What is the name of that sword!?¡±

    I frown, ¡°Did you not hear it in the embarrassing calling?¡±

    He shakes his head, ¡°I didn¡¯t. I was too curious about what it would look like. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He bows to me.

    I¡¯m at a loss for words. How crazy is this sword that it makes Spacey cower in fear?

    I sigh, ¡°The name of this sword is ¡®God Killer¡¯. Have you heard of it?¡±

    Spacey¡¯s face goes pale, ¡°That¡¯s ¡®God Killer¡¯¡­ you¡¯re not lying¡­ right?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I have no reason to lie. How would I even know the name of it if it wasn¡¯t the ¡®God Killer¡¯? It told me its name and has never talked to me other than telling me how to summon it. Why are you so afraid of this sword?¡±

    Spacey nods, ¡°You make a good point¡­ the ¡®God Killer¡¯ I know of was artifact level. If this sword didn¡¯t scare me at least that much, it wouldn¡¯t be artifact level. I am afraid of that sword because it is one of the only two ways you could kill me.¡±

    I frown, ¡°Aren¡¯t you practically invincible then?¡±

    He shakes his head quickly, ¡°To kill me you would have to attack my soul with a very heavy attack, or destroy every hint of spatial energy within the universe¡­ but to do that you would have to basically destroy the entire universe. Do you want to know why immortals are likened to gods?¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°It would be good information to have.¡±

    Spacey takes a deep breath, ¡°Immortals are likened to gods because of the fact that they cannot be killed by destroying their bodies. To kill an immortal, you have to destroy their soul. It sounds simple enough, but technically, your soul doesn¡¯t exist. If a weapon can attack a soul directly, it will be the nightmare of immortals like myself.¡±

    I nod slowly, ¡°Okay. I can follow that¡­ but why do you mention immortals like yourself? Do you mean there are more like you?¡±

    He shakes his head, ¡°It is too soon for you to know¡­ that sword scares me right now because in order to materialize my soul has to be present. That sword will attack my soul directly, as well as my materialized body.¡±

    I look at the sword, ¡°So this thing¡­ is that powerful¡­¡±

    Spacey smiles nervously, ¡°Well¡­ you should save that as a last resort in every fight¡­ that sword will ignite greed in any person¡¯s eyes. I suggest you train with it when you start learning sword skills. However, for now, don¡¯t show it to anyone you won¡¯t kill with it.¡±

    I nod, ¡°So, I need to keep this a secret too? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing, but if I don¡¯t use it, I won¡¯t have a weapon.¡±

    Spacey nods, ¡°That¡¯s true. Okay, it may be too early, but let¡¯s learn some attacking spatial skills. If I teach then to you now, you might be able to use them by the time you smash into the planet.¡±

    I sigh as my mind slowly begins to wander.

    I had just contracted with ¡®God Killer¡¯¡­

    ¡°What am I going to do with it?¡± I look down at the sword in my hand. The aura coming from it is menacing. I wonder if I can suppress that¡­

    As I think of suppressing the sword¡¯s aura, the aura disappears completely.

    Ah. This sword is as much a part of me as I am to it. What is a sword without a person to use it anyways?

    Lizzy finally runs up to me, ¡°How did you not run away from that menacing feeling?¡±

    I give her a wry smile, ¡°I wanted to run away as fast as I could. I just felt as if I could keep going. It was the scariest thing I¡¯ve experienced, yet it made me confident at the same time.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Lizzy sighs, ¡°I would love to ask more questions, but it is getting extremely close to nightfall, and we should leave fast so we can set up camp.¡±

    I tilt my head, ¡°Nightfall? How long did I take?¡±

    Darius pats my shoulder, ¡°I even woke up! Why¡¯d you have to go and take all the treasure? Split it in half!¡±

    I laugh, ¡°I can¡¯t split a sword in half. Also, just feel the weight on this thing.¡± I lightly toss the sword to him.

    He almost drops it, ¡°That¡¯s too heavy for a sword! Take it back!¡± He casually tosses the sword back to me despite his complaints about the weight.

    I attach the sheath to my waist using a belt the old man handed to me. Of course I thanked him for it, however, he was probably told to do it by the previous owner of the sword.

    Darius, Lizzy and I walk out of the shrine. After exiting the shrine I notice all the monsters outside have disappeared.

    I look at the old man, ¡°Where¡¯d all the monsters go?¡±

    The old man laughs, ¡°They never existed in the first place. They were illusions created by the sword. However, getting attacked would still probably result in death.¡±

    I frown, ¡°So much for illusions. Why were there so many trials and test to get this sword?¡±

    The old man smiles, ¡°You will find out sooner or later, it isn¡¯t too important. Oh yeah. Have you told you traveling companions what you really are yet?¡±

    Darius and Lizzy look at me, back to the old man, then back to me. They have issues with just looking at things before speaking a word. If you¡¯re going to talk, just do it already!

    Lizzy talks first, ¡°Are you not human Ryusei?¡±

    I laugh, ¡°Of course I¡¯m human. However, not a normal one. How could you tell old man?¡±

    The old man laughs slightly, ¡°Just my intuition. How could a normal person contract that sword?¡±

    Darius finally speaks, ¡°What is different about you Ryusei¡­ you seem like a normal person at the eighth realm.¡±

    I pat his head, ¡°You never change, got that?¡±

    He tilts his head with a confused expression on it. Lizzy looks carefully at me, ¡°I don¡¯t see anything different about you compared to a normal person.¡±

    I snap my fingers dispersing the various magics I had in place on my body.

    I had several concealing spells activated that stay active no matter the state I was in. The first one changed my aura. As a normal monster at the same level might run away in fear. This aura around me developed when I was traveling alone and killing just to stay alive. Countless monsters have died by my hands. I developed a killing aura so thick that I wasn¡¯t even able to enter small towns without people screaming in fear.

    The second one was a spell that hid the nature of my internal energy. The spell made it seem like I was just a fighter, as it only radiated the power of earth. My real internal energy is that of both the power of heaven and earth. At the eighth realm it has become so dense that a normal person could recognize both the power of heaven and earth radiating from me.

    The third spell was the most complex. It hid the existence of the power of heaven and earth that went near me so, A, I could use magic without anyone noticing, and, B, so that no one would notice the spells I had activated continuously.

    Darius almost loses consciousness yet again as he feels the aura coming off of me. Lizzy seems unfazed¡­ but I can tell she is still scared as her legs are shaking slightly. The old man just nods with a smile on his face.

    Lizzy starts to talk in a normal voice after regaining her composure, ¡°That¡¯s a thick aura you have. Comparable to my father when he¡¯s angry. I can also see both the power of heaven and earth.¡±

    I give her a grin, ¡°Now you know what I really am. Are you going to throw me away like all the others now? Try and attack me to learn my secrets?¡±

    Darius just stands up straight and smiles, ¡°Everyone has secrets. Who cares if you have more than a normal person? You are still human, even if you weren¡¯t that still wouldn¡¯t change my opinion of you. You are nice to those you want to be, and not to those who try and harm you. A very simple personality. I can see you as nothing less than a friend now that you have shared your true self with us.¡±

    I activate the three spells again in order to take the pressure off them. I laugh, ¡°I¡¯m glad you see me as a friend. You are the first group of people I haven¡¯t had to kill after telling them.¡±

    Lizzy makes a complicated expression, ¡°I don¡¯t know if that really makes me happy, but I hope we can continue to travel together.¡±

    I reach out my hand to Lizzy and Darius, ¡°Let¡¯s travel then!¡±

    They both nod, ¡°¡±Yeah!¡±¡±

    We all start walking together and something crosses my mind, ¡°So you said your father had the same aura as I did then when he was angry? Who is your father?¡±

    Lizzy frowns suddenly, ¡°Well¡­ you were truthful with us, and it seems like we will travel together for a while longer, so I think it is fair to tell you about ourselves.¡± She looks to Darius and he nods. ¡°So where to start. I am the daughter of the mage emperor, and he is the son of the fighter emperor. Neither of us were candidates to receive the next emperor position so we would constantly explore the cities and eventually we met. This is idiot tried to marry me straight off the bat. It was the first day we met that he asked me to marry him.¡±

    Darius scratches his head. I drop my head and sigh, ¡°It worked though didn¡¯t it?¡±

    She blushes, ¡°Well¡­ Yeah. It took a year first. He was a fighter. And I was a mage, I thought there was no way it would work. After I finally agreed to marry him, we talked to our parents¡­ and that was the worst thing we could have done. Do you know why?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°To be honest I haven¡¯t actually been in a town larger than a farming village since I was twelve¡­ and even then it¡¯s a fuzzy memory.¡±

    She sighs, ¡°Mages and fighters have never gotten along. Every now and then there are even wars between them. Mages marry mages and fighters marry fighters. It¡¯s how it¡¯s been for as long as history has been recorded. Very few people ever go against it.¡±

    I nod, ¡°It makes sense. After all, people will always discriminate against people that are different, it happened in many villages.¡±

    Lizzy frowns, ¡°If all your experiences are from small villages it makes me wonder about your past, but I am telling you mine and Darius¡¯, so I guess it can wait.¡± She takes a deep breath and continues, ¡°Our parents started to fight against each other and after no one emerged victorious, they had captured us both and locked us in our respective dungeons for treason. We both managed to escape due to the guards¡¯ overconfidence. We then met up by some miracle, and we have been traveling ever since. That was two years ago.¡±

    I nod, ¡°So you just ran away from the problem? I wonder how much of a reward I would get if I captured you two and gave you back to your respective parents.¡±

    Darius thinks about it seriously, ¡°I think about one milli-¡° He gets hit by Lizzy.

    I just shrug my shoulders, ¡°Not like I would, I have no need to quarrel with such low figures. Your relationship is none of my business.¡±

    Lizzy and Darius look at each other and nod. Is this communicating without words? I wonder if it even truly works¡­

    Lizzy smiles widely, ¡°So Ryusei. How does the position, ¡®Supreme Emperor¡¯ sound?¡±

    I sigh, ¡°Sounds like something I¡¯d rather not do with my life.¡±

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hello readers.

    It has been pointed out to me multiple times, but I just swept it to the back of my mind as something I will work on later. However, I can''t do that any longer.

    This story has many, MANY, flaws. If i didn''t notice that, I''d be as dense as the poor main character from Infinite Stratos.

    Anyways, I am not feeling happy with the way this story is turning out. The beginning was full of childish things. The review I recently got may be harsh, but sadly, I have to agree with parts of it.

    The characters have almost no depth to them and all have the same emotions. I had issues figuring out what kind of attitudes to give the characters, so something in my head decided that they all just be the same. I hadn''t done my research. I was too inexperienced to write an actual story that people could sit down to enjoy.

    My writing has improved quite a large amount since I have started to write this novel, but my mind kept telling me to keep consistent.

    I am very, very tempted to drop this story. The best ending in my head for this story is me moving it to a side project and work on another story that will have more depth.

    Please comment below whether you want me to continue this or just drop it.

    As you are the readers, I will leave the final decision to you.

    Thank you for your time.

 [Not a Chapter!] An update for those curious.

    Hello everyone and sorry for waiting a whole month to update you guys on the status of DE.

    It is not dropped, the next chapter is currently being written and I have also started various other projects. Real life is also not very fun so I haven''t had as much free time to do as I like. Other projects were started shortly after I stopped writing this. Turns out I can write rom-com... who knew?

    Anyways, back on topic. DE has not been dropped and expect chapter 30 to be out within 24 hours of this post.

    I apologize for any and all of you that were worrying that I had dropped this story. I said I would most likely not drop it, and I have not. Yay! But, it is not my main focus anymore. I want to try writing many different things so I can expand my knowledge. Becoming a author isn''t like getting a skill, it is a long arduous process that may take years. I am proud to say that my skills have improved tremendously since my first novel, and are continuing to improve while I try writing different genres and try different writing styles.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    I hope that all of you are not too upset at the lack of information coming from me about this story. In the future I hope to let you, the readers, know about huge delays on chapters. The following chapters after 30 may take a week each because of other projects, but I hope to make this weekly, rather than monthly.

    If you want to read something else while waiting for chapter 30, try reading another story I am writing called ''The Worst Was Approved!?'' However, if you are here because of action and fantasy, you will most likely not enjoy it. It is full Rom-Com, shoved into a slice of life-like format. You may enjoy, or you may not, but HERE</a> it is regardless.

    See all of you again soon, and Have a great day/night!

 Chapter 30: The promise

    Chapter 30: The Promise

    [Greater Demolition Punch!]

    I swing my fist in a practiced manner towards Spacey. He moves his arm and just catches my fist.

    Spacey laughs at me, ¡°That was hilarious, do you always act in such a manner when attacking? No wonder you died at the ninth realm. In order to proper do the Greater Demolition Punch, you need to be overpowering. You need to have the will to destroy even the atoms within the target.¡±

    I frown slightly, ¡°You know Spacey. I could swear that you are just trying to make this more complicated for me. Are you sure that you have my best interests in mind when you are teaching me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± He shakes his head, ¡°I have never held your well-being as an item of any importance you know. My goal is to make you strong enough so that ¡®They¡¯ don¡¯t kill me.¡±

    I punch at Spacey again, ¡°You always say ¡®They¡¯ or ¡®Them¡¯, who is this person?¡±

    He shakes his head slightly and tosses me to the other side of the room, ¡°That¡¯s enough talking for now, you are now at the sixth realm. Any slacking off and I will add more pushups to the workout.¡±

    ¡°Demon!¡±

    ¡°Who cares!?¡±

    Spacey and I continue to argue for quite a while as I continue to cultivate towards the seventh realm.

    ¡°Hey Ryu. Why do you have such a stupid personality?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± I tilt my head as I speak to Spacey.

    ¡°You know you should really hide things, but you don¡¯t. You act like a child all the time, but still somehow manage to learn new things by sheer luck. Can you help me understand how you can be so stupid, yet continue on?¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± I scratch my head, ¡°I can¡¯t say I act how I should.¡± My face suddenly gets serious. ¡°I admit that I was fooling around as the idea of being reborn again was fun¡­ but I have now been forced to face reality, you know what I mean? My mother was killed in this world¡­ well, I can¡¯t say my conscious is too burdened by it because in the other world I barely even remember what my parents look like. I was too young then, and I am too old now. My attitude was like a small child with a new toy. I discovered new things and wanted show everyone I knew.¡± I let out a sigh, ¡°But that isn¡¯t how this world works. It is survival of the fittest. If I must go back to who I was in order to survive, then so be it. I am tired of losing. It is time to take back what is rightfully mine!¡±

    Spacey smiles at me and laughs, ¡°That seems better. This is going to be a tough place to survive. If you do not keep many trump cards and reveal all your strength right away, you will be quickly killed by those who want your possessions. You hold too many secrets on you to be so open with everyone. If a single one of them becomes public knowledge past this point. You can guarantee that you will die.¡± Spacey pats my shoulder, ¡°Now with that speech. Let¡¯s see how motivated you are!¡±

    Spacey then trains me until I fall unconscious¡­

    ¡°So Ryusei, you mean to say that you were kidnapped as a small child and forced into something akin to Slavery.¡± Darius makes a rather serious expression while talking to me rather early in the morning.

    I smile, ¡°Who really cares about something that happened so long ago. You learned about it a year after we met and you only ask now, a whole year later than that.¡±

    Lizzy sits beside Darius and cuddles up to him, ¡°He¡¯s a little slow Ryusei, you should just forget about him already.¡± Lizzy had woken up moments ago and was unobservant of the atmosphere, or just didn¡¯t care about what we were talking about. Either way I don¡¯t care.

    I have spent two years with these people. We have all reached the B-rank of the ninth realm.

    It was a challenging journey to this part. We have journeyed through many villages, but we always avoided anything that may have had any important information channels running through it.

    ¡°So, Ryusei. Why do you never sleep? I know that we aren¡¯t necessarily bound by the rules of normal humans, but you should still have to sleep. Why don¡¯t you?¡± Lizzy asks me this.

    I am pretty sure I¡¯ve told them¡­ ¡°Remember that I was traveling with the person that killed my real family and the entire village I was in, I learned to go weeks on end without sleep and food. Now, It just doesn¡¯t feel normal for me to sleep every day. I even went for quite the amounts of time without sleep when I was travelling alone.¡± I stand up and stare into the rising sun.

    The three of us packed up our camp and started to travel on in a seemingly random direction. The past two years were quite boring compared to the first few days I had come into contact with these to people¡­ but I have found that I am slowly opening up to them.

    I am regarding them as people close to me. We have been through a couple life and death situations involving angry guards and various monsters. We have grown so close that I almost regard them as family.

    ¡°Hey Ryusei¡­ can you see that?¡± Darius points to the horizon and a black figure is shooting across the sky¡­ it is getting larger, coming straight towards us.

    As the figure comes closer, I can see that it is a humanoid figure, but its skin is pitch black. It has wings that come out from just beneath its shoulder blades. To top it all off, its eyes are bright red like rubies.

    The figure drops down from the sky in front of us and creates cracks in the ground like a spider web.

    ¡°Humans. What continent might this be?¡± The thing talks in a loud and overbearing manner to us.

    ¡°Continent?¡± Darius tilts his head.

    The thing frowns, ¡°Fine then. If you are unwilling to cooperate past this point, I will be forced to destroy you. My second objective was to kill all that got in my way. Why did I have to take this job?¡± The thing starts to mumble to itself, not caring for myself and the other two that are standing right in front of it¡­

    How strong is this thing?

    I frown slightly as I motion for the other two to stay back a bit, ¡°You say you want to destroy us¡­ but do you have the qualifications to do anything to us?¡± I release the spells hiding various things from outside eyes.

    The thing just smiles. After a short amount of time, he snaps his fingers.

    Suddenly a bone chilling aura is emitted from this thing.

    ¡°My name is Elsvyre. I am a full blood Demon.¡±

    Demon? Not an augmented human? I have a really, really bad feeling about this.

    This ¡®Demon¡¯ seems to be much stronger than me¡­ is it a bluff? Or is his strength really that much greater than mine?

    Behind me, Lizzy and Darius are shaking in fear because of the sinister aura coming from myself and the Demon.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll make the first move then.¡± The Demon disappears from where it was standing and appears beside Lizzy. He moves his hands faster than I can react and Lizzy is thrown far off into the distance.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Lizzy!¡± Darius shouts as he recklessly charges at the Demon. The Demon just snorts arrogantly as he smashes Darius in the same direction of Lizzy. The force used was clearly different, the ground shakes as Darius crashes into it.

    My jaw drops slightly¡­ My mind was in a daze. How can it be this powerful¡­ is the strength of a Demon?

    ¡°Now, now. What do we have here? A human that just saw his friends get blown away with ease. Are you too scared to go against me? Huh?¡± The Demon starts to walk closer to me.

    This is no time to panic. Lizzy and Darius are probably in pretty rough condition¡­ but this is a fight for our lives, getting distracted her would mean death for all of us.

    ¡°I think you should be more careful with who you attack indiscriminately you know. You may just run into someone with the power to kill you.¡± I calmly talk to the Demon.

    It slightly widens its ruby eyes in surprise, ¡°Still so calm in the face of a being stronger than you at birth?¡± The Demon constantly says needless information.

    I would love to try and get information out of it all day, but I fear it wouldn¡¯t let me do that.

    ¡°Here I come!¡± The demon moves at incredible speeds and punches towards me.

    I move just barely enough to be able to dodge the punch. So fast!

    [Endless Skills][Insta-Cast][Velocity][Velocity][Velocity][Hands of Steel]{Wind of a Thousand Blades}{Flaming Meteor}{Straight Flash}

    I use the highest powered spells available to me that can be used in close range like this.

    ¡°Na?ve!¡± The Demon shouts as it destroys the magic with its bare hands. ¡°You think I am afraid of something trivial like magic? How you instantly cast it without even a keyword is interesting, if you weren¡¯t a human, I might have asked you to teach me. However, you are a human. Now¡­ I need you to point me in the direction of the nearest large city.¡±

    ¡°Like hell I would do that!¡± I shout at the Demon, not fearing the fact that my most powerful magics were dispersed before they even fully activated.

    I can safely say that I have never been an ally of justice, but watching a Demon destroy a whole city¡­ maybe even the entire continent, would be bad¡­ very, very bad.

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s unfortunate. I was hoping you would cooperate with me. I mean,¡± The Demon¡¯s figure flashes and Lizzy appears in with him, her head being held underneath her arm, ¡°Surrender peacefully and tell me where the nearest city is, or I will kill this woman.¡±

    A complicated expression appears on my face, ¡°Holding a hostage is a dirty method.¡±

    ¡°Only the loser will complain about fighting dirty.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? If I rush at you¡­ what would you do?¡±

    ¡°This.¡± The Demon doesn¡¯t even hesitate. It releases Lizzy, and as I am about to move, it punches her abdomen so hard its fist appears on the other side, going straight through her, ¡°You were too slow again. This is why humans are so weak. Pitiful really, humans will mourn each other and will lose composure when an ally is killed.¡± The Demon stands there and shrugs its shoulders.

    Lizzy! No¡­ I have to calm down and kill this Demon before I can go and help her¡­ please don¡¯t die¡­

    ¡°¡¯God Killer¡¯, Heed my call! Slayer of the immortal! I call forth the sword bound to my soul! I vow to slay all my enemies with this blade for long as my soul lives!¡±

    God Killer appears in my right hand, shining a golden aura. It wasn¡¯t a calming aura¡­ it was overbearing.

    The Demon¡¯s ruby eyes go wide in fear, ¡°What is that!? No! Stay away!¡± The Demon starts to tremble all over and actually tips backwards, sitting on the ground.

    I see. This was another blunder¡­ I always hide my power too much. Trying to keep one trump card after another.

    It happens again!

    I raise the sword high above my head, ¡°Pay for your crimes and die like a dog!¡± The effects of ¡®Velocity¡¯ are still active, so I move extremely quickly.

    Before the Demon can recover, it is decapitated, blood spraying from the stump where its head used to be. Even though it is a demon it still bleeds red¡­

    I quickly gather Darius and Lizzy.

    Tears start to form at the corner of my eyes¡­ they are dying.

    And I can¡¯t help them.

    Their injuries are too heavy for even magic to heal.

    Darius is bleeding from every orifice. His eyes are cloudy, but he is still breathing. His legs and arms are bent at angles that no person should ever have to see. He is so close to death that a gentle breeze might be enough to finish him off.

    Lizzy is in much worse off than Darius. Her internal organs have been pierced and there is a hole that a person could clearly see through¡­ the only reason she isn¡¯t dead is because she is forcefully suppressing the bleeding using her internal energy.

    I fall to my knees after inspecting the two, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I start apologizing to them as much as possible, ¡°Because I underestimated the Demon, you two are like this! If I would have just used God Killer from the start, none of this would have happened!¡±

    I feel a small hand on my head. It was Lizzy¡¯s, ¡°Ryusei, you are a man¡­ men¡­ don¡¯t cry. Unless you are Darius¡­ because¡­ even he¡­ isn¡¯t a man.¡± Lizzy¡¯s strength is fading away, but she is still smiling, ¡°Ryusei¡­ make me¡­ a promise¡­  I want¡­ you¡­ to create¡­ a¡­ place¡­ where people¡­ like us¡­ can live¡­ free¡­ly¡­¡­¡± She breathes out for the final time.

    ¡°I promise! I swear that even if I die, that my ghost will continue on!¡± I hold her hand as her weak pulse stops¡­

    She died¡­ from blood loss¡­.

    ¡°H¡­ey¡­. I¡¯m alive¡­ for now¡­ but¡­ I too¡­ want something.¡±

    ¡°Anything!¡± I regret every choice I have made that led to these two dying. No matter what the price is, I will do anything they ask for their dying wish.

    ¡°I¡­ want¡­ to be¡­ buried with¡­ Liz¡­ so¡­ this¡­ is¡­ goodbye¡­ supreme emperor.¡± Darius smiles as his conscious fades. His heartbeat stops shortly after.

    ¡°NO! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS!¡± I scream towards the heavens, trying to reason with them in order to get my friends back.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­

    Ten days.

    I sat with them for ten days, reflecting on my actions. I have to move on¡­

    I slowly stand up rubbing my eyes that have long since swollen up from the continuous tears. For Lizzy. For Darius. I need to move on.

    In order to build a place that people can be people. I need to stand tall, and suppress everyone beneath me! First step! The fighter emperor!

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hello everyone!

    As promised, here is chapter 30! Yay!

    I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. This is a challenging story to just try and pick up after a while of not writing it, but I think I was able to do it justice.

    Have a great day/night!