《I Am Power》 Prologue: A lifes end No one is ever really ready for death. Some may claim otherwise, but deep down they doubt their own words. Just the thought of getting a taste of life, love, excitement, then having it ripped away by deaths dark embrace is enough to drive a grown man insane. Born into the world of Litera I grew up in a loving family, a mum, dad and three brothers. But then war came.My brothers and I were drafted into the army, and the last I saw of my family was father holding my mother in his arms. With tears streaking down my face I had turned away from them, too scared to face the reality of the situation. Conscripted into the army of the kingdom Algrai, we faced almost triple our numbers from the neighbouring kingdoms armies. I was 14 at the time. A boy entering the world of men. After conscription into the army all recruits were sent to basic training. The officers marched us all to the nearest city and after a roll call, assigned us into groups. I ended up with my eldest brother Dractar, he was 19. My other two brothers were sent off into different groups. I never saw them again. That night I cried till I could no more. 2 months later I was on the front lines, fighting beside my brother. Ambushed on the way to reinforce fort Berto, defeat was all but certain. But we were soldiers of Algrai, we fight to the last. I killed my first man that day. As his body slid off my sword, I watched as the light left his eyes. Some say their first kill is traumatic, but not for me, I felt.....powerful. But when I looked over to see my brother that feeling soon left me. Dractar stood still, a blood covered hand grasping at his neck. Poking through his fingers were the shaft of an arrow. They had shot him, they had killed him. As I watched my older brother collapse to the floor, he looked at me for one last time. He smiled. Time seemed to stand still for me. Fighting continued all around, and yet I couldn''t help but motionlessly watch him die. Tears dripped from my face, my lower lip trembled. A heavy weight seemed to drag me down, and before I knew it I knelt on the ground. Vomiting blood and stomach acid. As the last of my countrymen fell to the sword, I was surrounded by the enemy. They taunted my cowardice and then stuck at me.The flat side of a sword to my face brought me out of my sorrow. And rage filled me. Unlike anything I had felt before, the need to kill someone, to hurt someone overtook me. My sight took on a red colour and it was as if a fire had been lit within me. Roaring in heartbroken rage I willed these soldiers to die. And they did. Fire roared to life from my body and spread out in a ring around me. Burning all my enemies to a crisp. I rejoiced at their screams. The famous ambush of Berto it was called, I was the sole survivor. Soon after my magical awakening I became a legend. Taken in by the army mages, they taught me all kinds of war spells. Among my people mages were fairly common, and I was considered average in power. My skill however, went far beyond average. Learning spells in days that should of taken months, I was a protege completed my apprenticeship in 1 year. But throughout this time the war effort continued, and we were losing ground daily. 1 year and 2 months after the war began, I rejoined the army. This time in the uniform of a mage. My battle skills soon became apparent and I quickly rose in ranks, becoming a Captain. With carefully implemented strategies my men were able to route the enemy. And for the first time since the start of the war, Algrai took back land. 2 years into the war and I was the youngest General in history. Aged 16 I had roughly 5000 men under my command, and I won every battle in my brothers memory. Despite the doubts from other Generals, I remained undefeated. Such was my thirst for vengeance that I became known as the Blood Hound of Algrai. My name alone routed armies. That all ended during the 3rd year of the war. Having pushed into the lands of both enemy kingdoms, our king allowed the enemy to surrender. Under a white flag the three kings met in the middle of the battlefield. Several other prestigious Generals and I were invited along. But we should have been wary of the two cowardly kings. Having signed the treaty they opened up wine barrels in celebration, it was good wine. Several minutes later and I was on the floor clutching my throat, my entire being on fire. Turned out the wine was not so good. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. That was my life, that was my death. Not fighting with a blade in hand like a real man, but crawling on the floor in agony, poisoned. As darkness consumed me I imagined I could see my brother holding his arm out for me. As I reached for the hand my sight went black. At age 17, General Lucas Bramas died. ¡­..... A void of nothing. That''s what I currently found myself in. Funny, I''d always believed that celestial beings were lies formed by the churches. Joke was on me for being right. I''m not sure why I''m concious but it''s insufferable. Eons seem to pass and nothing changes, nothing....happens. It gives me time to think. To consolidate my loss, to find my place in the emotions that had ruled me since my brothers death. I had hoped to see him in the afterlife, but it seemed I was yet to pass onto the next life. I''m not sure how long I floated in the void, but when light seems to penetrate through the darkness, hope lights within me. Am I finally free of this place? As light begins to replace the receding darkness, a figure forms before me. A man clothed in golden robes. Long blonde hair cascading down to his shoulders. He stares at me for several minutes, until finally I stand in a realm of light. Then, he speaks. ¡°Greeting Lucas Bramas, do you know where you are?¡± The man says, his voice almost honey-like. Not rushing into an answer, I consider all that I''d learnt from my Sunday church gatherings. ¡°I''d assume this is a purgatory of sorts?¡± ¡°Close, very close,¡± The man smiles, ¡°Tell me young Lucas, are you familiar with the term reincarnation?¡± A gasp escaped my lips. A chance to live again, was I being offered that? Thoughts began racing through my mind , thoughts of reuniting with my family, getting revenge against the cowardly kings. ¡°I see you are aware of the meaning,¡± The man''s smile grows wider, ¡°You are being offered the rare choice of a rebirth rather than ascending or descending to the heavens or hell.¡± ¡°I accept of course, but why me?¡± I ask curiously. ¡°You lived an honourable life, and remained true to your kin till the end. The gods took interest.¡± ¡°Are you a god?¡± I ask. ¡°Just the messenger.¡± The man replies, ¡°You can call me Arcan.¡± ¡°How does this work Arcan, I''ve been sort of....cut off from everything lately.¡± ¡°For you, very little is required. Almost everything has been pre determined. You will be born into the world of Niu, a human male. The rules of the world are....different to what your used to. But I''m sure you''ll be able to adapt. Every human on the planet has at least 1 special ability, you name it, and someone has it. You will be able to harness the power of 3 special abilities, making you an elite among the humans. Only 2% of the worlds population will be your equals.¡± Wow, that was amazing. But I wouldn''t get to see my family again? "But...my brother?" Arcan''s smile withered. "Unfortunately you won''t be able to see your brother, he has passed into the afterworld." My guy twists. Unable to continue the topic I change it. ¡°What are these special abilities?¡± I question. Fighting back tears. ¡°Ahh,¡± Arcan smiled, ¡°As to that. The first special ability you manifest will be mastery over the arcane, much as you had in your previous life. You will have this power from birth. For your second ability the Gods have been very generous. At age 10 you will be able to grant yourself any power you desire, within reason of course. As to the final ability you manifest, that will come at age 15. This ability will be completely random.¡± ¡°Thats great.¡± I sigh, after so long of the dark void I would finally have a shot at the life the war had denied me. ¡°Due to your next life being a reincarnation,¡± Arcan continued, ¡°You will have an additional 50 points to spend.¡± What? ¡°Points?¡± I hedged. Arcan laughed and shook his head. ¡°Some things are best left to discovery young Lucas.¡± Then the darkness seeped back into my vision, replacing the light. A swirling sensation swept through me. And then the lights of a hospital ward greeted me. I was born again. Chapter 1: The First Power My birth goes by in a blur. Fading in and out of conciousness I have just enough time to get a look at my birth parents. My father is tall and broad shouldered whilst my mother is small and frail from giving birth. Seeing them nearby brings me an odd feeling of comfort, and sleep takes a hold of me. I wake to find myself in a casket surrounded by the wailing of other babies. Already missing the parents I''d only gotten only a glimpse of, I fight against the urge to cry. Immediately reprimanding myself for almost doing so. What were these emotions? They were weak. I''m not a child, I''m a man. Putting the event down to my current body being that of a child, I banish all thoughts of my new parents. Instead choosing to focus on my plan for the future. Arcan had mentioned something about my powers crossing over with me to this world. Time to test that out. Sending my awareness into my body I search for the familiar power source. Having done this hundreds of times before I soon locate it, a red aura that brightly glowed from my entire being. But it seems slightly more intense than last I''d looked. Had my power grown?
Awakening
By sending your mind within your body, you have awakened your first power. +2 Mana +2 Intelligence
First Power: Master of the Arcane
VariationElemental, Enchanting
TypeRarePower1
The power to control Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Can imbue inanimate objects with power
Wait what?! My vision was completely obscured by the notification. Had someone put a curse on me? I''d done this same technique thousands of times and nothing like this had ever happened! Panic began to grow within me, the messages weren''t leaving. Would I be stuck in an existence like this for the rest of my life? No, that wouldn''t happen. Not to me. Focusing on my breathing I calm myself down and will the message to disappear. At first nothing happens but then slowly, it begins to fade away. Releasing a sigh of relief my face pulls a baby like smile. That was one situation taken care of. But then the content of the messages hits me. Power level 1 is to be expected, probably means I''m starting from scratch. Elemental powers were expected as well, I''d mastered fire in my past life. But enchanting? I''d never studied that during training, it never seemed useful. Now what were those Mana and Intelligence stats? Could it be that was what Arcan had meant by having 50 points to spend? My thoughts on the matter came to a close as the doors to the baby ward opened. Two women in white gowns lift me from my cradle and carry me to my parents. Feeling safe in their arms I quickly fall asleep. ¡­..... Thion Reynold POV Thion Reynold held his son in his arms. A soft smile breaking his usual stoic face. Looking over to his wife Lucy he couldn''t help but return the sparkle in her eyes with one of his own. This was the happiest day of his life, he was a father! Watching the child sleeping whilst curled up against his chest caused his heart to well up, a tear forming in his eye. Passing the boy to his wife he raised his hand and swept it away. ¡°Not in public.¡± He told himself. They stayed at the hospital for over a week. Lucy had gone through birthing difficulties and the doctors wanted to make sure she was healthy, Thion refused to leave her side for even a minute. When alone the two would talk of their future with the child, and it filled Thion''s heart with warmth. Lucy wanted to move back to their home town, raise the boy there. Thion on the other hand wanted to stay in the city, near to the Academy. But he knew that wherever she wanted to go, he would follow. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.A week later they were discharged from the hospital. Carrying their son in their arms they proudly marched out the front door. Walking Lucy to the car, Thion helped her get in and then put the baby in her arms. ¡°Have you thought on the name?¡± He asked. Lucy smiled and looked down at her son. Her little Lucas. ¡­..... It''s been several months since I woke up at the house. At first I''d been scared by the change, but the presence of my parents distilled all fears I had. The house itself is fairly large, situated in a rural area. I can''t understand my parents yet, but from the way they move about the house I gather that it''s new for them as well. With my body being weak I try my best to gain an advantage in this world. First came language. The sooner I learnt it the sooner I could begin progression. My father would watch the magical box every morning, where a tiny man within spoke to him. I think it was called a T.V, whatever that means. But it seemed a great source of information so I put my full focus on what was being said and the meaning behind it. A few weeks passed and it looked to be working. Every time I spent a while learning from the TV a +1 Intelligence notification appeared. Each time it did I found the information from the TV easier to process. That''s when I realised that the Intelligence stat helps to improve brain function. It seems almost like a cheat compared to the hours of study one would have had to of done back in Algrai. But the results were great, at roughly 3 months old I was able to understand the language almost perfectly. However, I learnt that I wasn''t expected to be able to talk for months yet. Not wanting to draw unwanted attention to myself I played the typical illiterate child. Some other things I learnt was that the language was called English and that I lived in a country called America. Or was it a continent? I''d look into it later I decided. Throughout this time my parents seemed to dote on me. My father would leave the house for the day, but my mother cared for me non stop.. When father returned at night we would play around. I felt.....complete. Years pass and now I''m 5 years old. My intelligence for my age is astronomical, throughout the years I'' d started reading books and the +1 Intelligence stat had continued to pop up. At 1 yr 4 months old I''d started speaking to my parents, slowly at first to avoid suspicion, but then more and more as times past. As such they believed me to have great intelligence by not on a genius level. Exactly as I wanted it. Currently I''m reading a book on the Power System in this world. As everyone had an ability, your social standing depended on how many powers you had and of what quality. An A class power would be something like super strength whilst a D class power would be something like partially enhanced strength. My Mastery of the Arcan ability was classified as either A class or B class, but it was hard to categorise. The number of powers one had was equally important to social standing. Having 1 power is considered average, 2 above average and 3 elite. Any more than 3 and you were classified as God Class. Currently there were 178 God Class Citizens across the world. It was a pretty select club. But as I finished the book mother walked into the room. With information that sent my stomach plummeting. ¡°Lucas, It''s time for your first day of school!¡± Chapter 2: School The car ride to the school was a nervous one for me. I couldn''t help but beg mother to drive back to the house, even claiming that I''d forgotten to use the bathroom. Of course none of it worked, she didn''t believe me. It''s not that I didn''t want to go to school, I wanted to learn more. But I''d had limited exposure to other children my age. Mother seemed to read my thoughts. ¡°Calm down kiddo, today will be fine!¡± I just nodded my head, unable to speak. Then the car pulled up into a car park alongside several large buildings. A sign hung over the nearest entrance saying REGISTRATION. My throat ran dry as I realised where we were. School. Walking me up to the Registration area mother handed me a small backpack and hugged me. ¡°Good luck Lucas.¡± ¡°Thanks mum.¡± I smiled. Watching her drive away in the car I felt sadness rise within me, this was the first day I would spend without mother or father. Looking around I saw several other children crying and became determined not to cry myself. The boy next to me was bawling his eyes out, so I decided to step in. ¡°Hey, I''m Lucas.¡± ¡°Um...I...I''m...Freddie,¡± He sobbed, wiping tears away from his eyes. ¡°Don''t be sad. Today''s exciting!¡±I smiled. ¡°You...You think so?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I laugh, ¡°Because we''re friends now!¡± ¡°Oh, yea, we are friends!¡± He smiled. I breath an inward sigh of relief. I''d forgotten how gullible little kids were, making friends should be easy. About to respond to him we were interrupted by a woman. I think she was a teacher. ¡°Alright everyone! Gather around!¡± She yelled, ¡°I''m Ms Morley and it''s everyone''s first day of school here yes?¡± We all nod. ¡°Good Good,¡± She continues, ¡°Well when we''re done here I''m going to hand each of you a timetable, this will have all your classes for the week. But to clear up any misunderstandings I''ll explain it all now. You will have 5 subjects a week, split up into separate lessons. They are Physical Education, Power Control, Maths, English and History. As you get older more lessons will be added to the curriculum.¡± Pausing to talk to study everyone''s faces, she gave a slight nod. ¡°Does anyone here not understand?!¡± She called out. No one responded and she continued, ¡°Good, everyone please go up to the desk behind me and fill in the registration.¡± Everyone stampeded to the desk in a hurry to finish first. Kids laughed and yelled as they bumped each other out the way. Taken unaware by the sudden movement, the only people who hadn''t moved were Freddie, a girl and I. The 3 of us walked in a group as we approached the desk. ¡°I''m Layla!¡± She started off, her voice like silk. ¡°Lucas here.¡± I replied. ¡°Freddie.¡± ¡°So how comes I haven''t seen you two around town? I know almost everyone here.¡± Layla asked. ¡°Just moved into town.¡± Freddie mumbled. Staying quiet I almost missed Layla giving me a look. ¡°Um....just luck I guess.¡± I said, not wanting her to know that I''m a bookworm. Then our conversation is interrupted as we reach the desk. Various sheets are scattered around and I reach for one, grabbing the pen to my left. Quickly giving it a last look I nod my head.
NameLucas Bramas Reynold
Age5
PowerMastery of the Arcane
Handing the sheet over the the assistant I''m surprised by the shock in her eyes. Various other adults also stare at me weirdly. Looking at Layla and Freddie I see them verbally talking and the assistants writing for them. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Oh. Kids weren''t supposed to be good at writing or reading. Well I''d messed up. Smiling innocently at the teachers I hastily pull together a lie. ¡°My parents get me private tutors.¡± They seem to accept the lie and after checking the sheet give me a timetable.
Timetable: Lucas Bramas Reynold
Classroom22
Lesson 1Power Control
Lesson 2History
Lesson 3English
Lesson 4Maths
Lesson 5Physcial Education
Damn, all the subjects in one day?! Harsh. The teachers give me instructions on how to get to room 22, and then send me on my way. Walking just beyond the teachers sight, I hang back and wait for Freddie and Layla. But a few minutes later it''s only Freddie that arrives. ¡°Layla''s in a different class!¡± He huffed angrily. I almost laugh at his childish anger but stop myself. Better to not upset friends. A few minutes walk later and we''re standing outside room 22, peering through the doors window pane. Inside several rows of seated students stare at the teacher talking at the front. Pushing open the door we enter our first lesson. ¡­..... It''s lunchtime and we''re all sitting around a lunch table, stuffing ourselves on our packed lunches. Freddie and I sit next to each other opposite Layla and a boy she''d met called Toby. ¡°What did you guys learn today?¡± She excitedly asked. ¡°Nothing! They just talked about what we''d be doing for the year!¡± Freddie angrily muttured. Layla and Toby gave each other a look and then turned back to us. ¡°Just wait for Physical Education.¡± Toby laughed. ¡°That''s our next lesson,¡± Freddie exclaims, what about it?¡± ¡°No spoilers.¡± Layla smiles. I open my mouth to beg for more information but the bell for end of lunch goes. Turning to Freddie I girn. ¡°Time to find out.¡± Rushing to the gymnasium we see the rest of our class already there. Excitedly talking and exchanging glances towards the teacher leaning against the wall. Turning his head to watch Freddie and I arrive the teacher calls us all into a group around him. ¡°All right, I''m sure most of you know what''s about to happen. But allow me to explain for those who don''t. First of all let me explain stats. You have your basic ones of Intelligence, Strength, Agility, Mana and Health. Everyone will have these. Some of you however, will have something extra. I''m not going to explain these extra stats because very few of you will have them. Unfortunately you can''t get rid of a stat, and it''s near impossible to gain one. So what your about to see is what you''ll get.¡± All the students stand in silence. ¡°Good.¡± He smiles, Then lets begin.¡± A blue mist flashes from his hand, striking everyone''s head. I fall to the floor as a burst of pain builds behind my eyes. Slowly my vision returns and I see everyone likewise on the floor. ¡°Now everyone repeat after me!¡± The teacher calls, ¡°Status!¡± ¡°Status!¡± I yell. Chapter 3: Training
Lucas Bramas Reynold
RaceHuman
Level1Age5
Health50Mana52
Intelligence143Wisdom17
Strength10Agility10
Dexterity10Endurance10
Ability slot 1Mastery of the Arcane
Fire1Water1
Air1Earth1
Enchanting1
Unallocated stats55
Staring at my stats in shock, I nervously look around to see if anyone''s noticed. Luckily all the students are preoccupied with their own stats. I can see that Health and Mana are proportional to my age, but the Intelligence stat was incredible! I knew I was getting some benefit out of reading, but this much?! Happy with my Intelligence I quickly skimmed over the rest. Wisdom I didn''t really know about, and the other stats seemed pretty average for my age. Then I noticed the 50 unallocated points. Damn, it had taken 5 years but I finally knew what Arcan had meant. It looked like I could assign the points into any stat, but I decided to hold back on that. No point using it until my end goal came into sight. Seeing students begin to dismiss their status, I move to do the same. Quickly closing the status bar. As the last student finishes reading the teacher smiles and calls us to attention. ¡°As you have all just seen, those Status reports represent you.¡± He began, ¡°What some of you may have also noticed, are the 5 or 6 unallocated point you have. You receive 1 point a year, or 5 points for every level up. Please don''t assign these points to anything yet, leave it until you''ve had a good think on what you want to specialise in.¡± Everyone had as few as 5 unallocated points?! That reinforced my decision not to spend my points yet. The children across the gymnasium nod their heads at the wise words. I have to stifle a laugh at how much they worship the man for revealing the status bar to them. ¡°Now, onto the remainder of today''s lesson. You can all call me Coach Dorss and welcome students, to Physical Education!¡± The teacher''s smile turned evil. ¡­... Looking up at the 10 ft rope I inwardly cry. For all the technological advancements of this world, it was a cruel place. Being second in line to climb the rope I painfully watch as the kid before me struggles to make it even halfway. The Coach shouts at the kid the entire time. ¡°C''mon Alex! You get halfway or you drag your fat ass to the field to do laps!¡± He yelled. I wondered how he got away with saying things like that. But my unasked question was answered as Alex made the halfway mark before falling off the rope in exhaustion. The man got results. As Alex fell I was shocked to see the coach rise of the floor and smoothly glide towards Alex, catching him by the waist and then gently lowering him to the floor. Floating back down towards me the Coach laughed at my expression. ¡°Coach''s the name, Flights the game!¡± He laughs. Rolling my eyes at the cheesy line I approach Alex. ¡°What''s your strength stat?¡± I ask. ¡°12.¡± He grumbled. Damn! His strength we more than mine and he could barely get halfway?! ¡°Lucas what''s the holdup!¡± A call came from behind me. That man just didn''t stop. Pulling at the rope I ignore the pain building up in my arms and hurriedly drag myself up by 4 ft. The fast approach to the climb quickly took it''s toll on me. Looking down my stomach spins in place. Even knowing that Coach would catch me I couldn''t help but fear the drop. With my momentum gone I take a breather. A dull ache resonates from my arms, but I''m determined to at least match Alex. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Taking a firmer grip on the rope I pull with all my might, managing to raise myself another half foot. But my body seemed unable to continue. The dull ache had morphed to a constant throbbing in my arms, it took all I had not to shout out in pain. But it still wasn''t good enough, not for me. Willing myself to go higher I grip the rope tightly and strain my muscles. It''s a stalemate. I''m too exhausted to raise myself any higher, but I refuse to let go and lose the few inches I''d just gained. But the pain continues to build within my muscles. Slowly, centimetre by centimetre I begin to lose ground on the rope. NO! A snapping sensation forms in my head and I feel something lift me from below. With the added boost I''m able to pull myself up the remainder of the rope before my strength gives out. Looking down to see the source of help I''m shocked to see only air below me.
Climbed the rope
Strength+2Reward+15xp
Mastery of the Arcane: Air +4
Ringing the bell above me I slide down the rope, quickly reaching the bottom. ¡°Knew you had it in you son.¡± Coach says, slapping my back, ¡°You could show my older classes a thing or two eh?¡± ¡­.... The car ride home is exhausting, Mum asks questions about my day and any friends I''d made. But I manage to put up with it and 10 minutes later we''re home. Rather than go inside I rush to the garden, eager to learn more about the Mastery of the Arcane ability. Living in a rural area our garden is more a forest, a small fenced off field leading to a large hillside of trees and shrubs. Moving into the forest I find a secluded spot out of sight from the house. Focusing on the snapping sensation I''d experienced on the rope I try to recreate it. I''m met with failure. Trying to instead will the air to raise a small rock off the floor, I feel as if I''m about to give myself a headache. But it had seemed so simple on the rope! Moving down my tries a notch I instead attempted to simply alter the wind currents around me. The wind previously blowing my face ceases, and I scream in elation. I''d done it!
Mastery of the Arcane: Air +1
Finding the starting point to my experimenting, I continued altering the wind around me. Moving it to blow shrubs around, to swirl around my head. That was the key. Not to try to move an object, but to instead move the air. For hours I played with my new skill, the first magical thing I''d achieved. As time with the skill progressed so did my mastery over Air, and as more power became available to me I found new was to utilise it. Months passed. I continued to go to school but found that I was distancing myself from the other students. Whilst they wanted to have fun and games, I was dedicated to the advancement of my power. So whilst everyone made large groups of friends, I never branched out of my group with Freddie, Layla and Toby. But I found that to be fine, it made it easier to train. Another interest I picked up was physical exercise. Climbing the rope had shown me that hard work resulted in stat gain, and who didn''t want to be the best? Every day I would jog around the forest for an hour before school. When my agility and strength rose enough I began to wear weighted clothing, increasing it''s weight as my stats grew. The results were amazing. Physical Education was a walk in the park at this point, I was easily twice as strong as the average student. Power control class also became easy. Whilst the rest of the class was studying what a power was and how to activate it, I was raising my skills in Air daily. Unfortunately my obsession with Air caused me to neglect the other elements of my power. But I figured specialising was key. Then 1 year after I''d begun my extra training, my Air element reached a power level of 100. Chapter 4: Lesser Air Elementalist [Sorry for the short chapter. Going to start increasing the chapter length''s from next post.] I''d spent the year doing the equivalent of weight lifting with my power over air. Wrapping a bubble of air around an object and willing it to rise. This met with varying results. At first the bubbles I could form were small, the size of a rock. The willpower needed to raise an object off the ground was immense. But slowly it became easier. As my power level raised the bubbles I could form increased in size. Doing these exercises my power level over air rose to 98. It was then that I upgraded my routine. Having made sure my parents were asleep I''d crept to the front lawn early one morning, and there it was. The Range Rover. Looking around I ensured there weren''t any neighbours about, a smile splitting my face when I realised I had my chance. Wrapping the car in an air bubble, I found myself pushing at limits as I stretched my power to its limits. Feeling slightly woozy from the ordeal I took a few moments to steady myself. Inwardly groaning I knew this was going to suck. But I was still determined to accomplish it. My muscles strained as I willed the car to rise, sweat began to bead on my forehead. Then before my eyes the car began to float in the air. It''s rear end rose first, swiftly followed by the front. Hovering roughly 1 metre in the air I willed it to go higher. But at 3 metres above ground I finally reached my limit. Blood began to flow from my nose and eyes, my left leg gave out and the car began to drop to the ground. Using my remaining energy I slowed it''s descent as much as possible, upon landing it barely made a sound. Weariness overtook me and it was all I could do to not fall asleep on the driveway. Then I noticed the notifications.
Mastery of the Arcane: Air +2
Mastery of Arcane - Air power level: 100
Power Evolution
PowerAir
Evolved powerLesser Air Elementalist
You hold the power of a Lesser Air Elementalist, understanding and control over Air has increased. Your body has been altered to control this greater power Mana:+50 Agility: +30 Wisdom +5
Progress in other elements now takes twice as long
What I gathered from this was that Fire, Water and Earth would now take longer to level, but would probably be easier to progress due to my raise in Mana. The Lesser Air Elementalist evolution was pretty surprising though. My research had shown that a power evolving was rare and usually only happened during the late teens, if it did at all. So me having this power evolution at the age of 6 was odd. But that was enough thinking on it for now. Quietly entering the house I crept up the stairs to my room. Falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. The next day I went for my last day at school before the holidays. The school had organised a sports day and all the classes and years were competing against each other. But when it came to signing up for the challenges I declined. My stats and abilities was far above what a normal kid my age should have. I''d kept track on everyone around me and how fast they progressed. Freddie for example had the ability of super speed. But he''d barely advanced it. He had an agility of 70 which was high compared to me, but low for his power. And I considered Freddie one of the most advanced in class. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The way a power worked for everyone was different. I for example had to spend time working on unique stats such as Air, whilst others like Freddie only had to advance an ordinary stat like agility. Someone with an ability that creates a unique stat is considered a Super. Whilst someone with an ability based on normal stats was considered an Enhanced. Supers made up only 2% of the population. We were a rare breed. So here I found myself. Sitting in the boosters on the playing field, watching as my classmates competed. Toby wasn''t competing either, so we sat next to each other and cheered out friends. Freddie had entered a 100m sprint, he won of course. Layla entered the long jump, though I''m not sure why. She had the ability of a mimic, anything she saw he body could repeat. Surprisingly she came 3rd, and considering she was up against people with Enhanced Strength it was odd. Finally the day wound to an end. Points were tallied up from the wins and in our year Layla and Toby''s class won. The others went to celebrate at the Diner, but I declined the invitation. It was time to test my new limits with the Lesser Elemental Ability. So I went home and returned to my spot in the forest, reaching out to the air currents all around me. It felt...different to what I was used to. Like being short sighted your whole life and then wearing glasses for the first time. Everything seemed so clear. I could feel the trees around me, the birds in the sky, the wildlife scurrying about the ground. New paths my power could lead me down became clear as well. I smiled as my greater understanding of the power revealed a new ability. Absorbing the air currents into me, I began to feel lighter. My agility stat slowly rising the more air I absorbed. Then, directing a small blast of air for my feet I soared into the air. Flight! I rose above the tree tops, rising and rising. Then I was above the cloud line. Willing myself to stop I looked around in wonder. A clear blue sky stretched for miles above me, I felt free. Looking down I could make out the odd patch of green land through partings in the cloud. It was amazing. In the distance I could make out several other fliers moving across the sky at incredible speeds. For a moment I wished to join them but thought better of it. To be the best I had to hide my powers for as long as possible. As far as my friends and family knew, I could only control my Air element in a weak from of telekinesis. Best to keep it that way. Descending through the clouds began to appraoch the ground, exhilerated by the experience. As my feet touched the forest floor a notification popped up.
Mastery of the Arcane ¨C Lesser Air Elementalist: +5
Hmm so it still grew at a decent rate. Smiling at the realisation I realised the opportunity this holiday represented. I had a whole summer to train. And so for that whole summer I trained. As I did for the next, and the next. Then before I knew it, 4 years had passed. I was a 10 yr old. Chapter 5: The Second Power I''d gone to sleep happy that night. My birthday had been amazing, a water slide, bouncy castle, and all my friends present. Sure I was technically too old for the event, but it was still fun. Then to top it all off my parents had sat me down at the dinner table after everyone left. It turned out I''d received an invitation to join the Globe Academy. The Globe Academy! It wasn''t just any elite school, it was one of the top ten schools in the entire world. Not for academic excellency, but for the gifted and powerful. My parents were shocked at the invite. Whilst they hadn''t noticed my growth in power, obviously someone had. To be honest I was shocked myself. Yes I''d advanced my ability a fair bit, but enough to attend a school like the Globe Academy? At this point even if I flunked out the school, the fact that I received an invitation would garner me respect for years to come. So that night I''d done some thinking on my future, and as I fell asleep I was pleased with what I foresaw. That led me to now. Floating in the dark void, I almost panicked when I realised where I was. The thought that perhaps it had all been a dream assaulted me. Then realisation kicked in. I couldn''t believe I''d almost forgotten, at 10 years of age I was to receive my second power! Light began to filter through the darkness, much like it had all those years ago. From that light a figure became visible, and I smiled at the familiar face of Arcan. ¡°It''s been a while has it not.¡± He grinned, ¡°Do you remember why your back?¡± ¡°The second power!¡± I excitedly yell. ¡°Have you given it any thought?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± I sigh, ¡°In all truthfulness I''d managed to forget.¡± An idea came to mind. ¡°But.....I think I may actually have something.¡± Arcan''s eyebrows rose. ¡°Do tell.¡± Remembering the powers of those in my home world, I recalled one creature that had installed fear in all. A creature that even the mages of my world hesitated to anger, for it''s raw power was insurmountable. ¡°Dragon.¡± I say simply, ¡°I wish to have the ability to become one.¡± ¡°Ah the ability to shapeshift, and what a choice indeed.¡± Arcan''s eyes twinkled. ¡°There would be limits to this ability of course.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I ask surprised. ¡°Much as your Mastery of the Arcane is limited to certain branches of magic, the number of forms you can assume as a shapeshifter will vary depending on the power of the forms.¡± ¡°So how many other forms could I assume if I chose a dragon form?¡± ¡°1 other of equal stature. You should know that the more powerful the shift, the higher chance you have of an ability crossing over into your human form.¡± Arcan explained. ¡°Isn''t that overpowered?¡± I ask. ¡°Hence you would only have two forms. To be decided now I must say.¡± Hmm. My mind furiously raced through possible combinations for this new power. Dragon was a definite. But what about the second? A smile crept across my face. If I was going for shapeshifting, there was one form that was almost compulsory to take. ¡°I choose the ability of Shape shifting, my chosen forms to be a Dragon similar to those of my home world.¡± ¡°And?¡± Arcan hedged. ¡°A wolf.¡± ¡°Alpha form?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I say. And just like that, I gained my second ability. With the ability now a part of me, my mind began to leave the void. Everything slowly becoming blurry. ¡°Good luck with your new power young one,¡± Arcan said, ¡°And good work with your first one, not many have that kind on dedication.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I reply, noticing my voice seems slightly distorted. I don''t have long left here. ¡°Farewell friend.¡± ¡­........ I shoot up in bed, heart racing. Through the shutters of the window I see daylight peeking through. I''m about to leave bed and open them when notifications blind me.
Second Power: Shapeshifting
VariationDragon, Wolf
TypeUniquePower1
Through a transformation of the soul you are now able to assume two new forms. From use of the forms their power will grow and the time of transformation will decrease
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Form Merge
MergeHuman/Dragon
Your forms have merged Fire +50 Endurance +30 Strength: +20 Agility: +10
MergeHuman/Wolf
Your forms have merged Earth +20 Agility +20 Endurance +10 Strength +5
Well...... No need to worry about flunking out of the Academy right? Hurrying out of bed I rushed to the bathroom. Whilst the forms merging had brought me a lot of stat points, it raised a question. Was my body changed as well? Looking at the mirror hanging along the wall I exhaled in relief. I still looked the same. About to turn away I noticed something glint in my eye. Turning back to the mirror I groaned. The merging had in fact altered my appearance. My left eye had the yellow irises of a wolf. My right eye had the vertical pupil slit of a dragon, the iris Green. The effect of the new eyes on my very human body created a strange look. But I found it growing on me. The eyes stood out, and my end goal for this life was to stand out. At the very least it would gather attention. Heading downstairs I run into mum in the living room. Wanting to avoid her worrying for the moment I turn from her and enter the kitchen. Running straight into Father. ¡°Ah the birthday boy''s up, would you li-¡± His face contorts as he sees my eyes, ¡°Uh...Lucy, could you get in here quick!¡± Rushing into the kitchen Mum''s face frowns in confusion. ¡°What''s goi-¡± I turn to face her, causing her to pause mid speech. Silence fills the room as she studies my eyes. ¡°It can''t be.¡± She whispers. ¡°I...I think it is.¡± Dad''s voice comes from behind me. ¡°You merged?¡± Mum stares at me intently. ¡°Uh....Yea.¡± I uneasily smile at her. Arms wrap around me from behind, shaking me about in the air. ¡°My little boy merged! My boy!¡± Dad boomed. ¡°What''s the big deal?¡± I ask seeing my mum''s joyous face. ¡°When a super or enhanced merges with their power, it''s a sign of great power.¡± Mum cries, ¡°And my little Lucas merged!¡± Putting me back down on the ground Dad ruffles my hair. ¡°Not so surprised about the Academy invite now, Mergers are guaranteed a spot.¡± They both begin hurriedly talking in excitement. ¡°Won''t be safe to go back to school, his powers will be greater than the other students.¡± ¡°He''ll have to go to the Academy a bit early.¡± ¡°But he''s my baby!¡± Their discussion went on for a while so I laughed to myself and left the kitchen. Who would have known that shapeshifting would garner me so much respect. But, to to the Academy early? What about my friends? My heart wrenched at the thought of losing them. True I''d been slowly distancing myself from them, but to completely leave would solidify the end of a friendship. Turning my mind from such thoughts, I instead embraced my new power. With it came a raise in my social standing. Though it was considered impolite to ask for someone''s ability, I knew Father had two himself whilst Mother had one. A rare relationship from what I''d learned. Having two powers meant that the government took an interest in you, sending monthly benefits. Speaking of second powers. I left the house and run into the forest, soon arriving at my usual spot. Bracing myself I sent my mind into my body, searching for the source of my shapeshifting ability. Having studied every section of my aura I immediately saw the change, a slight dark tinge. Focusing on it I could feel the power offered, and I embraced it. Pain erupted all across my body.