《Sovereign Spirit [Superpower +Cultivation]》


 Chapter 1: Loss of a Mother

    Chapter 1: Loss of a Mother


    In a city hospital, there was a young man at his mother''s side just a few moments before she left this world.


    It was a bright and clear day, one of the clearest and bluest skies Kenan had seen in a long time. "Doesn''t it usually rain in movies whenever someone dies? That makes reality feel all the more real. One would think that the world would stop and cry for the ones you loved, but it doesn''t. It keeps going and moving regardless of who''s here or not." He says, clenching the hand of his lifeless mother. He continues to replay the conversation they just had in his head.


    "Kenan¡­" his mother paused, wiping a tear from her eye. My boy, I have lied to you for too long." She struggled, lifting herself in the bed to meet her son''s eyes. He quickly helped her up and propped her up comfortably on the bed.


    Even with his mother knocking on death''s door, she was still a beautiful woman. She had bags under her eyes like she hadn''t slept in days. But they were still a rich brown that felt like they were looking into the depths of your soul. Kenan always had trouble lying to his mother because her eyes looked like they always knew the truth, even before she said it. Her skin was black without blemish, like rich black soil. Kenan wasn''t as melanated as his mother was, but he was always envious of her complexion. He thought people with his mother''s complexion were the most beautiful people in the world.


    Kenan''s mother grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes. "Your father is still alive." Her eyes began to water as she continued talking. "He''s in a land far from here, his ancestral home where the origin of his clan began. Kenan, he has responsibilities far greater than we can imagine."


    Kenan lets go of his mother''s hand and looks towards a window in the room. "It must be pretty important for him not to be here right now. I''m going to graduate soon. Ma, I haven''t seen him since I was eleven years old. Even if he is alive, he might as well be dead to me."


    Kenan''s mother quickly grabbed his face and turned it towards hers. Without her mouth moving, he heard her say in his mind, "He is the man that I love with all of my heart and the father of my child; you will not disrespect him in my presence. Do you understand?"


    Kenan realized he said too much against his father whenever she used her telepathic abilities to talk to him. Overusing these same abilities is why she''s in this condition now.


    Kenan nods his hand. His mother grabs his hand again and speaks this time. "If your father could be here, he would Kenan. He would have just as if he could have been here for you. I pray you understand this someday."


    There was no point in arguing about it; they always had conversations like this when Kenan''s father was mentioned.


    "Your father, Malachi, is a man far beyond your reach, my reach, and almost everyone in this city. But as far as family goes, he will be your only living relative, at least in my eyes, excluding your auntie. Please try to get along with him, at least for my sake. His mother said softly.


    "How do you know I''m gonna go look for him?" Kenan asked.


    "Because it''s my last wish. I don''t want you to grow up alone as I did. I never knew my parents and didn''t understand the importance of family until I fell in love with your father and had you. It''s what makes us strong; it''s the foundation that makes us so. Find him, Kenan, and you will gain a piece of yourself that you never knew was missing." His mother said as he squeezed his hand for the last time."


    Only a few minutes had passed, but it was the longest minutes of Kenan''s life. He has seen dead people before at funerals and such, but to see the soul leave the body through the eyes of another is a completely different matter, especially that of your mothers. He knew then that it would be impossible for him not to fulfill her last wish. It would haunt him if he didn''t.


    "So how hard will it be to find my old man anyway? Kenan says, turning to the other person in the room. A woman was in the corner of the room, wiping tears from her eyes. She wore circle glasses and had short box braids that went down to her shoulders. What always caught Kenan''s attention the most was that she always had a lab coat on.


    "Aunt Aria! Kenan says, waving his hand in front of her face. "Did you hear my question?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Aria takes in another deep breath and starts weeping again. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, it''s just so sad. I''ll do my best to care for you as if you were my blood. She says, hugging him tightly.


    "She''s always like this. My mother''s been sick for years. It''s about time she left this world and not live in pain. I''m glad she can finally rest. Kenan thought.


    Aria takes in another deep breath and weeps even louder. "But if I didn''t know the situation, I would think that she''s the one that just lost her mother. Kenan thought about trying to free himself from her hug.


    "Auntie, please listen. What do you know about my dad? How hard will it be to reach him?" Kenan asked.


    Aria sniffles and wipes her nose with a handkerchief. "About a one in 300,786 chance. But that''s if everything goes well and you can absorb the elixir successfully and join the Shepherds." She said, sniffling again.


    "Those are terrible odds. I should leave that old man to rot! Kenan sighs. "Whatever, that old man can taste my fist for leaving me and my mother. That''s as good a reason as any to go and find him," Kenan said.


    "What elixir? You mean like the Superior Drug that gives people abilities?" Kenan questioned.


    Aria nods her head. "There''s a lot more to it than that, but yes, you were supposed to get this gift on your 16th birthday, but with your mother''s Illness progressing, everything was put on hold. We''ll talk more after the funeral. But listen, Kenan, after you take this elixir, you will be far more extraordinary than any Superior you know.


    ***


    Kenan was currently in his room at his Aunt''s house. He''s been living with her since his mother was on life support. Kenan and his mother lived in many different places in the city, so he had no ties to where he laid his head. His Aunt Aria had a nice condo, and he came to call this place home for the last two years.


    Kenan continued holding the note while holding a vial-like tube glowing slightly purple. He read over the note again. ("My son, now that you have come of age, I want to give you this gift. Your mother knows not to give you any Superior Elixir than this one. This is one that no one on Bethal Pasture can produce by normal means. With this, your chances of finding me will increase dramatically. I''m sorry for not being there for you. Please forgive me and find me. Never forget, my son, that I love you and your mother more than I can ever express.)


    Kenan read the note 3x already and still couldn''t believe the words. "Where did that old man even run off too? Aunt Aria said everything would make sense after I took this elixir. But that sounds oddly suspicious. Does it have to do with becoming a Superior? Kenan thought.


    Superiors were humans who had extraordinary powers, from super speed to turning invisible. The elixir would activate current cells in the body to grant that person an ability; it was completely random sometimes for most but people with the same bloodline typically got the same ability; none knew what ability they would get. Others in the past have tried to take a second elixir and literally exploded, so gaining more than one ability was completely unheard of.


    "So what makes this Superior Elixir so different?" Kenan wondered. He then gets up and heads to the living room to ask his Aunt. She was on the couch watching a crime show, as always. He sat on the other end of the couch and raised the elixir. "Do you know what this is? Like exactly?


    Aria''s jaw dropped, and she put her popcorn on the table. "So you''re finally going to take it, please, take it in front of me. I want to see what ability you get. She said, her eyes not leaving the vile".


    "What makes it so special?" Kenan asked again.


    "Oh right, this is an SSE, a Superior Sentient Elixir. This grants you a superior ability and awakens you as a Sentient." Cynthia said.


    Kenan''s eyes got wide. "Awake me as a Sentient!? But how is that possible? Getting a superior ability is one thing, but awakening was on a whole other level." Kenan thought.


    The Sentient were beings that harness Ruah, which allowed them to wield psionic energy. They were vastly more powerful than the Superiors. It was like comparing a pocket knife to a nuclear bomb. Some people said. They were the real protectors and Sovereigns of the planet.


    "I thought you had to have some divine intervention or revelation to become Sentient?" Kenan said.


    "You usually do; revelation is usually the most common, which is why artists (Orcales) have become some of the world''s richest people. Whether through a painting or music, they will get recognition beyond measure if they get someone to awaken. But there is a secret that the flock are unaware of." Aria said.


    Kenan raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"


    "After a Sentient reaches a current Realm, they can pass on their Ruah to a blood relative. Ensuring their bloodline always has a Sentient in it." Aria explained.


    "What are Realms? Realms in what? Is that what my dad did for me?"


    Aria nods her head. "Yes, plus mixed with a Superior Elixir, it makes it the most valuable elixir a person could ever have."


    "That old man must be pretty powerful. It''s good to know that no one will hunt me down for this since it''s catered towards me. Kenan says as he opens the vile and consumes the purple glowing liquid.


    Kenan didn''t feel anything at first but then started to feel like he was on drugs, something like a tickle on his brain. Then it suddenly stopped, the room became clearer, and his body felt abnormally lighter. He could react to anything, but his Aunt tossed a writing pen directly between his eyes before he could react. Before it could touch him, he caught it in his hands.


    "It worked! Aria says, clapping her hands in excitement.


    "Since when could you throw a pen so fast? That could have drawn blood," Kenan complained. He then looked at his hand, which was covered in silver. He then realized it was the rest of his exposed skin. "Oh, what happened to me?"


    Panic started to set in as he realized he could potentially be stuck like this . "Am I going to be a trapped in this metal skin suit forever?!" He thought


    "Relax, it''s your superior ability! Aria said, pushing her glasses up and nodding her head. She gets up from the couch and starts inspecting Kenan. "Wow, it looks like you completely covered yourself in this steel. This is a pretty high defense ability. I can''t wait to see what you can do with it.


    Kenan started to calm down once he realized it was his ability that was the cause of him being covered in silver. "Now that I think about it, I think this ability will serve me well. It does feel like it was custom-tailored for me. He says as he grips his fist. He then exhales, and his dark brown coco-like skin returns.


    "That''s was scary for a second I thought I wasn''t able to control it at first"


    "His ability is complicated from the look of it, but he controls it pretty easily just now. Is that just off of pure instincts? He sure is his father''s child. Aria thought.


    "Let me remind you that becoming a Superior is nothing compared to being Sentient. Which you now are. Have you noticed? She asked.


    Kenan looked up from his fist and gave a small grin.

 Chapter 2: The Ring

    That night, Kenan and Aria talked all night. Mainly Aria, she was already a member of the Shepherds. She was in the scientific technology sector, so she talked Kenan''s ear off about how great of a drug his elixir truly was.


    The Shepherds are an organization designed to protect the masses from all threats in the country. All its members either had superior abilities or were Sentient beings. Only the most powerful of people can join the organization.


    "It has always been my dream to join the Shepherds and protect people like my parents, and now I''ll finally have the opportunity. That old man may be a deadbeat, but he knows how to give gifts." Kenan says in a low voice


    "He does! The elixir wasn''t the only thing he and your mother left you. There is also a training regimen for you to follow before the entrance exam." Aria spoke.


    "I''m already on a training regimen. I have been my whole life. You know that old man is a martial arts fanatic." Kenan says, rolling his eyes.


    Kenan¡¯s father, Malachi, was a simple man who valued respect, the protection of the weak, and the test of strength. He had Kenan in boxing before he could properly write his name. There were many videos of Malachi demonstrating fighting techniques and breath control, you name it. Kenan always felt like his father wasn¡¯t truly dead because he had so many videos of him he could look back on.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure if it''s a training regiment like the ones your father left you in those videos, but I know I was supposed to give it to you if you absorbed the Elixir. I was told this training material was key to your development and equally as important as the elixir.¡± Aria said, nodding while pushing up her glasses from her nose.


    ¡°Ok, so where is it now, then?¡± Kenan questioned.


    ¡°We have to pick it up tomorrow from your safety deposit box at the bank. That¡¯s when we also will have to sign some papers so you can get your inheritance money.¡± Aria said.


    ¡°Sounds good to me. I¡¯m going to head to sleep now if I don¡¯t. I¡¯ll be up all night anxious about tomorrow.¡± Kenan then headed to his room and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.


    Aria continued to look in the direction Kenan had walked and sighed. ¡°Malachi, you stupid man, why would you leave your wife and child? Most men would kill to have what you have here. I hope that boy does give you a good whoopin'' when he sees you again. She murmured. She continues to remind herself of Ashanti¡¯s warning.


    ¡°Aria, I don¡¯t have much longer I have to live, but you must promise me to help finish raising Kenan,¡± Ashanti said, speaking in a weak voice


    ¡°But he¡¯s practically a young man at this point. How much more can I do? He''s 16.¡± Aria said.


    ¡°He only looks like a young man. He is still a boy. Who is still moddable to the outside world. I¡¯m afraid that my death will turn his heart cold towards his father, and he will be hell-bent on revenge. Which can easily turn him into a monster.¡± She took Aria¡¯s hand into hers. Her grip was weak but strong enough to let Aria know she needed further attention. ¡°Malachi is a light-hearted man who is very hard to anger. So, his being overwhelmingly powerful wasn¡¯t a threat to the continent. But Kenan is different; sadly, he took after me. Do you know what I did as soon as I awakened and found the men who kidnapped me? Aria nods her head and swallows hard.


    ¡°That is what you have to prevent my son from turning into. So, I¡¯m asking you never to reveal the cause of my death and the reason why I overused my abilities. He will have enough enemies as it is.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t tell him anything,¡± Aria said as her eyes began to water.


    Ashanti lies back on the bed and looks up at the ceiling as if she can see through it and into the sky. ¡°This wasn¡¯t the plan; we should have raised Kenan together like we said we would, and then we all could have left together. Now, we will both leave a boy with all the talent and potential in the world on a half-forged path. God, please forgive us and not let my son¡¯s heart harden.


    Aria wipes tears from her eyes. ¡°I will not let you down, Ashanti; your son will grow up to be exactly the man you want him to be.¡±


    ***


    Kenan looked at the solid black ring in confusion. He held it up for The Banker and Aria to see. ¡°Do they want me to give this to my future wife or something? Why was this left in the lockbox? Kenan Questioned.


    The banker in the suit shrugged his shoulders. ¡°They didn¡¯t say anything specifically about that in the Will.


    Kenan turned to his aunt. ¡°That could be what your parents were talking about with the training regiment. Everything else is completely ordinary.


    Kenan looked down at everything in the storage box and had to admit that she was right. He had his grandfather watch from his father. He had at least a small stack of Cybercoins, his family tree archive journal, and his mother''s antique music box. All of the rest of the items were completely normal.


    ¡°Well p, put it on. Maybe something interesting will happen,¡± Aria said.


    Kenan didn¡¯t hesitate and did just that. As soon as he did, a Purple holographic screen appeared before his head. [Welcome Kenan Ogun]. Kenan flinched a little as the screen popped up. He could see out of the corner of his eye that the Banker had no reaction to the screen popping up. ¡°So only I can see this thing?¡±


    [After reading your brainwaves and your DNA, the system has determined you are the heir to the Ogun family.]


    [You will now have access to all of the features and information within the device.]


    [Error]


    [Device access has been restricted due to the Ruah Level not being high enough]


    [Error]


    [Device has been further restricted due to user Sentient Mediation Realm]


    [Error]


    [Further Restrictions are put in place that will not be disclosed to the user at this time]


    [Welcome Kenan Ogun to the Family Archive system]


    The Banker and Aria look at Kenan while he looks off into space, his eyes moving up and down ever so slightly.


    ¡°I guess that I was wrong then? Nothing happened?¡± Aria said.


    ¡°Eh¡±


    Before Kenan could reply, Aria spoke again as if she hadn¡¯t heard him. ¡°All right, just take what you want, and let''s go. I''m hungry.¡± She was already walking towards the door.


    Kenan took his grandfather''s watch and left the rest. He was afraid he would lose or destroy the rest. Once they were outside of the bank. Kenan whispered. ¡°What was that about? You know, don¡¯t you?


    She ignored him and started talking in a high, above-average tone. ¡°Well, now that you''re loaded with that inheritance money, why not treat your aunt to a good meal?


    Kenan awardly chuckled. ¡°Ahh, ok, well, you''re driving, so take us somewhere to fill our bellies to our heart''s content.


    They both got into Aria''s luxurious magnetic car and blasted away. Once they were far enough from the bank, Kenan looked at his aunt until she explained herself.


    ¡°That ring your father gave you is top-of-the-line psionic technology. I wasn¡¯t sure at first, but you started acting weird, like you were seeing things, and then I knew my hunch was right. Your Parents were powerful and known throughout the Shepherd''s organization. But they have stepped on influential families'' toes. We must be careful not to disclose any unnecessary information about you.


    "Are we going to go eat at a fancy dinner?" Kenan said.


    Aria turned to him quickly with a serious expression. "Of course, we are because you''re loaded."


    "That''s true. But why were we living in such common housing if my parents had so much money? He questioned.


    Aria laughed. "Both of your parents were simple people; they didn''t need any of the flashiness and attention money would bring. The neighborhood you grew up in is the neighborhood myself and your mother talked about living in when we were at the orphanage. The exact one . . ."


    Kenan turned and looked at his Aunt. There were no blood ties between them, but she and his mother grew up together, and he didn''t know of anyone else his mother regarded as family. His father''s family was an entirely different story he didn''t want to think about.


    "Thank you for taking me in, auntie. We may not be blood, but our bond is thicker than that."


    Kenan instantly regretted his decision because she started crying again and trying to hug him while driving.

 Chapter 3: The Breath of God

    The next morning, whenever Kenan had the morning to himself, he reflected on his conversation with his Aunt. There was so much more to his mother''s childhood that he wasn''t aware of, and he knew more about his mother than he ever thought possible. ¡°I''ll have to thank Aunt Aria again for the stories of my mother. I''ll make sure to take care of her like she is my own mother. I''m sure that''s what they would want, plus it Is the right thing to do. He nodded to himself.


    ¡°Now let''s look at this system again; sadly, it is not what I thought it was,¡± Kenan says, opening up the system.


    [Ogun Archive System]


    A purple holographic screen appeared in front of him.


    ¡°I thought this would be an almighty system that granted me power beyond my wildest dreams, like in Webnovels, but none of the features seem to have anything like that in their nature. Kenan thought about looking through them.


    [Ogun Archive System]


    [Meditation Realm] [Analyze] [Superior Database]


    ¡°There are probably more features, but the first time I activated the system, there were a ton of restrictions put on it. I should go through each one to see what they do. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t the system say that I was the heir to the Ogun Family? That shouldn¡¯t be right. My dad said he gave all that up whenever he married my mom.¡±


    Kenan clenched his jaw and tightened his face at the thought of his extended family. They treated his mother like nothing less than trash. It was different. Whenever he was younger, he remembers playing with his cousins at family gatherings and his mother talking to some branch family members. He¡¯s not sure what exactly happened. His mothers told him that the treatment from his father¡¯s family was too much for her, and he hadn¡¯t seen them since the last time he¡¯d seen his dad.


    ¡°Whatever, if my dad wanted me to have this, then no one would take it from me.¡±Kenan thought. He opened the Meditation Realm feature within the system.


    [Meditation Realm]


    [User: Kenan Ogun]


    [Mediation Realm: Consciousness]


    [Meditation Stage: 1st Stage -Woke]


    ¡°OK, so what does all of this mean? I know that the Sentient are beings who can use the Psionic arts through Ruah, but everything else is treated with ultimate secrecy. Even my parents didn¡¯t share anything. Maybe you have to be in the club to know the club''s secrets or something like that. Is that all of the information they are willing to give me?


    Kenan tried to toggle [Mediation Realm: Consciousness], and to his surprise, more information popped up.


    [Consciousness is the first Realm that a Senintent goes through upon awakening. It is the transition from one of the Slumbered to Sentient. This is why the first Realm is called Consciousness because the wielder is Conscious of the power of Ruah.]


    Kenan nods his head. That makes sense when laid out that way, but what is Ruah? It seems pretty important for me to know. A definition appeared on the purple hollow graphic screen before him as if the system was reading Kenan''s thoughts.


    [Ruah: The breath of life that resides in all living things. Some believe it is the very breath of God himself. All Sentient beings must harness Ruah to advance to the next meditation stage and realm.]


    ¡°This is a lot of information to absorb. I''m lucky I have the system. Ok, so Ruah is how the Sentient continually gets stronger. But how does the Psionic arts come into play? Kenan waited for an answer. But the system didn¡¯t reply. Kenan starts to eat the breakfast he prepared since his aunt has already gone to work.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Maybe I have to think of a more direct question. What is Psionic Energy, and what are the Psionic Arts? This time, Kenan heard a small ding that sounded like a notification bell.


    [Psionic Energy: This is Energy that is activated through the brain cells that have been charged with the power of Ruah.]


    [Psionic Art/Techniques: is psionic energy manipulated in a specific way to give the users an extraordinary result.]


    ¡°Alright, well, that''s more information than I can handle. That''s enough of this info, dumb. I gotta go pre-register for today. Kenan said. He wiped his mouth and stretched until he grew an inch taller. He got his keys and then headed towards the nearest Shepherds Center.


    ***


    Calvin Knight was a Shepherd''s recruiter, and he didn¡¯t expect much from this part of the city. It was section three, after all, and nothing came out of section three of pretty much any city you went to. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not entirely true; they did have some heavy hitters come out 20 years ago. Oh, and then there was that one guy. Didn¡¯t all three of them grow up in the same orphanage or something? He thought.


    Before he could connect the dots, a young man showed up. This kid looked no older than 20 and had a sturdy build. Calvin thought he looked promising. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this kid had super strength. He sure hoped he did. Calvi hadn¡¯t had that many promising recruits this year, and if he didn¡¯t get a good prospect, they would send him back out in the field, and he was honestly too old for that. Which is why he decided to be a recruiter in the first place.


    The Standards for the Shepherds were high. Anyone could get a cheap Superior elixir for the low price of three average families¡¯ incomes. Still, the ability they would get wouldn¡¯t always be useful, at least not for the Shepherds. Like, let''s say, a superior that had the ability to see through walls. That¡¯s not necessarily a useless ability, but it would be better to work in the police department or become a surgeon. Shepherds are protectors of the masses, aka the Flock from the Fiend. Fiends are powerful in their own right, and the shepherds didn¡¯t need a guy who could see through walls, at least not in abundance.


    Cole sat up from his desk and gave this kid some attention. ¡°My luck has to change with this kid. I can¡¯t be on a losing streak forever, right?¡± He thought. ¡°So what is your name, kid, and what''s your superior ability?


    ¡°My name is Cole, sir, and my superior ability is Heat vision.¡± The kid said.


    Cole smiled at Calvin''s answer. ¡°Now, that is something that the Shepherds could use!¡± Cole thought. He got up from his desk, walked over, and grabbed Cole by the shoulder as he looked at his fellow recruiter, Nelson. ¡°Look Who''s luck finally turned around. I¡¯ll get that bonus if I can recruit this kid. he thought.


    ¡°Wow, heat-vision is pretty powerful; you might just get a scholarship with an ability like that,¡± Cole said.


    ¡°Really! That would be awesome!¡± Cole said, smiling ear to ear. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Shepherd Academy expensive? My parents broke the bank getting me a superior elixir.


    ¡°Yes, the academy tuition is a large lump sum; sadly, most scholarships go to the genius department. But luckily for you, scholarships are still given in to the few combat superiors with powerful abilities. Let¡¯s head to the training bunker and test your ability.¡±


    Calvin led Cole downstairs to test out Cole''s ability but just before they went Calvin made a mocking face to Nelson. Nelson shook his head in disappointment as a response. ¡°That Idiot always only gives the kids that look physically strong attention which is why he never recruits any geniuses. Most of the muscle-head kids have the lamest superior ability anyway. The field has taught him nothing. Nelson shook his head again. Just when he was getting ready to pack up and go the bell to the entry door went off again and a kid came in looking around. He was wearing a name-brand navy blue and white sweatsuit with running shoes. He had dark almond brown skin and his hair was in 360 waves.


    Nelson never usually judged a book by its cover but this kid clearly came from money with a sweat suit like that. He looked like he worked out regularly but wasn¡¯t shaped like a bodybuilder like he and Calvin are used to seeing. ¡°This kid is kinda built like a fighter,¡± he thought. Before he could think any more of it the kid spoke again trying to get his attention.


    ¡°Is this where I register for the entrance exam for the Shepherds Academy? The kid asked.


    Nelson got you to greet the young man as he shook his hand he asked ¡°You got a name?¡±


    The young man replied with the last Surname Nelson would have thought of. ¡°Kenan Ogun.¡±


    ¡°OGUN!?¡± Nelson thought to himself. To his surprise, he kept his poker face and pointed to his desk in the office. ¡°You¡¯ve got the right place. Please have a seat, Mr.Ogun.¡±

 Chapter 4: The Spar

    Nelson was a recruiter with a good eye, but he had to admit that this was all luck. This kid was an absolute monster, even with the weight the Ogun name already carried. He looked back up at the young man in front of him. ¡°Is he an illegitimate son of the Main Ogun family? How in the world is he in this part of the Pasture?¡± Nelson thought.


    ¡°So there¡¯s a cost for the entrance exam and for tuition are your finances in order for you to pay for that?¡± Nelson asked.


    Kenan nodded. ¡°I planned on paying today if that¡¯s ok.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, but first, I have to assess your abilities. What is your superior ability? Nelson asks. Then he leans in closely so he doesn¡¯t miss a word Kenan says.


    ¡°I can turn my skin into steel.¡± Kenan raises his hand, and a metallic coating starts covering his exposed skin, including his face. ¡°My aunt says it¡¯s a biosteel because it can¡¯t be magnetized. It¡¯s not just my skin but my whole self, if that makes any sense. I¡¯m also a Sentient.¡±


    Nelson decompressed a little. ¡°Ok, so he¡¯s not from the real Ogun family. Most of their family members have a current superior ability. Either way, this kid still had an outright strong ability. Plus, he was Sentient; people like him are only found in the center of the Pasture. ¡°I¡¯ll get a promotion for recruiting this kid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great ability! Let¡¯s go do some tests and then get your paperwork sent off. You¡¯re already more than qualified to join since you¡¯re a Sentient, but since you¡¯re a superior too, we need to know what your limitations are for your ability. Nothing too extensive, just the basic need to know.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sounds good, let¡¯s do it,¡± Kenan said excitedly. ¡°I should have tested this myself, but now¡¯s as good a time as any.¡±


    They walked down 5 flights of stairs before they got to the bottom. ¡°In a big city like this, you can¡¯t be over-cautious when testing someone¡¯s power. Kenan thought.


    Once they got to the training room, Kenan saw another teenager with a recruiter. He had visible muscles throughout his dark red, dry-fit shirt. Dreadlocks that touched his shoulder and a face that looked like he was lifting a heavyweight. If it wasn¡¯t for the drone that melted away from his heat vision. Kenan would have thought the guy was taking a poop.


    He couldn¡¯t contain his laughter, so he pointed and said, ¡°Dude, are you alright? You look like you¡¯re constipated.¡± Kenan held his gut from his laughter.


    Calvin and Nelson both couldn¡¯t help but smile because what the kid said had some truth to it. The young man quickly regained his composure after realizing he looked like he was mentally straining himself too much.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Shut your mouth before I shut it for you.¡± The young man snarled.


    Calvin put his hand on the young man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Cole, you did well. A range of almost 20 feet isn¡¯t bad for your superior ability.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not likely to happen,¡± Kenan said. He clenched his jaw and gave a smirk.


    Cole shook his shoulder to get Calvin¡¯s hand off of it. Then started walking over to Kenan. Cole was 6¡¯ 4, and Kenan was 5¡¯ 9, so Cole looked down on him and then pointed a finger at his chest. ¡°You think you¡¯re all big and bad because you come from money? My parents worked their butts off to give me an opportunity to join the Shepherds. Not everyone has the privileges of others.


    ¡°I don¡¯t come from money!? I live almost less than 10 mi from here.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Everyone in the room said.


    Kenan looked down at himself. ¡°Are these workout clothes that expensive? I just bought what I thought looked good. I should be more responsible with my money in the future, " he thought.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, I don¡¯t even know you. Kenan hissed. Slapping Cole¡¯s hand away.


    Both young men mean-mugged each other. Before any of them could say anything else, Calvin posed a question: ¡°Why not the both of you spare? It would not only let the both of you blow off some steam, but we could also have a better understanding of your abilities in combat.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, Calvin, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea because Kenan here is actually-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Both young men said before Nelson could finish his sentence.


    Nelson puts his head in his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s pray to God that Kenan knows some level of restraint.


    ***


    Cole and Kenan were standing in front of each other, both in their fighting stances with their arms raised. ¡°On my mark, you can begin. Do not forget that this is just a spare, and you¡¯re not to kill your opponent. Before the match gets too out of hand, myself or Calvin will intervene. Do you understand?¡± Nelson said, looking between the two of them.


    The young men nodded, not looking away from each other for a moment. ¡°This kid is such a liar with clothes like those there¡¯s no way he¡¯s living here in section three. I bet he thinks that we¡¯re all a bunch of pushovers. My family has one of the most famous dojos here in this part of the city. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s on my level.¡± Cole thought.


    ¡°BEGIN,¡± Nelson said. Cole was the first to attack, raising his leg for a kick faster than Kenan anticipated. ¡°Dang, that was a pretty impressive kick. I thought those muscles were just for show,¡± Kenan thought. He started activating his ability. ¡°AHH,¡± Cole screamed.


    He retracts his leg and wobbles backward while still keeping his hands up. ¡°You have an elemental mimicry ability?! How do you have such luck? Unless there is another determining factor? Cole spoke.


    ¡°Who is this kid, Nelson?! And where did you find him!? Cole demanded.


    ¡°He walked in today. Moments for this other kid did.¡± Nelson replied.


    This time, Kenan charged Cole. ¡°I probably could cripple this kid, but the point is to teach him a lesson, not scar him for life.¡± Kenan thought as he sent two straight jabs and an uppercut at Cole. To Kenan¡¯s surprise, he dodges all of them. ¡°He managed to dodge my uppercut? I might have to take this guy seriously.


    Before Kenan could send another combination to Cole. Cole¡¯s eyes started to glow orange. Kenan was no genius, but even he could figure that this clearly indicated that a blast was getting ready to come out of his opponent¡¯s eyes. Kenan followed Calvin¡¯s line of sight, dodging his heat vision at the last second. ¡°It¡¯s pretty hard to control my reflexes directly. I need to train more with my new reflexes. But I definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge that if I wasn¡¯t.¡± Kenan thought. He counterattacks with a sidekick to Cole¡¯s torso that lands.


    ¡°Point,¡± Nelson says, pointing at Kenan. Rest for the next round. The next point that Kenan gets, he wins,¡± he says, reminding Cole.


    ¡°It¡¯s either he¡¯s going easy on me, or it¡¯s more difficult to turn his body into steel within a short time. Either way, this kid is the real deal. I thought I was the toughest kid my age. It¡¯s a bigger world than I thought.¡± Cole thought as he held his side. ¡°You better not be pulling your punches. I don¡¯t need you looking down on me.¡±


    ¡°Trust me when I tell you you want me to,¡± Kenan says with a straight face.


    Cole tightens his fist at Kenan¡¯s words. ¡°All of the hard work I put in just be looked down upon by someone with a better background. No, I¡¯ve come too far. I will not let my parents down.


    Cole got in his ready stance and waited for Nelson to give the signal.


    ¡°I can only send my heat vision 20 feet for almost 4 seconds if I¡¯m lucky. But it¡¯s the activation time that takes too long. My opponent knows as soon as my eyes glow, which is why he was about to dodge. So I should either delay it or shoot it within the moment they change. Either way, this guy is going down this time.¡±

 Chapter 5: The Spar 2

    Begin!¡± Nelson said


    The moment that the words left Nelson¡¯s mouth, a blast of heat vision came from Coles¡¯s eyes. Kenan wasn¡¯t fast enough to react, but his reflexes were fast enough to activate his ability to cover his body completely in silvery steel again. The blast easily went through Kenan¡¯s hoodie but didn¡¯t penetrate his skin.


    ¡°My goodness, his heat vision blast just now was way hotter than I expected. I can feel the heat on my insides. It would have gone through me if it had been normal skin. Let¡¯s not prolong this any further.¡± Kenan tries to close in, but Cole keeps holding him back with his kicks, maintaining his distance.


    ¡°I can not keep my full metal body up for long. It burns way too much energy before my head starts to hurt. I can feel a headache coming on. Next time he throws a kick, I¡¯ll go to grab it and sweep his other leg.¡± Kenan thought. He fakes a hook and waits for Cole to counterattack with a kick.


    Cole brings his leg up to counterattack but fakes it at the last second, sending a straight jab to Kenan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Point!¡± Nelson said, pointing to Cole.


    ¡°How come my heat vision bolt didn¡¯t count as a point when it hit him?¡± Cole asked.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t affect your opponent. At least not enough to stop him. So I didn¡¯t count it.¡±


    Cole Shakes his head in disappointment and doesn¡¯t bring it up any further.


    ¡°This is a match point for the both of you. Next point wins,¡± Nelson said.


    ¡°I was bluffing that kick the whole time. Of course, I¡¯m not going to do the same move twice. Does this kid think I¡¯m an amateur?¡± Cole thought.


    ¡°Did I surprise you? Like I said, you come from privilege. You probably grew up with someone to train you because you thought being a Shepherd looked cool. My parents have always wanted to be Shepherds; they respected them and admired them. They used their entire life savings to buy me the elixir that granted me power, and I will not be beaten by someone who takes their privilege for granted! Cole said. His eyes started to glow orange as he spoke. But they quickly flicker away no sooner than they came. He took in a deep breath and took his fighting stance.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know me. Like I said, I¡¯m from here and do not come from money.¡± Kenan said. He shot the blood out of his nose and then raised his fist again.


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    ¡°Begin!¡±


    Both young men charged at each other, fists at the ready to land a blow. Cole¡¯s reach was longer, and Kenan knew that, so he changed his hook punch to an uppercut when Cole was in range.


    ¡°Got you!¡± Kenan said. His punch connected with the bottom of Cole¡¯s jaw and sent him flying upwards, landing on his back.


    ¡°He moved so fast, too fast, like he had super speed for a second.¡± Cole thought, looking up at the ceiling with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up! I¡¯m Sentient, and I use my reflexes to change the trajectory of my punt at the last second. Otherwise, you MIGHT have gotten me.¡± Kenan spoke.


    Cole shot up from where he lay and pointed a finger at Kenan. ¡°I knew it! I definitely would have beat you.¡±


    Kenan throws his hand up defensively. ¡°I didn¡¯t say all of that. I mean, I still didn¡¯t use my Superior ability to its fullest.¡± ¡°Not that I know how,¡± Kenan said that last part in his head.


    ¡°Please be my friend,¡± Cole said with his fist in his other hand and bowing at the waist.


    Nelson chuckled at the display. ¡°This kid is humble; he¡¯ll go far in the future,¡± he thought.


    Calvin just rolled his eyes and walked over to Nelson, who was coming down the sparing platform. ¡°How did you know that kid was a Sentient? And how come you didn¡¯t tell me?


    ¡°He told me whenever he came in if only you had waited a moment longer,¡± Nelson joked.


    Kenan scratched the back of his head and scrunched up his face a little. ¡°He hasn¡¯t lifted his head until he¡¯s heard my reply. He¡¯s got some resolve, for sure. Plus, not too many people our age at the academy know martial arts.¡± He thought.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s watch each other¡¯s backs! Kenan said as he gave his martial arts bow in return.


    They both then rose from their bow and grabbed each other¡¯s forearms. ¡°Let¡¯s rise through the ranks together!¡±


    Kenan spoke.


    ***


    Kenan and Cole got registered for the entrance exam into the academy. Nelson told Kenan that he didn¡¯t have to take it since he was a Sentient, and they accepted them without examination or even tuition. So Kenan decided to just pay for Calvin¡¯s exam fees and tuition. Both Cole, Nelson, and Cole were shocked.


    Cole reached over and touched Kenan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can no longer be friends because of this.¡±


    Kenan raised an eyebrow. ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°Because we are now brothers. There is no other way for me to repay this debt only by becoming your brother and your sword. Your enemies are now mine,¡± Cole said, staring into Kenan¡¯s eyes.


    This made Kenan very uncomfortable, and he quickly shook Cole¡¯s hand off his shoulder. ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s fine, I guess. I always wanted a brother. It kinda sucked growing up an only child.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just money. Why do people take it so seriously?¡± Kenan thought. He starts to remember what his father said about money.


    ¡°Always remember, Kenan, while I or your mother may not think much of money. Many other people do. Money controls many people¡¯s lives, which could be due to them not having enough of it or too much. So most people respect money. We should, too, but not to the extent of others.¡±


    ¡°That old man may be a deadbeat now but he still was a good dad to me. Still, He will get this beating coming to him.¡± Kenan thought.


    After Kenan and Cole had registered for the entrance exam, Nelson and Calvin said they could leave.


    Cole clapped his hands together and turned to Kenan. ¡°Alright, bro, you


    have to have dinner at my house. I also wanted to show you my family dojo.

 Chapter 6: Shepard Council

    The Seven Shepherd Captains gathered together to have a discussion they normally wouldn¡¯t ever be having about the admissions of the candidates to Shepherd Academy.


    ¡°Why is this batch of candidates any different from last year that they would need all of our attention?¡± a voice commented.


    The Seven Captains were sitting around a large circle table. The ceiling was high, and each chair at the table had a bright light shining on it. Behind every chair was also a door at least 20 feet away from it. Seven chairs with seven doors all led up to the round table.


    The voice spoke again. ¡°Usually, these meetings are to tell us about some great threat or to congratulate someone. I feel the newest Captain of the Shepherd Council is making light of this call.


    ¡°Captain Alcon, I assure you this is something worthy of ALL our attention.¡± The feminine voice spoke.


    ¡°We have five candidates that could easily change the balance of power within our ranks. Five are from political families. The other two are anomalies. They both are Sentient Beings and Superior at the same time. This is not strange, but they are pretty much nobodies.¡± The feminine said.


    The Captains started looking around at each other without saying a word. They all understood now that this was a very important matter.


    Shepherd Captain Alcon held his hand up to his mouth, coughing slightly, and said. ¡°My apologies, Captain Amina. What do we know about the two anomalies so far?¡±


    Captain Amina looked at Alcon with eyes that could cut if it were possible. ¡°Has this fool forgotten that I¡¯m his equal even before I gained my title as Captain?¡± Amina quickly disregards the thought and gets back to the matter at hand. In real-time, only a few seconds have passed.


    ¡°The first one is named Kenan Ogun. At first, our recruiter thought that this kid was from the Ogun family, like Shepard Captain Cinder. However, the kid denies this himself. Given his location and superior ability, we have no reason to believe he¡¯s lying.¡± Amina explained.


    Everyone in the room turned to Cinder. She remained as if she was not giving any signs. She neither confirmed nor denied her relationship with this boy. Some of the captains made note of this. Others didn¡¯t care at all.


    Amina continued. ¡°The other is Named Edith Gardner; she¡¯s an Orphan with no blood relatives to speak of. The recruiter said that Edith was the strongest recruiter she had ever seen. This recruiter is getting ready to retire next year after serving 30 years.¡±


    Amina was standing in the middle of the large round table. She swiped up on her tablet and displayed the profiles of both candidates.


    ¡°It says here that the mother of Kenan is deceased and the father is deceased as well, making Aria Watts his primary guardian.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she the Vis-Captain to Prof.Network?¡± Alcon spoke.


    Now, everyone¡¯s head turned towards Prof. Network. Who was a hologram? He had a bold head with a nice clean-cut Beard. Most people thought he was way too good-looking to be the head scientist of the Pasture. He reminded people how unfair life was with his brain and his looks combined.


    The hologram of Prof.Network was very clear. The only indication that he wasn¡¯t in the room physically was the blue glow around him. Still, if one stood close enough, they would be able to see through him slightly.


    ¡°Mhmm, come to think of it, I do remember hearing her say that she had adopted her childhood friend¡¯s kid. I don¡¯t remember when she said that, though, maybe seven months ago.¡± I can¡¯t remember exactly, the professor said.


    ¡°Surprisingly enough, both of these two are from underdeveloped Cities.¡±


    ¡°Which raises the suspicion that Vis-Captain Aria could have created new ground within the superior Elixir. Alcon spoke.


    Prof. Network began to laugh. ¡°Alcon never says that again out loud. To create a Superior Sentient Elixir is vastly beyond what Bethal Pasture is capable of in terms of being able to produce one. To the people that acquire one, it is only due to them having connections outside the continent and a tremendous wealth. It would be better to try to awaken naturally as a Sentient being than abstaining from an SSE.¡±


    Some Shepard Captains nodded their heads in agreement with the Prof.¡¯s words. It was more likely for you to awaken than not only finding an elixir but finding one you would be compatible with.


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    ¡°But I¡¯m glad you have such confidence in my Vis-Captain. I¡¯ll put in a good word for you.¡± Prof. Network said.


    ¡°There will be no need for that. I just assumed because she¡¯s the highest ranking Shepard in that city and her being a chemist.¡± Alcon said to avoid eye contact with everyone in the room.


    Amina continued. ¡°I motion that these two candidates either go to my unit or Prof. Network.


    ¡°I second that motion,¡± Cinder replied.


    This sparked a question mark in everyone¡¯s minds, even those who weren¡¯t interested in the beginning.


    ¡°I¡¯ll agree with that motion as well, but only after Captain Amina explains why, just so everyone is on the same page.¡± Prof.Network said.


    ¡°Gladly, but everyone already knows what I¡¯m getting at. Prof. Network and I are the only units considered neutral. The rest of you are tied to families with wealth, power, and deep roots within our continent. It¡¯s best to get at least these two out of the equation to avoid a tip too far on either side. I¡¯m sure you all can figure out the other five for yourselves.¡±


    ¡°I agree with this motion as well,¡± Alcon spoke.


    With that, the rest of the Shepherds Captain agreed. They couldn¡¯t afford to oppose Alcon. Not directly. The only one crazy enough to do it was Amina.


    Cinder looked over at Amina and shook her head in disappointment. ¡°She¡¯s still new, but she¡¯ll quickly learn how powerful Alcon is. He¡¯s just giving her the respect she¡¯s owed due to making it amongst our ranks. When in reality, none of us here are his equal.¡±


    ***


    Kenan was homeschooled growing up, and he moved around a lot as a little kid, but he and his mother would always return to their original home, where he lived with his father. He knew Greenwood City fairly well, although he was from district three of the city. He never spent any time there now that he was older, so he was shocked to find out that there were three dojos in section 3.


    ¡°My family¡¯s dojo is the oldest of the three. We have been around for three generations now,¡± Cole said as he pointed at the building. It was a building that looked like someone had built it by hand, like every brick lay had a specific purpose that only the builder was aware of.


    ¡°The architecture is amazing. I can¡¯t wait to see the inside.¡± Kenan said.


    ¡°Alright, well, let¡¯s head in. I can¡¯t wait to tell my parents the good news,¡± Cole said. He raced in, Kenan following right behind him.


    ¡°MA!!¡± Cole shouted as he opened the double door. For a split second, Kenan thought he felt killing intent, but it wasn¡¯t directed at him but Cole.


    SMACK


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, my thick-headed son, not to shout while you¡¯re indoors! The woman shouted. Kenan could only assume that this woman was Cole¡¯s mother. She was tall for a woman and had gray strands in her long locs that were tied in a large ponytail.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Even though you were just shouting too,¡± he said the last part as more of a mumble.


    ¡°Ma, this is Kenan. He is now my brother, which I¡¯ll explain to you and Pops once he gets here,¡± Cole said. He was holding the back of his head due to his mother¡¯s blow. ¡°How is she so good at that technique?¡± he thought.


    ¡°Oh, we have a guest. Well, you should have started with that son,¡± Cole¡¯s mother said once she noticed Kenan¡¯s presence.


    ¡°I never got a chance either,¡± Cole mumbled.


    ¡°Hello, Ma''am, my name is Kenan. I just met Cole today, and although I do consider him my friend, I¡¯m not sure how serious he is about me being his brother,¡± Keanan admitted.


    Cole quickly turns to Kenan with a shocked expression. ¡°I said what I meant, and I meant what I said. I brought you here so we could do an old ceremony to honor our brotherhood. My parents can be the witnesses.¡±


    ¡°Did you get that off of one of your little anime shows? I told you not to watch stuff like that anymore. All they do is sexualize women!¡± Cole¡¯s mother shouted.


    Cole fakes a cough in his hand. ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± He fakes and clears his throat. ¡°Ma, please, you¡¯re embarrassing me.¡± He says, looking around.


    Cole¡¯s mother turns around and sees that her students have stopped practicing to see what the fuss is about. She says, ¡°Get back to work, or I¡¯ll show you the same technique I just showed my son.¡± Her students quickly go back to practicing.


    Kenan took a look around in amazement; he was in a large open area with a high ceiling and a floor. He saw melee weapons that he thought only he knew about, with punching bags that looked like you could crack your knuckles on if you hit them. It was a martial artist¡¯s heaven.


    ¡°This place is beautiful. Kenan said as he started to walk around. The first thing he went to was the bunching bags. ¡°Woah, you have gravel in some of these. No wonder your punch almost knocked me out.¡±


    ¡°I just moved up to the gravel bag this year, actually, and I think it¡¯s due to me getting the superior elixir,¡± Cole said.


    ¡°Oh, right, I forgot about Cole being the only superior in his family.¡± Kenan thought. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re saying normal humans use these?!¡±


    Both Cole and his Mother smirked. ¡°Yeah, My dad, mom, and two uncles,¡± Cole said.


    Kenan looked at the bag again and realized it was used regularly. ¡°This has got to be like a 7700-pound bag, and they have some heavier than this. His family must be absolute monsters. Only someone with super strength should be practicing with something like this,¡± he thought.


    ¡°I guess this isn¡¯t too crazy. Thanks to Aunt Aria, I have a gravity room in my gym at home. I see my dad doing something like this if he didn¡¯t have the money.


    ¡°So tell me, Kenan, do you practice martial arts?¡± Cole¡¯s mother asked.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, I know a little,¡± Kenan replied.


    ¡°Liar! A little would be an understatement, Cole said. ¡°Ma, he beat me, and I wasn¡¯t holding back.¡±


    Cole¡¯s mother made a surprising look at Kenan. She didn¡¯t take Kenan at first glance to be a martial artist. If anything, he would have thought he was an Oracle.


    ¡°If I may ask Kenan, who taught you martial arts.¡± Cole¡¯s mother spoke.


    ¡°My dad, I doubt you know him, though his name is Malachi Ogun.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, I would love to see you displace some of your techniques, the ones that you feel comfortable with, of course¡± Cole¡¯s, mother said.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. After all, we are in a dojo, and I wanted to look at that bow staff you¡¯ve got over there. Kenan said, walking over to the weapons rack.


    ¡°I thought he would be more reserved than most people who keep their martial arts a secret. It¡¯s either he¡¯s ignorant of the world or has enough confidence that nothing he will show us will be a serious threat to himself. Cole¡¯s mother thought.


    ¡°Alright, everyone. Clear the floor and gather around our guests who would like to educate us,¡± Cole¡¯s mother said.


    ¡°Yes, Master Autumn,¡± They all replied in unison.


    Kenan looked at these dojo disciples uniformly and approved that they wore dark gray and had different-colored ropes attached to their arms based on their level of discipline. This was just a guest Kenan made; he thought it would be weird if they had different colors with no meaning at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Good thing I¡¯m still in my workout clothes. I just can¡¯t believe these clothes self-repair. Although it does seem a little tighter on my chest from being mended, it just looks form-fitting now,¡± Kenan thought, looking at his sweat suit.


    Kenan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He started to slowly twirl the stuff back and forth across his body, getting faster and faster. It got so fast that you could start hearing the air around the staff as it continued to gain speed. Just when the disciples thought Kenan was about to fly away because of all the wind he was producing, he broke momentum and struck three times at three invisible opponents.


    ¡°Wow, that was amazing, bro. I never would have guessed you chose staff for your weapon.¡± Cole said.


    The rest of the disciples, who were mainly 10 to 14 years old, started giving applause and cheers. Master Autumn, Cole¡¯s mother, would scold them for their lack of discipline. But even she had to admit it was an impressive feat. ¡°I bet only Cole and I saw those three moves in their entirety. It wasn¡¯t anything special per se. But it was executed, I dare say, perfectly. ¡°This boy must


    have been trained since he could probably lift his arms. Which can only mean one thing. There¡¯s a man out there just as crazy as my husband.¡±

 Chapter 7: Zombie with No Teeth

    It wasn''t as formal as Kenan thought it would be. He and Cole were drinking an alcoholic beverage together and cheering each other up. It didn''t even work, though, because he and Cole were Superiors, and the poison didn''t work on them, at least not alcohol, that is.


    Cole''s dad was everything that Kenan expected him to be, a broad man with long locs and an animalistic grin. He looked like an older version of Cole. There was no denying they were father and son. Almost to the point, one would think Cole didn''t even have a mother. Mr. Justus Cole''s Father wanted to fight Kenan, of course, but Kenan refused. He knew men like Mr.Justus too well and knew that once they started, he wouldn''t stop until he saw everything Kenan had.


    ¡°I better start heading home and start preparing for the Academy by Monday,¡± Kenan said. He started to slowly inch his way to the door.


    ¡°Please show me some more of your techniques. I want to implement them into my own style.¡± Mr.Justus said.


    ¡°Hannibal let the boy go. He and your son are sworn brothers now, and you''ll surely see him again. Mrs. Justus said.


    A frown appears on his face. ¡°Ah, alright, whatever you say, wife,¡± Hannibal said.


    ¡°Just message me, bro, and I''ll come by so we can leave for the academy together,¡± Kenan said.


    Cole threw his hand up, acknowledging what Kenan said, but went back to looking into space.


    ¡°There''s no way he''s drunk from that drink. We can''t get drunk. Which is probably why his parents didn''t mind. It must be a placebo in his mind or something.¡± Kenan thought as he headed out of the door.


    It didn''t take Kenan long to reach the condo where he and his aunt lived downtown. Greenwood City was three cities in one; each had its own downtown area. Section 3 of Greenwood was the least devolved of the three sections because it was the newest, which also means it has the most crime. Cities that expand and try to attract more people tempt them with affordable housing and ¡°protection¡± from the Fiend.


    The outside world in the Pasture was dangerous with the Fiend war going on, and humans'' only protection was from the Shepherds and the cities they protected.


    Kenan was getting ready to pull up the Archive System when a scream broke out. He quickly turned in the direction of the scream and saw a lady with a shocked expression pointing in an alley. Everyone in the vicinity started to rush over to look at what she was pointing at.


    A man was the first one to see what the scream was about. If anyone could see his face at the time his eyes locked on to the scene he was looking at, they would see all the blood leaving his face.


    *CRUNCH


    *Break


    *Slurp


    It was a human with gray skin and white hair hunched over a corpse, eating it like it hadn''t eaten in days.


    The man who first came on the scene after the woman''s scream was petrified by what he was looking at. It wasn''t until the gray human looked up with its white eyes that had no pupils in them that the man was shocked out of his stupor.


    ¡°I-its a Fiend ZOMBIE. RUN.¡± He says in a panic. In his frenzy to run for his life, he nearly pushes the woman who first called for help.


    Just like when a light in a kitchen is turned on, everyone scurries away in a panic like a bunch of cockroaches.


    Zombies, we''re a low-class Fiend one knew that, but one bite is all it takes to get infected and transform.


    In the midst of all the panic, somehow, Kenan was able to put a smile on his face. ¡°He is the perfect opponent for me to test my new abilities on without me holding back.¡±


    He rushed over In the opposing direction everyone else was headed in and laid eyes on the walking corps, tackling a man down and attempting to bite his face off. Luckily, the man had a briefcase to defend himself.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Kenan greets the zombie with a kick to the face, with him running at full speed. Right before his leg made contact with the zombie, he transformed his entire body into metal, easily crushing all the teeth in the zombie''s skull.


    Kenan retracted his leg as he saw the zombie tumble backward. ¡°A zombie without teeth. That''s about the saddest thing I ever heard of. He chuckled to himself. He glanced back over to the men he had just saved but was nowhere in sight.


    The grey zombie looked in Kenan''s direction and gave what Kenan assumed was a growl. Although it sounded more like a toddler trying to imitate the roar of a grizzly bear.


    ¡°Sir, I need to remind you that eating people is actually against the law. Well, unless they don''t pay their taxes.¡± Kenan joked.


    The zombie gave no reply and started lounging at Kenan, which was assumed to be an attack. Kenan fluidly dodged out of the way not entirely due to skill but because Zombies were mindless creatures with no hand-eye coordination.


    ¡°I thought I heard that Zombies are supposed to be super strong due to not having that limiter on the human brain.¡± Kenan thought.


    [Correct! Fiend Zombies Class 1 have peak human strength. If they get a hold of you, it will be difficult to get away.]


    Kenan raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Does this thing work as an encyclopedia?¡±


    No reply from the system.


    After a few more dodges, Kenan grabs the zombies'' wrists. ¡°Let''s see how strong a peak human actually is.¡±


    The zombie began to try to break free from Kenan''s grip, but to his surprise, he struggled for a few seconds.


    ¡°So Zombies are as strong as Superiors. If these things had any kind of intelligence, they could be a pretty big problem,¡± Kenan thought. A breath later, Kenan headbutted the leathery gray corpse. As it staggered backward and tried to reorient itself, it met a silver metal fist coming straight to its face, which was the last thing it saw.


    The blood from the zombie was solid black, almost like ink. Kenan had it all over his fist. He starts to flick it off his hand as he looks down at the zombie skull he caved in. ¡°That felt way too easy. I could have done the same thing whether I was a Superior Sentient or not.¡±


    [Superior Sentient Integration complete]


    [Congratulations on fully adapting your legacy ability]


    [You have unlocked the Legacy Feature]


    [This feature allows you to fully integrate your Superior ability with your Sentiment Advancement]


    Kenan quickly swipes away the notification as his heart begins to race. ¡°I don''t even have time to think about that right now. I need to get out of here. The last thing I want is for the police or the local shepherds to ask me questions. Kenan thought as he pulled his hood up and started jogging back home.


    ***


    Kenan was acting paranoid until his aunt came home. As soon as she walked through the door, he told her everything that had happened with the zombie in the alley and about the notification he¡¯d gotten.


    Aria looked puzzled at the beginning, then broke into a light laugh. ¡°Well, it''s not illegal to kill a Fiend Zombie Kenan, but using your superior ability to do it can be. Still, it''s not like you made it explode, damaging property or injuring people. Right? She asked.


    Kenan nods. He begins setting up the table for tea.


    ¡°As for the last part of the notification, it''s not surprising that most Superiors Sentience tailor their Neural paths to whatever abilities they have. This is mainly done within the Elder Families because it''s only them who can even pass on or create a Superior Sentient unless you awaken yourself.¡± Aria explained. She starts to blow on the tea that Kenan just served, then takes a sip of it.


    ¡°Speaking of Elder families, they will be there at the academy too. At least three of your cousins will be there.¡±


    Kenan scoffs. ¡°The only family I have left is you and that deadbeat of a father I have. I have no family that treats my mother like trash.¡±


    After Chatting a bit longer and eating pizza Kenan went off to his room to look over the new feature he had within his system.


    ¡°I have been neglecting diving into this system. I just can''t get over the fact that it''s from that old man who abandoned us. No matter what the excuse, he''s going to taste this fist.¡± Kenan thought.


    Kenan activates the system by just thinking about it.


    [Ogun Archive System]


    [Meditation Realm] [Analyze] [Superior Database] [Legacy]


    ¡°I should look into Superior Database as well before I go to the academy, but now let''s just focus on this legacy Feature,¡± Kenan says as he kicks his legs onto his desk.


    [Legacy Feature:]


    [Superior Ability Advancement and Augmentation]


    [Psionic Arts] [Locked]


    [Psionic Implants] [Locked]


    Kenan nearly falls out of his desk when looking at the last tab on the screen: ¡°PSIONIC IMPLANTS. How is that even possible!?¡±


    This is the most advanced technology humans have ever created. It allows one to be a Sentient without having any Ruah in the body, the ultimate hack.¡± Kenan starts to clench his jaw. He did this when he was getting overwhelmed.


    ¡°In the long run, the most important feature is probably the Psionic arts; it''s not like I have anyone around to teach me directly.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, let''s get to the matter at hand.¡± Kenan toggled [Superior Ability Advancement and Augmentation]


    [Superior Ability Advancement and Augmentation]


    [Users Legacy ability: Organic Metal Mimicry


    [Advancement Options:]


    Specific Metal Mimicked


    Shapeshifting While Mimicking


    Metal Mimicry Transfer


    [Augmentation options:]


    Partial Mimicry


    Armor manifestation


    Growth expansion


    Kenan looks at the options and nods his head while looking at the screen. ¡°I''ve heard of Augmentations for Superior abilities before; it''s what makes people with the same ability different. Not vastly, but enough to make a difference if people with the same ability were to face off.


    Kenan looks at the advancement options. ¡°I don''t think I''ve ever heard of an advancement in a Superior ability. I think that might be leading more into Sentient territory. He starts to focus more on the first Advancement option.


    [Specific Metal Mimicked]: The ability to mimic a specific alloy of meal.


    ¡°The continent is vast, so the list of metals is extensive, but I¡¯m not trying to keep track of what metals have specific weaknesses and strengths. Next!¡±


    [Shape Shifting While Mimicked]: The user can change its form while mimicked.


    ¡°That sounds extremely vague, but the possibilities seem endless if it''s as vague as it is.¡±


    [Growth expansion]: While Mimicked, The user can grow in size to potentially 10 feet tall.


    ¡°Wow, with this ability, I would be a tank, almost literally. This one sounds the most intriguing. But what do I do with these options? Just select them and then boom it works. Kenan questioned.


    [Condition Warning !!!]


    [Everything has a price]


    [Warning: Only one advancement and augmentation can be chosen; all other options will be lost.]


    [Warning: With each augmentation and advancement chosen, the user will be issued a condition to help them acquire the abilities.]


    ¡°Aha, so this is the training that my dad had in mind. This Psionic technology is otherworldly. If anyone in the Ogun family knew, they would have my head. This is something that came from our ancestors. Kenan put


    his hand on his face. ¡°Ugh, this is too important for me not to know the exact details of. I will have to talk to one of the elders in the family.

 Chapter 8: Pride and Reprisal

    The last time that Kenan was around his Family, the Ogun, he was 11 years old, and his father had ¡°died¡± while on a mission.


    The Ogun were one of the Elder families of Bethal Pasture. Their history was vast, and they were as powerful as they were old. Few Superior Organizations outside the Shepherds would dare cross them.


    Kenan didn¡¯t know much about the families as an organization, but he knew most of the Tribunal and who were on it. There were three Elders of the Family and The Patriarch. The current patriarch is Kenan¡¯s Uncle, with whom he has never had a problem. As far as Kenan knew, his uncle didn¡¯t have a problem with him. He wasn¡¯t sure who had a problem with his father marrying his mother, which made him weary of all his relatives except the Prime Elder, his grandfather. The Prime Elder was the only one to show a measure of kindness to his mother. So he had a lot of respect for him. This is who Kenan was reaching out to now.


    Kenan Grabbed his N.C.D network communication device, placed it on his wrist, and called his grandfather. He looked at the time. ¡°By 7 am, he should be done with his morning routine by now.¡± When the call was about to timeout, a man with a small black turban and a thick white beard appeared on the projection. He looked to be in the library, surrounded by books with a coffee on his desk. His face lit up with joy once he saw Kenan on his end of the projection. He sat his book down and spoke. ¡°Ah, my favorite grandchild has finally decided to call and check on me. Tell me, my boy, how have you been getting along?¡±


    Kenan couldn¡¯t help but smile at his grandfather¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t really mean he thought Kenan was his favorite grandchild; he said that to all of him and his cousins when they were the only ones around. Still, every time this old man said it, he sounded so convincing. ¡°I¡¯m doing good, Grandpa. I got Dad''s inheritance, and I have some questions about it.¡± His grandfather¡¯s face got more excited.


    ¡°So tell me what superior ability you got. That son of mine may be a knucklehead, but he does know how to give gifts.


    Kenan nods. ¡°I have a Mimicry ability to mimic metal. Auntie Aria says it¡¯s not steel but a metal she hasn¡¯t heard of. Kenan says as he transforms into his metal form.


    Kenan¡¯s grandfather¡¯s mouth dropped. He was like that for so long that Kenan thought there was a delay in the connection.


    Kenan gave a half smile. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s weird that I didn¡¯t get the Family¡¯s signature ability, seeing as Dad is the firstborn. But that¡¯s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to talk to you about this Psionic technology my dad left. It says that it¡¯s the Ogun Archive System. Do you know anything about that?


    A sigh left Kenan¡¯s grandpa. ¡°So he¡¯s gone and done that. Listen, Kenan, and listen well. That archive system you have is, in fact, a family relic, not just within our family directly.


    Kenan made a puzzled face?


    ¡°Most family members don¡¯t know this, but we are actually a branch family of the true Ogun Tribe. The main branch is somewhere on another continent. Your father must have become a powerful figure to have sent something like that to you. Just having Psionic technology here within the Pasture is a rarity. But to others outside, it could be less than nothing. There is no simple way to determine how valuable this technology is, in all honesty, unless you leave the continent, that is.


    Kenan didn¡¯t care about the origin of the technology but that his family was only a Branch family. The Ogun was vastly powerful within Bethal Pasture; he couldn¡¯t imagine any families or tribes stronger than his elsewhere.


    ¡°Okay, thanks, Grandpa. Also, thank you for allowing my mother to be buried at the family grave. I know some were against it. Kenan spoke.


    Kenan¡¯s grandfather¡¯s eyes softened as he said. ¡°Of course, she is an Ogun. There was no other place for her to be. She carried on my son¡¯s legacy, and with that, it¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Elder Elijah, your presence has been summoned.¡± a voice in the background said at the end of Kenan¡¯s grandfather¡¯s call.


    Kenan¡¯s grandfather was now known, as Elder Elijah rolled his eyes at the servant who opened the door to his study to tell him this. ¡°Just a minute,¡± he threw a hand to dismiss the servant.


    He turns back to Kenan. ¡°Whatever it is, don¡¯t brag about it to anyone. Especially your cousins. The last thing I want is strife within the Family. Also, while at the academy, try to get along with them, your uncle pushes them hard. Maybe it''s too hard, so don¡¯t make Everything a competition and support each other.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    This time, Kenan sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll at least try. I¡¯ll give you that much, Grandpa. Anyway, I¡¯ll let you go. I see that you are needed someplace. Thanks, and I¡¯ll see you after I graduate,¡± Kenan said before he cut off the call.


    Kenan thought about the last thing his grandfather said. But he could not get along with his cousins, who stood by and disrespected his mother. He managed to stop thinking and focus on the matter at hand.


    ¡°When the system first activated, it said I was the heir to the Ogun family. But after my dad turned down the patriarch position and later ¡°died,¡± that would no longer be the case.¡± Kenan shrugs his shoulders. ¡°Must be a typo then.


    Alright, it looks like it¡¯s time to make some decisions. I can think about family politics another time. Kenan activates the system with a thought.


    [Ogun Archive System]


    [Meditation Realm] [Analyze] [Superior Database] [Legacy Feature]


    [Legacy Feature]


    [Superior Ability Advancement and Augmentation]


    [Psionic Arts] [Locked]


    [Psionic Implants] [Locked]


    [Superior Ability Advancement and Augmentation]


    [Users Legacy ability: Organic Metal Mimicry]


    Advancement Options:


    Specific Metal Mimicked


    Shapeshifting While Mimicked


    Metal Mimicry Transfer


    Augmentation options:


    Partial Mimicry


    Physical Armor manifestation


    Growth expansion


    Kenan looked over the options one more time and made his two choices.


    [Advancement Choice:]


    Shapeshift While Mimicked


    [Augmentation Choice:]


    Partial Mimicry


    [ Please confirm choices:]


    [Yes] [No]


    Kenan Selected [Yes]


    ***


    After being dropped off by both of their recruiters at the train station, Kenan and Cole headed to Jacob City. The major base of operations for the Shepherds. It¡¯s also where the Shepherds Academy was located. It was the safest city on within Bethal Pasture away from the Fiend.


    Kenan looked around in their compartment coach. It was first class because instead of having cloned food like the rest of the common compartments, Cole¡¯s and Kenan¡¯s were getting served directly by a Chief.


    Kenan ordered fried catfish, green beans, and mashed potatoes, while Cole ordered Chicken and Waffles. Cole swore by it, and Kenan now understood why after trying the weird combination himself.


    ¡°So, how do you think this entrance test will be? Cole says while taking a bite of his food.


    ¡°It should be easy enough for us. We both know that most Superiors rely on their ability instead of actual combat. Kenan replied. As he takes another bite.


    ¡°Speaking of, why were you even taking the entrance test when you were a Sentient? What is that anyway, exactly? Cole asked.


    Kenan stopped eating for a moment to consider his answer. He had to think of his answer in simple terms because Cole was a simple man, much like Malaci, which is why Kenan thinks he and Cole get along so well.


    ¡°It¡¯s like being a Superior Martial Artist that continually gets stronger. There are also techniques called Psionic Arts that I don¡¯t know much about, but they are one of the devastating powers the Sentient wields.¡±


    Cole¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Woah, really, no wonder you beat me. Well, it¡¯s decided then I¡¯ll become a Sentient too.¡±


    The Chief cooking their food couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Cole¡¯s comment.


    Cole was getting ready to get up from the table until Kenan grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Relax, brother; he didn¡¯t mean any harm from it. Becoming a Sentient is no small feat. I cheated. My privilege got me to become what I am currently.¡±


    ¡°So I was right then! You are a spoiled rich kid. Cole commented.


    Kenan rolled his eyes. ¡°I was still trained to the bone day and night like you were. My parents didn¡¯t live the lifestyle they could have. I just grew up in a normal household.¡±


    Cole sat back down. ¡°Nothing is normal about having a martial artist for a father. He said in a low voice.


    Kenan nodded his head in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. But listen, since we¡¯re brothers now, your goals are my goals, and your mission is mine. If you want to be a Sentient, so be it.


    An announcement came over the train coach: ¡°Attention! We will be arriving in Redbird City in 15 minutes. Please brace for a stop and fasten your seat belts once the light comes on.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe we¡¯re moving at 500 mph. It doesn¡¯t feel like it at all.¡± Kenan thought to himself as he looked at the ground, which was speeding by him by the second.


    They approached Redbird City before they knew it. The announcer said they would be here for an hour and a half to get everyone on board. Kenan decided this was a good time for him to meditate and try to gather Ruah into his brain so that he could activate brain cells that could harness Psionic energy. He didn¡¯t know how, but he was sure it had something to do with mediation. He recalls his last conversation with his aunt right before she left.


    ¡°There is so much I can¡¯t tell you about the Shepherds. I can¡¯t even tell you what exactly I do there. But as for being a Sentient, I can tell you about that and how it correlates to you also being a Superior.¡± Aria said. She blew on her tea as she continued.


    ¡°Most people don¡¯t know that as a Superior, you already have activated brain cells in your body that produce Psionic energy. Which gives you the ability you currently possess.


    Kenan thought about it for a moment, and it made sense when he thought about it hard enough. ¡°So the Superior Elixir is just an injection of Psionic energy in the body, or is it Ruah?¡± Kenan asked.


    Aria grins and takes a sip of tea without saying a word. There was a silence that hung in the room a while before she spoke again.


    ¡°You need to know that we are the only humans in the world to create such an Elixir.¡±


    Kenan furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re telling me we¡¯re the only human nation to have Superiors?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. The Superior Sentient Elixir you took is known throughout the world. But we are the first to extract the Superior aspect of the Superior Sentient Elixir. Which is also why we call ourselves Superiors.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what does all of that have to do with me? Kenan questioned.


    Aria flicks him on the forehead. ¡°It means you already have what you need in your body to mediate and advance in your Mediation realm. In theory, all Superiors do, but that is super-classified information that will never be discussed or repeated.


    Kenan looked shocked. Then he became suspicious of his aunt''s true intentions. While it was insightful, more than he could ever imagine, this information is critical for Superiors, not someone who was blessed by someone in their bloodline.


    ¡°Auntie, are my parent¡¯s enemies so dangerous that you have given me knowledge that could effectively change the Pasture as we know it? Knowing this information you could have raised an army that could easily rival the Elder families.


    Her face changed into the most serious Kenan had ever seen in his entire life. ¡°Your Mother was the most merciless telepath to walk Bethal Pasture. She ripped the minds of all of her enemies to a degree that gave her allies nightmares. Your father was just as bad as she was and had the power to back it up. He left no man¡¯s Pride intact after facing him. Your Mother¡¯s Code Name was Reprisal 10 fold, and your Father¡¯s Pride of 10 men. Reprisal and Pride are responsible for destroying countless Superior Teriorrest groups and more specifically defacing Elder families at every chance they got. To answer your question, it¡¯s yes, Kenan. Your enemies are the most fearsome people and organizations on the continent. So the power you must wield must be no less equal than the Elder families themselves.

 Chapter 9: Sword Breaker

    Meditation was easy for Kenan to slip in and out of because he had practiced breath control since he could remember. The only thing he had to do now was gather Ruah in his mind and activate Psionic particles one at a time in his brain cells. Thinking about it that way gave Kenan a headache. He currently didn¡¯t know how many Psionic particles he needed to add to advance to the next realm, but the sooner, the better.


    An announcement came over the Coach compartment again. ¡°Train departing in 10 mins. All passengers mind the seat belt¡¯s warning sign.¡±


    Kenan opened his eyes, looking for Cole, only to see the most beautiful creature he¡¯d ever seen. She had a deep black melanated complexion, hair in Bantu knots, and eyes that could cut through any man¡¯s heart.


    They made eye contact, and Kenan completely forgot the human language. He thought he heard her speak, but only because he saw her mouth moving.


    ¡°Huh?¡± he managed to utter


    She spoke again and then gave a strange look. ¡°I said,¡± Is this the coach compartment for Shepard Cadets?¡±


    He shook his head, trying to regain his composure. ¡°Sorry, yeah, this is it. ¡°Mike over there.¡± Kenan pointed to the Chief. He¡¯ll make you anything you want.¡±


    ¡°Oh nice, anyways, were you meditating just now? The bantu beauty spoke.


    Kenan avoided eye contact and quickly looked down. ¡°Making eye contact with her is too overwhelming for my heart,¡± he said to himself. Ugh, yeah, I was. I¡¯m kind of new at it, so it feels kind of awkward for me.¡± He spoke to her.


    ¡°Are you a Sentient or a martial artist practicing your breathing? My name is Edith, by the way, she said, extending her hand.


    Kenan grabs her hand and shakes it as he introduces himself. ¡°I¡¯m Kenan, and to answer your question, I happen to be both.¡± Kenan then notices the rod-shaped cloth slung across the Bantu beauty, now Edith¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°How about you? Do you know how to use that weapon, or is it just for show?¡± He joked.


    Edith wore a surprised expression on her face. At Kenan¡¯s reply. ¡°Are you from Greenwood City? And, of course, it would be too embarrassing to carry around a weapon I couldn¡¯t use.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my sworn brother and I are,¡± Kenan said, looking around for him.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    As soon as he was mentioned, Cole appeared back on the coach. ¡°Redbird City is pretty much the same as ours, except they have more-¡± he didn¡¯t finish until he noticed Edith and Kenan holding hands still. ¡°Am I interrupting something or?¡±


    Edith and Kenan looked confused until they looked back at each other and quickly pulled away once they realized they were still holding hands.


    Kenan faked, coughed, and spoke. ¡°Cole, this is Edith. She¡¯s going to Shepherd Academy with us, and apparently, she¡¯s a martial artist.¡±


    ¡°Not apparently I am, and not only that, I¡¯m a Sentient as well.¡± She said,


    This time, Kenan made a shocked expression. ¡°And you¡¯re from Redbird City?¡±


    Edith nodded. She ordered her food and began to talk to the two strange young men. She couldn¡¯t help but think about how strange this was. Not only are they Martial Artists, but two of them are Superior Sentient Beings. Kenan and Edith were wary of each other because mainly only people from powerful families were Superior Sentient.


    So, what¡¯s your Superior ability? Cole asked. Mine is Heat vision, he said as his eyes began to glow orange.


    ¡°I have a mimicry ability. Diamond Mimicry,¡± she says as she holds up her hand, and it completely turns into diamond-like crystals along with the rest of her exposed skin.


    ¡°Wow, her ability is like yours, bro,¡± Cole said, pointing at Edith and looking at Kenan.


    ¡°Really, how so?¡± Edith asked.


    Kenan raises his hand like Edith did and activates his ability to turn himself into metal completely. ¡°Looks like you have the girlier version of my ability.¡± Kenan joked.


    They all laugh.


    ¡°You both are martial artists, so what weapons did you all train in?¡± Edith asked.


    ¡°I was trained with a two-handed cross-blade but only as a formality. My martial arts main discipline is using a fist. Cole spoke as he flexed his arm.


    ¡°A cross blade. Who in your family knows how to use one of those?¡± Kenan asked.


    ¡°My mother, of course, but she¡¯s given up the blade long ago,¡± Cole replied.


    ¡°I was trained in polearms. Mainly  Spears, Tridents, and Bo Staff. Well, Bo staff isn¡¯t a polearm, but you get the idea. Also, weirdly enough, a machete. But I think that¡¯s because my dad thought they looked cool.¡± Kenan spoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive. We should all spar sometimes whenever you both get weapons. There aren¡¯t too many people who take the combat arts seriously anymore. Edith commented.


    Both Cole and Kenan agreed. ¡°What¡¯s the weapon you got there anyways? Kenan said.


    Edith smirks as she grabs the cloth-covered weapon. As she unwraps it, she reveals a dark blue sword hilt in a black sheath.


    ¡°So I was right. She was a swordsman,¡± Kenan thought.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the appearance fool you,¡± Edith says as if reading Cole and Kenan¡¯s minds. She unsheathes the sword only


    to reveal that it wasn¡¯t a blade in the sheath but a square-shaped rod with indentions on it at every inch to half inch.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sword breaker!¡± Cole and Kenan spoke simultaneously.


    ¡°Yes, a sword breaker. I will be the nightmare of any swordsman who dares to turn a blade on me.¡±

 Chapter 10: New Cole

    Kenan couldn''t believe that Edith had wielded a sword breaker. His father told about them but only briefly. As briefly as it was, Kenan still remembered the words he had said. "Every swordsman believes that he can cut through anything until he meets someone with a sword breaker"


    After that, Kenan did his research about the weapon and found that wielders of this weapon''s whole purpose were basically to cripple and crush anyone with a sword while using a sword style of their own. He always thought of swordbreaker wielders as Anti-Swordsman.


    He was so deep in thought about the weapon that he didn''t realize that Cole and Edith were looking at him as if they were asking him a question. "What did I miss?" Kenan asked.


    "We were asking you why you want to become a Shepard?" Edith said again.


    He thought for a moment. Kenan wasn''t sure how much information he would give, mainly because Edith was here. He didn''t mind Cole, of course, because he was his sworn brother, but after some thought, this would be the last time someone would ask him this question.


    "To find worthy opponents to push me to my limit so I can cripple the man that broke my mother''s heart."


    Cole and Edith look at Kenan with soft eyes and stern faces. Then, they both gave him a nod.


    "That''s a noble cause, brother. I hope I''m there to see you fulfill it," Cole said.


    "To follow me, you''ll probably need to become a Sentient. The enemies I face will be extremely dangerous." Kenan said.


    "More dangerous than the fiend?" Cole asked.


    "Possibly," Kenan spoke.


    "So, how do I go about doing that? Is there a surefire way that works? How did you become a Sentient?" Cole turned and asked Edith.


    "I had a revelation when I was training with my swordbreaker. I was already a Superior then, though I don''t think that would matter. She said,


    Edith continued. "I heard it''s almost always a revelation that happens. This is why whenever someone gets a Revelation from the Oracle. The Oracle becomes instantly famous and wealthy. Rich people will throw all the money they can at a chance for their child to be awakened as a Sentient."


    "So I should practice my family''s Martial arts and meditate on its profound depths?" Cole questioned.


    Edith takes another bite of her food while nodding her head. "That''s what I would assume. It worked for me. Have you never done that before?


    "Not really, it''s always been more like an exercise regent than a martial art because I''ve practiced it my whole life."


    Both Kenan and Edith looked at Cole and instantly knew the real reason. He was probably taught how to meditate and ponder the style of martial arts he uses, but he ignored the teachings of his masters and only focused on performing the techniques¡ªwhich aren''t martial arts, just combat forms. Kenan bet money that Cole''s mother was the one who taught him, and he toned her out, thinking the information wasn''t important.


    "Well, there''s no use in waiting around; let''s try it out right now," Cole says as he quickly gets up from his chair.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Edith made a confusing expression. "You''re going to try to get a revelation from your material arts right now?"


    "Should there be a specific place or time for me to get a divine revelation?" Cole responded.


    Edith looked at Cole and didn''t say a word. She didn''t reply to such wise words, especially when they came from someone she assumed to be a muscled head.


    Cole processed in his martial arts form as if she had never made a comment in the first place.


    "He does that sometimes it shocks me, as well," Kenan commented.


    Edith smiles, and they watch Cole practice his stance and punches. No one expected Cole to get a Divine Revelation from randomly deciding to meditate and ponder the depth of his martial arts for the first time. This is something that should have been done at the very start of learning the art. It''s the number one contributing factor to people awakening as Sentient, aside from Oracles doing whatever creative outlet people tune into.


    When Kenan thought about it, it was strange how Cole''s family hadn''t produced a Sentient yet. He remembered Cole telling him that he was the fifth-generation practitioner of the martial art; it was good enough to get a revelation. Kenan remembers being told that the fifth-generation practitioner usually awakens unless you have a once-in-100-years genius who awakens in the third. But it never awakens in the first or second because it hasn''t been refined or practiced enough to do so.


    Kenan thought of his material art. "I wonder what generation my martial art will awaken." Before he could think any further, Kenan felt all of the Ruah energy in the room converge on Cole.


    Edith and Kenan quickly looked at each other and stood up. They weren''t sure why, but they didn''t think people should sit down when someone was awake.


    "No way, did he just-"


    "I think he did," Kenan said, cutting Edith off.


    Cole was still in fighting form and threw two more punches before he turned around and looked at his fist. Steam was coming off his body. As his muscles got leaner, the locs on his hair grew a couple of inches longer. He slowly opened and closed his fist.


    One of your primary goals as a martial artist is to control every muscle within your body and how much power flows through them, right?" Cole asked. He knew the answer already but still chose to ask it anyway.


    "Of course," Edith replied.


    "So being a Sentient through martial arts allows you to take your skills far beyond normal human limitations," Cole said, looking up from his fist. "I know exactly how much power is in my fist now, and I have 10x more confidence in controlling it."


    Cole makes eye contact with Kenan and stares intensely at him. "I want my rematch."


    ***


    A few minutes earlier


    Kenan was too distracted by the notifications and System to pay attention to Cole completely.


    [Condition Met!: See a slumbered awakening into a Sentient.]


    [You have met the requirements to have full access to the Analyze function within the System]


    Kenan Analyzed Cole, who was standing right in front of him.


    [Cole Justus]


    [Superior Sentient]


    [Superior Ability: Optic Blasts]


    [Meditation Realm: 1st Stage Consciousness.]


    [Mediation Substage: Woke]


    "Wow, this is an amazing function. I wonder if this will work on the Fiend, too?" Kenan wonders as he stares at Cole''s profile.


    "I want a rematch," Cole said.


    It finally registered in Kenan''s brain what exactly was going on. He started to look at Cole instead of at the System profile. He quickly dismissed it and pointed a finger at him. "You monster! How could you just decide to become a Sentient on a mer whem? You can''t just will your way into becoming one¡­ right." Kenan said, turning to Edith.


    She threw her hands up in disbelief. "Well, apparently so because he just did."


    Kenan examined Cole like a physician. "My body didn''t transform like this whenever I became a Sentient. Maybe this is the best physique suited for your martial arts."


    "It has to be the case; how many bodybuilders and Martial Artists have you heard of? I was shocked that he was a real martial artist, not some poser with all those flashy muscles. Edith commented.


    "But my goodness, the steam you let off has settled and left a stench. Go take a shower and change your clothes first and foremost," she said as she fanned the air away from her nose.


    "No, I want to fight here and now. We must test the weight of my new strength and abilities, brother!" Cole said while saying brother a little too dramatically.


    What Kenan felt next he couldn''t exactly describe as killing intent but just a natural predator intent like a cat and a mouse or a wolf and a sheep. For humans, it''s something only one would feel from one''s mother right before she asks you to do something, and instead of repeating herself, she gives you the look.


    This is the look Edith gave Cole. There was an audible silence in the room. "Yes, ma''am. I''ll be right back," Cole said as he sped off out of the coach car and into the next one leading to the rooms.


    Kenan looked at Edith with new eyes. "How can someone your age have that ability? I thought only mothers could do something like that."


    "I was one of the three oldest girls at my orphanage. The nun sisters can''t be everywhere at once, so I, along with the other girls, had to play mother from time to time." She said,


    "I''m an orphan too. . . well, at least I thought I was. My mother died not too long ago." Kenan said.


    "How did she go? If you don''t mind me asking. Also, what do you mean? What did you think?" Edith asked.


    They went back to the living area to continue their conversation after apologizing on Cole''s behalf for making the place smell like a high-school locker room.


    "Right before my mother died, she told me that she had been lying about my father''s death and that he was still living somewhere outside of the continent."


    Edith gasped at that last part. "That''s why you told Cole he needs to be a Sentient to follow you. Only Sentient are even allowed to leave the continent. Unless your stupid reach or come from an Elder family."


    Kenan nods his head.


    Edith didn''t look from Kenan''s gaze suddenly and for a couple seconds too long before she finally spoke. "Let me go with you"

 Chapter 11: Abyss that leads to Hell

    Kenan was currently in his private room, still on the train. He had thought they were traveling fast enough to reach Jacob City in one day, but it was much farther than he had anticipated.


    He used this time to look over the features within the system that he had been neglecting. The best part of the system was that he could continue to meditate and gather Ruah while navigating it. He consciously activated the system, and the same purple screen appeared before him.


    [Ogun Archive System]


    [Meditation Realm] [Analyze] [Superior Database] [Legacy]


    ¡°I thought the [Analyze] function was already fully unlocked. Now, I can¡¯t help but think that maybe the rest of these features have hidden functions I¡¯m unaware of. Ugh, what a drag. Let¡¯s not hurt my brain too much by overthinking this psionic device.¡±


    Kenan focused his mind on [Superior Database].


    [Superior Database]


    [Mimicry Abilities]


    [Superhuman Abilities]


    [Manipulations/Generations]


    [Animal Shifting/Traits]


    ¡°This is something I actually understand. These are all abilities and powers people gain from taking the Superior Elixir. It¡¯s even organized by type. This will definitely be useful in the future.¡±


    Kenan toggled [Mimicry Abilities].


    [Mimicry Abilities]


    [Organic Metal Mimicry]


    He waited for more to load, but nothing else appeared. ¡°I know way more mimicry abilities than this. This is just my own ability. Why aren¡¯t the others showing up?¡±


    A light ding echoed in his mind, followed by a second screen popping up.


    [Host will only see abilities that he directly scans with the system.]


    Kenan deadpanned. ¡°Right, of course. This thing reads my mind.¡±


    He refocused on [Mimicry Abilities], hoping for more information, and to his surprise, it worked.


    [Mimicry Abilities: To replicate the properties of others¡¯ energies, elements, or organisms.]


    ¡°That seems pretty self-explanatory, but it feels very broad. I¡¯d think Animal Shifting would qualify as mimicry. Then again, if it were included here, the list would be ridiculously long.¡±


    He returned to the database and toggled through the other categories for a baseline understanding.


    [Superhuman Abilities: Abilities that far exceed human physiological limits, such as Sonic Scream or Superspeed.]


    [Manipulations/Generations: The ability to manipulate or generate elements, energies, concepts, or ideas.]


    [Animal Shifting/Traits: The ability to transform into specific animals or inherit their traits without full transformation.]


    Kenan nodded internally. ¡°These are exactly what I expected. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s under [Legacy].¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    [Legacy]


    [Legacy Ability: Organic Metal Mimicry]


    [Advancement Choice: Shapeshifting While Mimicking] [Condition Not Met]


    [Augmentation Option: Partial Mimicry]


    [Psionic Arts] [Locked]


    [Psionic Implants] [Locked]


    ¡°I met the condition for Augmentations as soon as I selected it. Having muscle control is second nature for a martial artist. But I have no idea what condition I need for Shapeshifting. That one seems incredibly powerful.¡±


    Kenan glanced at [Psionic Arts] and [Psionic Implants] with anticipation before returning to the main menu and toggling [Meditation Realm].


    [Meditation Realm]


    [User: Kenan Ogun]


    [Meditation Realm: 1st Stage ¨C Consciousness]


    [Meditation Stage: 1st Stage ¨C Woke]


    ¡°This might be the most crucial information here, yet it¡¯s so minimal. The world is so much bigger than this continent.¡±


    Kenan thought back to Edith, asking to join him on his journey off the continent. ¡°How could I deny a beautiful woman who wants to travel with me? Sure, it¡¯s suspicious, but she¡¯s from a neighboring city, so the odds of her being one of my parents¡¯ enemies are slim to none.¡±


    ¡°I should start building more allies¡ªespecially at the academy. They¡¯re less likely to be part of any Superior terrorist organizations. It would be foolish to think I could take on a group of twenty or more people with power levels similar to mine.¡±


    Kenan focused on [Meditation Realm: 1st Stage ¨C Consciousness].


    [Meditation Realms:]


    [Consciousness]


    [Esper] [Information Locked]


    [Psychic] [Information Locked]


    Kenan took a deep breath as he considered what he saw. The legends spoke of Psychics who could fly through the sky as easily as birds flapped their wings. Some even claimed that one wasn¡¯t truly sentient until reaching the Psychic stage. This belief kept the continent isolated, as it was still considered the land of the Slumbered¡ªthose out of touch with themselves and the universe.


    ¡°This system holds information about realms others can only dream of. I should be cautious about using it in public. Who knows? Maybe even Shepherds have ways to detect psionic devices.¡±


    He pushed the thought aside and recalled what the system said about the first Meditation Realm. Consciousness marked the awakening stage, where users learned to sense Ruah around them. This was essential for activating brain cells that were capable of using psionic energy. At first, Kenan struggled to understand it, but Aria had explained it in simpler terms.


    ¡°You have to think of it like a wind turbine,¡± she said. ¡°Ruah is the breath of God, left in every living thing. Imagine it as wind, with your brain cells as the turbine. When Ruah stimulates your brain, psionic energy is generated¡ªlike electricity produced by the turbine.¡±


    Kenan shook off the lingering confusion and toggled [Meditation Stages: 1st Stage ¨C Consciousness].


    [Meditation Stages for Consciousness:]


    [1st Stage: Woke]


    [2nd Stage: Foundation]


    [3rd Stage: True]


    ¡°Every stage unlocks a new ability. The first stage grants enhanced reflexes, which is why Cole was so eager for a fight after awakening. For a martial artist, it¡¯s a whole new world. I don¡¯t know what the other abilities are yet, but I¡¯d rather not spoil it for myself.¡±


    Kenan noted that the abilities he unlocked would also be accessible to other Sentients. ¡°Psionic Arts and Superior abilities are the key differences. Mastering my Superior ability now is paving the way for my future as a Sentient.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to bust some heads at the academy, go on missions, and explore the continent. There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t know about its current state. Still, I need to focus. Who knows how powerful my old man is now? When I face him, I want to send him fly


    ing with a single punch.¡±


    ***


    There was a man meditating deep within the heart of a volcano. Not just any volcano, but one rumored to lead directly to the earth¡¯s core. He was so deep that he had long forgotten the direction from which he had entered. Yet, it didn¡¯t matter. It was time to leave. He had been in seclusion for far too long, and one of the two presences he always felt¡ªno matter where he was in the world¡ªhad vanished. He knew exactly which one it was. He knew it better than he knew himself.


    For a moment, he almost completely broke his Meditation Realm. One must not harbor doubts or discontent while walking the Path of a Sentient. Any disruption in one¡¯s resolve could cause complete regression, reducing the individual to a Slumbered state. In cultivation terms, this would be considered a "heart demon."


    The man did the only thing he could in his situation: he unleashed all his pent-up anger in a single, powerful attack toward the sky, as though it could pierce the heavens. Not that he was cursing the heavens¡ªhe would never¡ªbut this was his way of telling the world and his own heart that, as of this day, he would never be the same. He was a husband who had lost his wife, and he was forever changed.


    This man was Malachi Ogun, and in his grief, he destroyed a volcano said to have stood for over 5,000 years. Now, it was nothing more than a vast lake of lava, with a mountain-sized hole carved into the earth. The Slumbered would later call this place ¡°The Abyss that Leads Straight to Hell.¡±


    Anything within a hundred-mile radius felt the effects of the catastrophic event. A massive plume of smoke rose into the sky, visible for miles. Malachi emerged from the lake of lava he had created, his gaze set firmly in the direction of his son.


    "I will not let anything happen to my son," he declared as he prepared to move toward Kenan.


    Before he could act, a voice called out from behind him. "You know the boy will be safer where he is, at least for now."


    Malachi turned to see his assistant, Eli, standing with his arms behind his back, looking at him with soft yet concerned eyes. Eli wore black and green robes with red trim, the colors of the Ogun family¡ªmatching Malachi¡¯s own attire. His old face bore nothing but worry.


    "Master, you have been in seclusion longer than anticipated. The family¡¯s situation has changed. The Prime Elders are seeking to remove you as family head. Did you at least break through?"


    Without a word, Malachi waved his hand. The space before them ripped open, revealing the destination they sought.


    Eli bent slightly at the waist, his expression filled with admiration. "Congratulations on becoming a Mystical Esper, Head Ogun. The Prime Elders will be most pleased. You are the youngest in history to achieve such a feat."


    "Come, Eli," Malachi said, stepping toward the portal. "Let¡¯s see if I can use this achievement to bring my son to my side. There are too many loose ends I left behind, and I fear he won¡¯t be ready for what lies ahead."

 Chapter 12 : Jacob City

    Jacob City was far larger than Greenwood City. Its buildings were taller and nicer, making Greenwood City look more like a village than an actual city.


    People have magnetic cars that go even faster than the train, which shocked Kenan. ¡°Our abilities to develop machines is another reason the fiends have been wary of outright destroying us. We could have a hidden trump card.¡± Edith says from behind Kenan. He was looking out the window as he saw the car shoot off into the air and disappear from his line of sight.


    ¡°Are we that advanced in technology compared to the world?¡± Kenan spoke.


    ¡°At least that¡¯s what this traveling merchant once told me. He said everything else is developed far more in Sentient affairs like Psionic technology. But not everyone can use Psionic technology, unlike the technology we have here. Which is the reason it sells the best, at least among the slumbered.¡±


    The train will make one stop before heading to the Shepard¡¯s Academy. Kenan reminds himself as he watches Cole and Edith eat their breakfast. He was the first one up, so he already ate his.


    ¡°Train arriving preparing for stop please be cautious of the seatbelt sign,¡± the announcement said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve traveled for about 20 min in this high-speed train and are still in the outer city. This place is definitely the safest human city.¡± Cole said while chewing with his mouth open.


    Edith made a disgusted face at Cole, who seemed like the most repulsive human being on the planet. ¡°Please, Cole, please close your mouth when you eat, " she pleaded.


    ¡°Yeah, you should really close your mouth, bro. Kenan then turns to Edith. ¡°You never told me why you want to leave the continent? I¡¯ve shared some of my goals. I think it¡¯s only fair if you also share something with me.


    Edith sipped her water before saying, ¡°I want to find the person who created my swordbreaker martial art. I found the martial arts manual by chance, and I have to get the complete Manual. It only covers five forms out of the seven. I know there¡¯s somewhere out there, and I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t live on this continent.¡±


    Before Kenan could speak about what Edith had just said, a girl around Kenan¡¯s and his friends¡¯ age walked into the coach cab. She was short and had a large Afro ponytail, which made her head look small. ¡°Is this the coach for the cadets headed to the Shepherds Academy?¡± she said in a small voice.


    They both nodded. She sat down opposite Edith and right next to Kenan, but it was too close for comfort for him, so she slid a couple of inches away on the sofa.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Edith cracked a small smile.


    ¡°Will continue this conversation next time,¡± Kenan said.


    There was a silence that filled the room that could be heard for more than 15 seconds before. Cole stopped eating in the dining area and made his way to the sitting area where the four other teenagers were sitting in silence.


    He looked at Kenan and wondered why he hadn¡¯t started a conversation with the new girl. He didn¡¯t think his new brother was on the shy side, which made him think that he was interested in the sword-breaker girl. Cole smirked at his conclusion. ¡°So who¡¯s the new girl?¡± he asked, sitting next to Edith and me in front of the girl with the Afro ponytail.


    ¡°My name is Lia,¡± she said in a small voice.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Cole, and my superior ability is in heat vision. Oh, and I have just recently awakened as a Sentient. He said proudly.


    Lia¡¯s eyes let up. ¡°Really, what was your revelation?! You can be an officer now that you have awakened.¡±


    Kenan and Edith looked at each other and shrugged. They had no idea there were officers in the Shepard Organization.


    ¡°I¡¯m a martial artist, and I just contemplated the depths of my martial arts. Cole said


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool. I wish I had taken up martial arts, but you never know which could get you to awaken.¡± Lia mumbled. Anyway, I¡¯m just a Superior, and my ability, Sonic Scream


    Edith gave a tiny wave. My name is Edith, and I¡¯m also a Superior Sentient. My Superior ability is diamond mimicry.


    Lia¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You¡¯re a Sentient and have a mimicry ability! Are you from an Elder Family or something? Maybe your family is just rich?! Once you get famous, please don¡¯t forget me.¡± She then turned to Kenan, the last person to introduce himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are a Superior Sentient with a mimicry ability.¡± joked.


    ¡°I actually am. My name is Kenan Ogun, and my superior ability is in metal mimicry.¡±


    Lia then stood plainly and said, ¡°I must be in the wrong Coach cab. I wanted the cab with all the normal Cadets in it.¡± She said this as she tried to make a quick escape.


    ¡°Wait, please don¡¯t leave. I need you to tell me more about this officer thing. I hadn¡¯t realized there was so little that I didn¡¯t know about the Shepherds. Edith said.


    There was hesitation in Lia¡¯s eyes, but she decided to sit down anyway. ¡°Where are you guys from? Most of the monster cadets don¡¯t show up until three days from now for the officer¡¯s academy to begin and the rest of us are here to see if our ability can match up enough to be in the officers program .¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m from Redbird City,¡± Edith answered.


    ¡°And Kenan and I are from Greenwood City,¡± Cole said.


    Lia hadn¡¯t even heard of either of these cities. It was because the cities that Kenan ,Cole and Edith were from were almost considered remote. The Continental Train had just laid tracks in those cities 5 decades ago. That was not enough time for the larger cities and population to know of their existence. To the ones who did know of their existence it might as well be considered a small village.


    ¡°Oh ok, Lia said confusingly. Anyways, the officers within the Shepherds are usually the ones that everyone sees in the media. They get a uniform customized solely for themselves and get to go pretty much anywhere mission-wise. Instead of being stationed at one city pretty much indefinitely depending on who your Captain is.¡±


    Lia saw all of the instances of stares she was getting and raised and eyebrows. ¡°Didn¡¯t your recruiter explain all of this to you guys once you joined?


    They all shook their heads.


    Lia was confused for a moment then she thought of the reactions their recruiters must have had from these monsters walking into their office in some backwoods city. The last thing on their minds was explaining minor details like what an officer of the Shepherds was.


    ¡°Well I guess this means you all will be taking part in the entrance exam. On paper it is just to see if your ability and your mental fortitude for combat is worthy of being a Shepherd. However theirs a test within the test to see if those who are truly powerful can become officers.


    Kenan, Cole, and Edith all gave animalistic grins upon hearing this. Because every martial artist s


    Seeks two things. A worthy opponent and the chance to surpass their limits

 Chapter 13 :Shepherds Tower

    The Shepherds Headquarters was easily the tallest building within this skyscraper city called Jacob. Kenan didn''t know why it was called that. He thought about looking into it briefly, but he didn''t care that much either. He''s been here before and can remember looking at the Shepherds Tower as a kid at Ogun''s Tower. Even on the highest floor in the Ogun Tower, you still couldn''t see the top of the Shepherds, and the Ogun Tower was easily one of the tallest buildings in the city.


    All of the Elder Families had a tower within Jacob City. After all, it was the capital of human civilization. They had other cities that flew their banner, but no human cities compared to Jacob''s.


    Kenan felt starstruck as he walked into Shepherd''s Tower. Growing up, he had always wanted to be a shepherd and was finally here to do it. He walked in with him and his party, which consisted of his sworn brother Cole, Edith the swordbreaker, and Aria, the small girl with the large afro ponytail.


    3rd Generation Robots directed them with a rectangular head and four arms. Robots are by no means normal to see in everyday life. They were too expensive to maintain and the functionalities weren''t worth the upkeep. Only the super-rich would keep them as toys. Other than that, the only ones that had any real use for them were the large organizations and companies.


    After reaching a current terminal within the lobby and walking around people in business suites, they came upon a receptionist desk and two Shepard guards at the end of a long line of young people. From the look of things, this was the right area for them. The line was moving pretty quickly. The only thing that the receptionist was doing was verifying the identity of the candidates, and then they were taken past the double doors behind a desk.


    While waiting in line, there were talks among the other teenagers. One had to remember that to join the Shepherds. One had to be at least 16 years old and no older than 18. If you had an awakening or gotten a Superior Elixir before, only mercenary groups would be looking to recruit you. The shepherds were the rightful protectors of humanity, so they wanted to grow and mold their recruits to their liking. Some people think this is a good thing, while others don¡¯t.


    Lia thought the group of people she came with was weird. They were monsters by all stretches of the imagination, but they hadn''t said a word since they had walked into the building. The rest of everyone in line we''re chatting away after all the people here would be future comrades. Before she could spark up a conversation with Edith, who she started to admire, an argument could be overheard by two young men.


    ¡°Are you from a barbaric human colony that has failed to show you the meaning of respect? I was talking to you, and you flat-out ignored me.¡± one of the young men said. He had a small afro and square glasses. He also looked used to talking to people that way whenever he didn''t get his way.


    The other young man he was talking to was short and bold, with hazel eyes, and he looked like he didn¡¯t want to be bothered by any stretch of the imagination. Yet here he was, trying to live his life, and a four-eyed fly kept buzzing around his ear, wanting to annoy him to death. ¡°Will you just shut up and leave me alone? Dude, don''t you think I would have done so if I wanted to talk to you and answer your question? Didn''t your nannybot teach you to catch a hint?¡± This incited laughter from everyone, and even one of the Shepherd Senties let out a chuckle.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Why does he assume the bold kid is from a human colony?¡± Cole leaned over and asked Kenan.


    ¡°Probably Because he smells like berries and oils. Human Colonies use those things to help mask their sint against Fiend Beast. I don¡¯t think it''s a bad smell, but people from wealthier backgrounds tend to look down on things like that.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty stupid,¡± Cole said


    Kenan nodded in agreement


    After the laughing died down there was nothing but pure rage on the young man''s face that wore glasses. It was important to note that nothing mattered more than respect and honor among powerful beings, whether Superior or Sentient. If you were disrespected and it wasn''t corrected in any form or fashion, you would be seen as nothing more than a coward. In this world, men would rather be castrated than be demeaned as cowards with no honor.


    The next moment later, the young man with glasses eyes started to glow blue, and volts of electricity started to come off his body. He was about to reach for the shoulder of the bold kid, but the bold kid instinctively dodged without even turning around. Kenan, Cole, and Edith both noticed this.


    The kid with Hazel eyes responded with a fist-to-four-eyes face right after he dodged. The punch was so fast that many people thought four eyes were done until he caught the punch inches away from his face.


    Proud of himself, he smirked until he looked past the fist now attached to a humanoid Black Panther.


    ¡°Beast Shifter,¡± a young man said from behind Kenan and Cole.


    ¡°Rrhh,¡± the Panther growled. Most of the people recoiled back out of natural fear. Yet Four Eyes only stood there, still holding his fist, smirking at the Panther.


    ¡°And hear I was going to call you nothing but an animal, and you proved me right. It''s time to put you down. He said as more electricity started coming off of his body.


    The Panther with Hazel eyes, just like the young man, had snatched his hand back from the grip of Foureyes, then made his flat, which were now raiser sharp claws, and speared it forward at his attack''s throat.


    At the same time, four eyes raised his palm, ready to release some attack before pressure in his mind stopped him.


    Not only his mind but everyone in the waiting area instantly put a hand on their head; some even fell out due to the pressure on their mind.


    [Warning! A Sentient at the Realm of Psion is using their Psionic Pressure on your mind.]


    With that notification, Kenan expected the pain to follow like everyone else, but it never did. He looked around, and neither Cole nor Edith was affected. They were the only three that looked like they were in no pain.


    Lia got up from the ground and was among the dozens that couldn''t withstand the pressure. She looked at the other teenagers she came with with respect and fear.


    ¡°There will be no fighting within my Evaluation until I say so.¡± Said a deep voice.


    There was a man of 6¡¯3 and 275 pounds of pure muscle. With seven thick locs on his head and small circle-shaped sunglasses standing over the two young men. Kenan and his friend did not see or feel this man enter the room.


    ¡°Do I make myself clear?¡±


    You could hear and see both of the young men audibly gulp and nod their heads.


    ¡°Great now, make up and be friends.¡±


    The two young men shook hands and introduced themselves. ¡°My name is Virgil Orurro, the boy with the Afro said.


    ¡°I¡¯m Cyril Nomad,¡± the bold kid with Hazel eyes replied


    The man smiled, revealing his white teeth, looked towards Kenan and his friends, gave an even wider unnatural smile, and vanished in a blur.


    ¡°I don''t think that man was normal by any means,¡± Edith said, breaking the silence.


    ¡°What would any of you know about normal? Lia mumbled.


    ¡°I think he knows we''re Sentient. I remember my recruiter saying something about sensing when someone is.¡± Kenan commented


    ¡°We also weren''t affected by that headache he just gave everyone. Well, I did feel A slight tingle. Cole said.


    Edith agreed. ¡°Maybe that is another reason Sentient is more powerful than the Slumbered. I doubt that man was a telepath. Yet, he still affected all of our minds.


    ¡°No wonder the rich spend all their money on Oracles. You get within a high enough realm as a Sentient, and you can melt everyone''s brain who isn''t awakened,¡± Kenan commented.


    The man with seven locs, and small circle sunglasses were back in a Monitoring Room looking at one screen in particular.


    ¡°Three Sentient beings which have seemingly popped up out of nowhere. Tell me,¡± turning to his assistant. ¡°What are the names of those three children?¡±


    The Assistant was a thin man with thick glasses. He would always push his glasses up every 10


    minutes for unknown reasons. ¡°They are Cole Justus, Edith Gardner, and Kenan Ogun.

 Chapter 14: Challenges

    "Marshal Solomon, of these three children, two are on the list of names to look out for. A Kenan Ogun and A Edith Gardner.¡± The Assistant said, looking up from his tablet.


    The man with the seven locs, now known as Marshall Solomon, nodded slightly. ¡°Of course, the Captain spoke of the two anomalies. I remember now. But that doesn''t explain the third one. Cole Justus. Wasn''t he registered as just Superior?


    The assistant nodded.


    ¡°We have three Geniuses seemingly from nowhere plus those from Elder families. This class of cadets is indeed not a normal one.¡±


    ***


    After checking in and processing, the young shepherd cadets waited in a large open area with a circle platform in the center.


    Cole was dumbfounded by how large the area was. ¡°It''s hard to believe we''re still in a building, and there are even floors above this one! I guess we can''t wonder where all of our tax dollars are going.¡±


    Naturally, all Cadets gathered around the circle platform, waiting to be directed by the next phase in their processing. Moments later, light gathered in the center of the circle platform until three figures appeared out of the yellow light.


    It was the man that Kenan and his friends saw before standing in the middle, but this time, he wasn''t alone. A man standing on his left side had a giant broadsword that was taller than he was and heavy breastplated armor. His arms had scars, and he wore a helmet with animal horns.


    Standing to his left was a tall woman with violet hair and eyes. She wore pink and black martial artist robes. Just with the three of them standing there, anyone could tell they were Shepard officers and powerful ones at that.


    The man with the oversized broadsword steps forward. ¡°This is your first lesson as cadets! He said, projecting his voice. ¡°Shepard Officer Solomon holds the rank of Marshall. When he enters the room or walks in your path, you salute and acknowledge him like so.¡±


    The man then makes a gesture with his hand and says. ¡°Greetings to Marshall Solomon! He puts his arm down and points to the cadets. ¡°Demonstrate¡±


    Everyone saluted like the man did, saying, ¡°Greetings, Marshall Solomon!¡± Their voices, in unison, thundered in the area, putting a smile on the man''s face. He stepped back in line with the other two officers.


    This time, the man known as Marshall Solomon stepped forward.


    ¡°Greetings cadets, as the senior ranking Shepard of this Academy, I oversee all training and placement of cadets. Many of you may not know, but the shepherds aren''t just a guardian force that protects the country; they are much more. We have a research technology division and even a spy division. Then, finally, there are the officer divisions. Today''s test will determine if you will be placed in the officer''s division in the academy.¡±


    There was excitement on the cadets'' faces; some even cheered. Becoming an officer was a huge deal; they weren''t only powerful, but the public would know them by name and give their family recognition.


    Marshall Solomon put his hand up so that he could continue to speak. The person to my left is Senior Enlisted Ashwin. He is the instructor for the Enlisted this year.¡±


    Ashwin then Saluted after being introduced.


    ¡°To my right is Templar Vena. She is the officer instructing the cadet officers this year. Together, we will judge who is eligible for the officer division and who will stay enlisted.¡±


    ¡°However, three of you have already been selected for the division.¡±


    Lia instantly knew who the three individuals were.


    ¡°Cole Justus, Edith Gardner, and Kenan Ogun,¡± please step forward. You will not need to participate in this test.¡± The Marshal spoke.


    ¡°Hey, that''s not fair! What makes them so special?¡± A voice shouted.


    By this time, Kenan and his friends were already in plain sight to everyone and were at the foot of the Shepherds on the platform.


    ¡°Yeah, even I look like I could take the skinny one,¡± another voice said. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Kenan snapped his head in the direction of the voice. ¡°You want to bet on that?¡±


    ¡°How did you know he was talking about you, bro?¡± Cole leaned over and whispered.


    The visible shock was on Kenan''s face, and he quickly ¡°coughed¡± in his hand and said. ¡°I didn''t, I thought he was talking about Edith.¡±


    Edith rolled her eyes and shook her head. ¡°I have to admit that was a nice comeback, and I appreciate the compliment.¡±


    ¡°I can see the dilemma in this situation. How about we have a mini competition. Anyone may challenge any of these three if you manage to defeat them. You will be accepted into the officer division.¡± The Marshal spoke.


    Menacing grins appeared on some of the faces of the cadets. But an even more primal animalistic grin appeared on Cole, Edith, and Kenan''s faces. ¡°I want to go first!¡± They all shouted.


    ¡°These kids are all different martial artists, which would explain why they became Sentient so young.¡± Marshall Solomon thought.


    ¡°Let the skinny kid go first since he was called out first.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kenan said as he jumped up on the platform.


    Both Cole and Edith put their head in their hand.


    Kenan deadpanned at the realization once he got on the platform.


    The platform was huge, about half the size of a football field. The Shepard Officers had already moved in place to be a referee and overseers of anyone who challenged the cadets preselected for the officer division.


    ¡°Who was it that called me out earlier? Come take your place and show me if your words match the weight of your fist.¡± Kenan pointed at the spot opposite him.


    ¡°I like this one; leave no stones unturned. All disrespect will be accounted for.¡± Marshall Solomon thought to himself.


    Without hesitation, a hand shot up. ¡°It was me, and I''m not ashamed to say it again. He was tall and muscular, even bigger than Cole before his transformation. But any martial artist, at first glance, could tell his muscles were all for show.


    He had caramel skin and green eyes. Which made the veins in his arm stand out more. He got onto the platform and introduced himself.


    ¡°My name is Chris B-¡±


    Kenan holds up a hand and interrupts him. ¡°I don''t care. I''m here to teach you a lesson, not know your backstory.


    They both looked at the officers on the side for their cue to begin.


    ¡°There will be no killing within this spar if there are any potential fatal blows that can''t be Dodge Senior Enlisted Ashwin will intervene.


    Marshall Solomon held up his hand. ¡°On my mark. . . ¡°Began¡±


    It was important to note that it was almost impossible to determine what Superior ability one may have, so one had to be cautious within the first few moments of a fight. But this didn''t completely apply to Kenan, who had Psionic Technology.


    [Ogun Archive System]


    [Analyze]


    [Chris]


    [Superior]


    [Superior Ability: Super Strength]


    [Meditation Realm: N/A]


    [ Mediation Substage: N/A]


    Tattoos started to glow in a white light around Chris''s large arms. He started to flex his arms, which made everyone roll their eyes. But a few girls were impressed, though they wouldn''t dare to say it out loud.


    Superstrength was a common ability among superiors, but most of them always had limitations, so it was rare for them to become officers.


    Kenan blitzes and jumps while still in the air, he kneed Chris in the bottom of his chin, hardening his kneecap into steel. Luckily, Chris''s mouth was closed, or he would have bitten his tongue off.


    He landed with a loud thud on his back. To the onlookers, it didn''t even look like Kenan had used an ability. This all happened within less than 5 seconds.


    ¡°My goodness, that was a flawless move.¡± Templar Vena quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment.


    *Slow claps twice. ¡°I¡¯ll say.¡±


    Marshall Solomon looked at Kenan with suspension. ¡°It''s either this kid is an idiot,t or his ego is the size of a Mountain. Why would he rush in for an attack like that without knowing his opponent''s abilities? Unless he did. Before he got too into the weeds with this thought. Marshall Solomon announced Kenan''s victory.


    A medical team that seemingly popped out of nowhere came and gave first aid to Chris.


    To Kenan''s surprise, no one else approached the platform.


    ¡°Cadet Kenan, you''re free to leave the platform.¡± Ashwin said.¡±Cadet Edith, you''re next. Take your position on the platform.


    Kenan jumped down with a satisfied expression on his face.


    ¡°I wanted to at least fight three people.¡±


    Cole placed a hand on Kenan¡¯s shoulder .¡°Well, you beat a buff guy with super strength in like 2 seconds. To normal people, that was a terrifying feat.¡±


    Kenan looked up and around at his fellow cadets and saw fear and admiration in their eyes. But the majority saw fear. He didn''t want to admit it to himself, but he liked the fear he saw in their eyes.


    The first thing Edith did when she got on the platform was reveal her swordbreaker from the cloth it was wrapped up in. There were confusing faces on most people there, including Templar Vena. ¡°What sort of weapon is that?¡±


    ¡°It''s a sword breaker,¡± Senior Enlisted Ashwin said. ¡° Which is a brutal weapon. Any swordsman worth his salt knows what that weapon is and wants to avoid anyone who knows how to use it.


    ¡°She may be our most intriguing cadet, even amongst the officers,¡± Marshal Solomon said.


    Within a moment, Edith had an opponent in front of her. Her opponent was a strong young woman who was in heavy metal armor. The only way anyone knew she was a woman was by her soft, angelic voice.


    ¡°Hello, swordbreaker Edith. My name is Cornelia, and I knew I wanted to trade blows with you the moment I saw you. Please don''t hold back.¡± She said, bowing at the waist.


    ¡°Remember those words,¡± Edith said, taking her fighting position.


    Cornelia did the same, and right when she did, a Shield and sword made of light appeared in her hands.


    Kenan analyzed Cornelia right away.


    [Cornelia]


    [Superior]


    [Superior Ability: Elemental light Weapon Creation]


    [Meditation Realm: N/A]


    [ Mediation Substage: Woke]


    ¡°Weapon Creation would come in handy. I don''t want to carry a bo staff or spear everywhere I go.¡± he dismissed the screen and watched the fight begin.


    Cornelia was the first to attack; she charged Edith with her shield at the front, preparing to knock Edith off the platform. To everyone''s surprise Edith charged as well.


    Edith raises her swordbreaker to pierce Cornelia¡¯ Shield seconds before impact Edith activates her mimicry ability. Turning her face hair and exposed skin into a diamond look material. As the swordbreaker hits the shield you hear a loud echo throughout the area like a large bell is rung.


    *GONG


    *vibrations


    Cornelia tries to hold onto her shield as it attempts to escape from the impact but her attempts fail and as soon as it left her grip it dissolves into particles of light disappearing.


    She makes a stance with her sword visibility shaking. ¡°She activated her ability at the perfect time to increase her weight when she struck my shield. My arm is definitely broken but I can''t give up!


    ¡°This is probably my only chance to become an Officer and make a name for myself.¡±


    ¡°It''s best you give up now. My next move will break your other arm if you''re not careful.¡± Edith spoke.


    She didn''t speak with any hostility or pride but with a flat tone that only held the simple truth. Cornelia had pride as a warrior so she wouldn''t surrender not with the stakes being as high as they are.


    ¡°Then I''ll make sure to be careful.¡± She said she raised her sword.


    ¡° I''ll remind you, you were the one that told me not to hold back¡± Edith said as she got into a martial artist stance.


    ¡°Ashwin¡± Marshall Solomon said under his breath.


    ¡°Already know sir¡± he replied.


    Edith disappeared, only to the untrain


    ed eye and appeared not even two steps away from Cornelia.


    ¡°Well that would have ended badly¡± Ashwin said, holding Edith''s swordbreaker inches from Cornelia¡¯s head.