《Akashic Transcendence [Reincarnation Progression Fantasy Adventure]》 Chapter 1: The Light ¡°Wake up, Xeno.¡± To fall eternally in a void of nothingness, or to sleep eternally in death. Which would be the better way to die, I thought, body tumbling through the¡­ air? I could not recall how, or even why, I had ended up there. Just that I was.. Falling¨C for what seemed like an age. Darkness blanketed my surroundings, suffocating me like a snake coiling around my throat, immediately stifling any noise I could have made. Even if I had screamed, it would have come out a cry more feeble than a dying elder, voice hoarse from disuse, and it dawned upon me. I was alone. My body tore through the skyline like a single arrow shot from the hands of a master archer, aimed towards the sunset. It did indeed feel like I was dying. Truthfully, I half-expected a chorus of angels to appear singing praises and hymns for me. Yet I could not fathom how I had died. A throbbing pain had settled into the centre of my chest, like an old wound had sprung to life due to my moving about mid-fall. A hand pressed against my bare chest, feeling the sore area. It felt slightly damp, sticking to my fingers¨C far too thick to be water. Blood? But who had stabbed me¨C and how had I survived? My arms flailed wildly as panic set in as I continued sailing through the endless darkness, until they were immediately slammed to my sides, as though some kind of invisible straightjacket was keeping them down. My legs did the same, and I continued to fall at quite amazing speeds. If I wasn¡¯t so scared, perhaps I¡¯d be quite happy breaking a world record. ¡°Quit your moving, boy. It is becoming rather annoying.¡± A¡­ voice? I wasn¡¯t alone? Now that I thought about it, I had heard this voice before. All-encompassing. I wasn¡¯t listening to it. I was feeling it, living it. It was everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time¨C absolutely omnipotent. Yet it carried a feeling of warmth like no other, a mother to her son. My hand reached out into the darkness, reaching for the source of the voice, however it was met with¡­ nothing but the emptiness of the void. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. I felt it necessary to bow¨C if I could, that was. It was as though I was in the presence of a god. A heavy weight bore down upon my shoulders, as though someone was stepping on my ribcage, silencing any noise I could have wanted to make, and forcing the breath from my lungs. ¡°You are¡­ what are you?¡± I could not speak properly. My voice rang out hoarsely, not as I wished it too. Far deeper than I was used to. Pain erupted in my arms, and I allowed a gasp as the agony crashed through my body in waves. They were¡­ cracking? I had not noticed it, but black cracks had emanated from the hole in my core, stretching across my body, a golden light visible through the gash. ¡°We do not have time for that, child. You are dying, as you must be feeling.¡± Death. So that¡¯s what this was. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Miss.¡± ¡°I know, child. Do not call me ¡®Miss¡¯. ¡®Isabella¡¯ will do for now. I¡­ wish to save you. I owe you that much for saving my life.¡± ¡°You¡­ you can do that?¡± ¡°Do not underestimate the powers of a¡­¡± ¡°What did you say¨C¡± I couldn¡¯t properly hear her, the pain blurring the sounds around me. Before I could finish my sentence, another wave of anguish crashed through as my arms slowly faded from existence, scattering golden dust through the empty abyss. ¡°Do not speak. You will exhaust your energy far more quickly.¡± The air before me swirled, and I closed my eyes, covering my face with what was left of my still-shattering arm. A body formed before my eyes, from head to toe, in a rain of what looked to me like a star shower. A truly beautiful sight, if it were to be my last. Her body was slender, the epitome of perfection. Her skin, pale, yet beautiful like the moon¡¯s reflection. Smooth, and strong, yet seemingly so fragile at the same time. Her eyes, steel blue gems ever so gently slotted into the crown that was her face. Her ears were blessed with two, star-studded golden earrings, body covered by sleek, white hair. Her petite frame was covered by a long, pure white dress, reaching down to her knees as she floated over me, hands cupping my face. They were warm. She was oh-so warm. And I knew her, but I¡­ didn¡¯t. By now, my body was just a torso. And I was fading in and out of consciousness every few seconds. Her voice snapped me out of my deathly state, for moments at best. ¡°There is no other way. I will have to find you a new body, and place my Aevum within you in case it is needed. Thus, I will become ¡®we¡¯. You will be me, and I will be you.¡± I didn¡¯t really know what she was talking about. Was she sacrificing herself for¡­ me? This fairy-like person? She had mentioned me saving her before, but I did not know what that meant.. Perhaps that was a side effect of my body falling apart. It had to be. But I wanted to know who she was. ¡°You will not remember this encounter. But when you awaken¡­ if it has worked¨C for I have not tried this before, but it will work, it has to¨C I will be with you.¡± And with that, she tore the broken golden orb from my body, and reached into her own chest, pulling out another orb. It looked like the universe itself, with lots and lots of iridescent colours, swirling and deviating from the path a thousand times a second. I gagged, and breathed what I felt would be my last as the light from my eyes faded. She then pushed her core into the hole in the centre of my chest. Then she hugged me, as we both fell to what surely would be certain death, like stones. The hug was warm. Nobody had ever hugged me like that before. A singular tear ran down my face, for a parent, a mother, I had met all too late. Truly, I wished¡­ just one more time. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. And there was light, and then there was nothing. ¡ª ¡°Hey, you!¡± A voice rang in my ears. Painful, it was. A large mix of colours entered my eyes at the exact same time, creating a throbbing in my brain as I attempted to gauge my surroundings. I couldn¡¯t move? No, I could. But every movement hurt immensely as I felt the bed I lay upon. Straw. The mooing of a cow near me, I noticed. The beast¡¯s head reached down, licking me as my nose wrinkled. ¡°Ew, that¡¯s disgusting¡­ but was that you talking, Mister Cow?¡± Could the cows talk, wherever I was? I couldn¡¯t fathom for the life of me. Above me was a wooden roof, made of planks stacked in rows and a few longer, thicker ones. Below me was a bed of straw, and noticeably, the place stank. I was¡­ definitely in a stable. ¡°Are you calling me a cow?! And that¡¯s ¡®Miss Hua¡¯ to you!!!¡± My hands immediately shot to my ears as I squinted, now able to make out the figure of a girl. Green hair fell over her back, tied back neatly in a ponytail. Her eyes were¡­ green, sharp, and clear-cut. Confident, without a speck of fear. Her clothes were traditional, yet they had clearly been through wear-and-tear. ¡°You¡¯re very loud, you know, Miss Hua¡­¡± I groaned, as she extended a hand to help me up. So the cows couldn¡¯t talk. At least that much made sense¡­ if they could, I might have questioned whether this was some kind of fever dream. My hand slipped into hers and I, albeit painfully and with some effort, pulled myself up. ¡°So, stranger. Who¡¯re you?¡± She asked, her voice gentle, yet rather concerned and protective¨C most likely of her animals. I rubbed my head awkwardly, chuckling to myself. I was a random stranger who¡¯d ended up in her stable, unfortunately, sleeping on her straw. She could easily report me to the local authorities¨C if there were any here in this strange place¨C for breaking and entering. ¡°Would it be weird of me to say I really don¡¯t know?¡± She gave me a look as though to say ¡®are you serious¡¯, and I stared back at her with a look to say ¡®yes, I am serious¡¯. Our wordless exchange continued, until she sighed. ¡°Well, my amnesiac friend. You are currently on the continent of Arekos, specifically, the country of Hu¨¡g¨­ng. I am X¨©ng Hua, owner of this stable and the farm you are currently on. I don¡¯t know who you are, but I¡¯ll let you stay here¡­ provided you help me out on the farm! I¡¯m not about to leave a person in need, and I can¡¯t take care of this big place by myself to be frank¡­¡± She paused. This woman really did talk a lot. Though I didn¡¯t mind¨C I seeked solace in the fact it drew me away from my thoughts on who I was, how I¡¯d ended up there¡­ or why. ¡°Firstly, we need to do something about your appearance¨C you look homeless. People who come by will treat you like a beggar, and I can¡¯t have that if I send you down to the market to sell the fresh fruit you will be harvesting.¡± She pushed a bucket of water over to me, and from there, I gazed, for the first time, at my own appearance. I was dressed in a beggar¡¯s rags, a dirty grey colour with tears in every corner. Not only that, but my body was covered in open wounds, left without bandages. Messy hair tumbled over my shoulders, multi-coloured black and white. It began black at the roots, but faded out to white nearest to the edges. Amber eyes seemed to glow in the distorted reflection of the water; though that was just one eye. The other glistened a steel blue. I remembered that colour somewhere, it felt¡­ familiar. But I didn¡¯t know where. Nostalgic. And I gazed sadly into the bucket, before Hua tapped me on the shoulder. ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± She said, breaking me out of my stupor, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re hungry, I¡¯ll fix you some food and deal with your hair, clothes, and injuries later.¡± ¡ª Over the coming days and weeks, I settled into a steady routine working on Hua''s farm. She did not give me more work than she thought I could handle, yet she expected it to be done to the best of my abilities. In addition to this, she had cut my hair and tied it into a braid that went down to my mid-back. I quite liked it, to be frank. It felt.. Nice. I had realised, by this point, that we were of similar ages¨C maybe she was 11 and I was 10¨C we were both so young, yet she seemed more mature than our age. Scattered all within her house was serious bits of ornate jewellery, out-of-place for a commoner. And yet, no images of family. I wondered why she was all alone¨C but I had never dared to pry She had also bandaged my wounds¨C and noticed a peculiar thing whilst doing so. In the centre of my upper chest, there lay a black, star-shaped symbol. I knew not why it was there, nor how it had gotten there. Ever so often, pain spiked in that area. Perhaps it was the cause. Nonetheless, I quite liked this farm life¨C though I knew I couldn''t stay here with her forever. I was content, but that wouldn''t help me find out the truth of why I was here. If there was any truth at all. Though I hoped there was¨C because that meant I had a purpose and reason to exist. If I didn''t have a purpose or reason, why did I exist? If nobody needed me, why was I here? I didn''t want to think of it. To exist without a purpose seemed like torture. There was another thing I had discovered. This world worked in peculiar ways. As I made my way over to Hua, I noticed a strange sight. Green light emanated from her hands, and underneath, the plants seemed to grow faster than me taking care of them¨C way faster. I tapped her on the shoulder gently and she jolted, allowing a sigh to escape her mouth. ¡°You scared me¡­¡± I pointed at the plants¨C flowers, to be more specific. ¡°What are you doing, Miss Hua?¡± I asked curiously. After all, I''d never seen anything like it. ¡°Oh, this? I''m just using my Soul Core to manipulate the plants.¡± I tilted my head in response, and realisation dawned on her. ¡°Ah. That''s right. Your Soul Core lies in the centre of your chest. It is the source of ¡®soul¡¯, an ability used by the few capable of manipulating it in this world, known as Sages. I have an affinity for nature, so I can manipulate plant life and am a Sage.¡± My eyes twinkled with curiosity. ¡°Your soul core should lie beneath that odd scar of yours. All that''s left is to see whether you have an affinity for anything¡­ but first, you''ll need to learn the theory. For that, I''ll need books¡­¡± She sighed, shaking her head as she got to her feet, boots crunching on the soil as she moved, hat resting on her head and protecting her from the sun that beat down upon us both. She held out her hand, gesturing for me to open my palm, and I did so without question. To my surprise, she dropped a bag of coins into my hand. ¡°There''s your first allowance¡­ Paycheck. You seem very interested in the soul, so go and buy some books, you little¡­ wait. You don''t have a name yet, do you? Or rather, you can''t remember.¡± I nodded¨C time had gone by so fast, we had both forgotten about that fact. She paused for a moment. ¡°Atlas. The one who bears the weight of the world. And Reyes. King. From now on, you are Atlas Reyes. Now go and buy those books, you look like a curious child!¡± That was only the beginning of my introduction to the soul. Chaper 2: Rising Knowledge Six months passed by rather quickly. I spent my time either out working with Hua, or in the room she¡¯d so kindly granted me practising to awaken my core. Before I could even consider checking out my affinity, I had to awaken my core and open up the veins within my body so soul energy could ¡®break out¡¯ of my core to pass through and around. On many days, Hua was out taking a trip down to the market in order to sell and earn the money we both needed to live¨C I felt somewhat bad, as now she needed double to cover both our expenses. However, due to her leaving, I finally could sneak down to the study room where all the books were kept. She always chided me for reading instead of working, but I had finished my work for that day. I crept down the stairs, hearing the door shut, sneaking into the small room, filled to the brim with bookcases. I took a sweat upon the hard wooden floor and leaned myself against the wall, taking the top book from the pile I¡¯d set out the day before, and dived right in. I often used this time to think about what I had learned about the place I lived in. The world as I knew it was very archaic, with people driven by horses in carriages, with power dictated by the circumstances of one¡¯s birth. As well as this, weapons were not regulated either¨C people could simply carry them around whilst doing daily tasks. Sometimes, I found myself quite frightened seeing the elderly carrying large battleaxes with them as they went shopping for tea. Arekos was divided into countries; one of those was Huagong, where I was currently staying. Each country was led by its own royal family, which was dictated, much like noble status, by birthright. The firstborn child was the crowned heir, and all the people of the country were left to kneel before them, hanging upon their every word. However, there had to be continents beyond Arekos, I thought, but the book I read about its history contained nothing of the sort, despite the ocean stretching for miles¨C which they called ¡°The Endless Sea¡±. It seemed to go to the horizon and beyond, and all those who had sailed further¡­ never returned. ¨C ¡°In Arekos, there are those, known as ¡®Sages¡¯. I remembered how surprised I had been, seeing Hua use her abilities for the first time¨C getting used to the existence of what was effectively magic. The supernatural. Sages, or mages, as some called them, had the ability to manipulate their own soul cores.¡± I read out loud to myself. It was a habit of mine that I had never been able to remove after Hua had stated it helped her to remember things far better than reading it in her head. My voice was hushed, as though there was an invisible 3rd person living with us I didn¡¯t want to awaken. My eyes darted from page to page, scanning for anything of interest. ¡°Sages are split into two categories: Amplifiers and Evokers. Amplifiers are able to collect soul energy from within themselves and amplify their power, creating effects on the outside of their body. Evokers, on the other hand, can collect ambient soul energy from the environment and create effects as well.¡± ¡°Soul energy can also be directly used to augment attacks, which is the technique Amplifiers, rather than Evokers, often use¡­¡± I continued on to the next section of the book: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ¡°Amplifiers use the soul energy within themselves, allowing them to¨C normally¨C create attacks faster than Evokers due to the fact it already exists within themselves. However, they also drain themselves more quickly because it comes from themselves. Evokers on the other hand, take more time to charge up their attacks than Amplifiers, but can usually release more large-scale attacks¡­¡± ¡°Amplifiers need large soul veins in order to quickly pass the energy through their veins and out into the outside world. Evokers need large cores to store, purify, and manipulate the ambient soul energy in the environment¡­¡± My hand passed over the page as I flipped to the next section. BASICS OF EMITTING ¡°Evokers use a technique known as Emitting in order to control their surroundings. Due to this, Evokers will have an affinity to an element (Air, Water, Fire, Earth, Nature). The larger the spell conjured, the more soul energy is needed, and the more tired the Evoker will become. In order for a Evoker to properly, without harming themselves, emit the elements, they need a catalyst¨C a wand, staff, or an object of that nature. The most talented Evokers do not need catalysts, though they are few and far between.¡± ¡°However, although Evokers have an affinity, most Evokers can manipulate the basics of the other elements.¡± So that¡¯s what Hua was¨C a Nature-affinity Evoker. Though, to hear she could use the basics of other elements? That was rather interesting. I couldn¡¯t deny, I rather wanted to ask her to show me. Flip. A BASIC GUIDE TO AMPLIFICATION ¡°Amplification is the ability to use the soul energy residing within the body, pass it through the soul veins, and amplify it upon release, creating stronger effects than basic augmentation. Amplifiers may also use the elements much like Evokers can, however, instead of using spells, they will oftentimes coat their body in said elements. This has its drawbacks however¨C to combine one¡¯s body with the earth will undoubtedly make it heavier¡­¡± ¡°...Amplifiers also have the unique ability to block soul veins. By passing soul energy out through a small point, e.g, the fingertips, and targeting it at specific pressure points across the body, Amplifiers can target and close up the soul veins of an opponent, albeit temporarily, stopping their usage of spells and abilities. However, such an ability is extremely hard to use and even harder to master.¡± I flipped the page once more. Now, I wondered which one I would awaken as. ¨C ELEMENTS AND DIVERGENTS ¡°The five elements one can have an affinity to are as follows: Air, Water, Earth, Fire, and Nature. To have an affinity is to have a talent¨C affinities are natural predispositions, and one can only manipulate the elements with an affinity. To have two affinities is extremely rare¨C to have more than that is unheard of. However, there exist stronger, divergent elements¨C because they diverge from the natural order of this world and do not exist normally in nature, which is why it is so rare to be able to manipulate them. Some divergent elements are a combination of multiple elements, however, to be able to manipulate more than one element at the same time is a feat in itself. The list is as follows: Air -> Sound Water -> Ice Earth -> Gravity Fire -> Lightning (Internal/External) Nature -> Life Author''s note: ~Amplifiers use Internal Lightning is used to increase the user''s speed and reaction time, et cetera, whilst External is used to project lightning outside the body. Internal is considered to be far more difficult.~ Then, there come elemental reactions capable of being achieved through the manipulation of more than one element. Fire + Water -> Steam Water + Nature -> Poison Earth + Fire -> LavaRoyal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Water + Wind -> Illusion Beyond these elements, however, there exists a 7th and 8th: Space, and Time. However, these 2 elements have only ever been manipulated by one person¨C the Creator, Sophia. The conditions to unlock the ¡®space¡¯ and ¡®time¡¯ elements are unknown, as well as their capabilities. Due to their power, they are considered ¡®primordial elements¡¯, and are not recognised as part of the main elements.¡± Flip, flip, flip, flip. LIMITATIONS AND WHIPLASH ¡°Both Amplifiers and Evokers are limited by the efficiency of their manipulation of Soul Energy. Amplifiers cannot release elements, and Release cannot coat their bodies in them¨C that is the core difference between both times. However, upon reaching the highest heights of sorcery, Amplifiers able to shoot elements and Evokers able to augment themselves with them have been seen¨C showing that the difference is not as apparent through the gaining of power.¡± ¡°Whiplash is the result of overuse. An Amplifiers¡¯ whiplash is caused by either: the depletion of soul from their core¨C or the overuse of their soul veins, causing them to become damaged if pushed too far. This is why a strong core and large veins are necessary. Evokers can gain whiplash from absorbing too much soul from the environment, more than the size of their core can take in, resulting in energy existing outside of the veins and core within their body, which will explode as it does not have a container. This can be especially dangerous to the Evokers¡¯ life.¡± Fliiip. SOUL ARTS ¡°Soul Arts are the unique manifestation of a user''s affinity into an ¡®art¡¯, with numerous personal spell extensions. To develop a unique Soul Art, one must not only be well-versed and a master of their element(s), they must be innately talented as well.¡± ¡°Soul Arts are exceptionally powerful. One such example, the Soul-Flame created by the Divergent combination of Fire and Nature was developed into a Soul Art that burned the very Soul Core and Soul Veins to dust. As such, Soul Arts are extremely powerful but extremely taxing as well.¡± ¡°Soul Arts may sometimes uniquely diverge from the regular elements¨C one such example is the Necromancy seen in the Brooke family. Oftentimes, nobody knows where they stem from.¡± AWAKENING ¡°Sages are 1 in every 100 people, due to the fact that the ability to sense the soul is incredibly rare and uncommon. The soul core is the essence of life¨C to shatter or remove it is to sign a death warrant. Overuse of the soul can lead to death. For those who are not sages, the soul core is at a fixed size¨C it is the life force, and nothing else. However, to sages, the soul core is far more than that. Everything has a ¡®soul¡¯, living or not. Therefore the size of the soul doesn¡¯t really matter¨C though the more energy one can store within themselves, the easier it is for them.¡± ¡°Sages, when awakening, will often destroy their surroundings, as all the energy within their core is released, before it is abruptly absorbed back into their core, along with some ambient soul particles, resulting in many black specks within a newly awakened¡¯s core. As this ambient energy becomes theirs through training and gaining strength, they will purify themselves as one grows stronger, causing them to eventually reach a pure, glowing white colour. The core progression works like this: As well as this, as one grows stronger, the core will branch out and grow like a tree. At its peak, the core will normally have many long, thick branch-like veins that stretch out across their body, like a large tree.¡± ¡°A Sage will normally awaken at the age of 15.¡± Click. ¨C I had come to the end of the book. Taking a moment to digest the new information I had learned, I took a breath. My breaths were rather ragged¨C my injuries hadn''t healed fully, despite Hua¡¯s treatment, and my chest still spiked with pain whenever I took too sharp a breath. I allowed a gentle hiss to exit my mouth before assuming a meditative position, hands resting in my lap like boats atop a calm sea. Firstly, I needed to gently open up my soul veins so energy could pass out from my core, and absorb soul from the surrounding environment. If I had miraculously survived a fall through a stable roof from the heavens, I could do this¨C I hoped. It shouldn¡¯t be that hard¡­ right? I could somewhat feel the energy circulating throughout my body. It stretched from the scar in the centre of my body, my core, to the tips of my fingers. It entered with every breath I took, every breath I gave. It was everything that defined me, yet nothing at the exact same time. Everywhere and nowhere, perpetual and ephemeral. It was the very foundation of existence. My body felt somewhat lighter, but that may have just been me. Looser, more relaxed. As everything around me faded to a blur of nothing, and the world faded to black. I stood within the darkness, my feet making ripples upon its surface as though I stood in a pool of still water. In front of me lay an invisible barrier, separating me and a crashing ocean¨C what I assumed to be the impure energy within my core. My hands raised, and pressed against the wall before me. There was no way to get past it now, and I felt it. I wasn¡¯t so much of a genius that I could awaken within six months of first learning about the soul, and I knew that. ¡°It is not time yet. Be still.¡± A voice echoed from within the chambers of my mind, but it wasn¡¯t my own. I felt it reverberate throughout my whole body, and most importantly, I felt it within my soul. Nature rested under its will¨C even the waters were silenced at its command. Was I in the presence of a divine being? My body stopped moving as I bent down, kneeling before its presence. ¡°There is no need to bow.¡± I rose shakily from my position. My entire body trembled, and I glanced down at my hands, which were shaking uncontrollably. Despite it being a mere voice¡­ my entire body was succumbing to the feeling of unprecedented fear. ¡°After all, you and I¡­ we are ¡®one¡¯.¡± I had questions, so many¨C but I couldn¡¯t ask them, I didn¡¯t want to speak, the sound lay trapped in my throat. ¡°I said we would meet again, child.¡± ¡°What do you¨C what do you mean? Do you know me?!¡± I croaked out, voice hoarse and trembling, much like the rest of my body. ¡°I suppose you may not have noticed the power of the Aevum within you¨C though, that is to be expected. Your body cannot handle it just yet¡­ you must awaken first. I will not be able to meet with you frequently, however, as I do not wish to impose my will upon your body.¡± I didn¡¯t understand much of what she was telling me. Aevum? Strength? Will? Who was she? ¡°I cannot tell you your goal, nor who your enemies are, child. That is for you to decide, once your memories have fully returned to you. They are sealed within that core of yours. But no matter where you stand in the coming disaster¡­ you must get strong enough to protect those you hold dear. Or you will fall with the rest in the war that is to come.¡± Chapter 3: Awakenings XING HUA¡¯S POV: Well, the last few months were certainly interesting. A mysterious boy had crashed through the roof of my stable, and forgotten his memories in the process. Upon seeing my abilities, he had immediately become interested, and spent his days in the study, reading every book I had¨C and every book the stores had to offer, for that matter. I didn¡¯t exactly pay him handsomely, I didn¡¯t truly have the money for that¡­ but he only ever used it on those books. Tucking a few strands of black hair out of my eyes, my hand tightened around the weaved basket I carried by the handle. The reeds it was made from stood firm, as I had been using it for years, to tell the truth. There were still many mysteries about that boy I had yet to uncover. He seemed to be learning at a fast rate¨C not just about magic. Just about anything I taught him, he picked up at speeds which truly weren¡¯t normal in any case. Merely thinking about him caused me to sigh, as I worried about what he was getting up to. His awakening was coming at any time now; with it, he would likely destroy the surroundings, so I had told him to practise outside. After all¡­ I really did not want him destroying the house. That was the storm¡¯s job. And even then, fixing it was a pain in the ass that I really didn¡¯t want to deal with¡­ The winds were rather courageous today. They lashed at buildings, as well as anything in the open¨C including my face¨C with dark clouds approaching like an oncoming army. A storm was approaching, rather fast. My walk quickened, in order to get my shopping done before the rain came. Truly, I hated rain. Although it watered the crops for me, everything got soggy.. And the trek up the hill to the farm was just that much more difficult when one¡¯s feet were trapped by layers of mud and water. Sometimes I think Atlas is just like a little baby. Honestly, I take my eyes off of him for one second, and he¡¯s gone doing something else! I could never just leave him be, however¨C if I ever let him meet the battle-hungry men of the town, he¡¯d become just as hard headed as them, honestly. However, he seems to gravitate¨C I mean, he seems to LITERALLY be pulled towards the study room. Even when I¡¯m telling him off for climbing the roof or whatever other silly thing he¡¯s gone and done, he¡¯ll be inching over there unconsciously! Though, he most certainly enjoys watching the warriors practise. Once he¡¯s done his work, he¡¯s either reading more or gone to watch them train. I think he wants to be an adventurer¨C though, we¡¯ll both have to be older before that happens. He can¡¯t even use a sword¨C and he hasn¡¯t even broken out his soul core yet. But he¡¯s getting close, I can feel it. And when I feel it, it¡¯s gotta be true! I got called a genius when I was little, heh. Awakened my soul core at the age of 10, way earlier than when it was supposed to awaken. AND I had an affinity for nature. ¡­If you want to clap, go ahead. I¡¯m not waiting or anything¡­ If I had to guess, I would assume Atlas is a year younger than I. Through his mannerisms, behaviour, and appearance, I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s 10 whilst I am 11. Why am I so mature? Well, that¡¯s a secret, of course! No other 11-year-old is quite like me! As I finished my daily rounds, I turned, exiting the shop I had been in, beginning the slow trek back down the road, back to the farm. ATLAS REYES¡¯ POV: Around a year has passed since I began training to break out my soul core. It¡¯s truly been an arduous process¨C I¡¯ve been gathering tiny little bits of soul particles from the outside world and absorbing them through my skin, whilst attempting to widen my veins at the same time. Truly¨C I¡¯d rather learn to fight blind than to do this all again¡­ When the book said most people awakened at 15, I could see why. Normally, one would sit and wait for the particles to gather at the core, wait for the veins to open up. However, due to that voice in my head, it had become apparent that I didn¡¯t have time to sit and wait for anything to happen. I severely doubted most would understand the concept of instead of waiting, simply grabbing the lights¨C as according to Hua, I was ¡®the weirdest genius she had ever met¡¯. I took that as a compliment, though. But it would be harder later than now. After all, children learned things more easily than adults, as adults were more rigidly stuck in their ways. Children were mouldable, though many seemed to use that to their advantage for all the wrong reasons. Darkness fell upon the earth as night came, stars twinkling above my head as I meditated in the field. The wind brushed past my ears, growing stronger as my hair whipped my face. I wanted to cough, but my breathing remained steady as I continued to tirelessly gather particles, drawing them towards my core. Daily exercises consisted of working on the farm¨C which, fully enough, was building my strength. When I had arrived, I had been mostly skin and bone. Now, I had put on enough muscle to hold and use a farming hoe for hours without needing a break every fifteen minutes. I don¡¯t really know why, but I seem to be more mature than other kids of my age, as though I¡¯m an adult in a child¡¯s body. It¡¯s rather odd, and I don¡¯t really get it myself, to be perfectly honest with you. The wind seemed to howl around me as it all turned into a cacophony of discordant noise, an unholy screech from the depths of hell. Then it all¡­ stopped for a moment, as though time itself was put on pause¨C And an ear-piercing shriek echoed a moment later, with a loud bang. XING HUA¡¯S POV: I didn¡¯t really realise what had happened myself. Just as I reached the top of the hill, a large shriek echoed, some kind of death knell. The noise rang out like dolorous bells, and my heart raced a mile a minute. Eyes already widening with shock, breaths already coming out in gasps as all the blood drained from my face, it becoming pale with horror and worry. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I pushed through the swirling winds which seemed to be forming some kind of barrier around the area. ¡°AT¨CLAS!!!¡± I screamed repeatedly, voice hoarse from yelling his name, over and over. Blood rose in my throat as I continued to damage it, shouting into the howling winds for no answer. I spat the bile out onto the grass, slamming my hands into the floor as a hum emanated from them as well as a green light, body and mind having already gone into overdrive. The grass grew, coalescing into a mass of thick vine which reached over like an almighty hand from the heavens, flinging bits of broken debris out of the way as I fought to reach my dearest friend and housemate. After removing the final bit of rock and fighting through the storm, my mouth lay agape in shock as I collapsed to my knees, a weak chuckle escaping my mouth. Wiping whatever tears had brimmed in the corners of my eyes, I smiled quietly. ¡­.This guy truly was a maniac. Floating in the centre¨C all the animals had rushed over to one side, likely afraid of his newfound power¨C was Atlas, hair hanging down in a wild, yet sleek mess, torn out of the braid I had oh-so-nicely taught him how to make. The explosion had been caused by the breaking of his soul core. He lingered in mid-air, and I could make out the soul particles gathering around him, before they were abruptly sucked into his body and absorbed in a flash of light, as his body descended, falling like a stone. My reflexes kicked in and I was by his side in the time it took for a heart to beat, catching him as he fell, his multi coloured eyes blinking to life as I smiled softly at him. ¡°Did you sleep well, you goddamn weirdo?¡± ATLAS REYES¡¯ POV: ¡°Did you sleep well, you goddamn weirdo?¡± Hua¡¯s voice was a rather wonderful wake-up call. Though, it was still a little loud for my tastes¡­ but better than nothing. The inside of my mouth tasted sour, bitter, like blood. My throat felt as though someone had run a grater along its inside, and was undeniably scratchy as I opened my mouth, attempting to talk. Nothing escaped my mouth but mere hoarse cries and a few shallow breaths. My body was much the same. My limbs felt more like lead than anything else, with any attempt to move them like trying to push a wheelbarrow of bricks up a hill with drenched clothes on. My head was heavy and aching, and I was sure, had Hua not been cradling it in her arms as though I was merely a baby, it would have dropped to the floor like a stone through thin air. Her eyes conveyed worry. It wasn''t an emotion I had seen on her before. I was more used to the joy shining in her eyes¡­ It was an interesting moment. I had never noticed before just how much the eyes hinted at a person''s emotions. When Hua was happy, her auburn eyes glimmered like the rising sun. They were focused, confident. When she was sad, the flecks within swarmed and separated every second at random as her eyes darted around, the light in her eyes gone. And I didn''t know what to say to that¨C I couldn''t say anything. Instead, my hands reached up as best they could, pain spiking throughout my entire arm as I stifled a gasp due to the sheer shock. It hurt so much. But comforting her was more worth that. At that moment, it was more like I was the older one. In that moment, she was just the child she had always been, not the mature adult she was trying, pretending to be for the both of us. The roughness of my palms was a stark contrast to the smoothness of her face. It was like sandpaper against a pillow. My eyelids grew heavier by the second, and all I could manage was a soft smile¨C which I hoped, at least, would be reassuring¨C before the whole world faded to black. XING HUA''S POV: His hand cupped my face, and it was warm. I hadn¡¯t felt such a thing for a while¨C no, for the longest time. And such a thing reminded me of my parents. The gilded white halls of the palace were a stark contrast to the pitiable shack I had been granted, a small bit of respite from the tussle for power in the capital, and more specifically, within my family. And it saddened me, as regret had taken root deep within my soul. I had pushed it down since coming here¨C but this boy was enough to drag it out of me. Why was I running away, again? I didn¡¯t remember, truly. All I knew was that this boy¨C was someone I¡¯d never known I needed. He hadn¡¯t said anything, but he didn¡¯t need to. The wordless exchange was enough for me to know, to understand what he was trying to tell me. And perhaps, the way he smiled and the way his multicoloured eyes gleamed softly in the light of the setting sun, was enough to show me that perhaps it was better this way. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright.¡± His eyes told countless tales, and mine did too. One day, if he ever remembered, I¡¯d like to hear his story. Then, I could relate to him better¨C and be there for him when he¡¯d been there for me. The ground cracked, and I could hear growls in the distance. Panting, like that of a wild animal. A hungry wild animal. My eyes darted up. Elysian beasts. Crystals lined their backs, and long fangs hung out the front of their mouths, fur matted with dried blood from their last meals. Drool dripped down their maws¨C they were hungry, and had likely been brought here sensing the eruption of soul energy that had come from Atlas¡¯ awakening. They preyed upon that, eating Sages alive. Although it was only the Tier 7, weaker beasts that hunted in packs, I could see about twenty. I couldn¡¯t deal with that. Prodigy or not, I was still weak. And so, they approached¨C I could do nothing but shield Atlas¡¯ unconscious body, raising my hands and getting ready to fight the best I could. Death slowly dragged near, and fear had already begun to set into my bones. I wanted to run, but they had already encircled me. Nowhere to hide, nothing to do but fight. Chapter 4: Fabricated World The beasts had pressed my back up against the wall of the house, Atlas cradled in my arms as I warily eyed each of them. It felt as though they¡¯d rip me apart at any second. Using my core now would be far too taxing for my body, as I¡¯d used it earlier¨C unless I wanted to deal with the whiplash that came later. However, it was that or death. I shook my head, propping Atlas up against the wall. He looked so.. Helpless, yet at peace. Like there was nothing burdening him, but his skin was far more pale than I was used to, like he was¡­ sick. Green light emanated from my hands¨C though it was weak. I could barely spark up enough to illuminate the night, and pain sparked through my chest as the beasts grew closer. The feeling of dread had already taken root in the pit of my stomach, as the light cut off almost instantly. I couldn''t control my soul energy whilst fear was overcoming my nerves. My entire body shook, and I shut my eyes, a feeble cry escaping my lips. ¡°H-help¡­.¡± Death loomed closer, hovering over me. I could feel the cold steel of its scythe of fear pressed against my neck. I tried to draw breath, but it was as though it was sitting on my chest, staring down from its throne of the deceased and taunting me as I took my last feeble breaths. The beast brought its claws down, but they never raked their way through my flesh as I anticipated, tensing against the burning pain I knew was to come. I paused, waiting for the end, wondering why there wasn''t a stream of blood running warm through my fingertips. And my eyes slowly peeled open¨C and instead of my blood, the beast''s golden ichor painted the ground. Ichor was the blood of the Elysian Beasts¨C the blood of the gods the people worshipped. And it only pegged the question¨C if they had the same blood as the gods¡­ then were they once gods themselves? No textbook had the answer to that question. Overwhelming relief flooded my body as I gasped, breathing for the first time in what felt like years. Nearly collapsing to my knees, I turned my head to face the one who had saved my life. The beast roared, eyes fixated on the culprit. A man stood, glasses resting upon his nose, with wild, red hair down to his shoulders, and crimson eyes. It was half-tied up in a bun at the back of his head, with some some framing his face in a messy fringe, a halberd resting between his fingers. The man turned on his heel, and I could do nothing but watch as he cleared his throat and spoke. He was not looking at me¨C though he addressed me by name. He knew my name, but I was focusing too much on Atlas to care for that. ¡°X¨©ng Hua. Take the boy with you to safety. I and my¡­ crew will handle the rest.¡± ¨C My eyes darted around. As I regained my senses, I now properly took notice of the man¡¯s crew. He had four others along with him, so 5 in total. There was a woman with black hair and green eyes¨C they seemed to shine like emeralds upon the crown that was her face, I thought. There was also one man with brown hair and blue eyes, one with black hair and green eyes, similar to the woman, and another with red hair and red eyes like their supposed-leader. I could do nothing but stare dumbfounded as they dispatched the beasts with what seemed like ease. ¡°Over here, Anthony!¡± The red-haired man yelled, causing the brown-haired one¨C named Anthony, I guessed¨C to raise his greatsword, muttering a few words, stabbing his blade into the ground. [Typhoon] I had never seen air magic that powerful before. Soul particles converged at a singular point before forming a swirling vortex around his sword as all the beasts were sucked in, preventing their movement. I could only hope the barn wasn''t being caught up in the wind. The redheaded leader immediately followed up with another spell, raising his halberd. He seemed to be an Amplifier, with a fire affinity. However, he was certainly one of the stronger ones¨C and I could feel his strength being exerted as pressure on the air around us. ¡°To dust.¡± [Hellflame Spear] Flames converged around the tip of his halberd, flowing freely up and down the blade and converging into a white-hot point. The halberd took upon the shape of a lance as the man stepped forward, arm back, before throwing it with precision, spearing through the horde of beasts caught up in the air as they burst into flame, the smell of seared flesh filling the clearing, ashes floating away in the wind as the man turned to me. I flinched at his stare. He was right in front of me, smiling very friendly. But I couldn''t read him¡­ at all. As though the smile was nothing more than a mask for a monster that hid underneath. He approached me calmly, but I didn''t notice until he was right in front of me. His voice was unnaturally sweet, I thought. ¡°My name is Jasper,¡± He then pointed to the red-haired girl, ¡°That''s my sister, Mari. The brown-haired man is Anthony, the black-haired man is Makko, and the black-haired woman is Nessa.¡± Jasper, Mari, Anthony, Makko, and Nessa. I recounted their names one by one, attempting to get them to stick. ¡°My group is called the Lizards, and we''re from Sumeria.¡± Sumeria was the country that bordered Hu¨¡g¨­ng, a country with vast amounts of desert, with a beautiful, lush city in its centre, ruled by the Larsa family. ¡°Couldn''t help but notice you were in some trouble, Miss Hua.¡± I didn''t know them, and had never seen them in town before¨C yet they knew me. And the Lizards¡­ I was wary of them. I had heard that name before, but I couldn''t remember why, nor for what¨C I''d have to think about it properly later.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Jasper leaned forward, attempting to take Atlas from my arms, but I curled them instinctively, hiding his limp body from the man. However, he persisted. ¡°I don''t intend on hurting him,¡± He promised, words slick and oily. I didn''t trust his words. ¡°I just want to examine him¨C he''s only just awakened his core, after all, as that was what attracted the beasts, right?¡± How had he known that? He couldn''t have¨C but before I had time to think over what he had said, he was talking again. ¡°We need to make sure his core is stable¨C you can watch me, if you want. And besides, you need rest as well. You''re both just children. It has been a long day.¡± I had to agree with him there. My body was weak from overuse of magic, and I could barely focus, let alone protect Atlas if anything happened. It was probably just¡­ best to let them have him. Jasper reached out and took him from my arms with no resistance on my part, holding his limp body as I stumbled sluggishly, keeling over as it all seemed to fade to black. ¡ª ATLAS REYES¡¯ POV: It had been a while since I had been able to feel anything. My body felt light, weightless even, as I drowned in the perpetual darkness. The silence was like a noose around my neck, ready to pull tight as the ground beneath my feet opened up. However, it didn''t. A light grew from a small orb before me, growing brighter and brighter as I was pulled towards it by an invisible cord, tugging on my centre as the star symbol on my chest shone a bright white until I could touch the light and¡­ it all disappeared. Suddenly, I was spectating something. A memory of some sort. I couldn''t tell whether it was mine, or another person''s¨C but I could do nothing but watch. A boy¨C perhaps 12 years of age¨C sat upon the streets paved with gold towers rising high into the sky, illuminating the darkness. However, it truly was a perfect world¨C starkly contrasted by the boy who sat in rags, chewing on the stale piece of bread he had been given out of pity. Such utopias could only be maintained by trampling on the backs of those suffering the most. He scampered through the chartered streets, hunched over as though he carried the world upon his back. Turning a corner, and then another one, he slipped down through a grill leading to the sewers, descending down a ladder. His feet were bare, and he slipped a few times, black hair becoming more matted and pressed to his skull in the humid air. However, he pushed on, eventually coming to a section of wall which looked out of place. Knocking three times, he uttered a password. ¡°Deus ex machina.¡± God from the machine. ¡°Ex nihilo.¡± From nothing. A response came, and the wall slid to the side, and another boy, with neck-length brown hair and stark blue eyes, peeked around the corner carefully, making sure it was who he wanted to see. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back,¡± His eyes glanced down to the food in the other male¡¯s hands, ¡°with food. Deianira and Evanora will be happy about that!¡± I wasn¡¯t sure who these people were, or the reason I was spectating their lives, but I continued to watch. The black-haired boy climbed over the rock and through the opening, pushing past a growth of vines and arriving in a dimly-lit room. A lamp¨C lit by a glowing white flame¨C illuminated the room, with a few boxes and cloth draped over. Lined up lay four more pieces of cloth, with blankets over them¨C likely where these children slept. Behind him, however, two girls rushed in. One had sleek, black hair down to her mid-chest, with purple eyes that seemed to glow in the dark, and the other had hair of a fiery red, curly locks tied back into a ponytail and eyes to match. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re both back¨C our lord and saviour has returned, and with him, he¡¯s brought food. How did your patrol go, Deia?¡± The black-haired one, I assumed was called Deianira, responded curtly. ¡°They are hardening the security and upping the patrols, Arwan. Emperor Caelus, apparently, is collecting all orphans¨C he¡¯s already checked all the kids with parents¨C as supposedly, the god of destruction and war has reincarnated. He wants to find them and turn them into a weapon of war to kill the Creator.¡± The scene shifted, and I saw the passage of time in a few, quick moments. The black-haired boy fought with a blade exceptionally well, I noted, training with the other three, in what I assumed to be some sort of military camp, easily taking them despite being outnumbered. ¡°You truly are strong, Xeno. Thankfully, you''re on our side!¡± Deianira said as the battle drew to a close. Xeno? Where had I heard that name before? Pain spiked throughout my head, the scene blurring as I was brought back to the empty darkness. My vision blurred, and it felt as though someone was tearing their claws through each and every part of my brain, and I remembered. Falling. Endless nothingness. Purgatory. And then her. ¡°ISABELLA!¡± I roared. ¡°COME OUT!¡± The world I was in changed shape. And suddenly, I was standing amongst creation, and everything was perfect. Isabella kneeled near a stream, the colours refracting off the water. Her white hair whipped in the wind, clothed in a white dress, fit for nothing but the angels. And now, I noticed, she was exceptionally beautiful, seemingly bathed in light wherever she went. And not only that, but¡­ the animals seemed to flock to her, wanting to be around her¨C and she cared for them, like she would her children. Her steel blue eyes caught my multicoloured ones, and she stood, sandals pressing weightlessly against the earth beneath her feet as she made her way over to me. Her breaths were ethereal, as though she was breathing a different air to me. ¡°I suppose you have come with questions.¡± She sighed. ¡°The place we are in is known as a Mind¡¯s Eye. Everyone has one within their soul. But that is off topic. I am¡­ sorry, for keeping such things from you. You, Xeno, no, Atlas, were once a warrior. The strongest, perhaps. But you chose the wrong side in the war, and died with me. I can¡¯t answer your question¨C who I am¨C just yet. You are not yet strong enough to bear that burden. I cannot speak with you any further, and it will probably be a while before we may speak again. I wish you luck.¡± She turned on her heel, and began to walk away. Further and further, but I couldn¡¯t reach her no matter how hard I tried. ¡°Wait! Why did you save me!¡± I reached out¨C and suddenly, I was no longer there. Chapter 5: Where Serpents Lie A few tears ran down my face, sunlight filtering in through the windows of an unfamiliar room. A blanket lay draped over me. My arm remained outstretched, bandages thinly wrapped over it. Every muscle in my body ached with an ancient pain as I hurriedly wiped the tears from my eyes, attempting to sit up, but I was prevented by the weight on my chest. However, the weight soon lifted as I saw messy green locks obscuring a pale face, bathed in golden light. ¡°Hu¡­a?¡± My entire body was sore, and the sound of my voice was unfamiliar to me. It sounded croaky, old, lifeless. It didn¡¯t seem like mine, and I was quite surprised when I heard it. In response to that, her eyes seemed to shimmer, out of happiness, and something else. They wobbled, and her whole body shook, countless tears streaming down her face and cascading onto the floor as though they were fast-moving currents. She hugged me tightly, and I didn¡¯t need to understand. She, as mature as she acted, couldn¡¯t lose any more people. She was still young, yet¡­ And I knew it wasn¡¯t fair to her. Because she deserved a family too¨C but misfortune didn''t pick and choose. The only fair thing in this world, I had noticed¡­was how unfair the hands people were dealt, were. ¡°Three days,¡± She whispered. ¡°Three days you¡¯ve been asleep.¡± My fists clenched, and my teeth gritted. She was like this because of me. Worrying about me. Because I was weak. Not strong enough to handle the awakening of my own power, not good enough to even get the answers I sought from Isabella. Fucking useless by all accounts. My fingernails dug so deeply into my hands, they began to blend, as I felt it soaking my fingertips. Deserving, I thought. Rudely awakened from my thoughts, as well as the rather sweet moment with Hua, loud knocks sounded upon the wooden door, before it was pushed open without a word. A redheaded man stood in the doorway, hair hanging around his shoulders, glasses perched on his face. My eyes narrowed, glancing over to Hua, whose expression didn''t seem to be shocked or scared. Was he a threat¡­? However, I was immediately preoccupied by the sight of what looked like specks of dust in the air. No. They were¡­ soul particles? Like the ones I''d been drawing to my core the whole time. I could see them now? I had¡­ awakened? ¡°I''ve¡­. awakened?¡± My voice was low, curious. Almost a question to myself. But that much was always clear. I just wanted to reassure myself that I had been able to do something. That I¡¯d now be able to provide something. Red hair hung down to the man¡¯s shoulders, half-tied in a bun atop his face. He made his way over, and I visibly tensed, but I was unable to move. My body wouldn¡¯t respond due to how long I¡¯d been lying in this damn bed for. Move. Move, damnit! His hand stretched towards me further. And I closed my eyes, awaiting whatever it was. However, it simply slipped¡­. Behind my back, pushing me up into a sitting position. Pain spiked through my chest and I clutched the centre, coughs violently exiting my mouth as I gasped. ¡°Your core is stable,¡± He commented, ¡°But weak. If you wish to protect Miss Hua, you will fail¡­ Ah. We haven¡¯t been introduced yet. My name is Jasper. And you?¡± His voice was gentle, polite, to an uncanny degree. But there was an undertone of something I simply couldn¡¯t understand. Like he was playing with his food. For that reason alone, distrust brewed in my heart. ¡°Atlas. Atlas Reyes.¡± I responded cautiously, never taking my eyes off of him. Hua turned to face me, crossing her arms. ¡°Now, once you¡¯ve recovered, we have to go to the capital¨C Xing¨C to get your affinity checked. If you have one, that is.¡± She said, half-heartedly, sombre. It was as though she didn¡¯t want to go. As for why, I couldn¡¯t fathom. Nonetheless, I nodded. Jasper piped up from the corner, back against the wall. So silent, I had forgotten his presence. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re heading there too? My group and I will be heading there as well. I hope you don¡¯t mind us accompanying you?¡± He smiled, before it dropped from his face. Hua seemed to be fine with that, allowing for a small nod. She clearly trusted the group more than I did¨C then again, I¡¯d been asleep for three days. As I dragged myself off the bed, she helped me hobble over to the door. My body turned to face him, eyes locking onto his in a silent war. I didn¡¯t trust him, but that didn¡¯t mean he had nothing to offer. ¡°If I¡¯m doomed to fail,¡± I said, ¡°Then what about teaching me? So I don¡¯t.¡± His eyes flickered for a moment, before a smile was brought to his face. Cunning, I didn¡¯t like that face. It was as though I were staring into the eyes of a serpent. ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish, young Atlas. Your wish is my command.¡± ¨C Recovery, after the last few weeks, was now my least favourite activity. There wasn¡¯t much more that could be more utterly boring than that¨C but at the very least, I had the books from the study with me, since training my soul core at the same time as healing my body was important, now that it had awakened. The process of cleansing my impure core was slow and arduous, undoubtedly. Even with days, I was barely getting anyway¨C the methods used in the books were rather¡­ inefficient, I thought. As I made my way around the house sometimes, I¡¯d notice Hua hanging around her room, gazing mindlessly at the framed photos, seemingly reminiscing a distant past. She had seemed both happy and sad when we¡¯d agreed to go to the capital. Happy to go, but sad to leave. After all, I doubted we¡¯d be returning to this place, since ¡°the time had come to return¡±, or that¡¯s what she told me anytime I asked. Along with that, the Lizards were now staying at an inn close by as well, and they had begun to train the both of us, since I had now regained some control over my arms and legs, albeit not without pain. Whilst Hua was practising her nature magic with Mari, I spent my time doing bladework with Jasper, Anthony, Nessa, and Makko, since my affinity was unknown, and I couldn¡¯t be trained under any specific element yet.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! From what I had noticed, Jasper was an Evoker and a Fire Sage, who used a halberd. Anthony was a Evoker, and an Air sage, who used a greatsword. He had beard stubble, unlike Jasper. Nessa and Makko were both Amplifiers, who used Water and Earth respectively along with a bow and gauntlets. Due to my short stature, they had aptly fitted me with a short, one-handed sword for the time being, since all other weaponry was either too long or too heavy for my body. The greatsword Anthony had me try out had made me¡­ fall over. That could simply have been my lacking strength, however. But I couldn¡¯t do much about this childish body, anyway¡­ Oftentimes, Anthony and I sparred, since we used similar weapons. I had fought with everyone except Jasper¨C the strongest for last, it seemed. Today was one such day¨C after taking the long path to the training grounds, the four were waiting for me. Hua was likely with Mari in the woods near the farm, training to be one with nature. Anthony¡¯s brown hair obscured his eyes for a moment, before he pushed it out of the way carefully, gesturing me to come forward. The muscular man stood in the centre, waiting for me. I had done this a thousand times in the visions I had seen with Isabella. Those were my memories. Though I was in a different body, they were ingrained into my muscles, into my head. I just had to execute them. Which¡­ was harder than it sounded, since I didn¡¯t understand how I¡¯d managed to pull some of those off. ¡­Older body, probably, since I was now this small, short, young boy, with barely any muscle, skin and bones. Anthony raised his greatsword. This was a simple fight. No magic, simply pure skill. And I wouldn¡¯t let him have the first move¨C I had learnt that from Jasper. Letting the enemy have the first move was setting yourself up to lose. I shot off my left foot as best I could¨C going any faster was bound to cause more injuries than I¡¯d started this process with¨C raising my blade, but it simply collided with the flat side of Anthony¡¯s weapon and slid off to the side. Shit. ¡°Too slow.¡± He uttered, slamming the tip of the sword into the ground like it was nothing, before spinning and attempting to kick me in the chest. His foot collided with my stomach, sending me flying backwards, skidding. I could almost feel the bruises begin to form beneath my bandages. Not good. Getting back to my feet, I huffed, throwing a thumbs-up at my opponent, signalling I was good to continue to him. I didn¡¯t want to stop here. Suddenly, without warning, I was off again. I instinctively ducked beneath the swing of his greatsword horizontally, sidestepping the thrust that immediately followed, before getting in a double strike of my own against his side with the wooden practice blade. This battle was only just getting started. ¡ª ANTHONY¡¯S POV: The boy was¡­ good. And he learned fast. We had only been teaching him a few weeks, and yet, he caught on incredibly quickly, as though he had done it all before. His barrage of strikes continued, rapidly. I evaded most of them, only being struck by a few, hefting my blade over my shoulder, stepping in as our swords collided directly, feeling the wood against wood. Batting him away relatively easily after the second-long clash, he didn¡¯t drop to his knees this time. Good. He was becoming more and more resilient with every passing moment. I swung my blade as he charged again, hoping to hit him in the face¨C but he was nowhere to be seen. ¡°...Huh?¡± I said aloud, wondering where he had gone, grasping the hilt of my blade as I finished my swing, turning around. Atlas fell through the air, upside down, as he twisted his body. And for a moment, I froze, before regaining my focus. As he was about to swing the blade, he missed, as though he had wrongly judged the distance. Odd. I was sure that he knew he could hit me. Just what was going on here? The battle raged on. With a few more clashes, it was clear he was slowly becoming more and more tired. I had expected this. Though he showed great prowess and skill, his strength and stamina was lacking, though that could be built up with time and effort. It was time to bring this battle to a close. I dashed in, swinging my greatsword once over my shoulder, forcing him to block overhead. Then, I swung my blade horizontally¨C and he disappeared again. The air, once more? ¡°The same trick won¡¯t work on me twi¨C¡± My voice cut off abruptly. He was perched on the flat fuller of my greatsword, knees bent, crossed arms with palms facing outward, blade in one hand. Through his hair, which was whipping wildly across his face, I could see naught but his heterochromic eyes. They glowed with such a great murderous intent, I froze in my tracks, unable to breathe, suffocating beneath the fear he had instilled within me with nothing more than a look. He stared me down like a hunter would its prey, with the intent to kill. Callous, unfeeling, radiating nothing more than bloodthirst. All sounds I could have made died out, as though I was choking. Choking beneath the feeling of death, like thousands of undead hands grasping every inch of my bare skin.They were cold, so cold. Dragging me beneath the ground. The paralysing feeling of death that overrides all my senses, making me want to turn and run. But I couldn¡¯t, because I¡¯d never escape it. It was the kind of face only a warrior that had slain hundreds, no thousands¨C until the count itself became irrelevant, nothing more than dust beneath his feet¨C could make. No, he was¡­ Death. That was the only way to put it. This boy was Death itself. ¡°STOP!¡± I yelled, before he swung his blade into my neck. And that look died from his face, and he made his way to the floor. I almost questioned whether I had seen correctly, for the child before me didn¡¯t seem as though he could make such a deathly face. But my hands still continued to shake, as did my voice as I spoke. ¡°You¨C you win. I lost that.¡± My eyes dropped to the floor, and he seemed concerned, but I brushed his attempts off, making my way over to where Jasper, Nessa, and Makko sat. Exhaling, I sat beside Nessa, hands shaking furiously as I glanced down at them, before over to her. She looked over to me, a curious look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s not like you to end a battle, or concede ¡®till it¡¯s really over,¡± She poked, ¡°so, what¡¯s up?¡± I swallowed. ¡°I¡¯ve met m-many strong enemies in my time as a mercenary. Too many, almost,¡± I tried to chuckle, to brush it off. ¡°But that boy¨C that boy radiated murder like no other. It was as though I was a feeble deer, standing before a wolf. I¡¯ve met the King of Sumeria¡­ but in comparison¡­¡± My voice trailed off. ¡°That boy¡¯s presence was five¡­ no, ten times mightier. Uncrowned, that boy¡­. is a true king.¡± Chapter 6: Clear Paths ATLAS REYES¡¯ POV: Once my recovery was over, it was merely the packing up left before we began our journey to the capital. The Lizards had organised a carriage to take us from this small town all the way there, but my mind continued to wander back to my battle with Anthony. From what I had learned, it wasn¡¯t like him to withdraw so suddenly, or give up. And Nessa refused to elaborate on the matter, as well. I couldn¡¯t begin to fathom what had caused such a reaction, but I attempted to pay it no mind as I pushed the worn books I had bought seemingly so long ago into a brown leather satchel I had purchased. Noticeably, however, I didn¡¯t have many possessions¨C I had spent more time training than attempting to acquire sentimental objects. Hua would certainly have more than I¨C admittedly, however, I was sad to be leaving this place behind. The only home I¡¯d ever had. From here, the path was clear. Arrive at the capital, get my affinity tested¨C if I was lucky enough to have one¨C then, perhaps, I¡¯d look into the Yggdrasil Academy. The Yggdrasil Academy, Hua had told me, was a magic school open to all those 17 and over, hosted in the central plateau¨C a flying city and a neutral area in the middle where Huagong, Sumeria, and Krystallos met, open to people from all 3 countries to learn, as long as they could get in. It opened every winter, before ending in summer with a break. However, that gave me 6 years of time to kill. Training, I thought, but that would get boring, fast. Perhaps I¡¯d adventure, and go visit the other continents after joining the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I wasn¡¯t sure. After exiting the small study, I noticed Hua down the end of the hall, gazing into what looked to be a necklace or locket of some kind. I approached her, shuffling quietly so as to not make any noise, before tapping her on the shoulder. She jumped, letting out a yelp, before turning to face me. ¡°Atlas! You surprised me,¡± She said, quickly shoving the item into her pocket, attempting to shield it from view. I raised an eyebrow, pulling on her arm and dislodging it from where it nestled, taking the locket. ¡°What are you hiding?¡± I questioned, holding it in one hand. ¡°Nothing.¡± She muttered. I turned the locket over, noticing there was a gold emblem emblazoned on the back, the symbol of a crane etched into it. I vaguely remembered seeing that symbol somewhere, but before I could take a closer look, it was taken back by Hua with a click of her tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my stuff,¡± She snapped, turning on her heel and stalking off. Well, a nerve certainly had been touched. Blatantly stepped on, even. Lately, as the time to leave grew nearer, she had grown more and more agitated, and was prone to being caught on her own, wistfully pondering on things nobody had any idea about. Picking up my bag, I took one last look around the place, heaving a sigh. It was my past, and all I could do was gaze towards the future, to the life I was there to forge. Xeno. From what I had seen, he was a lonely man. He¡¯d had friends, but in truth, he was always by himself, so strong he stood on a pedestal. The stronger and more intelligent a person grew, the more lonely they were in the end. He was an example of that. I had been an example of that. And even though I didn¡¯t know much about him, about us, I wasn¡¯t planning to do the same in this life. In this life, I would live a full life, with those I cared for. I didn¡¯t need strength, power, fame, money¡­ all of those were useless to me. Those were his mistakes. I wasn¡¯t about to repeat them. Waiting outside, it wasn¡¯t long before Hua made her way out the door, carrying a large bag. Had she come here with that much stuff? She hurried over to me, placing her hand in mine. It was a friendly, kind gesture, as we ventured into the unknown, placing our bags onto the carriage and taking our seats, ready to enter a different world. ¨C The ride was full of songs and making merry. Every so often we¡¯d stop for a break to stretch our legs, and the driver would switch as the Lizards took shifts. We were all quite excited, however, Hua often fell asleep on my shoulder, and I didn¡¯t blame her. The ride from the village to the capital took around five days, which was quite a long time, for both of our ages. However, the Lizards had told me I was rather mature for my age, which I had¡­ chuckled at, feeling a cold sweat run down my back. At the end of the fourth day, we stopped for the night as I nudged Hua, who had fallen half-asleep. It wasn¡¯t good for her to be taking naps so close to her bedtime, as she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep later on. In her sleep, she seemed to be mumbling, whimpering, crying. I didn¡¯t like that she couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully, it tugged at the very core of my being. And I gently shook her, dragging her out of the nightmare she¡¯d been having. As she awoke, she wiped her tears, not saying a word but letting out a small ¡®thank you¡¯, barely audible, but I heard it and nodded in response, getting to my feet and pulling my shirt down, stepping off the carriage in a single leap and making my way over to wear the other 5, and now Hua, had set up the tents, and a small fire crackling in the centre¨C likely Jasper¡¯s handiwork. I could feel its warmth as I edged closer, now taking note of how much my body was shivering. They had huddled around it, sharing food and singing songs. All was well. Taking a seat next to Hua and Mari, my eyes glanced across to each and everyone. They all seemed happy, except Jasper. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to like him, because there was something off about him. Something that didn¡¯t make sense, something that was off. Behind his smile, something far darker than our imaginations could bring to life lay. And I didn¡¯t want to drag that beast out, but it seemed to be rousing from its slumber, slowly but surely. ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving in Xing tomorrow,¡± Nessa said, ¡°And to think, this is all because we met these two.¡± She said, gesturing to Hua and I. Anthony, Makko, and Mari nodded, and Jasper did too, albeit far more hesitantly. ¡°To Hua and Atlas!¡± She said, raising her glass towards the starry sky, to which the others followed, chanting our names as well. They continued to chat long into the night, but I had gotten up and made my way off, taking a seat on a rock just a ways off, hearing their words blend together into a murky mess. The wind brushed past my skin gently, like an angel¡¯s cold touch, feeling it rustle my hair in the silence. I let out a sigh, eyes turned toward the sky. Although it should be a happy occasion, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of foreboding. As though something was going to go wrong, like something was wrong. Hearing footsteps behind me, my hand immediately shot to the blade in its scabbard. Monsters? Breaking the seal, I pushed it up, until the figure made their way out of the darkness. Nessa, with her hands raised where I could see them. ¡°Relax, relax, kid. It¡¯s just me.¡± I let out a breath, pushing the standard steel sword back into its holding as she took a seat beside me on the rock. ¡°What¡¯s got you looking so glum? You should be celebrating. This is your night, y¡¯know.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. I shook my head and shrugged nonchalantly in response. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know. I just feel like something¡¯s going to happen, going to ruin it all. I can¡¯t shake it.¡± I said, crossing my arms as I leaned back on the rock, feeling the cold in contrast to the warmth of my body. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry,¡± She dismissed, ¡°Even if something bad does happen, there¡¯s no point dwelling on the ¡®what ifs¡¯, since it hasn¡¯t happened yet. Focus on the here and the now.¡± I supposed she was right, really. I couldn¡¯t do anything but that. ¡°You should be enjoying yourself. How about a trade off? Since you don¡¯t know much about this world, I¡¯ll teach you one of the fundamentals: dance. And then when we have time, you can show me some of those ¡®cool sword tricks¡¯ you¡¯ve been trying to pull off.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for my answer, pulling on my arm and dragging me to my feet, spinning me around, the stars above and the other¡¯s voices in the background as we danced into the night. ¨C In the morning, we set off, quite weary from the celebrations the night before. As such, the cart was rather quiet, with Jasper taking the reins as everyone else was somewhere between awake and dozed off, myself included. Through my sleepy gaze, I could only see Nessa and Mari in one corner, though I also felt Hua on my shoulder as I was propped up by the corner of the cart. Feeling the wood press unbearably against my shoulder blade, I pushed myself up groggily, putting Hua down on the bench as I got to my feet, the carriage rattling as we entered rockier terrain, closer to the city. That was odd. The map said we should have been going through the woods right about now. Taking steps towards the front, I peeked out whilst Jasper had his back turned. We continued forward, crossing an old wooden bridge. It became clear to me that we were by the side of a cliff face, and I edged closer to the side of the carriage, peering over. We were by the edge of a cliff face. But why hadn''t Jasper said anything yet? A chill ran down my spine, and I turned, slowly. Jasper stood behind me, halberd pointed towards the sky. Flames converged at the tip of his halberd, compressed into a white-hot glowing point that made my eyes hurt. Then he slammed it downwards. [Hellflame Spear] And everything went to hell. An explosion echoed as the carriage was blown to bits, sending us all flying, flames licking whatever grass grew in this flame. The smell of charred wood filled the area as we lay amidst the wreckage. The smell invaded my nose, and I choked, smoke settling over the area, along with the scent of blood and tears. My body hurt, and I had been sent flying the farthest. My skull ached, and my limbs felt like they had been shattered in numerous places, muscles torn to shreds. The air itself, as I took gasps, felt like it had been lit aflame inside of my lungs. The taste of iron, no, blood, filled my mouth. From every corner of the rocks came five bandits, holding crossbows, knives, every weapon one could think of. It occurred to me at that moment: he had planned this. ¡°Brother¡­ why?¡± Mari''s voice echoed, and I could barely hear it above the sound of the flames, above the sound of my blood pounding in my head, in my ears, as I rolled over, attempting to pull myself up to my feet. Her voice sounded pained, shaky, anguished, screams ripping through her throat until they too, died out, and she could no longer speak. Tears ran down her face like rivers as she steeled her heart, grasping her staff in both hands, sobs slowly subsiding. My eyes found Hua, being taken care of by Anthony. She looked in better shape than me¨C then again, everyone was likely in better shape than me, considering the blast had been closest to me. Hair sticking to my forehead, vision red, eyes hurting. My hands, running across my face, came out wet, red with blood. My blood. Fortunately, I could only feel small cuts, though I was certainly sure my ribcage was at least fractured. Black and white hair tumbled over my shoulders, in front of my eyes. Obscuring them, as nothing gleamed in my eyes but pure and unbridled rage. Jasper laughed maniacally. The flames only grew hotter, the air itself beginning to waver under the heat. I could almost feel my skin beginning to cook simply by being near them. ¡°Why? Money, of course. With money, anything can be achieved. And when I was offered money by the two older princesses of the X¨©ng family¡­¡± His eyes glanced at Hua, settling on her, his smile growing wider, nothing but insanity visible in his crimson eyes. His face was contorted with nothing but ecstacy, the thought of killing her, clearly, driving him crazy with pleasure. I felt like tearing out his eyes with my bare hands, but I was still struggling to stand. ¡°...Well, why wouldn''t I take up the offer to kill the youngest princess, X¨©ng Hua, herself? After all¡­ her knight cannot enter the Succession Ritual Tournament if she no longer lives. They''ve asked me to bring the runner¡¯s head back to them on a platter¡­¡± I had pulled myself to my feet, but my eyes had widened, shock coursing through my body as I was unable to move. A¡­ Princess? I had known something was up with her. So she had run away? Run from her older sisters? Because they were trying to kill her? My eyes darted once more to her unconscious body, wounded from the explosion, cuts up and down her back. There would be time to ask her such questions later. However, now¡­ my rage had bubbled to its breaking point, and was now overflowing as I clutched my blade in hand. ¡°If you all deal with the bandits¡­¡± I said to Mari, Nessa, and Anthony¨C who had given Hua to Makko to take care of. ¡°I¡¯ll cut the head off the traitorous serpent.¡± I said, anger brimming in my tone of voice as I thought about killing him. They nodded in response, turning to deal with their own foes. 6 to 4¡­ Jasper looked towards the sky, his smile growing wider as he seemed to be somewhat amused. So this was what he was truly like. The snake had slithered from the darkness, and it had pulled its lips back to show fangs in an ugly grin. ¡°More importantly, killing¡¯s quite fun. Their helpless screams¡­ their blood running through my fingertips as they gasp desperately, pleading with whatever deity they believe exists above to save them¡­ I can¡¯t hide that from myself, after all!¡± His eyes turned to me, head still tipped back. ¡°Care for a dance?¡± He asked, voice quaking with happiness. Absolutely disgusting. How could a person gain pleasure from murdering another person, trading their lives with money stained by blood? ¡°I¡¯ll gladly oblige.¡± Chapter 7: Dire Straits The blade felt heavy in my hand, sweat running down my face, whether it be due to nervousness or the heat of the place. My blood roared in my ears¨C all I had to do was put everything I''d learned into practice. Yet, Jasper was the only person I hadn''t fought in practice¨C likely on purpose by him. If I had to guess, he knew it would come to this¨C so he had simply watched me fight, without letting me know anything about his true combat capabilities. The energy he was emitting made me want to drop to my knees. It was suffocating, grasping me by the throat and squeezing the very life from my lungs. Jasper approached me, halberd in hand, before he pushed off of one foot. I didn''t even see him move, until he was already in front of me and I could feel the movement of the air as it was slashed out of the way. Adrenaline kicked in, and I stumbled backwards, the tip of the blade nicking my chin. Damn this small body! Blood dripped down my neck, the wound stinging as Jasper ran his finger along the steel edge, licking his lips as he charged again. I just needed time. Long enough for the others to deal with the bandits so Hua wouldn''t get hurt, long enough to get used to his speed. He wasn''t that fast, as a spear user, but his attacks dealt an unholy amount of damage with every hit, especially when he used his fire magic. A ring of fire had surrounded us both, separating us from the others as we duelled in the middle. Stepping backwards, I felt the flames licking my heel, burning away at the ends of my trousers. I immediately dashed forward, despite the fatigue burning in my muscles, blade held loosely in one hand. My arm swung as I tossed the blade forwards. Perhaps not the best idea, but I knew I wasn''t going to beat him in brute strength. Skill, maybe, but that wasn''t enough, when the opponent was capable of summoning large waves of flames that incinerated everything flammable and even things that were not. I had to use my brain to win, or at least stall him here. The blade flew forward, as Jasper used his halberd to knock it upwards in a singular swing, preventing it from dealing any damage to him as it¨C luckily¨C landed within the ring. However, that wasn''t my aim. Before Jasper could react, my knuckles collided with his nose, a crack echoing across the battlefield as he stumbled backwards in shock, nose bent off-centre and bleeding profusely. I had most certainly bruised my hand, but I followed immediately with a spinning back kick to his stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs as it collided directly with his diaphragm. He gasped for air as I began to retreat, picking up my blade once more, feeling the sweat dripping down my face, mixing with my blood and pooling on the floor as I spat, blood dripping from my lips. It was all I could taste, and I hated it. I just had to keep this up¨C but I would be lucky if he didn''t catch on to my hit-and-run tactics. Knowing him, he probably already had. The man got to his feet, his red hair looking more of a mess than ever. And as such, I said the only words that seemed appropriate. ¡°Man, you look like shit.¡± He did not, however, take that kindly, anger rising to the surface as his teeth gritted, veins bulging as he raised his halberd up to join at me, the flames around the edges of our makeshift arena only rising higher. ¡°You little¡­ fucking useless runt¡­¡± He growled, fury etched into every word. Had I not been fighting him already, I''d probably be trembling in my boots right now. Exhaling, I held my shaking hand. Although I wasn''t scared, my body was tired, so tired it had begun to shiver. The soul energy being shown off by the man was too much to handle, nausea setting in as I tasted bile in the back of my throat. Yet I pressed on. ¡°Ready for round two?¡± ¡ª Although I had acted confident mere moments before, I was not at all believing in my ability to win here. All sounds had died out, muted by the loud beating of my heart in my chest, and the sound of the blood rushing in my ears as we circled each other. Everything hung on this. Whether Hua lived or died was all hinged on my win¨C and I was sure that Jasper would go out of his way to kill the others as well given the chance. The man was insane, and willing to turn his back on his own family, his own friends, for money, and pleasure. There was no other way to describe him. He had lost his mind somewhere along the way, or perhaps he''d always been this crazy. ¡®I''ve gotta find another way to beat him¡­¡¯ I thought to myself, eyes glancing up and around¨C which had been a mistake. Jasper''s knee slammed upwards into my chin. He had closed the gap in the split-second my focus had been drawn to other things. ¡°Don''t lose focus,¡± He grinned, ¡°A prey too easy isn''t a fun kill. It''s only exciting when they fight back and run.¡± I rolled my eyes in response. ¡°Yeah, no thanks. I don''t need you to tell me what to do.¡± But he was right. I couldn''t lose focus again, the next time I''d be dead. Our weapons had been dropped somewhere along the way, and now, it had become a knuckle-to-knuckle, bare-fisted fight to the death. Far more gruesome, in my opinion. From my visions and dreams of my old life, Xeno¨C no, I had not been able to manipulate the elements. Yet, he had managed to become a strong soldier. Not through externally manipulating the elements, but through mimicking them. Condensing soul energy around the palms and feet and forcing it through the body in explosive or free-flowing ways to mimic fire, water, earth, wind and nature itself. I didn''t know how to use the elements just yet, and this wasn''t the same as my past life. But the concepts could be applied. ¡®Concentrate the soul into specific parts of the body, surround yourself with it like armour. Release it upon contact, so it isn''t wasted.¡¯ The words of my past life echoed in my head. I just had to follow the steps, I''d done it all before. Opening my channels, I felt the soul energy flowing throughout my body. The progression of my core from jet black to dark raven had opened up new paths for me. My output was lower than his, but with enough precision¡­ The grey energy converged and circulated around my hands and feet. Raising my foot, I slammed it into the earth, watching it crack as rocks and bits of debris flew up and into the air. I was faster. With soul running through my body, my physical abilities had been heightened, and I could barely feel the fatigue. It would come back later, no doubt, but for now, I had a chance to fight back. My foot slammed into the falling rocks, sending them flying towards Jasper as he smashed them to bits with flaming fists, dust falling to the floor like rain. It clouded his vision for a moment, and in that second, I was before him. My fist slammed into his stomach, and I heard the cracks. The look on his face showed that he felt it, too. Tugging on the crease in his elbow, I leapt up, kneeing him in the side of the face. I was smaller, yet more agile. I could use that to my advantage. He flung me off in a large motion, sending me flying backwards, skidding across the floor. I could no longer feel the blood running down my face as the heat intensified. I charged again, collecting energy in my left fist and swung, my left hand smashing into his right, an explosion echoing throughout the clearing as the ring of fire went out, the blast of wind released sending us both flying backwards in opposite directions.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Now, I could see Makko, Anthony, Nessa, and Mari watching us fight each other, the bandits lying dead nearby. I counted 3. Where was the last one? I didn''t have time to focus on that however. Jasper was already up. ¡°Persistent bastard¡­ haven''t you learned to quit whilst you''re ahead?¡± I had been managing my energy well, yet I still couldn''t match up to the sheer amount he had. He was probably light stone¡­ maybe even dark grey. It would be hard to measure up to someone like that. Had I not been reinforcing my fists with soul when our fists collided, a blow like that would have shattered my entire arm, and likely ruptured it as well. My foot slipped backwards, and I felt the energy coursing through my body. I could only release it when I made contact, considering I didn''t have enough to have it constantly circulating. And if I could fake him out¡­ There was one other thing I had been able to do in my past life to help with fighting against those with elemental powers. Jasper raised his arm. ¡°?? G??§ÁI?§¸? KI§±G ?F ??¦² ?§¸§±,¡± He chanted, ¡°?¦²§±D M¦² Y?§¸§Á ??§Á¦²§±G??, ??¦² ¦«?MIG??Y P?§»¦²§Á ?? I§±?I§±¦²§Á¦«?¦² MY F?¦²?.¡± ¡®When striking certain points, if one releases large amounts of soul energy compressed into a small point, like the tip of a finger¡­¡¯ I dashed forward, the fireball above his head growing in size by the second. It truly was menacing, and I could barely breathe. The air wasn''t breathable, and I coughed, gasping, trying to intake something that wasn''t on fire. The inside of my throat had begun to bleed again. My index and middle finger connected with his solar plexus, releasing a large blast of air as the spell abruptly cut off. ¡®The flow of the soul can be cut off by clogging the channels with unfamiliar soul energy.¡¯ He dropped to one knee, and I leapt off the floor, spinning 360 degrees, and kicking him in the side of the face with the top of my foot as I landed, sending him crashing into a tree. Jasper let out a growl, dragging himself to his feet. I had just missed his jaw, which would have been enough to knock him out cold, no matter what. Anthony had taught me that. From his pocket he pulled a small, cracked vial, likely from our fight, filled with a purple liquid. ¡°I was planning on killing you all slowly¡­ but I''ll just incinerate you instead, as you useless rats continue to get in my way. The princesses won''t get their wish¡­ but she''ll be dead all the same!¡± ¨C In an instant, he downed the liquid. His output increased vastly, and flames curled off his body like steam after a hot bath. The very rock on which he walked bubbled with his every step, the flame enough to melt stone. My body was thrown up into the air, feeling my clothes and skin burn, pain settling in. How had he¨C I wasn''t even given the time to think, to breathe, as I was sent flying across the clearing and into a wall of rocks. My back hit the wall and I slipped down, coughing, throwing up blood as it filled my mouth. Pain spiked through my body, and my eyes were half-lidded, itching to close, itching to simply just let go of it all. I was already tired, and the thoughts infiltrated my head. ¡®Haven''t I done enough? Can''t I let someone else take over? Can''t I just let it all burn?¡¯ Jasper stood before me, grabbing my collar and pulling me up the wall, the skin off my back being scraped off as I hung limply, able to do nothing but glare into his eyes in response. Whatever he had taken was some kind of power-enhancing drug, but it had its own side effects, and some of those were visible. His veins were visibly bulging and abnormally black, and his eyes seemed to pop out of his face, more so than they normally did. I could feel his soul energy. But it seemed to be eating itself. It had given him power, yes, but it was also corrupting him. Though his power had been doubled, it was eating away at his very soul. Therefore, I didn''t even need to kill him myself. He was already doing that for me. My eyes dropped from him for a second, though I was met with a series of punches. ¡°Don¡¯t. Take. Your. Eyes. Off. Me. Useless. Brat.¡± They were all directed towards the same spot¨C my soul core. If it shattered, I was done for. And it was already quite weak. Each punch left me reeling, without enough time to mentally prepare for the next, until I was numbed to the pain. And he let my body drop. ¡°Die.¡± He declared, though it fell of deaf ears, raising a hand as it lit aflame. I couldn''t even anticipate his next move, for I was already close to falling unconscious, into the sweet embrace of death. And I wasn''t fighting the cold anymore. Vines curled thickly around his raised arm, pulling it towards the ground. An arrow shot from beyond my field of vision, nailing him in the arm before he tore it out, blood streaking down his wrist. Vines? My head twisted. Hua was awake! She was being supported by Anthony to stay on her feet, but she was up nonetheless. ¡°Don''t you know when you''ve gone too far?¡± I heard Anthony''s voice. ¡°He''s just a kid, what do you think you''re doing?!¡± Jasper''s head snapped towards them, and he stood before them in an instant. His hand curled around Hua''s neck, flames burning her as he dragged her over to the edge of the cliff, struggling and kicking all the while. ¡°No¡­!¡± He held her over the edge and I crawled, pushing myself forward into a walk, then into a run. I was too far. And I begged whatever gods existed above our heads to allow me to reach her in time. And she dropped. My body leapt forward, sliding over the edge, grasping her arm with my hand, the other barely hanging onto the edge of the cliff face. Jasper''s smile widened. ¡°Foolish boy¡­¡± And Hua begged me to let her go, but I shook my head. I couldn''t, no, I wouldn''t. My heart beat wildly in my chest as I stared up at him, teeth gritted. He had set up a barrier around us all, so as much as the other 4 tried to reach us, to help us, it was to no avail. Their hands banged on the barrier, despite their skin burning, their screams fell on deaf ears. ¡°You really thought you could beat me?¡± I shook my head. ¡°So you''ve realised then. It was all futile. Because you tried to be a hero, you two will both fall to your deaths¡­¡± I shook my head again. ¡°Your math is wrong. All three of us will.¡± Despite my fractured core, I summoned a small amount of energy into my foot, swinging it into the side of the cliff. The ground beneath Jasper''s feet and my hand crumbled. If I was to die, I would at least drag his traitorous, good-for-nothing hide with me. As I fell, I saw Anthony attempting to cast a spell, to save us, the shock and fear evident on all their faces as Nessa let out an anguished cry. The air above me solidified, but the casting range was too short. Jasper''s face burned with fury directed towards me, and he sent a wayward blast of flame, though it missed as whilst falling, he couldn''t aim properly. The wind whistled in my ears, my clothes and hair hanging around my face as I spoke. ¡°When you see the devil, tell your dad I said hi.¡± I just hoped he wasn''t immortal, too. Chapter 8: Wisdom And Valour Beneath the cliff was a thick forest, between the border of Hu¨¡g¨­ng and Krystallos. After landing, my entire body was in so much pain, I couldn''t think about anything else. I had curled up into a ball, dipping in and out of consciousness. I felt my body being lifted up and moved, before I drifted off into sleep again. Somehow, I survived the fall. With a gasp, I pushed myself up abruptly, hand shooting towards the area my core sat in, the centre of my chest. It was in more pain than anywhere else on my body. Speaking of which, I was covered from the neck down in thick bandages, which limited my range of movement vastly. Turning my head, I was in a small room with a window. Sunlight filtered in, and through it, I could see a small garden at the back, with various crops and trees growing. Yet, whoever lived and had brought me here was nowhere to be found just yet. My hair hung around my shoulders, and I glanced down towards my hands, attempting to flex my fingers. Taking a breath in, I attempted to channel my soul¨C but I was met with extreme amounts of pain in my chest. ¡°Those who go knocking on death''s door should not be surprised when they are met with it,¡± A woman''s voice broke me out of my practice and I panted from the effort. ¡°Your core is fractured and unstable. You should not be utilising soul for the moment.¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an old woman. Wrinkles blanketed her face, white hair tied up in a messy bun at the top of her head, piercing purple eyes staring into my very soul. My eyes widened. ¡°What about the¨C¡± ¡°The people who fell with you? Unfortunately, the man I found you beside was already dead and unable to be saved. I suspect that the girl has been taken and is with Shu¨¡ng Xi?o, the Guardian of this forest. She will be safe with him.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief. Had Jasper been alive, it would have meant all was for nothing. Thankfully, that drug hadn''t made him immortal¨C but whatever it was, I''d have to find out later. However, our plans were currently derailed. With my core fractured and Hua in another place, we''d have to regroup and find our way to the capital, as things could never be simple in this world. Still¡­ Tears ran down my face, and I sobbed quietly, the sheets growing wet as I mumbled apologies for that. ¡°...So she''s alive¡­that''s good¡­¡± The woman made her way over and enveloped me in a hug, which only made me cry louder as my arms instinctively wrapped around her back. I had never been hugged before¨C and it brought me back to something I was curious about. This body had to come from somewhere, considering it wasn''t my original one. So somewhere, out there¡­ this body had a family. I had taken over the real Atlas Reyes¡¯ body. I didn''t belong here. But I didn''t have a choice but to live with that guilt, knowing that this wasn''t my life. So all I could do was forge ahead. Maybe in Hu¨¡g¨­ng, I''d find my family. His family. I couldn''t change the past, but I¡¯d become stronger. To protect them in his place, as I was sure that was what he''d have wanted. To keep safe the peaceful life I had, the life I''d never gotten in my previous one, who had nothing but strength. Strength but with no place to use it, strength but with nothing to protect. ¨C The woman slowly drew away from me as I wiped my eyes with my hand, albeit with a small struggle. ¡°My name is Meryll Ambrose, child.¡± She smiled kindly towards me. ¡°However, Grandma will be just fine, considering it would be rather awkward for you. I expect your recovery will take about a year¨C if you follow my instructions, you may also learn some magic along the way provided you have the affinity for it.¡± Raising both hands, I watched as Meryl gathered wind in one, and flames in the other. She was a dual-elemental sage¡­ and even for a dual-type, she was able to conjure both elements at the same time. Jasper had been strong, no doubt. But this old woman was on another level. Her power eclipsed his! ¡°As well as that,¡± She said, dropping her hands as the spells died out, ¡°Your Kismet isn¡¯t fully integrated with your core, causing it to act up.¡± When I tilted my head in response, she continued to speak. ¡°A Kismet can be considered a divine will of sorts¡­ It is when a divine being, a deity chooses a human to bless with a stigmata, granting them their ¡®will¡¯, and therefore, their powers as well. This is generally very rare, since deities can be¡­ picky. Those with Kismets are referred to as Incarnations, and tend to have longer lifespans than regular sages, depending on the strength of their sponsor.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. I pondered on that for a moment, before she continued. ¡°There are two types: Inherent Incarnations, those who were born with their Kismets¨C due to their parents being blessed by the divine or some other reason and Acquired Incarnations, those who have gained it over their lifetime. Inherent Incarnations tend to be more in tune with their sponsors, though theirs are typically stronger and harder to control. Most people are Acquired Incarnations, however. Making divine deals isn''t easy.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°For example, each country on this continent has had two Archangels, sworn to defend since ancient times, the title passed down to the strongest each generation. Each Archangel has a relic and a Kismet from the divine, in order to defend their country, granting them extraordinary power. My sponsor is the Guardian of this very forest, and the being who has your friend.¡± After preparing a wheelchair for me and dressing me in an ivory-coloured gown of sorts, she pushed me outside into the garden for more space¨C a demonstration was in order. Leaving me in a position to watch, arms resting on the armrests, she walked in front of me. ¡°I am an Acquired Incarnation. I was granted my Kismet when I was younger. Kismets have three stages.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°One. Passive Incarnation. This allows the Incarnation to utilise the characteristics of their sponsor passively, with greater strength, speed, and agility.¡± ¡°Two. Partial Incarnation. This allows the Incarnation to utilise some of the abilities of their sponsor. Their appearance also sometimes partially changes as well. Mine is aptly dubbed ¡®Storm''s Eye¡¯.¡± Grasping her staff in one hand, she pointed it forwards. Her eyes glowed, hair escaping from the bun it had been tied in and falling across her shoulders, stigmata glowing blue, visible through her clothing. A circle with circles within, until the circles became dots. [Storm''s Eye] In front of her, the air itself began to rotate, converging around a singular point which dragged everything in the area towards it, whilst releasing slashes of pure air that shredded everything around it. I leaned back in the chair as best I could, in the hopes I wouldn''t be dragged into her attack. It died down after a few moments, and I was sure she could have made it stronger, but didn''t for my sake. ¡°The final stage is known as Complete Incarnation. This state can be considered a stronger form of the second stage, in which the Incarnation takes upon a hybrid of their own and their sponsor''s characteristics, able to use more of their abilities depending on their integration level.¡± Her body changed, being surrounded in a light-blue glow. Pupils slitting, hair gaining blue and black streaks, and she looked younger, almost. She started towards me, before disappearing. I was unable to hear her footsteps. I glanced behind me, and she was there¨C then she wasn''t. A cold hand was placed on my chest and I jolted, eyes snapping towards her figure, before she resumed her normal appearance. ¡°I can use sound magic to conceal my presence. As you younglings would say¡­ ¡®cool¡¯, isn''t it?¡± I shivered. ¡°Well, that''s enough. Time to get you inside so we can begin your training. I anticipate Xi?o will not be willing to meet you. Though he must protect your friend¨C he swore an oath with the progenitor of the royal family¨C he is not keen on outsiders. He will likely be looking to test your strength, determination, and willpower¨C and as such, you must be ready in the year it will take your core to heal.¡± This was going to be a long year, I could feel it as she wheeled me back inside. ¨C The year passed quite quickly, and I was soon twelve. I spent it training with Meryll, or by myself. And if I wasn''t doing that, I was out running her errands¨C oftentimes clearing out bandits or monsters from the area that sensed our soul energy and were hungry. I had learnt how to utilise the first and second stages of¨C I assumed¨C Isabella''s Kismet, the stigmata being the star symbol on my chest, where my soul core was, and the Aevum Isabella had granted me that I was unable to use. Though I had found it difficult in the beginning, it was now quite easy, despite the fact I could only use her abilities for a few seconds at most. They tended to draw all my strength, so I didn''t rely on them if I could get away with it. As well as this, Meryll had taught me how to constantly draw soul to me from the outside and purify it along with opening my channels, so my core grew at an exponentially fast rate as I was always purifying it, even when I was sleeping¨C I had already hit the Light Stone Core stage thanks to it. I had also learnt how to use the elements from Meryll. Wind and Fire had come easy to me with her guidance, whilst I had to combine the knowledge I had from my past life along with my talent in this one for the others, and I wasn''t good at using them. I could switch fairly seamlessly between wind and fire, but none of the others. I had also gained a grasp on divergent Lightning, but only barely. I wasn''t good at it. I could somewhat use Ice, but I wasn''t able to fully form the structures, so it ended up being more like snow than anything else. As for Gravity, Sound, and Life¡­ Well, we didn''t need to talk about those. She insisted upon cutting my hair, to my utter dismay, stating it looked like a rat had died on my head. So, it was now ear-length, the tips white as usual. I wasn''t used to it, and my neck was quite cold. Also, Meryll had also used one of her Complete Incarnatiom Stage abilities to find out that I had a family living in Hu¨¡g¨­ng. They weren''t originally from there¨C rather, Krystallos, but had settled there. The original owner of this body had been sick and dying, then gone missing¨C that''s likely when I had stepped in, and fallen through Hua¡¯s roof. They were looking for their missing child. A mother, a father, and a young daughter. All watching, waiting, hoping¡­ not giving up on the small chance of their son''s return. ¡°You will return, child.¡± She had said to me. The words of encouragement soothed my doubtful heart, and I had returned to my training. All of this was to increase my chances of seeing Hua again, and meeting my¡­ family. I would, no matter what. I''d show that damn Guardian, whatever his name was, how strong I was. How determined I was. And I''d get her back and return her to her family, safe and sound. I would return to my family safe and sound. No matter what it took. Chapter 9: The Way Through Spending the day cleaning out Meryll''s attic wasn''t really what I intended to be doing, really. However, she had stated ¡®even the simple things were necessary to a warrior¡¯, so I stood with a flame lit in my palm, brushing cobwebs out of my face as I tried to find what she had asked me to look for. In particular, my work normally entailed killing monsters as well as the occasional human. Sometimes, illegal beast sellers came through here¨C as I now knew that beasts of the second generation or later had the ability to be tamed by humans, if they were strong, they could be sold for high prices. But not legally, of course. And as such, I needed a mask to conceal my face and my voice¨C with multicoloured hair and heterochromia, I couldn''t give them another feature to recognise me by, as they were all in some kind of elaborate network¨C I had almost been recognised the last time. Pushing apart stacked boxes, I eventually came to the corner, finding a black stick-looking ornament leant against the wall, along with a mask by its side. Well, the mask was needed, but I was more interested in the stick. Lifting it up, it was somewhat hefty and rather long, feeling the cloth wrapped around whatever it was beneath my fingers as I turned, picking up the mask and taking them both to Meryll. Upon presenting the items, she smiled the way she normally did. Wise, yet nothing was presented to me. I couldn''t see beyond her smile, and I never had been able to. ¡°I found this stick thing, Grandma Meryll.¡± I said, holding it out to her horizontally, but not without some struggle. ¡°That, my child, is a sword.¡± As I raised an eyebrow, she continued. ¡°It was a sword used by an old friend of mine who has long since passed. It is a sword that chooses its owner, and hasn''t responded to anyone else since. If you can manage to draw it, you can keep it. I recommend you attempt using the second stage of your Kismet.¡± Then, she fell silent, to allow me to have a go at it. Utilising what she had told me, I activated the second stage, Partial Incarnation. My stigmata glowed darkly, visible through my shirt, hair going completely white as both of my eyes changed to a yellow colour, becoming slitted much like Meryll''s. Glowing, tattooed runes trailed up and down my arms, neck, chest, and underneath my eyes. They were black¨C the same colour as my stigmata. The particles of soul were more visible now, as though I could reach out and touch them. They were in everything, living or not. I could see where they gathered when an attack was about to be released, where they gathered when an opponent was attempting to defend themselves. Hands gripping the scabbard of this supposed blade, I pulled it upwards and out, watching as it dislodged, and slipped out. As it did so, the blade responded to my soul, growing smaller and lighter, more balanced to fit my weight. My eyes closed, and suddenly, I was in complete darkness. A beast slowly made its way from the darkness. A large, scaled beast. It looked serpentine, but also, like a feline with a pointed snout¨C blackish-purple in colour with a white underbelly. Two large wings extended from either side, clad in feathers which I was almost certain could tear me into a million pieces. A dragon. And in that moment, I was an ant staring up at a giant. It walked up until it towered above me. 8 feet tall, at least. And it roared. I covered my face with my arms, feeling the warmth of its breath on my skin, with teeth that could rip my body to shreds in an instant. But I wasn''t scared. ¡°So you are the one who has awoken me..¡± It circled me, glancing at my body, shrinking until it was a small, dark purple wolf. ¡°You are smaller than the last, most certainly. Scrawny, too. I do not trust you with my power just yet. You will have to prove your worth.¡± It said, nodding, seemingly agreeing with itself. I internally groaned, for that was another thing on my plate. Then, I was back with Meryll. The sword consisted of a black hilt covered in cloth to ensure the wielder wouldn''t lose their grip on it whilst fighting. The guard and pommel were small and made of brass, aiding the belief that when sheathed, the sword was simply a stick. The sheath was a simple, straight black scabbard, able to be tied to the user using a sash or a belt, and strong enough to allow the sword to be used as a bludgeoning weapon. The sword itself was double-edged and black, with the edges a stark white in contrast to the point it seemed to glow. Etched onto the blade near the hilt was the word ¡®§Á¦²Q§¸I¦²M¡¯. Requiem. I could only assume that was the name of the blade. Swinging it through the air, it cleaved through the air easily. I grinned at Meryll. ¡°This''ll do perfectly, thank you. Now, you said there are some illegal beast sellers nearby?¡± ¨C The mask I had chosen was fully white, and had two, curving eye holes. Aside from that, it was thoroughly featureless. Good. The less they had to recognise me, the better. Requiem was latched into my belt as I pulled up the hood of the black cloak I wore over my shirt, boots crunching gently on the branches beneath my feet as I leapt through the trees, following the carriage silently. It was a waiting game. Taking on four men at once wasn''t exactly out of my level of strength, however, I didn''t know the scope of their abilities just yet. None of them looked like sages, but they were all armed to the teeth with weaponry. One could never be too careful, Meryll had taught me¨C and she was right, as always. After a couple days of watching, waiting, trailing, gathering info¡­ It was time to strike. My body dropped through the trees like an arrow, landing squarely on the dirt with minimal noise. Throwing a rock at the first man, it nailed him on the head as he approached the source, leaving the group behind. My arms wrapped around his neck, whispering into his ear a few words of whatever comfort I could grant him¨C none. ¡°Scream, and I kill you.¡± My voice was deeper than usual due to the mask, and I was somewhat surprised. That would be difficult to get used to. With Requiem''s blade pressed up against his neck, he knew better than to let out a sound¨C but he then attempted to call for help. Though I sharply dragged my blade across his neck, killing him in an instant, the others had already been alerted, and I was surrounded immediately by the three men. Blood dripped from the wound, running down my fingers and sword in rivers of red. I let him go, allowing him to collapse, cracking my knuckles as they got closer to me. I didn''t even need to use magic for these three¨C they were child''s play. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The first drew a longsword and charged towards me, raising it over his head with significant effort and swinging it vertically downwards. I slipped my left leg backwards, body facing side on as I collected soul energy in my left fist, swinging it into the man''s face, causing his nose to break. The bones snapped, and blood poured forth like the opening of a dam into a region of drought¨C I couldn''t tell where the injury from his nose ended and his lip began, the sound causing me to recoil and pull my hand away. My hands grasped at his coloured locks for more leverage, a sharp twist snapping his neck like a toothpick. It was rather odd. The neck sustained life, yet it broke with nothing more than a simple twist of my arms. Watching his body tumble to the floor, I turned. If it had been before, disgust and horror may have painted my face, yet I was used to it now. Too used to it. My attention turned to those gathered behind me, the unfortunate recipients of my next act. My eyes rested on them for a single moment, and that was enough to shatter the layer of protection they had placed around their soul, providing a window into the deceit, lies, and evil that lay within. Adrenaline coursed through my veins faster than any drug, the man''s blood still dripping from my fingers. There was no mistaking it. In that moment, I reigned over the battlefield as their omniscient, omnipotent god. ¡°Wh-what even are you?!¡± The one on the right asked, as they both attempted to back away. To escape, to run. Yet it was proven futile as fear rooted them in place, preventing them from moving. ¡°I wonder sometimes, too¡­¡± I continued my slow walk, raising my blade, swinging it twice in a cross motion horizontally. Their bodies were soon shredded, as I swung it, allowing the blood to paint the grass red, the blood of these scum. Then, I sheathed Requiem carefully, returning it to its scabbard. ¡°...But you vermin tend to call me ¡®Death¡¯.¡± Bodies lay scattered around me as I walked past them, without taking care whether I stepped on their bloody corpses. They didn''t deserve even that much respect from me. Approaching the carriage with caution, my hands graced the wooden door. Locked with a padlock that was likely reinforced with some sort of magic. If only an unlocking spell existed¡­ I sighed, as there was only one way from here. My arm raised, and soul converged in the palm of my outstretched hand, taking the form of red flames. They licked my fingers yet didn''t hurt in the slightest, and I held them close to the door, watching as it lit ablaze. Probably not my best idea, but as the door was now ash, I followed up by dousing it in water. Inside lay baby, second-generation Elysian Beasts. They all seemed scared. Scared of their captors¨C but moreso of me. Some said they could tell what kind of a person a human was, how strong they''d grow to become simply by the smell of their soul. I wondered what sort of smell I gave off. Most of the beasts escaped quickly, out of the door I had left wide open and back to where they had come from, deep in the forest. However, one remained, making its way over to me and licking my hand. Tongue coarse¨C the exact opposite of its fur. A small, quadrupedal, white beast akin to a wolf, with black horns that curled towards the back of its head like tree branches. It stared at me, amber eyes wide for a moment, before letting out a sound that could only be described as cute. ¡°Kuu!¡± The being hopped from the ground to my shoulder in a single bound, before clinging onto my shoulder like its life depended on it, as much as I tried to pull it off. ¡°Come on¨C¡± I muttered, exasperated, ¡°You. Have. To. Go. Home¨C¡± But despite my efforts, it held firm, claws digging into the sides of my shirt as I grumbled a quiet ¡®whatever¡¯, making my way outside of the cart, through the forest, and back to Meryll. ¨C ¡°So you released the beasts, but this little one refused to leave your side?¡± Meryll echoed my words for what felt like the thousandth time, the beast bouncing on her knee as she smiled drily. I nodded, letting out a yawn, watching the beast. It seemed comfortable¨C despite the fact that a few hours ago, it couldn''t be removed from me no matter how hard Meryll and I attempted to separate it from my clothing. ¡°It refuses to go anywhere without me, and it follows me wherever I go. It started crying when I left it outside and tried to go to the toilet¨C¡± I hissed, but Meryll cut me off. ¡°She,¡± Meryll confirmed. ¡°And she needs a name.¡± I let out a sigh. This was becoming more and more complicated than it needed to be, but as I stared at the beast in Meryll''s hands, my heart softened somewhat. I suppose I could make an exception, eyes narrowing as memories I had wished to forget returned to the forefront of my mind. Jasper. My hands clenched, body trembling as I remembered everyone''s bodies lying still, battered and broken from the betrayal. The way he beat me, the way his claws curled around Hua''s throat. Burning her, scarring her, hurting her. It would never happen again. Not now, not ever. I could never¨C ¡°¡ªtlas.¡± Meryll¡¯s sharp voice awoke me, hand relaxing almost immediately as my chin raised, eyes focused on her now. ¡°I have come up with a name, since you seemed¡­ occupied.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°Diana.¡± Divine. This was followed by a sharp ¡°Kuu!¡±, which I assumed meant that the newly-named Diana liked the name. She jumped, and with about as much grace as a flightless bird, landed in my lap. My hands curled around her, stroking her fur as she ruffled it up, becoming much closer to a large, round fuzzball than whatever she had been before. ¡°Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let''s discuss your trials. The first trial will take place in a secret location¨C referred to as the ¡°Trial by Flames¡±, and I expect you can tell what kind of Trial it will be. Normally, these trials would be completed by the X¨©ng heir to ascend to the throne, but they have been repurposed for your sake.¡± I nodded. ¡°The Trial by Flames, I expect, will be a combat trial. More like ¡®Trial by Death¡¯,¡± I mumbled. If only I could have predicted what was to come. Chapter 10: Dragons Trials ¡°Diana is not coming with me!¡± I snapped at Meryll, holding up Diana, who was making a cute face on purpose, eyes wide and glimmering with light. I turned away from her face, wrestling with the urge to take her into my arms. The woman appeared to be using her to attempt to soften me, but I hardened my heart and stood firm in my beliefs. ¡°It is too dangerous for her. She will stay with you here, where she will be safe.¡± I said, folding my arms and tilting my chin to one side, looking at both of them out of the corner of my eye. ¡°Kyuu!¡± Diana''s voice sounded, and I left out a sigh as my arms fell to my sides, leaning over before drawing myself back up to full height. There was nothing I could do to stop her from coming, as she''d cling onto me, no matter how hard I tried to remove her. My body twisted to face towards the door, picking up the satchel Meryll had given me, carrying a waterskin and enough food to last me the day¨C though our trip would likely take me longer than that. I was dressed in a white shirt and leather pants that tucked into a set of boots that fastened to just above where my heel ended. The shirt was covered by a black tunic, tied with a belt that contained my blade, and a gorget that fit snugly around my neck. Meryll had placed a few braids into my short hair, ending with beads ¡®for good luck¡¯. I didn''t know how much that would actually help me, but I appreciated the gesture. I outstretched my arm. As though we had been doing it for years, Diana leapt from Meryll¡¯s arms onto my forearm, padding up my arm to rest, perched on my shoulder comfortably, head held high as I felt her weight pressing down on me. As I pushed the door open, facing the unknown, I raided my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll see you there, Meryll.¡± It was all I needed to say. She would keep herself safe. She was a strong sage¨C I was sure of that much. Just what kind of person did one have to be to gain a stigmata from the Guardian of the Forest? But before that, I wanted to figure out what kind of person Xi?o was. As I closed the door, Meryll got to her feet, and made her way towards the window, watching us walk into the distance. ¡°I wonder whether Xi?o will be happy that Mother has returned.¡± She mused. The journey through the forest went smoothly. We stopped infrequently, only whenever we got tired. And whenever we stopped, I was sure to train my soul core for the trials ahead. Diana slept beside me as I focused on purifying my core. Getting stronger. Strong enough so that I wouldn''t lose to traitors. If what Jasper had said was right¨C although he had betrayed us all¨C then Hua''s siblings were after her life. What siblings they were. Nonetheless, I needed to get stronger in order to reunite with her in the first place¨C and the family I had as well. I''d tear through whatever this damn Guardian threw at me, no matter what it was. My teeth tore through a large chunk of meat¨C as apparently, Elysian Beasts were edible, I''d noticed¨C, Diana scarfing down every last bit on the bone, before eyeing mine with what I could only translate to a coy grin. ¡°Kuu¡­?¡± I sighed, chewing the chunk I had ripped off. I wasn''t too hungry anyway, and she was growing. It was best for her to have it. Placing it down, she squealed excitedly, and I let out a slightly suppressed chuckle, a hand running through her fur. The stars glittered above. Random, yet organised all the same, as though some divine being had carefully placed each and every one of them there upon a black canvas. ¡°Thanks for being here, Dia,¡± I mumbled. As much as I''d been scared to bring her in the first place, for fear she''d come to harm or slow me down, I appreciated the company. If it weren''t for her, I''d likely have been driven insane¨C or worse. ¡°Kuu.¡± She responded, and I supposed she could understand me¨C or the sentiment. I couldn''t tell which one, but it was good enough. I curled inwards, wrapping her in an embrace, attempting to ignore the hard, cold ground beneath me as I hugged her, trying to sleep. The night was cold¨C but I drifted off to sleep peacefully, the birds chirping in the distance adding to the ambience of the situation. ¡ª Our journey continued on, until we came to the very heart of the forest¨C or that''s what I thought it was. Diana had been sniffing out the way, using the tracks of many dead adventurers to gauge the direction we were going in. The trees parted unnaturally, their trunks bent off to one side as though an invisible force was pressing them aside. Growing close to the centre of the clearing, I was met with a semi-translucent, circular dome barrier. My palms rested on it¨C and I couldn''t properly see what was inside. It was more like a bubble, if anything¨C the light from outside refracted off of it in rays of brilliant light, forming a rainbow spectrum all across the barrier. The barrier felt popable, yet hard as a rock all the same. No matter how hard I pushed, I couldn''t seem to find a way through. Diana, on the other hand, could pass through the barrier with ease, stepping in and out of the space, before wagging her tail, gesturing to me to grasp it. I did so, and she made her way through the barrier¨C and this time, I was able to pass through. Before I could fully take in my surroundings, a voice rang out through the void. I wasn''t listening to it. It was inside my brain and all around me¨C it was omnipresent. I could only remember hearing such a voice once. From Isabella, in that void. ¡°Come.¡± It spoke weightily, the voice alone enough to force me to my metaphorical knees. ¡°You have enough arrogance to face the Trials¨C as a child, let alone a seasoned adventurer. Come, for none who have entered have left. Your bones will be a fine addition.¡± I clicked my tongue in annoyance as the voice dispersed. My limbs still trembled from its weight, the crushing force innumerable. Had such a being been before us whilst speaking, I would have no doubt crumpled to the floor simply because of the pressure exerted by its soul.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Finally gathering myself, I took a look around the space we were in. Turning on my heel, I approached the barrier¨C but there was now. The only thing behind me was a wall made from marble with no doors or windows. The barrier had transported us to a completely separate area in space-time. Before us stood a long corridor, pillars lining the walls with shadows dancing in the corners. With every step I took, a candle on top of a lampshade set aflame, causing the shadows to retreat further into the corners of the room. Approaching the wooden door at the end, it had large, golden rungs¨C presumably to pull it wide open. My hands rested on them, before gripping them firmly. A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead as I pulled. No luck. Allowing my soul to run through my veins, cladding and reinforcing my strength, I tried again. To no avail, I tried over, and over, and over again, until my soul core was emptied of its contents and I let out a frustrated growl, kicking the door with all my might. It didn''t shake, but my foot did in response to the impact as I bit my lip to attempt to stop myself from screaming. Hopping around for a bit, I didn''t notice Diana scratching the door, before padding I''ve to me and tugging on the leg of my pants, leading me over. The edges of the rounded door had runes inscribed in them. Runes. Soul energy. Magic. That was the key¨C I hoped. It appeared to be. Diana leapt up to my shoulder again, and I took a deep breath in, unleashing the different elements into my palms. As I placed my hands upon the rungs, the runes on the door glowed brightly, and I sucked a breath in. Soul reinforced my entire body, not just my arms, and I pulled. The door groaned as it opened, and I cursed. ¡°Shit.¡± I was met with an immediate barrage of arrows, piercing through the silence. However, after squinting my eyes, they weren''t¡­ arrows. They were tiny, thin bolts of sharpened ice. Eyes widening, I raised my hands. [Airwall] A barrier of fast-moving wind streams was set up between Diana and I, and the ice shards. What the hell was going on? ¨C Despite the barrier, quite a few bolts of ice got through. My body curled around Diana¡¯s, protecting her as the ice embedded itself into my back, the sheer cold spreading into my system. Even though my body was enhanced with soul and adrenaline coursed through my veins, the pain was still evident. Warm blood trickled down my back as with shaky hands, I snapped the ice arrows clean half, watching the shafts fall to the floor. My vision swam, and Diana squealed. ¡°Get¡­ behind me.¡± I hissed out, not wanting her to get hurt. Kneeling, before me stood a circular-shaped room. Lining the walls stood statues on pedestals¨C there were at least ten. Twelve, perhaps. They stood still for a moment, before their carved faces twisted and cracked, revealing a set of gargoyle-like beasts inside. Their faces were twisted into smiles, before their mouths widened into grins. With red eyes and yellow sclera, they were bloodthirsty and I could feel it. Four held spears. Four had bows, two had swords, and the final two held staffs. My body pressed up against the wall. With every moment I spent in there, I could feel my soul being drained faster than I could use it. Unless I could find a way to utilise¨C Whilst I was thinking, I was met with a sword-wielding demon nearly slicing my face off. My body weaved to one side as I leapt forward, their blade crashing into the ground. With a flurry of slashes, stabs, and fists, each attack was met with a near-perfect defensive manoeuvre, perfectly parrying my blows and forcing all the recoil onto me. My muscles ached as I spotted a gap in its defence, feinting it out with a jab before attempting to stab it in the forehead. With no soul to reinforce my blade, not even a dent was left behind after my attack. ¡°Damned statues,¡± I growled out. As I stalled mid-air, Irrelevant Sword Demon No.1 made the decision to grab me, claws digging into my leg, and throwing me into the marble wall. The wall cracked and I let out a cough, blood smearing the wall as I slipped down, cracked rock scraping my back to ribbons. Vision swimming, I noticed Sword Demon No.1 readying blade to stab me directly in the head. So it did know how to make things quick. My vision swam with dizziness and my limbs felt weak. If my body was already damaged, I could damage it a little more at this point. ¡°Bring it on,¡± I grinned, blood staining my teeth. It stabbed forward, and I charged into the oncoming blade, watching it get stuck in the cracked wall. I was counting on that. Slamming my shoulder into its stone stomach, I tripped and fell, taking it with me. We hit the floor with a crash, but I didn''t let up. I couldn''t lose the momentum I had. ¡®Kill it.¡¯ A voice whispered, from the very darkest corners of my mind. My fists slammed into the statue''s face, dealing blunt force damage. I couldn''t feel the pain anymore, too focused on smashing the damn thing. ¡®Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL.¡¯ The words filled my mind from an unknown source, until the thoughts which weren''t my own became them. The chaos was mirrored in myself, resulting in an outpour of the desire to cause destruction and death. My fists continued in a flurry of rage. Its arms desperately tried to fling me off, but I had already pictured it. Jasper''s face. My knuckles were bloody, down to the bone. Until it''s arms fell still, yet I kept punching. Punching until the man''s very memory was gone from my mind, painted over with his own blood. I had lost all sense of time, until Diana tugged on my wrist, dragging me from my rage-filled trance. ¡°Kuu!¡± She squeaked, nodding to the rest of the statues approaching. My back was numb from the rest of the ice arrows still stuck in, and my vision was just as wobbly. I dragged myself up to a standing position, using the wall as leverage, before pushing myself towards the door. ¡°Go!¡± I uttered, and Diana bolted through. Another arrow nailed me in the back, and I slumped. ¡°Crawl.¡± I growled, cursing myself and these damn statues. ¡°Fucking crawl, damnit!¡± My fingernails dug into the floor, cracked, broken and bloody. Managing to pull myself through the entrance, another arrow pierced my leg. Sitting up, I used the last of my strength to slam the doors shut. Rolling over, I felt Diana sit on my chest. Just as I was going to remove her¨C for the pressure on my chest was making it hard to believe¨C she began to glow a soft white. Soul energy began to be transferred from her body to mine, healing my injuries and alleviating my pain. The arrows were pushed out of my skin and clattered to the floor. I gazed at them. If one could transfer soul¨C Why couldn''t I steal it? Picking up the ice bolts, I crushed them into chunks that could fit into my mouth, before eating them. To absorb the soul, I needed to ingest it. Sitting in a meditative stance, I got to work. My body broke down the chunks into particles of soul, before channelling them through my veins. Because of my impure core, most of the soul from each ice bolt was wasted. Just another reason to increase my strength¨C I needed to absorb more of it. My eyes opened. I felt stronger than before, and grinned at Diana, turning back to the door. Those beings could use soul, which meant they contained it. Were imbued with it. The Trial of the Flames was hard both because of the enemies, but also because the domain sucked the very soul energy from you at the rate you replenished it, leaving you dangerously low. The Trial of the Flames was built to be unbeatable¨C unless one condition was met¨C a being could devour the soul of anything that contained it. Spells. Elysian Beasts. Other living beings. As I placed a hand on the door, Diana gave me a look that effectively said: ¡®You aren''t going to fight them again¡­ are you?¡¯ ¡°Of course not.¡± I replied. ¡°I''m going to kill them.¡± Chapter 11: Dragons Trials II The amount of times I had repeated the trial was countless. I was beginning to forget how long I had spent in that damned dungeon with each repeat. Every time I repeated the process, I came out with large numbers of injuries. Though it lessened with each run, I was beginning to grow weary as my mental state took blow after blow, the only solace I had being Diana''s presence with me. I thanked Meryll inwardly for forcing me to take her¨C if I hadn''t, I would''ve certainly gone mad by that point. My hands stroked her fur, before I pushed myself to my feet. The damage I had accrued across the runs had healed, though that didn''t leave me without some scarring. Though it wasn''t exactly significant scarring, my skin was still roughened because of it. Callused hands pressed firmly against the frame of the door, forcing it open as I had done many times before. The statues wasted no time, as usual. Their heads snapped sideways as the stone fell from their bodies, revealing a black, fleshy inner beneath their rock armour. Spear Demon No.1 charged towards me, swinging wildly at a blinding pace. Though my movements were sluggish, it was good enough to escape the range of the gargoyle. It was a statue, without a mind of its own, and utterly predictable. However, as we engaged in a dance around the circular room, an arrow made from ice nailed me in the foot, my head turning sharply towards my attacker. Letting out a hiss, I tugged on the arrow, ripping it out of my foot as I chomped down on the arrow, consuming the soul energy from it. I needed to deal with the ranged attackers first. As I was focusing on them, Speary No.1 swung at me again, narrowly missing my head as my body dipped downwards. Wind coalesced around my fist in a spinning vortex and I jabbed forward, feeling the satisfying crunch as the amplified blow broke a hole through the statue''s armour and left a deep dent in its fleshy body. The vortex exploded, and the statue flew backwards, slamming into the wall. ¡°How d''you like them apples, huh?¡± I growled out, spinning on my heel and charging towards the bowsman that had just hit me in the foot. Blood soaked my boot¨C though the wound wasn''t deep, every step sent a jolt of staggering pain through my leg and entire body. However as I moved, I was forced to ignore it, meeting Bow Demon No.1 head on, arrow point blank. It stalled for a moment and my fist crashed into the area its nose should have been, sending it into the ground, as I consumed the arrow it had at the ready as well. Flames licked my fingertips for a moment, before growing brighter as I held my arm up. The flames shone brightly before collapsing in on themselves, over and over, before they sparked and jolted, becoming glowing white lightning that coalesced in my palm as I converged it into a ball. Placing said hand onto the beast''s chest, electricity exploded out across its body as it twitched violently, before crumbling into dust. Though that had served to kill it, it had taken up a lot of soul¨C and considering that it was being drained every second I spent in there, I couldn''t do so a lot. Head whipping around, I looked for Diana, before letting out a silent sigh of relief as I watched her running around the opposite side of the room, drawing the enemies¡¯ fire as they stumbled around clumsily attempting to hit her. She seemed to be having the time of her life. Well, that was good. If she kept them busy, I could deal with them. ¡°One down, eleven more to go¡­¡± I let out a sigh, fingers clenching as I turned back to Speary No.1, who was dragging itself out of the hole it had made in the wall when I turned it into a failed rocket test flight. If the statues could feel emotions, it would have undoubtedly been angry. ¡°Bring! It! On!¡± I roared in response to the battle challenge. ¡°I¡¯ve been getting a little frustrated dealing with you guys, so I¡¯ll use you as a punching bag until I can hit that Guardian bastard myself.¡± ¨C Drawing Requiem, the edge of the blade glinted in the dimly lit room. I hadn''t seen it use any elements as of yet, so I was somewhat surprised when it came charging towards me, the earth beneath its feet crumbled with every step, floating around it in rings which pulsated with energy. Within seconds I was forced on the defensive, very barely fending off blows from the stone titan. Each attack was reinforced with the weight of the extra stone, as well as its body clad in soul. My blade was good for nothing but defending¨C it couldn''t pierce through the stone, but it was better than leaving me with multiple bruises on every inch of my arms like in my last run. Though the place reset every time I closed the doors at the entrance, and Diana could heal me of my injuries, I didn''t wish to redo the trial once more. It was taking too much of a toll on my mind¨C and my frustration was beginning to take shape in a sickeningly sweet voice telling me to give up, that I wasn''t strong enough, that this was as far as I could go. But it wasn''t enough. I had to save Hua. I had to make up for the fact this wasn''t my body and I didn''t belong. That by some miracle I was granted a second life, a life that should never have been mine to begin with. Why didn''t I die? The words had never left my head, not since I had met Isabella in the Mind''s Eye. My blade dropped towards the ground as I swung my fist forward with one hand, simply reinforcing my hand with soul. It was the best way to use up as little soul as possible whilst doing more damage. Not as much damage as using the elements, but enough that I could fight sustainably. My fist collided with the titan¡¯s face¨C or so I thought. It had actually been caught in the gargoyle''s hand as I felt it twist my wrist sideways. Not good. If it pushed enough, my wrist would snap for the duration of the rest of the fight, and I couldn''t defeat the rest of the golems with a fully broken wrist. Augmenting my other fist with more soul, I jabbed into the same area I had struck it before, feeling the flesh give way as I tore a hole straight through the beast. In the centre of its chest was a glowing orb, seemingly the source of its power¨C a pseudo-soul core. So, the Guardian guy who made these was indeed strong. Imbuing every single one with a pseudo-soul in order to allow them to use their own spells was difficult. I couldn''t even begin to fathom how much output a person needed to have to do such a thing. What level was his core? White? It had to be. My fingers closed around the pseudo soul, tearing it from the titan''s chest as its body collapsed to its knees, fully lifeless, head tilted towards the ground. And there it would stay, eternally. Absorbing the soul from within the core into my own, I could feel my energy become fully replenished, enough to use more than just flames. Completely revitalised, I turned back to Diana, beckoning her over and watching her curl around my leg.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She cooed quietly, letting out a pulse of energy¨C I could feel the wound in my foot closing up with each passing second. However, the moment ended as the remaining ten rotated their bodies towards me menacingly. Three spear wielders, three bow wielders, two sword wielders, and two staff wielders. If it was before, I might have been scared. Yet now, I knew their weaknesses, and although my soul was being drained, I could replenish all of it simply by killing one. My fingers buzzed as air gathered in my palms. The titan''s advanced, and I did as well. Augmenting my legs with soul, I blitzed forward, meeting them head on. ¡ª I was done with the first bowman in a moment, the electricity coursing through my body, increasing my speed resulting in movements too fast for it to react as my fist put a sizable hole through where the brain should have been¨C if it had been truly and fully alive. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one down.¡± I said quietly, before leaping backwards, lightning sputtering out as a sword slammed into the ground where I had previously been standing. If I hadn¡¯t moved, I would have likely been cleaved in half. My leg slammed into the ground, causing rubble to fly up, before I sent a wave of flying rocks towards the thing. Earthen spikes rose from the area beneath the titan¡¯s feet, though most of them missed. Note to self¨C practice earth magic, since I was clearly not very good at using it. As it batted the rubble away rather easily, it failed to notice me standing before it. I raised a hand, index finger pressed into its solar plexus, right above its core, hand in a finger gun shape. ¡°Bang.¡± [Flame Bullet] Flames converged at the tip of my finger, before shooting a thin yellow-orange laser into the titan¡¯s chest, shattering the pseudo soul in one go. The second sword-wielding giant slammed the fuller of the blade into my side, sending me tumbling off to one side as it jumped, all of its weight put into a single downward strike. I couldn¡¯t block it all¨C no way in hell, I wasn¡¯t that physically strong¨C so I tilted Requiem down diagonally and watched as it slipped off to the side, foot slamming into its chest, but that didn¡¯t do much. I needed a way to end it quickly. The staff user conjured a ball of flame above my head, and I dodged it, barely, rolling off to the side. The more of them that gathered around me, the more cornered I ended up being. And facing nine enemies at once wasn¡¯t ideal, not for a body that was beginning to physically tire. I had enough soul to last me, but my legs were starting to feel like lead as fatigue set in. Diana couldn¡¯t fix my tiredness, and she¡¯d already spent her energy healing me before. My side ached from the blow as I pirouetted acrobatically around the room, dodging various attacks and attempting to not get hit, the same way Diana had been doing before. I had told her to go and hide in a corner, and my eyes occasionally strayed from my enemies just to make sure she was still there, safe and sound. Good. I was unable to properly control ice, and it normally ended up coming out like snow. However, even a basic understanding was good enough. Although I wasn¡¯t as talented in it, I could supplement that with my knowledge of the others. Whether it would be enough¡­ I didn¡¯t know. But I had to try. Catching one staff in my hand, I reinforced my hand, uppercutting it in the jaw before leaping upwards. My fingertips rested on its head as I perched in a one-armed handstand, before falling forward and smashing my heel into the base of its neck. My barrage continued seamlessly, weaving out of the way of clumsy physical attacks without giving it enough space to chant or conjure any elemental attacks. The moment it dropped its staff, I augmented Requiem with soul, making it sharp enough to cut through the stone of the giant. Flames smouldered around the blade, before being sucked into it. This was why I used Requiem over any other blade¨C its affinity to elemental magic was far, far higher. Now the metal was searing, with no visible flame. Requiem slid through the titan¡¯s neck as though it were butter, before I watched as the head slipped from its shoulders and hit the floor with a loud thump, creating a sizable dent due to the weight of the stone. Its body dropped to the floor, and I reached in, collecting the soul before absorbing it. If I got all the rest, perhaps I could advance from a Light Stone core to a Dark Grey core. I doubted it, though. The pseudo-souls weren¡¯t worth much other than refilling soul energy due to their rather shitty quality. After absorbing the soul energy, I felt myself replenished enough to end this fight. Nodding to Diana, I mouthed a few words. ¡°Go, and find cover.¡± Watching as she ran towards a secluded corner of the room, I made a mental note not to stretch the reaches of my spell out that far. ¡®This is going to take everything out of me, but by the gods is it worth it,¡¯ I thought to myself, watching as the gargoyles approached me silently. My hand was placed on the floor as I kneeled, ignoring the advance. [Embrace of the Frostfire Empress] Fire burned at my palm, before the flames turned to a white, and burned me no more. As a matter of fact, they were rather cold. The flames glowed brighter and more fervently, before exploding out across a majority of the room, covering everything in reach in flames, which then quietened down, becoming a thick layer of frost that completely stilled all movement within the enemies. They had been frozen to death, the subzero temperatures enough to freeze them right through, I noted, tapping on one and watching its body shatter like glass into a pile of ice chunks. Diana came out from her corner and made her way over to me. I glanced around, looking for the ones wielding swords and spears. Slowly burning away the ice, I took the two swords and four spears, strapping them to my back as I gave Diana a grin, who looked back at me with something akin to disbelief, her small paw resting on her face in what looked like a facepalming motion. ¡°What? They¡¯re mine now! I won them rightfully.¡± I retorted, feeling the need to justify my actions, before collecting the soul orbs, feeding half to Diana to replenish the energy she had spent up¨C she was the one healing me, after all. I now looked like a porcupine with the variety of weapons strapped to my back. The entire place shuddered and rocks fell from the wall to the floor, revealing another door. I nodded to Diana as we walked over, seemingly the same procedure as before. Cladding my entire body in soul, I pushed the door wide open, and all flames lighting the room I¡¯d been in previously extinguished immediately, engulfing the area in complete darkness, the only thing I could see were Diana¡¯s amber eyes. Adjusting to the light, I could make out a figure in the next room, a large square room with different-coloured tiles on the floor. A large chess board? The figure turned. A tall female, with purple hair down to her waist and bluish eyes. Her skin was tanned, and her lips pulled back in a toothy grin to reveal a set of sharp teeth. Her hand rested below her chin, her face tilted to the side. ¡°Welcome. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to arrive. I will explain the rules of the second trial in a moment.¡± A shiver passed through my body. This woman¡¯s aura was far more scary than the titans added together, all twelve of them. She was dangerous. And I was nothing more than an ant standing before her, an ant that she could easily crush if it ever piqued her fancy. Chapter 12: Dragons Trials III The woman gave off pressure that very nearly forced me to my knees. She smiled pleasantly, though beneath it was a hidden bloodlust I could barely sense. At least she had killing intent. The statues gave off none, so sensing them was far more difficult. Noticeably, my soul energy had been replenished and was no longer being drained¨C the conditions of this trial were different. Then again, she said she¡¯d explain the rules, meaning there were things I didn¡¯t know. Her hair was purple and flowed down her shoulders, meeting her waist elegantly, pushed behind her ears, which were revealed to have pointed tips. Her eyes were a stark blue colour, contrasting to her tanned skin. Dressed in a rather elegant black dress with various symbols adorning it, particularly one of a moon on a golden belt hat wrapped around her waist. The sleeves of the dress were detached, leaving her shoulders and upper arm open to view, but I didn¡¯t linger too long on her appearance, as I could feel her watching me. Taking a few steps back, I retreated to the edge of what looked to be a large chess board. In the darkness, I couldn''t make out any other figures other than her, but there was a menacing aura filling the room that I simply couldn''t shake, an aura that sent shivers down my spine, more than Jasper ever had. Attempting to gauge her strength was simply impossible, as her core was on such a high level I couldn''t even sense the soul energy she was emitting. As she began to make her way over to me, I instinctively took on a fighting stance. Yet, she waved an arm as though to say that there was no need for it. I didn''t relax, not fully. There were far too many variables I didn''t know of to assume the second trial didn''t involve fighting the woman in front of me. Her voice rang loud and clear, and carried throughout the entire room. ¡°I am Jing Yao, master of the second trial, the Trial of Intuition. This trial serves to test your tactical intelligence, much as the last trial served to test your insurance and quick thinking.¡± With a snap of her fingers, flames lit in every corner of the room. So she was definitely a flame elemental sage at least¡­ I took a mental note of that, just in case I needed to use my knowledge in the future of this trial. ¡°As you can see, you are standing on a large chess board. Your goal in this trial is to beat me in a chess match. However, because there is one missing piece on each side, you and I must play as well.¡± I noticed that on both sides, the king pieces were missing. Clicking my tongue, I let out a sigh. Nothing could ever be easy in this place. ¡°Of course, because these pieces are life-sized and animated, and this is no ordinary chess game, if you are struck down, you will die. By playing this game, you agree to obey all the rules of chess¨C¡± Her words faltered, watching Diana. Blue eyes completely trained on my feline companion, she scoffed slightly and covered her mouth with a splayed hand, through which I could see a very sinister smirk. If it hadn''t been for my Kismet passively enhancing my hearing, I wouldn''t have been able to hear the words she proceeded to mutter. ¡°So¡­ the defective rat has decided to crawl back to its master after all¡­¡± I pretended not to hear, but my head twisted to face Diana as I pondered on what Yao had said about her. It caused my gut to writhe, and also my anger to flare as I barely reigned in my own murderous intent due to what she had said about my companion. Defective¨C I refused to believe it. Diana had saved my life and my sanity multiple times over in this dungeon and this woman had the gall to call her defective. Now I had one more reason to finish this trial in one go. ¡°My companion, Diana,¡± I said, referring to her by name almost as an act of defiance against what the woman had said, ¡°will be joining me in this trial. Of course, only if you have no objections, Miss Jing.¡± Yao let out a bated breath. I knew she had to, for she didn''t see Diana as anything more than scum and a lesser being. ¡°Very well then. Your¡­ pet can join you in this trial.¡± ¡°Perfect!¡± I said happily, enough to mask my prior displeasure at her words which I hoped she hadn''t noticed. Dropping Requiem off to one side, I instead chose one of the blades I had taken off of the body of a titan. It was long and sturdy, perhaps a little too heavy for my tastes, but it would have to do. I didn''t wish to show her the blade if possible. As we stepped into the square on which the king should have stood, I took a look at my pieces. So I was on the white side. My eyes turned down to Diana, who looked back up at me with the same amount of determination. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s show that witch who¡¯s boss.¡± ¡ª A familiar feminine voice that I hadn''t heard in a while rang out loud and clear through my head, not nearly as jarring as the first time I''d heard it. Now, I could hear her somewhat without being forced to my knees. And that alone wasn''t much. Just how strong was she? ¡°So, I see you''ve become stronger in the time I wasn''t looking¨C well done,¡± Isabella voiced inside of my mind, her tone seemingly pleasantly surprised, though it was hard to gauge as I couldn''t see nor interact with her. ¡°However, that is not the point of my message. That woman¨C ¡®Jing Yao¡¯¨C as she said her name was¨C has an uncanny amount of killing intent directed towards your companion. It would be best to watch her, for she may take the opportunity to attempt to kill her using the rules of this trial as an excuse.¡± I didn''t respond, but I had acknowledged her words, so she faded back into the realm of our shared Mind¡¯s Eye. I would have to be careful, immensely so. Not for my own safety, but for Diana''s¨C and I wondered where such immense hatred, that even Isabella pointed it out, could have come from. Just who was Diana? It wasn¡¯t a question I needed answers to just yet, but it lingered in the back of my mind, haunting me like a ghost with every movement I made. She wasn¡¯t normal, I had learned that much. But to have a servant of the Guardian of Huagong Forest know who she was? That was beyond any expectations I could¡¯ve had. ¡°Keep yourself focused, boy,¡± I heard Yao taunt from the opposite end of the room. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to make this too quick, after all.¡± So, she was cocky. I could use that to my advantage. If there was one thing I did well, it was learning quickly. Since I was playing with white pieces, it was my move first. Gesturing to a pawn, I moved it forward two spaces from c2 to c4. Yao followed, moving her piece from d7 to d6. It shouldn¡¯t have been able to hit my piece, however, the tall black figure raised a hand and shot out a blazing fireball from it¡¯s hand and struck my pawn, blowing it to pieces. ¡°Hey,¡± I let out a yell, ¡°that¡¯s not fair! You can¡¯t attack my pawn from there!¡± In response to my anger, Diana let out a hiss at our cheating opponent as well, who simply shrugged in response, a sadistic grin on her face from watching the pawn¡¯s remains be scattered across the room. If I was unlucky, that would be me. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°My game, my rules.¡± She responded with her tongue out, pulling down on her bottom eyelid to mock me and Diana. ¡°Liar,¡± I spat, ¡°You said that the game would be following the normal rules of chess. You agreed¨C¡± ¡°Actually, you agreed to it. I said ¡®By playing this game, you agree to obey all the rules of chess¡¯, did I not? I never said I would.¡± My teeth gritted and my fists balled with pure rage, because she was right. I had fallen for such a simple, petty trick. A play on words that had I been focusing, I would have easily spotted the holes within her words. And now, because of it, I had roped both Diana and I into an unfair death game. To win against someone not playing by the rules by playing by the rules was by all accounts, impossible. Especially considering that if I disobeyed them, there was no doubt in mind she could kill me instantaneously. If I used the ability granted by my Kismet, I could survive¨C but that would take everything out of me, and I had no idea what the final trial had in store for me, so using up my last resort now wasn¡¯t even close to an option. ¡°What, are you giving up?¡± Yao mocked, but I ignored her. I took in a deep breath, calming my heart and my nerves and pushing my sleeves up. If I were to panic, it wouldn¡¯t reflect well on Diana. And as such, I could do nothing but try my damnedest to win. ¡°Nah. I want to punch your face in even more, now.¡± ¡ª The chess match continued with Yao¡¯s blatant cheating, but there wasn¡¯t anything I could do to stop her. As king, both our movement¡¯s were limited, yet I used this to my advantage. The strongest piece on the board had a limited range of movement as well as spaces to attack, which I could tell was frustrating her because even with the way she was playing, she was unable to kill me. Making sure to stay out of harm¡¯s way so she couldn¡¯t disintegrate Diana the first chance she got, I subtly began to knock her pieces out and surround her in an ironclad curtain. Slowly, she began to become more and more agitated with the fact things weren¡¯t going no way no matter how many of my pieces she blew to bits, or shattered, or electrocuted to death. And soon, it came down to the final turn. I¨C we had her surrounded, and completely in check. Drawing the blade from my back, I held it in two hands, struggling slightly to keep it aloft due to the weight difference between it and Requiem. It certainly wasn¡¯t a good fit for my small body, considering it was taller than I was. Yet I held it steady by my side, eyes trained on Yao. I had become the predator. ¡°Yield.¡± I hissed. ¡°Yield, and I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± That only served to make her more angry, and she released a blast of flames in every direction. I slammed the blade into the floor, creating a blast of wind that dispersed the flames, which licked at the edges of my attire but didn¡¯t burn me. All of our pieces¨C both hers and mine, had been destroyed, and I had been pushed back a considerable distance. She stood over Diana, picking up the beast by the scruff of her pelt, flames igniting her hand. My head reeled as scenes of what had happened between Jasper and Hua returned to my mind. Yao¡¯s figure overlapped with his as the two scenes merged to become one within the halls of my fearstruck, guilt-ridden mind. The flames blazed, and I had been helpless to save her as he held Hua over the edge of the cliff, burning away at her skin. I couldn¡¯t let it happen again. Not to Diana. Not to her. Please. I had gained so much strength, and for what? It wasn¡¯t enough. It wasn¡¯t nearly enough to protect those close to me, to protect one Elsyian Beast, the only companion I held close enough to show my true feelings. ¡®KILL HER. KILL HER. KILL HER. KILL HER. KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER KILLHERKILLHERKILLHERKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL¡¯ The voices in my head screamed, only amplifying my own thoughts. Fury had already set in, and she realised this, dropping Diana who ran away, hiding in the corner. Her body turned to me, ridden with fear, shaking as I stared at her down. Every step seemed to carry the weight of thousands with it. My gaze carried bloodlust that only one who had murdered thousands could obtain, until the very count itself became meaningless, like dust in the wind. Even if I didn¡¯t realise it then. She shrunk down, and my fists balled. ¡°You would dare to lay your hands on my companion?¡± My voice reverberated against the walls of the room, loud and clear, and she spluttered, unable to respond, barely forming a few words. ¡°She is a defective product, and this is none of your business. You have no right to get involved. I am the servant of the Guardian of Hua¨C¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are.¡± I interrupted, her foul words ceasing on her lips, and she raised a hand against me, charging up a blast of flame that would surely end my life. If only it had hit. [Chronosphere] The ability I had been granted from Isabella¡¯s Kismet activated. All the soul energy in the surrounding atmosphere, and the physical structures that had taken shape because of it, moulding to surround it, completely froze and took upon a monotone black-and-white in my vision. I didn¡¯t have time to waste, time to talk to her. Yet I couldn¡¯t help but smirk as she glanced around, looking at the frozen time. The flames dispersed, as they could not exist within this place. ¡°What have you done to me?¡± She snapped, confused, and angry. ¡°Nothing yet,¡± I replied coolly. ¡°Since you clearly don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here, and I¡¯m going to kill you anyway, I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret.¡± She charged at me clumsily, and I simply sidestepped, sticking out my foot and watching her gracelessly tumble to the ground in a pathetic and bruised heap. ¡°This is the first ability of my Kismet. Chronosphere creates a space separate from chronological time, similar to splicing a VHS ta¨C oh wait, you guys don¡¯t have those here.¡± I had gotten so used to the memories of my old life as Xeno, I had forgotten this world hadn¡¯t had that amount of technological enhancements. ¡°Anyway, within Chronosphere, we are completely separate. Chronosphere cannot alter the past, for the past is set in stone. Yet, from Chronosphere, there are an infinite number of futures that can take place. But because of my limited stamina, no matter how much I train, I can only see one future. I can place myself forward in that future.¡± I watched as she pushed herself to her feet, raising her hands in a fighting stance. I clicked my tongue, and sighed. She really never gave up. If it wasn¡¯t for this small body, unaccustomed to fighting with my own style, and far too physically weak, I¡¯d have ended this before it had to come to this point. I took one step forward, and she flinched. The guilt of what I was about to do to do was almost palpable ¡ª almost. My vision narrowed, the world around me turning to an unnecessary emptiness, my mind focusing on one thing: Yao. [Blink] Time remained detached. The symphony of ringing in my ears was occasionally accompanied by the gut wrenching celery snaps of her bones. She fell to the floor, the once towering woman reduced to a broken, deplorable heap. Bone jarringly jutted out of her skin at her unnaturally bent knees and elbows. Blood seeped from her wounds, pooling beneath where she sat. Inhuman cries were wretched from her throat. Her head twisted towards me, tears streaming down her cheeks and mixing with the blood pooling beneath her. ¡°A servant of a Guardian?¡± I scoffed, twisting my head back to face her, eyes cold and completely devoid of any form of compassion or sympathy for her pathetic state. My hands dripped with blood, her blood. ¡°I told you before. I don¡¯t care who you are.¡± ¡°P-please¨C¡± She begged, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. ¡°Know. Your. Place.¡± The world slowly started to come back to me as the adrenaline started to wear off. I left her there. She was nothing more than a puny ant destined to fall victim to the time''s merciless boot, stamped from existence. I collapsed to my knees, not even bothering to spare Yao a glance as my body felt heavy, like lead, and my vision began to become swamped. I had to get up. I had to make sure Diana was okay. But I had overused Chronosphere, gone over my limit, and used Blink as well. Diana padded over, licking my face, attempting to keep me awake. I simply stroked her head, smiling softly. ¡°Ah¡­ you¡¯re okay. That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll just¡­take a quick rest. Then we can¡­ move onto¡­ the last trial¡­.¡± My vision went black, and the void of sleep and dreams devoured me. Chapter 13: Dragons Trials IV For the first time in a while, I slept dreamlessly. Awoken by the weight of something on my chest, my eyes peeled back groggily to see Diana resting peacefully on my stomach¨C though, I had to admit she was heavy for such a small creature. After sitting up whilst being careful not to wake her, I regarded Yao''s lifeless body for a moment. The way I had behaved when dealing with her was somewhat out-of-character for me, but the memories of Jasper I''d buried so deeply out of desperation had oozed back out to the forefront of my mind. The man had haunted my dreams for far too long, and even now, his presence lingered behind my every step, the weight of those I''d failed to protect dragging me deeper into a hole we¡¯d both dug. I dug his grave, and perhaps, he¡¯d dug mine. Noticeably, her soul energy seemed to have been absorbed by my companion¨C who was awake now, yet she seemed to be putting most of her energy into absorbing Yao¡¯s soul and thus was rather sluggish. Gazing down at Yao, I almost felt compelled to fashion her a makeshift coffin from the earth. Until my mind flashed back to what she had done to Diana, and all traces of guilt were washed clean from my conscience. Turning away, a familiar voice sounded through my head. Isabella. Lately, it appeared she was talking to me more than usual, and I could somewhat understand why. Existing within my mind would grow boring enough to drive anyone insane, quite frankly. ¡®I noticed your usage of Chronosphere.¡¯ She said, voice light yet heavy at the exact same time. It was gentle, but generated a crushing force that could easily put me on my knees or cause a splitting pain inside of my head. ¡®Though it was¡­ lacklustre at best, for a mortal human like yourself, exceptions can be made.¡¯ ¡®Humans like me?¡¯ Well, the reason why Chronosphere always took so much out of me had become clear: I was never meant to use it. Chronosphere wasn¡¯t an art ¡®humans¡¯ should be able to use, and as such, I could never grow used to using it. Though, it pegged the question: for such an ability to belong to Isabella, what exactly was she? I had asked her multiple times before, yet she always fell silent or found ways to dodge my question. ¡®I¡­ see.¡¯ I responded within my thoughts. ¡®However, you aren¡¯t to let your guard down. I have a gut feeling that this trial will be the hardest yet, and serve to determine your fate here. I wouldn¡¯t normally ask this of you, as your body isn¡¯t developed physically enough yet, but if it comes down to it, use your second stage.¡¯ I nodded. Though her tone was one of tranquillity, I could detect genuine concern and worry beneath her mask of cold confidence. A smile rose to my lips for a second as I thought about it, my heart warmed by her thoughtfulness. ¡°I will.¡± I spoke aloud, as a promise both to her, but also myself. ¡°I won¡¯t die here. I¡¯ll save Hua, I promise.¡± Isabella sunk back into silence, as I turned to Diana, who padded over. The final door had been marked out, and with a simple breath in, I pushed the doors open. My eyes met¡­ the outside of the domain? My bag sat where I¡¯d left it, not too far from where I stood, propped up against a tree. Picking it up, I took out a singular vial of ¡°liquid food¡± as Meryll put it, taking a swig. My tongue lolled out of my mouth in disgust, but I couldn¡¯t deny that it was filling. ¡°If that was the last trial, that was very eas¨C¡± My voice was cut off, as a bright flash of light filled the entire clearing and the ground trembled, threatening to split apart as I, Diana, and the bag, were transported to a different area. ¨C My eyes opened, and I was surrounded by the sweet smell of cinnamon and apples. The place I was now in was very beautiful, decorated with lush, vibrant flora and fauna, with various arches lining a stone path leading to a house at the end. The area I stood upon was a large, circular stone plateau, with various runes engraved into its surface, which lit up as I forced soul through my palms and into the ground. Glancing around, I saw not one, but two people I knew. Meryll, and¡­ it had been so long, I felt, since I had seen the girl standing next to her. Words faltered, all sounds ceasing to escape my lips other than a strangled gasp, the familiar green hair and eyes drawing me in as I took weak steps closer, which quickened from a walk into a run. However, I never got close enough. A man stepped out from the shadows, dressed in a traditional black hanfu robe, with various white markings, and it took me but a second to figure out who he was. Shuang Xiao, Meryll¡¯s sponsor, and the Guardian Deity of Huagong Forest. Black hair graced his shoulders from a high ponytail, forming a fringe over his face. The man was beautiful, so much so that he could only be described as divine¨C objectively. Any other word would be blasphemy. His golden eyes pierced holes into me, pupils slitted much like¡­ Diana¡¯s. Two horns were pushed through his hair, curling back like¡­ Diana¡¯s. My eyes flitted between them both, taking in the apparent similarities. But that didn¡¯t matter. A barrier of wind formed between Meryll, Hua, Xiao, and I, stopping me from reaching them. Meryll¡¯s body turned sharply towards Xiao, a mixed expression of shock and anger on her face. Through the howling wind dome, I could only make out some of the things they were saying, but she clearly wasn¡¯t happy. ¡°...wasn¡¯t¡­we agreed!¡± ¡°...he dies¡­.Mother¡­ over.¡± ¡°....safe!¡± ¡°...can¡¯t¡­.me.¡± The wind quietened down, and Xiao stepped forward, passing through the harsh winds with ease as he raised a hand gracefully. Meryll kept Hua back, as she clearly wanted to run towards me, simply keeping her eyes locked with mine as she mouthed a few words. ¡®It¡¯s¡¯ ¡®All¡¯ ¡®On¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ ¡®Now.¡¯ I could do nothing but give her a simple nod and faced my final opponent, whose power dwarfed Meryll¡¯s. And I had to¡­ beat him? My hands shook, sweat trickling down my face. Such a feat was more impossible than the last task¨C there was no way to win this. ¡°For your sake, the trial has been amended. Your job is not to beat me,¡± Xiao spoke, and I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Your job is to survive my assault in any way you can for the next fifteen minutes. Meryll will be keeping track. If you can do so, you will have conquered my trials, and won the right to see your dear princess friend again.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡®Strike first.¡¯ Meryll¡¯s words lingered in my head, and I didn¡¯t even wait for him to begin. My body shot forward, the force causing the air to rupture as a boom echoed, Requiem raised above my head as I slashed downwards. No luck. The blade was stopped by one finger of his, air circulating finely around the tip of his index finger lip a razor, preventing the sword from coming into contact with his skin. He grasped the fuller between his index and thumb before moving his arm, throwing me across the plateau as my back slammed into the barrier. Every movement of his carried nothing unnecessary. Every attack was completely and utterly flawless, I noted, as he fired off blasts of pressurised wind from several points that appeared around his body. Each blast was enough to cause craters in the floor, rubble flying everywhere. ¡°I would have expected something more from Mother¡¯s incarnation.¡± Xiao spoke coldly, his voice carrying no hint of emotion. Each second dragged by, feeling like hours as I was able to do nothing but run from Xiao¡¯s barrage of attacks, each one moving seamlessly to the next. Not to mention he hadn''t even used any of his divergent elements, meaning he was still holding back. ¨C Xi?o¡¯s eyes followed Diana, who ran at my heels as I desperately evaded each blast or bladed crescent of wind. His yellow orbs twinkled, assault continuing even as he spoke. ¡°I am surprised, admittedly, that the defective one has taken a liking to you.¡± Again, there was that word¨C ¡®defective¡¯, used to describe Diana. I couldn''t understand why. ¡°Both you and Yao used that word to describe her. Why? What''s the reason for it?!¡± I yelled out, my voice audible above the winds. Xi?o paused for a moment, before continuing. ¡°Diana is a defective puppet of mine, similar to the titans you faced in the first Trial, made to aid me here in the defence of this forest, and fashioned in the image of the Khaos Clan. All the other puppets are able to obtain a humanoid form along with their true form, yet she was not. As a puppet, she has no sentience,and her feeble life is tethered to the pseudo soul core within her chest. When that runs out, she will cease to exist. And because she has been wasting her energy healing you¡­¡± An unsettling reality dawned upon me. Every time she had healed me, she was tearing away at her own life force. How many times had she healed me? How many times had she done that? Had she known? Diana responded to my panic, clawing gently at my leg, trying to do something, anything to calm me down but it was to no avail. ¡°...She will not survive for long. So that pegs the question: what will you do, Atlas Reyes?¡± I was hit by a wind funnel which threw me across the arena, before slammed down by increasing air pressure. I heard Meryll call out that five minutes had passed. Only five¨C that wasn''t good. My body ached, and I hadn''t even hit him once. He was a wind user, and perhaps fire as well. I could use all five elements, plus two divergents. Yet nothing I did could put a scratch on the man. Pulling myself up to my feet, I let out a groan, rib cage pulsating with large amounts of pain. Isabella''s voice surfaced, echoing from deep within the depths of our shared mindscape. ¡®Why are you playing to his strengths against him? He''s getting you flustered so you stop thinking.¡¯ She chided, like a mother to her son. ¡®Using air magic against a sage specialised in using it, let alone Shu¨¡ng Xi?o of all people, is the fastest way to be defeated. You have access to all five elements. Play to your strengths, not his.¡¯ Instead of disappearing like normal, she remained by my side, commenting ever so often on Xi?o¡¯s movements and instructing me where possible. As such, I kept a cool head and my movements became more fluid. Not enough to do any significant damage to him, but enough. Lightning lanced through the inside of my body, jumping from nerve to nerve and quickening my reaction time and speed several times over as the charges jumped from my body to the ground. [Overcharge] Xi?o fired off another funnel and my body swung to the side, barely avoiding the attack as I raised my hand, firing off a sharp blast of white lightning towards him, narrowly missing his face. I stepped forward, blitzing in front of him before throwing a flame-enhanced punch towards his gut. Instead of the sweet feeling of my fist sinking into his flesh, I was met with his hand wrapped around my wrist, the flame sputtering out as my body was thrown over his head and slammed into the floor. I let out a sharp, breathy gasp as I rolled, vision blurring as I attempted to regain control of my breathing. Pulling myself up, my legs shook, and I couldn''t do much other than stare at Xi?o. The wind cut off, and his arm raised. I didn''t know what was happening, until a sharp ring sounded through my ears, the sound discordant and painful. It was as though claws were ripping through my skull, drilling holes in an attempt to pick at my brain. I let out a shrill scream, sinking down to my knees, hands pressed against my head as I clutched at air, fingernails digging into my palms, drawing blood in an attempt to get my mind off of the mental torture the Guardian was currently putting me through. Blood dripped down my face, originating from my nose, running in rivers onto the floor as I was rendered defenceless before the deity to do as he wished. Xi?o let out a small sigh. It was as though he was attempting to pretend to care, but from his tone of voice, he seemed rather amused. ¡°Ah, well. You put up a good show. Time, Meryll?¡± ¡°Eight minutes.¡± ¡°You lasted eight minutes, child. Know that your sacrifice will bring Mother back into this world.¡± He raised a palm, a large blast of wind that would surely end my life collecting in his palm as he held it aloft in front of my face. Time seemed to slow down and I shut my eyes, until a noise kicked me from my stupor. ¡°Kuu!¡± Diana''s voice sounded as she stood in front, between Xi?o and I. Her body slowly began to glow, more and more brightly as my hand brushed her pelt gently, attempting to calm her down. To no avail. The bright light became brighter and brighter, before going off like a flashbang, causing Xi?o to take a few steps back as I shut my eyes, before opening them. Diana¡¯s cry had increased into an exceptionally loud roar, an octave below her voice previously. Her fur had hardened into¡­ scales? Diana''s body had grown tremendously, now being around 9 metres long. Her body was covered from head to toe in black scales, her two horns having grown far longer and sharper, giving her a far more menacing appearance. Diana''s spine was covered in protruding black spines, with her tail sharpened as well. Each of her limbs had spines protruding from the joints, with various purple specks across her body and a purple underbelly. She let out a snort, appearing fierce, but I could see in her now-violet eyes that her strength was waning as she drew out more soul in attempts to protect me. ¡°Diana, don''t. Please. I need you to protect yourself. Please!¡± She turned her head towards me, and I could see that she wasn''t going to listen. Opening her mouth, there were rows upon rows of fangs, and a blast of flames converged In her mouth, before shooting out towards Xi?o, searing the plateau¡¯s floor and leaving behind the smell of molten rock. Xi?o stepped forward, his fist planting itself in her chest, before he pulled back, blood dripping from the wound in rivers of red. Diana howled, her body falling to the floor as it grew smaller, returning to her smaller form. She whined softly and I swore I could feel my heart bearing out of my chest as my fingers ran through her fur. ¡°You''ll be fine. You''ll be fine, I promise.¡± I begged not only her, but myself as well, trying to convince myself it would be fine. Sadness turned to anger which turned to resentment as I pushed myself to my feet. ¡®I know I said only when you absolutely must¡­¡¯ Isabella said, ¡®...but I''ll make an exception here. Let''s put him in his place.¡¯ ¡°Second Stage,¡± I uttered aloud, for all to hear. It didn''t matter who heard. Xi?o, Hua, Meryll, even the gods themselves. They could spite me as much as they wanted. But they didn''t get to take her from me. ¡°Divine Incarnation.¡± Chapter 14: Saving Grace The plateau was filled with a buzz of noise. 8 minutes. I had to survive 7 more¨C if I could keep up Divine Incarnation for that long, perhaps I could make it. Runes spread up my arms and across my torso, glowing darkly as did the stigma on my chest. My irises turned amber as my pupils turned fully white along with my hair, which burst from the ponytail I had put it in and hung down to my shoulders. I took in a breath, and stepped forward. I could feel myself launched at Xi?o at blinding speeds, my fist slamming sharply into his arm, causing him to stagger backwards. The world had become a black-and-white monochrome through my eyes as I continued my perpetual assault on the Guardian, not even stopping for a moment to breathe. He threw me off and I righted myself in mid-air, taking note of a congregation of red soul particles near my face. Dropping down, a boom echoed as the particles formed an explosion in mid air. So he''d begun using his fire magic. Why now? Letting out a growl, ice spread across the plateau, freezing everything in sight. I then charged the ice with large amounts of heat, causing it to expand and then explode violently, even causing the wind barrier to shake somewhat, though Xi?o remained unscathed. If it was anyone else, he''d likely have died. Lightning charged in the palm of my hand, which converged as I compressed it repeatedly, until the white had turned to a black and jumped from my hand to the stone beneath my feet. Everything the lightning touched crumbled to ashes, and I raised my index and middle fingers in the shape of a finger gun towards Xi?o. [Chaos Lightning] The electricity shot out in a wild yet controlled blast towards the Guardian, far more potent than my previous one. This time, it burned the sleeve of his hanfu, reaching his skin and causing small blisters in the top layer from the heat of the attack. Whilst he was focused on that, I followed up with a flame-infused strike to his stomach which actually landed this time. The flames exploded as my attack landed, causing him to skid back a few metres, but nothing much. Divine Incarnation wasn''t much of anything other than a power-up. I could see the soul in greater detail as well as the fact I now had better control over it, but that was about it. I wasn¡¯t aiming to defeat him here. Ever so often, my eyes flicked back to Diana¡¯s dying body, knowing that I had to stall him for as long as feasibly possible. Plants grew thickly from the surroundings, curling around Xi?o¡¯s arms and legs and pulling, but they were almost immediately cut to bits by the sharpened air. Multiple blasts of air were headed my way but I cut through them, focusing on splitting the bonds between the soul particles with Requiem. Well, that was useful to know¨C in my second stage, I could cut through spells. My arm raised, just as Jasper had done. Mimicking his every movement, I held my blade up, flames converging at the tip of the blade. The blade heated up, reaching searing temperatures as I swung it downwards. [Hellfire Blade] The blade connected with the ground, resulting in small sparks flying as a gash ripped through the plateau, splitting it in two. [Absolute Zero] The temperature lowered immensely as the vines that had been there previously died out, and the flames that Xi?o had been charging sputtered into non-existence. I waited, the seconds counting down. ¡°STOP!¡± Meryll yelled through the barrier, which immediately fell at Xi?o¡¯s command. His expression was unreadable as usual, and my transformation fell, my appearance returning to normal as my vision swam. Blood dripped from my mouth, nose, eyes, and ears, running down my face and onto the floor as I crawled over to Diana. My head pounded, and everything pulsated in agony, but I had to reach her, had to save her. Hua ran over, helping me as I stumbled over to the dying dragon, a weak smile appearing on my face. ¡°Fancy.. seeing.. you.. again,¡± I quipped, to which she rolled her eyes. ¡°We can talk about the fact you''re prone to getting hurt later. Let''s just save your dragon friend.¡± Falling to my knees in front of the dying dragon, my thoughts raced at over a million miles a minute as I tried to think of something. Anything that could help her. Isabella. She always seemed to know what to do¨C and so for the first time, I turned to her instead of the other way around. ¡®Isabella, please. You must have some way to fix this.¡¯ There was silence for a moment, but then she responded. ¡®Not fully, no. Her consciousness¨C which is what made her defective¨C is dying, along with the fragile artificial soul made for her.¡¯ ¡ª ¡®Can''t you save her like you saved me?¡¯ ¡®No. She no longer has the will to live. It would be immoral of me to force her to. However, if she wishes¡­¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I can transfer my consciousness to her body and reforge her soul core. Her soul will pass away as she wishes for it to, but her will and mark on this world will not. Due to the connection between you and I, she will become your bond from then on.¡¯ I bit my lip. Was this truly the only way? ¡®What do you need me to do?¡¯ ¡®Firstly, meditate and form a link between your soul and hers. I will aid with this process. Next, we will need to venture through her Mind''s Eye to find her. Once I have successfully taken her place, you will need to stop the soul from overflowing around her body and causing it to explode.¡¯ ¡°Put me to sit down, please, Hua.¡± I said to the girl beside me, who followed. All smiles fell as I slowly stopped messing around, the gravity of the situation settling in. As much as I wanted to use laughter and jokes to alleviate the pain, to push down my emotions and never have to face them again, I couldn''t. And only by facing myself could I save her. I sat, cross-legged in front of the dragon¡¯s small body, hands cupped on her face. Her eyes fluttered open ever so often for mere seconds, before returning to being closed faster than I could react. The gentle hum of soul passing between our bodies was audible as I slipped further and further into the darkness of her mind. This falling was somewhat familiar, reminding me of the first time I had met Isabella. I descended through the darkness, landing squarely on my feet, reaching for Requiem only to realise the blade wasn''t there, and it couldn''t venture to this realm with me. Instead of grasping the blade, I felt a familiar warmth in my hands. Head turning sharply, I was met with steel blue eyes, and a face I had come to know very well. Isabella. Dressed in the same regal, yet divine clothing as always, her feet made ripples across the dark waters we were currently standing on top of as she walked, leading me through the endless sea like a beacon in the night. Diana''s Mind''s Eye was nothing like what I expected it to be. If it was the soul, then her soul had been shattered a long time ago. The dirt was grey and the plants were withered. Buildings stood half-crumbled, and the sun no longer rose, shedding a dark light across the place. ¡°We must hurry.¡± Isabella spoke calmly, yet with unrivalled confidence that I could never find in anyone else. ¡°If we don''t, we may lose her¨C completely.¡± The journey through Diana''s mind was tiresome. Although all the physical damage I had accrued could not be felt as I was using my soul body, I wasn''t accustomed to being in someone else''s body. I knew that at least Meryll and Hua would protect my body¨C and Xi?o seemed like the type to stay true to his word¨C but the longer I spent here, the less likely I was to be able to go back. Not to mention if I died here, I would never return.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I''ve found her.¡± Isabella''s voice dragged me out of my own mind as I ran over, pushing over large amounts of rubble to reach her, being met by a sight I''d never expected to see. A small girl, shivering, knees tucked against her chest. Black hair flowed down her shoulders, curly and unkempt until it stopped around her mid-back, with two violet eyes that should have been filled with wonder. They should have been filled with all the light in the world, if not¨C If not for the cruelty of this world. The world was unfair, and that was the only fair reality presented to all. If a god existed, I wondered why the world existed in this way. In response to my thoughts, Isabella seemed to visibly bristle, before helping Diana up to her feet. I enveloped the girl in a hug, feeling her shivering slowly but surely calm down as I held her in my ears. She blubbered, tears rolling down her face and seeping into my shirt as I held her tightly, like a parent''s warm embrace. ¡°It''ll be fine, I promise. I won''t force you to do anything you don''t want to,¡± I soothed. ¡°If you want to go, that''s fine. If you want to stay, that''s fine too.¡± ¡°I''m scared¡­¡± She whimpered. ¡°I''m scared that I''ll be all alone if I go.¡± Her skin had slowly begun to crack and float away in the distance, her life fading. Just like mine had, before Isabella had saved my life. My eyes darted over to the woman, who nodded. Letting go of Diana, I allowed Isabella to take a step forward. Diana''s eyes widened, and she bowed hurriedly, struggling to get the words out of her mouth. ¡°M-mother! I didn''t expect you to g-grace me with your p-presence. A god like yourself¨C¡± Isabella simply gave her a small, pained smile. I did wonder why Meryll, Xi?o, and Diana all referred to her as ¡®Mother¡¯, but I didn''t pry. She would tell me when she was ready. ¡°¨CIf I were a god, I would be the most useless and incompetent god in the world. Unable to save my children, unable to save my people, placing my responsibilities on the shoulders of a child.¡± Her words held far too much pain to be a simple metaphor, a figure of speech. ¡°You won''t be alone.¡± We both said at the same time. ¡°Can you promise me something?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Remember me. When all is said and done, remember me.¡± ¡°Truly, I tell you,¡± Isabella said, as we watched the Diana''s body slowly begin to fade away into dust faster now, a single tear rolling down the girl''s cheek, ¡°You will never be forgotten. If I can stop one heart from breaking¡­¡± She smiled sadly, pressing her forehead against Diana''s. ¡°...Then this life will not be in vain.¡± I finished Isabella¡¯s sentence, cradling the girl gently, rocking her from side to side until she disappeared. ¡ª I didn''t even realise there were tears painting my cheeks until I let out a pained cry, my mask of emotional absence shattering as I sunk down to my knees, breaths wracked with sobs as I gagged, trying to breathe. But I couldn''t, as my gut writhed with pain, Isabella rubbing my back gently. I didn''t know how long I had been crying when the tears finally stopped coming, my broken heart drained of any remaining emotion. They had surged forth from my heart violently, my fingers red from clawing at the ground desperately, trying to change this, begging to change it. But all of that had been buried, deep beneath the mask of indifference I put on in an attempt to stop myself from feeling, to focus on the task at hand. ¡°What next?¡± I asked coolly, getting to my feet. ''Focus, Atlas. Everything else is a hindrance.'' ¡°I''m going to begin forging a core now.¡± Isabella¡¯s form shifted, and she took upon a state almost the same as Diana¡¯s small feline form. She closed her eyes tightly and suddenly, we were returned to the dark sea of void. ¡°You need to stop the soul from bursting forth from her core and reaching her body. Otherwise, we will both die along with her. However¨C within here, you are unable to use elements. You may only use basic soul as a weapon.¡± I nodded, trying not to dwell too much on what had happened. Yet, I simply couldn''t get my mind off of it. I was using this to escape. To escape the pain, to escape it all. Perhaps that was a disservice to Diana''s memory, but I needed it. Otherwise I''d break down once more. I had no blade, so I was forced to activate my second stage once more. [Divine Incarnation] My appearance changed as did my vision, and I could see the soul particles more clearly. Gently coaxing them into the shape of a blade, I watched as a white, crucifix-guarded blade formed before my eyes. ¡°Brace yourself!¡± Isabella spoke sharply. A large tsunami of soul surged forth from the darkness, threatening to drown us both as it approached at high speeds. Stepping in front of Isabella, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. All the memories I''d tried so hard to not remember came running back to me. Jasper stood before me in place of the wave, spreading his hands wide, a menacing grin on his face. ¡°So this is all you amount to, hero.¡± He mocked, circling me, leaning in closer, forcing me to back off. I didn''t want to be close to him. ¡°Worthless. Useless. Weak. Failed to protect the princess, failed to protect the beast, failed to stop me. What are you even good for?¡± My heart raced, eyes widening as I took steps back. My breaths were ragged, uneven, as the sound of blood pounding in my ears muting Isabella yelling at me to focus. ¡°When will you realise? Everything you''ve done to push me away, become better than me, stronger than me, was all for nothing. You''re becoming just like me. You can''t even defeat me when I''m inside your own mind.¡± He snarled, snapping back. ¡°Face it, Xeno.¡± I glanced down at my body, and I had become my previous self. I was more muscled, more built, stronger¨C but for what? I could never protect anything because I never had anything. And whatever I had, I''d thrown away in the pursuit of more strength. In the process, I''d thrown my humanity away. ¡°You. Are. Me.¡± I shook my head. I had resolved myself to change in this life. I would find something worth fighting for, and defend it until the end. And quite frankly, I had already found something worth fighting for. My relationships with everyone around me. They were my drive, the thing pushing me to reach the heights I was scaling. Jasper had never had that. He didn''t care about anything but himself¨C and maybe his money. I was nothing like him. ¡°You''re wrong.¡± I responded. ¡°You''re wrong. We''re nothing alike. Maybe we were before. But we''re not. That''s the difference between you and me.¡± Jasper''s body changed, becoming Xeno, as I reverted back into Atlas¡¯ appearance. ¡°B-but you''re not. We''re the same¨C¡± He said, in a tone I could only describe as pathetic. He could only exist because of me. Within me. And if I rejected him¡­ the memory of Jasper would be no more. ¡°You''re right. You are me. But I''m not you. I never was.¡± He took a step towards me, and I exhaled. Raising the blade of soul above my head, I uttered a single word that set his fate in stone. ¡°Begone.¡± The blade cut through his body like butter. He disappeared, and was instead replaced by the sea of soul¨C which had a singular cut straight through the middle of it. That was¡­ Me? The sea parted from the force of the blow, splitting in two before dispersing and being trapped behind some kind of barrier, which slowly closed in on it before becoming a small ball. A soul core. The blade in my hand glowed before dispersing as I reverted to normal. Nausea engulfed me as I lay back, vision blurring as I closed my eyes, opening them again to see Hua and Meryll standing over me, Xi?o not too far off, indifferent as always. However, he clicked his tongue, looked at me, and gave a nod of acknowledgement. Whether he approved of me, however, was another matter I didn''t want to address just yet. My eyes darted to my side, where the small beast was just awakening now. Dian¨C Isabella leapt up and bit my hand, leaving a fresh bite mark as I pulled it away, shaking my hand out with a hiss as I glared at her, rubbing my hand. Within moments, the bite had healed, leaving an oddly-shaped mark. A bond mark. In this world, humans were able to form a partnership with second-generation Elysian Beasts in order to fight alongside them, which became known as bonds. ¡®Testing, testing.¡¯ I heard Isabella''s voice in my head. ¡®Can you hear me?¡¯ I stared down at the beast''s body, clicking my tongue and crossing my arms in utter disbelief. Looking more closely, my bond¡¯s formerly amber eyes had changed to a shade of steel blue. ¡°Kuhuhuhuhu!¡± She exclaimed, leaping from the ground up to my shoulder as I got up, only to have my knees buckle, falling flat onto my face as my vision was slowly enveloped by darkness. Ah, right. I had forgotten how tired I was. Chapter 15: Road That Lies Ahead X¨©NG HUA''S POV It had been a while since we''d been in this position. Atlas lay, sleeping calmly, with me sat at a chair beside his bed. Yet, during the time we''d been apart, he had changed so much¨C mentally and physically. He had lost a majority of the baby fat on his face and now looked far physically stronger, and was taller than I was¨C when we''d been the same height just a few years ago. I smiled subconsciously, brushing a few strands of hair from his face, the light casting rays of light onto his body which was warm to the touch. ¡®If your feelings were any clearer, you''d be a window.¡¯ A teasing voice sounded through my head, along with a gentle chuckle. ¡°W-what? Who''s there?!¡± I cried, face turning a dark shade of red, eyes scanning the room for anyone who could be talking to me. ¡®Look down. And keep quiet, you''ll wake him up.¡¯ My eyes darted downwards, to find Atlas¡¯ bond perched on his chest, looking up at me rather smugly. ¡®Anyway, as I was saying. Your feelings are so clear it''s almost painful. Yet, like all boys his age, he¡¯s¡­ likely incredibly oblivious.¡¯ ¡°Th-they are not!¡± I replied hotly, crossing my arms over my chest. The nerve of this beast¡­ ¡®Anyway, I''ll keep my mouth shut. Try to calm down, he''s waking up now.¡¯ The beast smirked at me, and I stared towards the ground, hair hanging loosely over my face. Taking a deep breath to recompose myself, Atlas¡¯ eyes slowly dragged open as he let out a grunt, yawning and sitting up fully. ¡°This seems oddly familiar,¡± He said with a grin, before I wrapped my arms around him tightly for what felt like the first time in forever. He seemed hesitant to return the gesture for a few seconds, before awkwardly wrapping his arms around my body. After a few seconds of hugging, we let go of each other. My mouth opened to bridge the silence, to say something, but he had already begun talking. ¡°So, how¡¯ve you been, Your Majesty?¡± He teased. So, he had picked up some of Meryll¡¯s attitude whilst living with her. I punched his arm in retaliation with a pout, huffing quietly to myself. ¡°You can¡¯t hit me! I¡¯m an injured patient!!!¡± After about a second, we both burst into laughter. His bond nuzzled the crook of his neck as they engaged in some kind of silent conversation in likely the same way she¡¯d talked to me. Nonetheless, I wasn¡¯t privy to it, so I didn¡¯t take much notice. ¡°To answer your question, I¡¯ve been well. I haven¡¯t been slacking, Xiao¡¯s been working my socks off¡­¡± I rubbed my arm, massaging a sore area. The past year had been nothing but work to increase my soul control, and I was happy to say it was paying off. Noticeably, there was no burn scar left behind by Jasper¡¯s attack thanks to Xiao¡¯s intervention, but I couldn¡¯t help but absentmindedly rub the area sometimes. There were a million things I wanted to ask about. Yet, the words died on my tongue as I decided to settle for a simple question, smiling. ¡°...What about you? You¡¯ve changed¨C and¨C you didn¡¯t have her before,¡± I said, gesturing to Isabella. Atlas shifted his position from sitting cross legged on the bed to sitting at the edge, facing me. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start from the beginning. After we fell, I was saved by Meryll. Jasper had done damage to my soul core, so instead of getting up and saving you straight away, I was forced to wait a year. During that year, she trained me, so I worked to help clean up the forest,¡± He said. Quite clearly not telling me the full truth, his eyes darted towards the ground, seemingly trying to look anywhere but at me, perhaps in fear of what I¡¯d look upon him as if he did so. ¡°I have an affinity to all five elements¨C I¡¯m a penta-elemental.¡± My expression didn¡¯t visibly change, but I was inwardly shocked. An affinity to every element was, quite frankly, unheard of. ¡°I¡¯m also capable of the divergents lightning and ice. When I use my Kismet¡¯s second stage, I can use sound and gravity as well.¡± He was¡­ talented. But something was off. His aura didn¡¯t give off the elements that they should. Soul naturally occurred in six states¨C basic soul, and then five particles for the five elements, which is what elemental sages used to generate and control the elements. However, for him, it was almost like he was taking basic soul and turning it into soul particles of the elements. Which wasn''t feasibly possible, so I ignored the idea. ¡°Anyway, I saved Isabella from a group of illegal beast traders, and she¡¯s been following me around ever since. Originally, I thought she was just a horned wolf, but yesterday, I found out she was a¡­¡± ¡°...Dragon.¡± I finished his sentence. Atlas¡¯ eyes widened somewhat as he pushed himself quickly off of the bed, hand on my shoulder as he leaned over me, body warm. I turned, and Atlas held the hilt of a knife in his hand, Xiao standing in the doorway looking smug. Meryll made her way from behind the doorway and grasped the Guardian¡¯s hair, pulling on his sharply as he let out a few ¡®ow¡¯s, muttering curses. ¡°I apologise for the intrusion. Xiao doesn¡¯t know what it means to let a patient rest.¡± ¡°H-how long have you two b-been standing there?!¡± I exclaimed, words faltering. ¡°Well, before you two hugged. That was rather amusing, admittedly.¡± She said smugly. ¡°M-M-M-MERYLLLLLLLLLLLLL!¡± ¡ª ATLAS REYES¡¯ POV Months dragged by, and I found living with Meryll, Xiao, and Hua wasn¡¯t bad. I quite enjoyed it, actually¨C it had been a long time since I¡¯d felt the warmth of family. Or, rather, I doubted I never had. But my mind always went back to Atlas¡¯-- my¨C family. The longer I spent here, the more time they didn¡¯t know where I was, how I was, whether I was alive or not. And even though they weren¡¯t my family, I was now inhabiting the body of their son. Therefore, I had a duty to perform, and continue to be their son in his place.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. After learning that Xiao could create a sort of¡­ magical remote connection between me and them using my water magic and his wind magic, along with sound magic, he had set me up in one of the rooms along with Hua for moral support. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in. Upon opening my eyes, a screen had formed from the magic, connecting us both despite the fact we were miles away. A woman leaned close to the screen, her eyes widening upon seeing me. ¡°C-caspian...¡± She said, her voice quivering as she stared at me. Her hair was the same shade of black mine as before Isabella¡¯s interference. Her eyes were a beautiful, brilliant violet, to the point it reminded me of¡­ Diana. My head bowed, hanging low, as I desperately made an attempt to hide the tears falling from my eyes. A man entered the frame, with auburn hair and amber eyes. ¡°Elizabeth¡­¡± He whispered, sinking down to our knees. ¡°It¡¯s our son. Our son is alive and well.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how they¡¯d recognised me with my changed appearance, but it was quite clearly simply just a parent¡¯s intuition. They sat there, hugging, and crying tears of joy for a while. I didn¡¯t say anything, not wanting to interrupt the moment, and when they were finished, that¡¯s when I chose to speak up. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mom, Dad. I know you must be wondering where I am right now, and I¡¯m safe. I¡¯m with some very trustworthy people. You¡¯re in Xing, right? Well, I should be headed there soon enough. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Just a little longer, and we¡¯ll be together. I promise.¡± The apparition began to shake, and with a small smile, I allowed it to fade. Tears dripped down my face and onto the floor. Plink, plonk, plink, plonk. It had been two months, and I still couldn¡¯t forget Diana. Hiccuping, I wiped the tears from my eyes and face, and the snot from my nose as I let out an ¡°ew¡­¡±. Hua had wrapped her arms around my side, cradling me gently, and the tears continued to flow down my face. I had to get over it eventually. Somehow. But for now¡­ I couldn¡¯t. For now, the tears would continue to fall down my face and onto the floor, until I could no longer cry. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m a mess.¡± I mumbled to Hua, but she didn¡¯t respond, only squeezed me gently. Isabella nuzzled into my hand, attempting to calm me down as she licked at my palm, meowing softly. ¡®I know you¡¯re feeling terrible right now.¡¯ I heard Isabella¡¯s voice as I cast my gaze downwards toward her. ¡®I know you¡¯re feeling broken and hurt beyond belief, and I know you¡¯re going to put up a front and hide it the moment you leave this room. But know that we are bonded, and I am with you. Whatever you think you are, whatever you become, I am with you. Whatever you turn into, we turn into together.¡¯ Her words of reassurance caused me to begin to bawl my eyes out for a few moments, thanking the stars I had such people by my side. After I was finished, I pushed myself up, getting to my feet. ¡°Let¡¯s get going, Hua. Xiao¡¯s going to kill us if we¡¯re late to this evening¡¯s training session.¡± ¡ª Two more months dragged by as I practised controlling my Kismet as well as being in-tune with Isabella. I had noticed Meryll spending more time alone in the study in Xiao¡¯s oversized cottage, seemingly working on something. So whilst Xiao was outside, yelling at Hua like some sort of drill sergeant (I could imagine him with a whistle and a cap screaming ¡®GET ON YOUR KNEES AND GIVE ME TEN¡¯ already!), I took a peek inside of the room, my curiosity getting the better of my politeness. However, it appeared Meryll had noticed me from before I had even looked inside as she turned around slowly, a small smile on her face. It seemed pained, with her body positioned in a way that purposefully hid whatever was behind her. Shutting the door with a gentle click so nobody else walked in, I leaned against it, hands behind my back. My bond leapt off of my shoulder, landing on the floor gracefully before jumping up into Meryll¡¯s lap as she cradled Isabella in her arms. ¡°Grandma, why have you been acting so shady lately?¡± I asked, getting straight to the point. There was no point beating around the bush. Not right now, anyway. ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± She said with a small smile, ¡°I¡¯ve just been contemplating a few things. And writing a letter. To my daughter.¡± ¡°You have a¡­ daughter?¡± I asked, slightly surprised. I had never seen any pictures in Meryll¡¯s house of a daughter¨C or a husband, or of anyone, for that matter. Not even her. ¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t seen her since I moved here, and I was thinking of having a letter written to her. Which reminds me, along with another few things I have to talk to you about, could you please deliver this letter to her? She lives in Xing, which is where you are headed.¡± I nodded, taking the letter from her hands. It was sealed with magic, and on the back, there were the words ¡®To Claire Ambrose¡¯ written in ink and elegant handwriting. ¡°So, what was it you wished to talk about, Grandma?¡± She snapped her fingers, and a glossy bubble enlarged from the point at which her fingers touched. It became about the size of the room, and I glanced around, before looking at her, confused. ¡°It will prevent anything being spoken in here from reaching the outside, Captain-Commander Xeno.¡± My body instinctively entered a defensive stance after hearing my past life¡¯s name, muscles tensing. ¡°How do you¡ª¡± ¡°Calm down. Even if I did wish to harm you, in that feeble body, there isn¡¯t much you would be able to do about it anyway. Besides, there is much to discuss.¡± I relaxed somewhat, but I still felt rather anxious due to the fact I couldn¡¯t tell how much she knew about me¨C whether or not it was to the extent of things even I didn¡¯t remember. ¡°I see all that is seen and unseen. All that has come before and all that will come after, Xeno.¡± She said, smiling wistfully, before continuing. ¡°Your future is that of a bleak one. In many millions of billions of futures, you sow nothing but destruction for this realm. Dark forces will soon begin to mobilise, with you at the epicentre of their plans¨C for you are the singular variable.¡± ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± ¡°Or, rather, that thing within your chest is. Think of it as though it were a key. The one who holds that key will be the one that breaks the stalemate the gods have been locked in for centuries. And, with the weak state you are in, it will be no difficulty for them should they decide to kill you and take it.¡± She paused, her expression sorrowful. ¡°Lives will be lost. Countless, innumerable amounts of lives. However, you must become strong enough to write the ending, or else they will write it for you. I will leave you with some advice. One, become stronger. Strong enough so that you can decide who you ally with in the coming war for yourself. Strong enough so that even the gods, who bow to no one, will treat you like an invaluable asset in the coming war. Two, do not trust the deities, and question every word that leaves their lips. They are merely devils in celestial skin. Not everything is always as it seems¨C they will lie to you, trick you, and hide the truth in order to seem better than they truly are. The truth of this world that has been hidden will be revealed, in time. Three, live your life. Xeno, you are a warrior who sacrificed everything for the strength needed to protect his people. And in doing so, you forewent any form of humanity or emotions. In this life, find those who matter to you and keep them close to your chest. Hold them dear, and fight tooth and nail to keep them safe. Anchor yourself upon them. Because they will slip through your grasp before you realise it.¡± Her words left thousands of questions in my mind. Questions I didn¡¯t have the answer to. Questions I knew I¡¯d likely never have the answer to, even if I searched the lands for thousands of years. My head hung down as I contemplated what she had said. ¡°But if my future is already written, then¨C¡± ¡°Fate has its eyes on you, child. You will know. Within those millions of billions of futures, it is up to you to choose the one future in which you are happy.¡± I just hoped she was right. ¡°Now, you and Hua will be leaving tomorrow. The Succession Ritual Tournament approaches¨C and you need to reach the Capital before the end of the week, lest she be disqualified altogether.¡± Her words had taken my mind off of the ominous premonition. That was right. The task at hand was to enter the tournament and win. Snapping her fingers again, the bubble dispersed, and I headed towards the door. Before leaving however, I turned. ¡°I¡¯ll deliver that letter for you, I promise. But if I know anything¡­ I know that she would probably prefer you to deliver it in person, Grandma.¡± She only smiled sadly, a smile that carried over a thousand burdens, as I closed the door. One day, I hoped she would share them with me. If only... I had known that would be the last time I''d ever see her smile. Maybe then, I would''ve at least-- told her how much she meant to me, to all of us. Chapter 16: Goodbye Leaving was a somewhat sad sight. Hua and I had been packing our things all morning, though we didn¡¯t have much. Xiao had agreed to accompany us to the edge of the forest (for as the forest Guardian, he couldn¡¯t be away for too long in order to protect it) because Meryll was busy setting up the teleportation gate that would take us close to the edge of the forest, allowing us to reach the city¡¯s edge far faster. We would be travelling at sundown, in order to reach the city by daylight in time to get Hua back to her family and register for the tournament. And for me to¡­ finally return to mine, too. The day slowly ticked on by. I could tell we were both excited, but also¡­ sad. I had grown used to Meryll¡¯s laughter as well as her treatment of the Guardian, a treatment which would undoubtedly have gotten anyone else killed if they had done the exact same thing. Yet, it made the ¡°all-powerful guardian¡± seem just a little bit more human, and I swore I had seen a smile flicker to his expressionless face when he had believed nobody was looking. What a tsundere¡­ Meryll seemed to be somewhat anxious after my talk with her yesterday. I could see her fidgeting constantly, even if it wasn¡¯t as noticeable to the others. She spent a long time lingering in various spots, and ever so often, I could hear her sighing quietly as though she was preparing for something. If she was that worried about us leaving, she could simply accompany us to the city¨C that was what I believed she was anxious about. I was wrong. After we had finished packing and saying our goodbyes, Xiao slowly began to set up the teleportation gate with Meryll¡¯s help. Imbuing soul into small crystals, they floated and assumed a rectangular formation, exuding warmth before they started to hum. The gate was set up, as a yellow energy connected each pink crystal, drawing an iridescent portal, which seemed to switch colours every few seconds. Reaching a hand out slowly to push through the portal, a rattle echoed throughout the cottage. The crystals sputtered, falling from their positions and clanking to the floor, luckily being left undamaged. The smell of smoke filled the air, my eyes darting up to Xiao and Meryll. A troubled expression lay on Meryll¡¯s face, and on Xiao¡¯s was one of immense fury. The air slowly began to distort around his body, but with a pat from Meryll, it calmed down almost immediately. ¡°Take the kids and go. They¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Meryll,¡± I uttered, ¡°Who is it? Who¡¯s here¨C?¡± ¡°Go!¡± She yelled. It was the first time I¡¯d seen her so serious, so worried, as a dark figure descended through a hole in the ceiling. We were on the lowest floor, in a cavern beneath the earth, so it was a wonder how such a being had gotten there in the first place. Yet, they didn¡¯t seem friendly. As the smoke cleared, I was able to get a better view of their features. Pale skin, so pale it simply didn¡¯t seem to be human. As though there was no blood flow, no beating heart. His eyes were a stark red, and as his gaze turned towards me, I felt a shiver pass down my entire body. No breaths left my mouth as I silently willed for him to look away, his gaze terrifying me. Isabella hissed at him, and I took a moment to take in his appearance fully. His ears had pointed tips, like that of an elf, but it was far more unsettling, and his hair hung down to his ears, greyish-white in colour. At his side was a long, black rapier, sheathed in an ornate scabbard. The man wore a noble¡¯s outfit¨C a suit, long coat, white pants and long, black boots that ended at his mid-thigh. As he reached the floor, his feet made no noise upon touching the ground. Pulling back his lips into a wide grin, his gaze finally left me, instead, staring at Meryll, hands splaying wide as he bowed. It was merely for the theatrics¨C I could tell, due to the fact that he contained the power to kill us all¨C perhaps not Xiao, but the rest of us¨C within a second. As he raised, his voice carried around the entire cavern. ¡°His Highness presents you with an offer. Hand over the Sin, and he will allow your lives to remain intact. If you refuse¡­¡± The man¡¯s smile faded slightly, though he continued to remain playful throughout it all. ¡°You will not leave here with your lives.¡± ¨C Meryll paused, a smile flickering over her face. ¡°How about we sit down for a cup of tea and a nice chat about this ¡®Sin¡¯---¡± His hand hadn¡¯t moved from his side, but a long, thin, twisted thorn of solidified black flames had lodged itself in the wall, which disintegrated in a crater around it. Blood dripped hypnotically in a steady rhythm from Meryll¡¯s ear to the floor, as I watched a cut open on the edge of her ear. The look on the man¡¯s face told me that her face could have very easily been the target, and she could have ended up with the thorn through her brain¨C it was merely because he looked upon us as not even worth his time that we hadn¡¯t all been killed the moment he¡¯d entered. Lambs to the slaughter¨C that¡¯s what we were, Unable to fight back, and even if we did, we wouldn¡¯t win anyway. ¡°I would advise you not to play games with me, Meryll Ambrose. I''m a very sore loser, you know?¡± Vines curled down from the hole the man had entered as I glanced back to Hua, who seemed to be focusing her magic intensely upon the man. The vines curled further down, and I immediately knew the strategy. Meryll had intended for us to leave her here, to fight and die against this¡­ thing. However, the both of us were hellbent on fighting to our last breaths. Or at least, stalling it enough for Xiao to reactivate the teleportation gate. The vines wrapped around his body, but it wasn¡¯t enough to hold him as he simply waved a hand, slicing them to pieces. Nodding to Hua, my foot slammed into the earth, sending a vibration through it. Meryll seemed so¡­ sad. Like she knew what was coming, and had accepted her fate. I wasn¡¯t one to do so. Even if it killed me, I would challenge my fate until the day I breathed my last. The tremor caused plant roots to rise to the surface, which Hua grew into large thorny vines, sending them after our opponent. He dodged, weaved, and ducked under them easily, before being caught by a soul-infused punch from me. Or he should have been. The man showcased superhuman speed, beyond that of Xiao. As my hand shot forward, he was already behind me, and before I knew it, I was in the air. His fist slammed into my stomach, sending me flying into the wall¨C luckily, not into the spike of flames he had launched earlier.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His body descended gracefully to the ground once more, flexing his fingers as his eyes darted towards Hua. Noticeably, he was taking care not to harm her as much as he did me, as though he had been ordered not to. Pushing myself back into the fray, I saw a wind spell be let loose from Meryll¡¯s hands, flying towards the man¡¯s face as he ducked underneath it, spinning and kicking her in the side of the face as Hua¡¯s vines wrapped around his legs and I set them ablaze. Flames licked the ends of his boots, but he simply turned to the both of us, the black flame lighting in his hands again. The flames seemed to be the embodiment of pure destruction. As they came into contact with the vines, the vines crumbled to dust. Yet, as the caster, he remained completely unaffected by them. Damnit! [Crescent Stormblade] A torrent of crescent-shaped wind blades shot towards the man, but he simply batted them off to one side carelessly as they hit the wall and exploded, causing the cottage to rattle. As he was focused on the blades, I took the opportunity to shoot a few balls of condensed flame at him. Which, due to his overconfidence, exploded in his face. I could see his eyes narrow, his smile fully fading as I felt a sharp, jagged pain through my core. Looking down, I saw a thorny lance protruding from my stomach, yet no visible damage to the outside of my body. The lance faded, and a moment passed. Then a gut-wrenching, excruciating pain which felt as though my insides were twisting into a knot and then was ripping itself into tiny pieces. A pain I¡¯d felt only once before. A horrified expression covered my face as it dawned upon me¨C It was my soul core. The flames had the uncanny ability to affect my soul, it seemed. ¡°Got it!¡± Xiao¡¯s voice filled the clearing. Turning to Meryll, who was engaging in combat with the man, and Hua, who stood beside Xiao, I nodded to both of them. Meryll merely shook her head, raising an arm, as a vortex collected at her fingertips before condensing into a small ball. It would take its toll on me, but I had to try. To save her, I was willing to try anything. [Chronosphere] All time froze, except for me and her, as we were separated from the flow of time. ¡ª ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to end this way, Grandma. You can come with us. You promised! You promised you¡¯d see your daughter again!¡± My voice went from calm, to trembling, quaking. I couldn¡¯t lose her too. Not her. My mask of indifference that I had kept up since Diana¡¯s death, pretending to laugh, pretending to smile, crumbled. In my heart, I still harboured some resentment for Xiao. I doubted we¡¯d ever fully get along. However, our duties brought us together. The fact we both had to protect Hua brought us together, and in some ways, Diana¡¯s death was salvation for her. Yet that didn¡¯t mean I could get over it. ¡°Please, Meryll. Please, don¡¯t leave me.¡± I sunk down to my knees, the moment of frailty and weakness (thankfully) only for us to see. I sobbed bitterly, not wanting to accept the reality. Because as I peered into Chronosphere, there was only one outcome: Meryll met her end here, allowing us to escape through the teleportation gate. Her hands wrapped around my body, stroking my hair softly as she sung lullabies into my ear. Though I had grown in strength and maturity, I was still a child at heart. A child who needed her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my child. But I cannot. As you must have seen, this is the only way that ensures your safety.¡± ¡°But we can¨C¡± ¡°We can¡¯t. This ¡®fate¡¯ is one that cannot be challenged. It is the way things must go, and I have long since resolved myself to that fact.¡± My head hung low, my heart shattered. I couldn¡¯t bear it¨C I had failed to protect someone again. My fists balled, blood drawing from my palms as my fingernails cut deep. My head raised as I let out an anguished, pain-filled cry, that wrenched free from the deepest pits of my stomach and tore from my throat. ¡°Remember what I said, child. Do not allow my death to take up every waking thought. Live your life and live it fully. Can you promise me that?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡­.¡± My voice faltered. Could I? Well, I didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°Can you promise me?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandma.¡± She enveloped me in a hug, before slipping her earrings off. They were simple earrings, golden, with stars on the end. Slipping them gently onto my ears, she smiled. ¡°They look perfect on you. Think of it as a gift from me to you, for fulfilling my wish of being the grandson I was never granted. Not only that, but they will help to ease the pain of the damage to your core enough that you may participate in the Succession Ritual. However, it is not a permanent solution, so I would advise you to get it as fixed as soon as possible.¡± She turned, and walked towards the edge of Chronosphere. ¡°Ah¡­ my only regret would perhaps not being able to tell my beautiful daughter how much I loved her, one last time.¡± I smiled halfheartedly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her for you, Grandma.¡± Chronosphere fell, and the spell collided with the ground. Being blasted backwards, I heard the familiar noise of Isabella¡¯s transformation as she grew in size. Rubble covered my vision, but through the dust, I could see Meryll¡¯s smile. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ She mouthed, and that was the last I saw of her as Isabella dove through the enlarged portal, the portal shutting off as she made our way through. The other side was at the edge of the forest. Isabella dived, clearly catching onto something as I struggled to stay conscious due to my usage of Chronosphere. However, I slowly began to regain my strength as she transferred her soul to mine in order to replenish my strength. It didn¡¯t do much for the fatigue, but it was enough to keep me awake forcibly. She landed near to Xiao and Hua, who were dishevelled and shivering. Hua gave me a look¨C perhaps attempting to gain some information. She seemed hopeful, but I merely shook my head. ¡°She¡¯s gone. She died trying to take that¨C thing down. Whatever it was. He seemed to be on a time limit, so I doubt he¡¯ll continue pursuing that thing.¡± Xiao let out a bitter, angry sigh. The ground trembled beneath his feet as he slammed a hand against a tree nearby, which toppled. I didn¡¯t blame him. The forest was his home, the place he¡¯d sworn to protect. Not only that, but Meryll was his sponsored incarnation, and he was no doubt fond of her. ¡°We are on the edge of the forest,¡± He said curtly, ¡°If you follow this path, it should take you no longer than half a day to reach the city.¡± Holding out a coin to me, it had engraved an insignia upon it. ¡°If they ask for identity, use this. If the royal family questions you any further than what you have said, use this. It comes directly from me.¡± With that, he stalked off, and I could feel the rage peeling off of him even as he sauntered out of view. I glanced at Hua, and nodded. We both needed rest, so we set up camp on the edge of the road. The night was cold, and my thoughts kept drifting back to Meryll and the promise I¡¯d made. To live my life¨C how was I to do that, when memories of her and Diana haunted even my dreams? It wasn¡¯t long before I succumbed to sleep¡¯s sweet embrace, the usage of Chronosphere causing me to do so much more quickly than usual. Chapter 17: Royalty After getting through the guards at the gate (I had been forced to show them the insignia Xiao had given me in order to do so), we were dragged straight to the royal palace without even a moment to rest. My body, at least, certainly ached, and the toll on my mind was not much better, especially after Meryll. Though the pain from my soul core was gone, I could still feel the lingering dull ache deep within my chest that told me something was wrong. Hua didn¡¯t seem to be doing much better either. Deep bags had formed beneath her eyes, and her skin was pale. Thankfully, the tournament was a month from now¨C giving us enough time to rest and recuperate, but I certainly wasn¡¯t ready for a meeting with the royals. Yet, my feelings weren¡¯t considered as we were brought straight to the palace. The palace was large and decorated, covered lavishly in gold and silver and I had no doubt the inside wasn¡¯t any different. We were brought through a few arches and across a few pathways, Hua remaining silent the whole way. If she had run away, there was no doubt a reason. Her returning here was facing trauma I couldn¡¯t comprehend. So, in order to comfort her, I slipped my hand through hers, forcing a smile. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m here, and Isabella is too.¡± Isabella had assumed her small form, and with various looks from the guards, she had silently been judged¨C but she didn¡¯t seem to care, making various comments inside my mind as she normally did. Though she seemed to be unaffected, I could tell that Diana and Meryll¡¯s death, having come one after the other in the span of less than a year, was affecting her just as much as it did me. I still pondered upon her words. ¡®If I were a god, I would be the most useless and incompetent god in the world.¡¯ I clicked my tongue, not wishing to think of it anymore as we faced the large double doors that led into the room where we would be meeting the monarchy¨C and, likely, her two sisters as well. My fists balled, reminded of Jasper. It was them who had ordered him to do such a thing. He was still to blame, but they were too. Soul energy slowly began to fluctuate around my body, but with a simple pat from Hua, it returned to normal levels. ¡°Enter.¡± A man¡¯s voice sounded through the door, and they opened up to reveal a large, round table, with four people sitting around it. On one side, sat a man who looked to be around his mid-forties with red hair and green eyes, dressed in clothes only fit for royalty, a crown sitting upon his head. Next to him sat a woman with green hair down to her waist, who looked to be perhaps forty, older than I was in my previous life. Her eyes were blue and piercing as she gazed upon me. On either side of them both sat who I presumed to be Hua¡¯s two older sisters, gazing upon me with smirks on their faces. They both had red hair, however one had blue eyes and the other had green eyes¨C twins, most likely. The guards and even Hua bowed to greet the monarchs, but I stood, unbowed under the weight of their presence. My eyes simply regarded them coldly, the king and I sharing a silent battle of wills for a moment before he finally crumbled, gesturing for us both to take a seat. I nodded to Hua, who made her way over, sitting at one of the seats as I sat beside her. The man smiled. Though, I could see straight through his false politeness. He was a king. And, in my experience, monarchs weren¡¯t to be trusted. He likely intended to bully me into some sort of ultimatum¨C as I was a child, and he was an adult. If only I were a real twelve-year-old. Then, maybe, he¡¯d have a better chance. ¡°I am Xing Ti¨¡n, and this is my wife, Xing Mei. First of all, I thank you for bringing my daughter home safe and sound¨C¡± ¡°Yes,¡± The green-eyed twin piped up, ¡°we were so worried about you, Hua!¡± My teeth gritted. How dare¨C ¡°Now, now, Feng,¡± Tian chided. ¡°You can save your sentiments for later. We have much to discuss.¡± The one named Feng sunk back into silence. And the discussion commenced. ¡ª ¡°Yes,¡± I uttered in a monotone for what felt like the thousandth time, answering the king¡¯s question about what had happened whilst we were the Lizards. I had remained cordial throughout the entire discussion, but my patience was wearing thin¨C especially considering I sat in an environment I wasn¡¯t comfortable with. Isabella sat on my lap as I stroked her fur, attempting to use it to calm myself down as I couldn¡¯t exactly descend into a fit of fury in front of Hua¡¯s parents. As ignorant as they seemed to be, they were still her parents. So, they deserved my respect, until they proved to me that they didn¡¯t. Ti¨¡n sunk back into his chair, pondering for a moment about Jasper. I had given him all the details from how I met Hua, to the Lizards and Jasper¡¯s betrayal, and then about Grandma Meryll and Xiao and my bond¨C obviously omitting the parts about Diana, Isabella being a dragon, and the mysterious man who had come looking for the ¡®Sin¡¯ and killed her over it. Hua''s twin sister''s exchanged glances throughout it all, but I did not comment on what Jasper had said about their involvement. Starting a fight here wouldn''t be good, especially considering we still had a tournament to partake in. All grievances would be left on the battlefield, and I wasn''t going to lose to traitors who tried to assassinate their own sibling purely because they were afraid of losing to her. ¡°I will be running a full investigation on this ¡®Jasper¡¯ as well as the events that transpired,¡± the king concluded, ¡°but we must also address the Succession Ritual Tournament and Hua''s participation.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°In order to participate, Hua must have a knight who will participate in the second round, and then fight alongside her in the third. Hua does not currently have a knight, which means she cannot participate according to the rules.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Feng, and the other twin, called Yuxi, let out a few giggles. They were undeniably amused by this, and I could feel my bond''s emotion slowly seeping into my own. Nothing but pure and unbridled fury flowed through me as my head turned, watching Hua''s panic-stricken, pale face filled with worry. I could almost hear the thoughts running through her mind, wondering if everything we''d been through, everything she¡¯d been through, had all been nothing. And Feng and Yuxi were still laughing. Knights often trained with the heirs from a young age in order to prepare them both for the tournament, receiving formal training¨C but because Hua had been forced to flee for the sake of her life, she had never gotten the chance to do so. As such, she was currently knightless. ¡°I suppose this means the tournament will be just me and you, sister.¡± Yuxi commented. ¡°Poor Hua. It¡¯ll be impossible to find a knight for you so close to the tourna¨C¡± ¡°I will.¡± The whole room fell silent as I raised my hand, eyes staring holes through Yuxi as she glared at me, eyebrows furrowing as her lips turned in disgust. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I said that I would be her knight for the tournament.¡± ¡°But you can''t¨C Father, can he do that?¡± Ti¨¡n cleared his throat. ¡°He is within his full right to do so. As long as Hua accepts him, then there is nothing stopping him from doing so.¡± Her nails dug into the table as I gazed towards Hua, who looked back at me hesitantly. After a moment of holding my breath in silence, she nodded. Ti¨¡n snapped his fingers, and a guard approached, holding a large, ornate sword. ¡°This is used to appoint knights. Normally, you would not be knighted merely for volunteering to help. However, you have saved my daughter¡¯s life on multiple occasions¨C which my wife and I both believe deserves the title of Honorary Knight of Hu¨¡g¨­ng.¡± I smiled at Hua, who took the sword from the guard. Kneeling before her, I listened to her speak. ¡°By the power vested in me as the youngest Princess of the X¨©ng family, I knight you.¡± The sword touched both of my shoulders as I resumed a standing position. Isabella let out a coo, and I watched the two siblings excuse themselves before storming off to places I didn''t care to ask about. I had bigger things to worry about than two noble princess brats who believed they could get everything to go their way. ¡ª From then on, discussions continued smoothly. Without the constant angst between me and Hua''s two sisters, the atmosphere was far more amicable and I found myself actually being able to get along with Hua''s parents. Her siblings¡­ I doubted we''d ever be able to do so. Especially considering we had various differences in our core beliefs that prevented us from doing so. I truly hoped, for both their sakes, that we never crossed blades in a battle of life-or-death. The Succession Ritual Tournament was split into three stages, one of which meant we could end up fighting¨C but that would end in surrender or incapacitating them. The tournament''s other two stages were a battle between the three princesses as the first stage, and a battle between the three knights as the second. The third was a battle between the three duos of princess and knight, aimed at testing the princesses¡¯ skills in leadership and teamwork in battle. Hua was a genius in all other areas of life¨C however, this would test her ability to keep cool, which would take our full attention over the course of the next month. My mind drifted back to my life as Xeno ever so often, and I couldn''t help but think about how the way I used to fight was different from the way I fought currently. I had used to fight with two blades as opposed to one, making use of my ambidextrous nature. Yet due to physical limitations on the body I was currently in, though I remembered how to do it, I was forced to stop myself from doing so if I didn''t want to destroy this childish body. It would take age as well as time and preparation to be able to use such things again. Secondly, in my previous life, I had engineered a sword style. That was done in this world as well¨C by those capable of using soul, yet unable to connect with any elements. That was why there were swordmasters at the pinnacle of combat in this world despite having no affinity for the elements. I had been the same. Instead of turning to the elements for guidance, I looked deeper within my soul, reaching for strength only I could grasp in order to forge my own path¨C Eclipsing Heaven. In order to defeat those who had formal training, I would no doubt have to pick up another blade and use it alongside Requiem. Using one blade alone wasn''t going to cut it¨C I had to be on my A game. Even if it meant destroying myself. I knew Hua wouldn''t agree¨C but I was doing it for her sake. She had struggled enough just trying to be here, just trying to live. If I had to carry the rest of the weight alone from here on out, I would do it, so she never had to struggle again. The conversation entered one ear and went out the other, and I only tuned in when necessary. As the discussion neared its end, I felt it necessary to pipe up with a query. Nobody would be able to answer, when it came to the matters of his own country, than the king himself. ¡°If you don''t mind, could I ask for a favour?¡± The king turned his gaze towards me, responding with a simple nod. ¡°Do you know any good blacksmiths around here? I would like to have a sword made.¡± ¡°There are, but you''d have to have the material¨C¡± From my bag, I pulled out a few pseudo-soul cores I had saved to absorb later¨C but it seemed they''d come more in handy now¨C as well as parts of the titan''s weaponry. ¡°Would these suffice?¡± ¡°Pseudo-soul cores and high-class metals¡­. Most certainly!¡± The man handed me a map to the location of the smithy, which I took gratefully. ¡°Now, we will find you both some accommodation¨C¡± I shook my head. Though the thought of spending a night inside the palace was something most wouldn¡¯t dare to refuse, I already had a home I should have returned to long ago. ¡°I appreciate the offer, Your Highness. But if you don¡¯t mind I¡¯d like¨C I¡¯d like to see my family.¡± It didn¡¯t take too long, after saying goodbye to Hua and promising to meet her the next day to explore the town with my family, for a carriage to be set up to take me to where my family were currently staying. According to the files the king had so graciously given me, my parents, Caspian and Elizabeth Reyes, were both retired royal knights (I didn¡¯t doubt the fact that Hua likely knew me as a child and unconsciously named me the same due to similarities!) with three children¨C me, and two younger twin sisters. The carriage came to a halt in front of a large building, with white steps leading up to the entrance. It was massive, but in comparison to the palace as well as Xiao¡¯s place, I wasn¡¯t too surprised. Whispering a thank you to the driver, I slung my back over my shoulder and approached the door, knocking once before it opened. ¡°Atlas?¡± Chapter 18: Family ¡°Atlas?¡± The woman¡¯s voice wobbled, her eyes staring into mine for a moment. It took her a second to fully comprehend my changed appearance that was in front of her instead of being through a projection, before she swept me up into her arms, bawling her eyes out and hugging me tightly. I had no doubt that this was Elizabeth, my mother. The hug only grew tighter as she was joined by a taller man¨C Caspian, my father. And I couldn¡¯t help but allow myself to sob as well. In my previous life, my mother had died giving me life, and as such, I had spent my life scavenging in the cold, then being taught to use my hands to hurt others. Only to shed blood and to cause pain, never to heal or give care as I¡¯m sure she would have wished me to. I had never¨C I had never known what having a family felt like. ¡­Or I had, but I threw it all away for the lives of others, forsaking my happiness in the process. I finally had a family. I really had one. Burying my face in my mother¡¯s neck, we were quickly joined by two girls who looked to be about four. One had black hair, the other a shade of auburn. They pulled on the hems of my trousers, ripped and clad in dirt as they were. Large eyes peered curiously up at me, taking in my appearance. ¡°Who make Mudder cry?¡± The auburn haired one asked, pulling a little harder on my trouser now. ¡°We woent forgive anyone that make Mudder cry!¡± The black haired one continued, hitting my leg gently. In comparison to what I had experienced so far, being hit by the girl made me somewhat relieved that at least children were¡­ well, normal. My mother let go of me, picking up both girls in her arms as my father simply wiped a few tears from his eyes, an arm wrapped around her waist. Still resisting the urge to bawl¨C the emotions from recent events were rushing back to me, shattering the wall I had placed up to protect myself from feeling¨C I smiled at my mother. ¡°What are their names, Mum?¡± ¡°This is Lucynda,¡± She said, gesturing to the black-haired one with her head. ¡°And this is Evelyn,¡± She said, gesturing to the brown-haired one. ¡°Lucy, Evie, this is your brother. The one Dada and I told you stories about.¡± ¡°Brudda!¡± Evie said with a giggle, and my mother turned, gesturing me to come inside. Following her and my father in, I glanced up and around. The place was grandiose, yet modest at the same time. A set of stairs in the centre led up to rooms, which I assumed were bedrooms and bathrooms. ¡°This place is owned by a friend of mine. He¡¯s currently in Krystallos on business, but he graciously allowed us to stay here.¡± My father commented as my mother led us past more rooms, finally coming to what seemed to be a living room. Two chairs covered in velvet faced a chair in the centre, and the walls were adorned with paintings. Whatever friend my father had, he was clearly quite wealthy. I sat opposite my mother, Isabella on my lap, Evie and Lucy to her side in the middle of my father and her. She had brewed some tea, which was steaming as it sat upon the table. Taking a sip, her expression had changed from relieved to fully serious. It appeared we would now be getting onto the topic of¡­ what exactly I had been doing in my absence. It wasn¡¯t as though I hadn¡¯t prepared for this¨C glancing down at Isabella, I took a deep breath, beginning to talk. ¡ª With the occasional gasp from my mother, I recounted falling through Hua¡¯s roof, then my awakening and meeting of the Lizards, leaving out my fight with Jasper¨C for I knew it would cause her to worry more than she already had¨C as well as my meeting with Meryll and Xiao. I told them how I had saved the now-Isabella, and how she had recently become my bond, whilst hiding the part about her being a dragon, calling her a horned wolf and leaving it at that. My right hand raised, slipping off my glove, to show them the black mark she had made on my skin from the bite wound. My two sisters sat there amazed, quite clearly in awe. If they believed this was a fairytale, it would be better than anything else. I didn¡¯t want them to take the horrors I hadn¡¯t emitted from the story or truth, not at the age they were then. Atlas¡¯-- the original Atlas¡¯-- memories had begun to seep into mine thanks to Isabella¡¯s help, so I wasn¡¯t truly an outsider anymore. Originally, I was an amnesiac with no memory of my past or his, but as I regained my memories, I gained his as well. And from his memories¡­ His family loved him. But Atlas was bed bound and sickly, and never got to experience the family life he¡¯d deserved. I would live out that dream for him. ¡°So¡­¡± My father piped up, ¡°When you said you could use the elements, which ones?¡± My mother also seemed to be curious as my sisters clapped their hands, nodding over to me. ¡°I am an Amplifier, and I have the usage of all five elements, along with divergent ice and lightning.¡± I bit back the childish urge to boast to my parents about Isabella¡¯s Kismet that I had access to, and the fact I could use both the first and second stages. As much as I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t. Unless it was absolutely necessary, I couldn¡¯t tell people about that¨C though, my heart twisted into knots the more I lied. It was unbearable, but I also couldn¡¯t drag them into the mess that was unravelling at my feet. ¡°Fi¡­ FIVE?!¡± My father expressed his surprise, sinking down into what seemed like despair at the fact a mere child was so talented¨C until he let out a laugh. ¡°My child¡¯s a genius! A bloody genius!¡± In response, I bit my lip. I couldn¡¯t tell him it wasn¡¯t his child. I was an imposter, and not meant to belong. A grin flickered over his face. ¡°What do you say you and your old man have a little spar out at the back? I¡¯m sure no one¡¯ll mind.¡± My mother wasted no time grabbing him by the ear and pulling him down, my father repeatedly muttering ¡®ow..¡¯. A smile was on her face, but it seemed to be one of cruel confidence rather than any form of joy. ¡°My son has just returned after a long journey during which we all thought he was dead and your first instinct, Caspian Reyes, is to challenge him to a battle? He¡¯s probably too tired and doesn¡¯t want to. Over my dead bo¨C¡± ¡°Mum, I¡¯m all fired up now. I want to, I promise.¡± Her head slowly turned towards me, and I felt a chill pass up my side. However, her expression softened, and she let out a sigh, shaking her head in what seemed to be utter disbelief. ¡°Very well then, I will permit your father to fight you. But Caspian, if you hurt our child after I have almost lost him, I will be having words.¡± My father nodded, cowering before her. After a few moments during which silence was tangible, he got up and led us out to a large garden, presumably used for parties. My mother took a seat with my siblings on the porch¨C my father and I standing in the large open space. Isabella sat by my mother, as I had requested for her not to engage in this battle. Considering I was hiding it, I wouldn¡¯t be using my Kismet either.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Requiem was propped up next to Isabella, along with my bag containing almost nothing but the map Hua¡¯s father had given me. Reminding myself not to overdo it since I needed to visit the town with her and my family tomorrow, I got into a fighting stance and watched my father do the same. This would be nothing if not fun. ¡ª It was nice fighting an opponent who didn¡¯t want to end my life for once, especially considering my known history of fights to the death. My father stood before me, cracking his knuckles. The earth vibrated, and I felt it tremble. Leaping out of the way, a stone pillar rose exactly where I had been standing. He was an evoker¨C but with the way he moved, he likely knew how to use his fists as well. The pillars continued to rise and as I focused on them, I had lost sight of my dad. His fist collided with my side, sending me tumbling off to one side. I had forgotten that my soul core was damaged¨C so I was slower, weaker than I was when I had completed the trials. However, I landed on my feet, blocking his next blow and countering it with a simple uppercut. I felt my knuckles dig into his jaw, but his foot swung around and clipped my shoulder. My father was far stronger physically and far taller than me, meaning he had the reach advantage in this fight. The grass grew at my command, curling around his legs and trapping him in place. He was immediately met with a knee to the face reinforced by soul, hands wrapped around the back of his head before being thrown off. The clashes continued like that, due to my father not wanting to hurt me as well as my own handicap. In some ways, I missed the life-or-death scenarios I had previously been put in, the high they had given me being quite addictive. The sound of blood pounding in my ears and the feeling of anticipation as I engaged in risky tactics with my opponent was like home to me, and all I had ever known in my old world. Jumping out of the war as a barrage of rocks were thrown my way, nausea set in as suddenly my body felt immensely heavy. A grin lit up my father¡¯s face as it felt as though a large amount of weight had been added to my back, pushing me to my knees. Weight? No, this wasn¡¯t weight. This was gravity magic. My father was capable of using gravity! It was, pointedly, the first time I had seen such magic in action, and I doubted it would be the last¨C but I didn¡¯t exactly have time to stare, mouth agape, at his prowess. ¡°You like it, son?!¡± He yelled at me. ¡°It¡¯s something your old man¡¯s been working on for quite a while!!!¡± I grinned back. ¡°Yeah, dad! It¡¯s pretty cool¨C for a party trick, I mean.¡± Around my family, I had started to become more chatty, the same way I was with Hua. I had promised myself that I wouldn¡¯t become the same emotionless blank slate of a being I had been before¨C and as such, joking around was commonplace. But I wasn¡¯t entirely kidding. Electricity began to artificially pass through my body, wind converging at the bottoms of my feet. The earth beneath my feet began to crack under the weight of the pressure I exerted upon it. Releasing the kinetic energy I had been storing in my muscles due to the electricity coursing through them, I blitzed forward with enough force to escape my father¡¯s gravitational downforce. My fist crashed into his stomach at blinding speeds, reinforced by wind. His hand grasped my other, merely to make sure, I thought, that I didn¡¯t wind up and hit him again, this time in the face. Whilst both his arms held mine, I leapt upwards. Spinning in order to break his grip (but in a way that wouldn¡¯t break my wrists in the process), I slammed my heel downwards into the top of his head. Yet, due to the fact the satisfying crunch of the attack landing wasn¡¯t audible, I realised he had caught my foot¨C again. It appeared that with the month I had before the tournament, an immense amount of training would be needed¨C or, I¡¯d need to fix my core, which was the better course of action. I wasn¡¯t used to being so weak. Being thrown off, I caught myself once more, deciding to end the fight. Coating my fist in electricity, I went in for a decisive blow, meeting him head-on as a bang went off, covering the whole clearing in a burst of rainbow. As the smoke cleared, I could hear my mother yelling at my father, who appeared to be considerably worse off than I was with large amounts of bruising across his body due to the resultant shockwave from the blast. A low tinnitus tone rang in my eyes as I pushed myself to my feet, making my way over to the two. My mother went to hug me, and despite my accepting it, I waved away her attempts to baby me, telling her I was fine. Instead, I extended a hand to my father with a grin. ¡°Thank you for the battle, Dad. I really appreciated you humouring me.¡± He responded with a pat on the back. ¡°No worries, son. I¡¯m just glad to have you back in one piece.¡± After that, the day moved on quite quickly. Dinner was lively, as I conversed with my mother, who had finished giving my father an earful for the day, making sure to convey my journey as epically as possible for my sisters. They giggled a couple times along the way, and I made a mental note to catch up on all the time I had lost with them. After dinner and a quick bath¨C I had to force Isabella to get into the makeshift tub¨C, I was led to my own room by my mother. It was large, with a double bed in the middle, lined with soft pillows and a comfy blanket¨C more luxury than I had ever known. It reminded me of my room as the Captain-Commander¨C except, it wasn¡¯t lonely. It reminded me of my family, and the warmth and kindness they had shown me. I wasn¡¯t lonely anymore. Isabella had comfortably curled up on the other pillow, and, with a yawn, I climbed into the bed beside her, pulling the covers over my body. It had been a long time since I felt truly at peace, and with my mother sitting on the end of the bed, it seemed like it had been achieved, if only momentarily. I did not want to lose them. I did not want to lose that sense of peace and happiness I had finally obtained, surrounded by my family, the family I¡¯d never had. And for them, I swore, for them, I¡¯d do anything if it meant protecting that frail sense of happiness. My mother smoothed down my hair, placing a hand over mine gently as she smiled. ¡°We were all worried about you dear. Your father and I, when you disappeared¨C we went out countless times, looking for you. We thought that¨C¡± Her voice stalled, but she pushed ahead. ¡°We thought that you¡¯d never return to us. And yet, you did. Alive and well. Able to walk, able to talk, able to fight¨C gods, if I had known my sickly son would return to me on his own two feet, I¡¯d have been a devout follower for this miracle¡­¡± Tears rolled down her cheeks, but they were ones of happiness, I felt. My hand slid over her cheek, wiping away any strays before they could roll down her face. Before I knew it, I felt tears pricking the back of my eyelids as well. I tried to force them down, to choke back the sob I knew was coming. I had locked away all the emotions from Meryll and Diana¡¯s deaths, trying my hardest not to feel them where they hurt the most because I had bigger problems, bigger things to worry about. But here, in the comfort of my mother¡¯s embrace, I could bawl my heart out for no one but her and Isabella to hear. There was no one after me. My words of comfort towards her descended into cries of pure anguish, ripping from the back of my throat as tears streamed down my face. My throat had tightened, making words impossible. My mother pulled me closer, rubbing circles into my back, singing lullabies to try and calm me. Her voice was barely above a whisper, and very, very soft as she spoke to me. ¡°There, there.¡± She said. ¡°To tell the truth, I know you¡¯re hiding something from me. From us¨C about what really happened whilst you were gone. The strength and emotional maturity you¡¯ve acquired doesn¡¯t simply come from nowhere, and not at the rate you¡¯ve gained it.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°But I trust you, Atlas Reyes,¡± She continued. ¡°I trust you to tell us whenever you¡¯re ready to let us know. You¡¯re in one piece¨C though, the scars on your knuckles and your calloused hand would indicate that it didn''t happen without a fight.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to keep secrets from us, that¡¯s fine. Some things aren¡¯t meant to be shared, and as a mother, it¡¯s important I give you space, especially as you¡¯re growing up. But, my darling, my beautiful boy, I want you to know that you will always have a place here, with us. Even if the entire world has turned its back on you, even when the odds are against you, you will always have a home to return to.¡± My crying slowly but surely subsided at her words. It was likely something I needed to hear, quite frankly. That no matter what, I was supported. No matter what I was going through, no matter who was against me, I always had somewhere to return to. ¡°You will always have your roots, Atlas. When you are lost, remember who you are. Remember who helped you when you needed it, remember all those that put their trust and faith in you. Do not forget that no matter where in this world you may be, however far away from us you may be, those people are always with you.¡± She smiled, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and left the room, giving me a warm smile before shutting the door behind her. That night, my sleep was dreamless. Chapter 19: Tranquility My mother had forced me to dress well, as well as making my two sisters put on presentable clothing, since we would be out in town for the day. Hua had promised to show me around¨C I couldn¡¯t remember when the promise had been made, but she wanted to make good on it now. So, I was greeted by the youngest princess of Huagong standing outside my door shyly as my mother and father excitedly let her in and left us alone to talk¨C though I had seen them more than once peek their heads round the door smugly, so there was a sneaking suspicion in the back of my mind that they were listening in. She was dressed¡­ well. In comparison to the shabby clothing we both had been wearing before, we were both styled quite nicely. I wore a pair of black shorts with a white shirt, leaving the collar unbuttoned along with white socks and a pair of shoes. In comparison to her, however, I seemed like a poor beggar. Fitting for a princess, she wore an elegant white hanfu, green hair mostly hanging down her shoulders, but it was done up in a small bun with an ornate, golden pin through the middle at the back of her head. ¡°My family and I were about to go out for the day,¡± I said lightly, ¡°and you wanted to show me around. Wanna come with?¡± ¡°I know,¡± She said smugly, ¡°They told me.¡± I let out a sigh. Of course they had. ¡°Well then, that¡¯s settled.¡± Stuffing the map the king had given me into a pocket along with the pseudo soul cores and materials necessary for the blacksmith to make me a weapon, I strapped Requiem to my back, following Hua out the door, my parents behind us, with my father carrying my sisters, since they would grow tired of walking quite quickly as four year olds. The city of Xing was very beautiful in comparison to the shabby town I had woken up with. With large bridges made of stone over a winding river that led to a reservoir near the edges of the city, my eyes simply sparkled as I couldn¡¯t get enough of the architecture. The roads were cobbled, and in the larger rivers, people with boats could be seen making their way down them, presumably fishing. Buildings towered overhead with Xie Shian roofs, sloping upwards to form a point. The city was far more civilised yet ancient all the same. But it carried a far more welcoming vibe, I noticed, than the world I had been so used to. Hua was having fun dragging me around to different places, but the one place her and my mother agreed on taking me was to get my hair cut¨C again. Likely due to Diana healing my body, but my hair growth had accelerated somewhat and it was now ponytail length, reaching down to my mid-back. And so, to my horror and despite my persistent complaining, I was put before a large burly woman with a pair of cleavers and a thin sheet of polished steel for a makeshift mirror. After some time, I was left with short hair down to my ears. I had noticed that ever since Isabella had replaced Diana and I had become more in tune with my Kismet, my hair had gone from being mostly black and white at the tips to being a mess of different colours right from the roots, with most locks being either white or black in a mess that I was unable to section. I stared, lip curled at my own reflection, Hua looking at me with a grin on her face as my two sisters nodded, Evelyn even going so far as to voice her opinion. ¡°Look like pretty Brudder now. Fit to be Evie¡¯s brudder.¡± I sighed. Well, that couldn¡¯t be helped. Even Isabella looked at me with what appeared to be a smirk. ¡®Well, aren¡¯t you looking like a dapper young lad. I fear for all the ladies whose heart¡¯s you¡¯ll be breaking in the future once you¡¯re grown.¡¯ ¡®Not you, too¡­¡¯ I responded, groaning internally at their antics and teasing. However, I was also inwardly smiling. Even as I was being teased, it was nice. It was what a ¡®normal family life¡¯ felt like. I loved that. Opening up the map the king had given me, the barber¡¯s we were currently in was undeniably close to the smithy. So, after giving my mother the cutest face possible, she had allowed me and Isabella to split off from the group. Though, the look in her eyes told me somewhat that she wasn¡¯t worried for me if anything happened. Rather, she was more worried for the person that ended up on the other end of my fists¡­ and I didn¡¯t blame her, either. But I could hold back for whichever poor petty thief tried to steal from a twelve year old! Hopefully. Rounding a few corners, we slipped into an alleyway, Isabella becoming more and more on edge as time passed. I could feel her emotions through our bond and radiating off of her was nothing but anxiety, which was an unusual emotion, especially for her. She wasn''t normally on edge, afraid. But before us, there was nothing¨C until a voice rang out. ¨C ¡°WHO GOES THE¨C ack¨C¡± The voice started to boom, but it ended in coughing as the space before us warped, seemingly covered in illusion magic before revealing a large smithy at the end of the alleyway. The door burst open, smoke billowing through as a lady dusted soot from her trousers. Wearing a short, cropped top with sleeves¨C which I was sure people no doubt commented on, considering how archaic the time was¨C along with some long, baggy bontan pants which were tucked into boots. Her hair was black, with the tips ending in a crimson colour, tied into two braids which hung over either shoulder as well as a short, spiky explosion of a bun at the back. Her fringe had been pushed up by a set of goggles removed from over her eyes as she wiped the dark soot from the lenses. Noticeably muscular, she was, but rather short¨C taller than me, but in comparison to others, she was small. ¡°Sorry ¡®bout that. The furnace exploded¨C the materials I used weren''t good. Wait, who the hell are ya, anyway?¡± ¡°The King said you were the best blacksmith in town, and that I could get a good quality sword made here.¡± ¡°Well, he''s right! As long as ya got the right materials and I like ya, this is the best place in town. Seein¡¯ a good swordmaster with a good sword is the best feelin¡¯ in the world, after all.¡± I took the pseudo soul cores as well as the titan''s stones from my pockets. She took them excitedly, looking them over, eyes simply sparkling as she glowed with curiosity. Pseudo soul cores were a rare commodity, I knew that much¨C but she was treating them like they were the most valuable thing in the entire world. ¡°Gods above, these are real!¡± She exclaimed, after a few moments of holding them up to the light. ¡°You said you wanted a sword made? With these materials¡­ gosh, this might be the best sword I¡¯ve ever made. Come on in!¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. After ushering us into her workshop, which notably smelled like smoke and burnt charcoal, we were led through the shop (which was surprisingly empty for ¡®the best blacksmith in Xing¡¯) and into a small back room. Dimly lit, in the centre there was a furnace, with an anvil situated right next to it. The flames of the furnace glowed brightly, but they seemed¡­ unnatural. The woman clearly picked up my confusion, turning her head towards me. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Hotaru.¡± ¡°I was just curious about your fire, Miss Hotaru. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. Is it magic?¡± ¡°It is, in fact, yes. More than, actually. It¡¯s my Soul Art¨C ¡®Ignis Dei¡¯.¡± Soul Arts were a curious, yet unexplainable phenomenon, normally passed down through noble families. Some thought that they were engraved into the very soul of a person, allowing them to manipulate basic soul particles in inexplicable ways. Some appeared as elements, but others, like the Larsa family¡¯s ¡®Psychostasia¡¯, did not. ¡°And, in terms of your fractured soul core, I may just be able to fix it¨C simply because it¡¯s still mostly intact. A little more time left alone, and you could¡¯ve died.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± I did not understand how she had known, unless she could see or sense it¨C though, in response, she simply just smiled at me. ¡°Before we begin making your sword, your core must first be fixed. After all, I need to gauge your full strength¨C not a half of it, or a quarter.¡± She beckoned me over, closer to the fire than I ever would¡¯ve gone were I given a choice. The warmth emanating from the flames was violent and explosive yet controlled all the same¨C a beautiful, yet terrifying juxtaposition which only spoke of this mysterious blacksmith¡¯s power more and more. My bond gave me an apprehensive look due to the trust I was placing in this woman¨C but I responded in only a few words. ¡®It¡¯s not that I trust her. We just don¡¯t have any other choice. I can barely keep up with my father, we¡¯re no doubt going to be facing nobles stronger than him, and it¡¯s only going to get worse from now. It¡¯s our only option.¡¯ Isabella remained silent, but I could feel that she had accepted it. This was our only choice¨C and we were lucky to have it in the first place. ¡°Direct your soul to your core. We''re going to be using it to forcefully seal the fracture. Along with my flames.¡± I closed my eyes, pushing the soul that was circulating through my body directly to the centre of my chest. In doing so, I was reminded of the Aevum¨C but I didn¡¯t take much notice. It was a ¡®key¡¯, as Meryll had said. One that could break the deities¡¯ stalemate. A key to what, I didn¡¯t have a clue. But I needed to find out before they found me. ¡°I haven¡¯t actually done this before, so pick a god and pray.¡± ¡°Erh, wha¨C¡± My eyes flashed open, and she had conjured a tangible hammer made from pure flames¨C similar to what that thing that had killed Meryll could do. They closed again, and I continued to concentrate. Feeling a burning sensation throughout my body, it didn¡¯t take too long until that subsided, and I was¡­ completely pain-free. It was.. Oddly comforting. My eyes slowly opened, and Hotaru wiped the sweat from her brow, Isabella pawing at my leg. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Hotaru asked, watching me stretch. ¡°Honestly¨C it¡¯s weird. I don¡¯t feel pain¨C and I feel far stronger than I did about an hour ago.¡± I admitted, glancing down to my palms and flexing them slowly. I felt stronger than I did facing that thing in the forest. Not enough to beat it¨C not nearly enough. It could have easily killed us all in moments¨C if not for the ¡®Sin¡¯. I still had no clue what that even was, but I didn¡¯t care enough to find out. ¡°Good. We¡¯re now going to make you that sword. And for that, I¡¯m going to need everything you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡ª Hotaru laid out the materials across the anvil, summoning the same flaming hammer she had used to fix me. I took a deep breath, slowly activating my Kismet in stages, taking my time. I had just fixed my core, and didn¡¯t want to fracture it once more by overexerting myself¨C but I couldn¡¯t deny the release of my power came with a certain relief that whatever that thing had done to me didn¡¯t cause any permanent damage. ¡°Whatever you see here, speak to no one about it.¡± I said to her, voice firm. She responded with a simple nod, handing the hammer to me. Its form faltered as it was passed from its original wielder¡¯s hands to mine, but with concentration on the particles that held it together, I was able to keep it somewhat stable. ¡°I''ll be controllin'' the temperature,¡± Hotaru spoke calmly, ¡°And you''ll be forging the blade. You gotta remain focused at all times, as losin'' control could cause it to blow up, and then we''ll both be dead!¡± She warned. I didn¡¯t respond. I was fully focused on the situation before me as she summoned flames to her hand, holding them over the materials and watching them bubble and melt. The hammer slammed down upon the materials, and I felt significant pressure preventing the materials from bending to my will, flames exploding outward. My eyes searched for Hotaru in a panic through the surge of heat. ¡°Ya need to focus. Imagine what''s you want to create. Still yer beating heart, and truly think.¡± My eyes closed. What kind of sword did I want to create? I was unsure. My mind had been a blur ever since Meryll¡¯s death, with things only slowing down as I spent more and more time with my family. It truly was the only time I got to breathe, to calm the raging storm within me. I would be eternally grateful to them for that peace. My mother¡¯s words lingered in my mind as I continued to strike the anvil, with the flames more easily bending to my will as I continued. ¡®Those people are always with you.¡¯ Her voice echoed. My mind was filled with thoughts and memories that made my heart ache with nostalgia at those I hadn¡¯t even realised I missed. Makko, Nessa, Mari, Anthony. Meryll, Diana, and even Xiao came to the forefront of my mind. I missed them all greatly. And finally¡­ Isabella. Almost on cue, I heard her voice come from deep within the recesses of my mind. ¡®I am always with you.¡¯ It was the push I needed. The blade I wished to wield did not have a name, or a form in my imagination. I simply needed it to protect the ones I cared about. If they were against the world, I was too¨C because the world didn¡¯t matter to me. I wasn¡¯t on some inflated sense of justice. I wasn¡¯t a ¡®hero¡¯. Rather¨C I would do whatever it took to protect my family. And this blade was my means of doing it. The hammer slammed down one final time, as the anvil was covered in a glowing white light that prevented me from seeing the form of the blade. Hotaru proceeded to pick up the glowing object with a set of blacksmith¡¯s tongs, and submerge it in water, coughing as vapour rose into the air with a fsssh from the immediate boiling of the liquid. Allowing my Kismet to fall, fatigue immediately set in. My entire body ached as I fell backwards into a sitting position, leaning over with heavy breaths. ¡°It''ll take about a month for me to finish yer blade. Return then, and it''ll be ready for ya!" That was just before the Succession Ritual Tournament. Until then, I¡¯d have to use a practice blade as a substitute for my second one¨C but that was good enough. A month was more than enough time. With a nod, I heaved myself to my feet, heading out the door, Isabella trailing behind as I returned to my family and Hua. ¡°Why, he¡¯s an odd kid.¡± Hotaru said, once I was out of earshot. ¡°With a bond like that¡­ I¡¯m excited. After all¨C once they find out, they won¡¯t just leave him be. Perhaps, just maybe¡­¡± She pondered for a moment, before continuing. ¡°...¡¯They¡¯ will descend into this world to restore order once more.¡± Chapter 20: Petty Rivals After my time with Hotaru, the days and weeks trundled on by. I spent most days training with my father and Hua in preparation for the tournament, but also simply enjoying a regular family life with my parents and sisters. Hua and I met occasionally, but not often outside of training due to the fact she now had princess things to attend to. She had scheduled an appointment for me to finally¨C after such a long time¨C get my affinity checked. I already knew that I had an affinity to all five elements, so I didn¡¯t see much point. However, she had stated that it was an important formality above all. And so, I found myself outside a large, towering building, which seemed to have been built far more recently in comparison to some of the other ones. The line parted at Hua¡¯s presence, though it was rather awkward for me since I was merely a commoner and most of the children there were nobles. Arriving closer to the front, the room was filled with an exceptionally large orb. Focusing my eyes on the girl who¡¯s turn it was currently, she proceeded to place her hand on the orb and imbue soul into it. Waiting for a moment, the orb turned a light blue colour, which I could only presume to mean she had a water affinity. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking she has a water affinity, you¡¯re correct. The orb changes colour based on your affinity. Brown is earth, turquoise is air, orange is fire, blue is water, and green is nature. For people with multiple affinities, it will change colours one after the other¨C so that¡¯s what¡¯ll happen to you. And for those without affinities.. The orb remains black.¡± Even though I already knew my affinities, I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly nervous. My name was called up, and with a reassuring nod from Hua, I made my way over to the orb. I could practically feel the nobles¡¯ stares trained on me, ready to laugh if I failed. They were already whispering behind my back. ¡°What is¡­commoner like him doing here?¡± ¡°....worthless.¡± ¡°...rat.¡± ¡°....princess¡­.why?¡± ¡°....dirty¡­useless.¡± The woman operating the magic orb gave me the okay, and I placed my hand on the orb. Isabella had remained by Hua¡¯s side, so I didn¡¯t even have the comfort of having her close to me. Directing the soul from my core and out through my hands into the orb, I closed my eyes and slowly started to push. I could feel the orb heating up beneath my fingertips, but it wasn¡¯t until the woman yelled ¡°STOP!¡± that my eyes flickered open, taking a step back in shock. Before me, the orb changed colours multiple times, flashing through the elemental correspondent ones, before settling on¡­white. In terms of colours, black was the absence of colour¨C which was why it appeared that way when a person had no affinity. The colours the orb turned corresponded with the colours of each type of elemental particle¨C but white? White was what appeared when all colours merged together. And I didn¡¯t understand why my affinity appeared as that colour. Head turning towards the woman, she looked just as perplexed as I was, flipping through a book which no doubt was about magic¨C in order to attempt to find out what had happened. Had the machine simply malfunctioned? Or was I the problem? My thoughts blurred into one stream of incomprehensible nonsense as my breaths came slightly faster than they should¡¯ve. What had I done wrong? What had I done this time? My thoughts were broken not by comfort, but by familiar voices that sent every inch of my body into a silent rage. Feng and Yuxi, Hua¡¯s two older sisters. They seemed to appear like demons, whenever they were wanted least and completely irrelevant, like flies buzzing around an elephant¡¯s ear. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Feng exclaimed, voice practically dripping with mockery, ¡°...it seems like your knight doesn¡¯t have an affinity¡­ he¡¯s going to get utterly trashed in the tournament!¡± ¡°Feng¡¯s right, sister¡­¡± Yuxi continued. ¡°...It would be better for the both of you to just surrender now. I mean¨C it wasn¡¯t as though this¡­ commoner was going to beat professionally trained knights to begin with!¡± Hua visibly bristled at their comments, and began taking a step forward to make some sort of retort. However, as I had made my way over, I grasped her shoulder gently and pulled her back. I wasn¡¯t calm. Not in the slightest. But there was a time and a place for the venting of such emotions, and here, with all the people around watching us, wasn¡¯t the time nor the place for it. And so, I bowed my head, shame filling me. Never again would I bow to them, I promised myself, before silently walking outside, pulling Hua along behind me as she made angry glances back at her two sisters. ¡ª ¡°Why would you stop me?! I was going to give them a piece of my mind!!!¡± We had relocated safely into a back alley, and Hua was currently giving me a piece of her mind instead, clearly frustrated because of her sister¡¯s behaviour. Isabella stayed pacing around my heels. ¡°I stopped you because it was the wrong time, Hua.¡± ¡°They were right the¨C¡± ¡°Yes, and so were so many people. If you had started yelling in front of them? Those are your people, Hua. Or they will be, when we win this thing. Are you trying to ruin your reputation before you¡¯ve even taken the crown?¡± ¡°...¡± She remained silent, and it appeared my words had indeed sunk in. Hua had a fiery temper. Patient, but it was that flame within her heart that was bound to put her in a spot of trouble one day if left uncontrolled. I could already envision the way it would engulf her, and everything and everyone around her. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m mad too, Hua, I really am. But in the situation we¡¯re in, nobody believes in us. You¡¯re the youngest, who just returned after living in a village in the middle of nowhere for years, and I¡¯m a commoner who they believe to have no affinity. So we¡¯re going to play along those lines. If they want to believe we¡¯re weak, let them believe. Our strength will speak for us.¡± Her flame had grown from a wildfire to a tempered, refined fire that could be used to forge even the mightiest of blades. And with a slow but curt nod, I knew she had taken in everything I had said. We would show them. Not through words, but through our own power. ¡°Your father¡¯s making a speech about the tournament today, isn¡¯t he?¡± Hua¡¯s eyes widened, and it took her a split second to grab my arm, the look on her face telling me all I needed to know¨C she had forgotten, like usual. And I was the klutz out of the both of us, apparently. Being pulled through the streets of the city as fast as we could run (which was fairly fast, considering we both knew how to use soul to make travelling easier), we eventually reached a large square where, it seemed, the entire city was gathered. So, this tournament truly was a popular event. ¡°Come on,¡± Hua hissed, ¡°We¡¯re supposed to make an appearance.¡± At the front stood the king and queen, Feng and Yuxi, and their two knights, waving from a stage which gave them the ability to speak out to the audience. Above them was a large projection¨C the same magic that had been used so I could talk to my family the first time, but on a much larger scale. I wondered just how many sages were needed to power the thing¡­Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Isabella remained perched on my shoulder, as if she were at my heels like she normally was, she¡¯d have gotten lost within the crowd. Not only that, but she had made it known she wished to actually be able to see what was going on, too. Through the crowd, I could see my dad¡¯s head above the large numbers of people¨C considering he was a tall man, I wasn¡¯t too surprised. Evelyn sat on his shoulders, and Lucynda sat on my mother¡¯s, so they were both able to see as well. Hua continued to tug on my sleeve, until we were close enough to the stage to be able to make our fashionably late entrance when it was required. The crowd fell silent, as the king¡¯s voice rang out, amplified by magic. ¡°Hello and welcome, citizens. As you all know, the position of heir has been up in the air for a long time now. And with the return of my youngest daughter, Hua, the Succession Ritual Tournament is finally set to take place!¡± Cheers filled the air, the crowd buzzing with excitement. So not only was this for choosing the next monarch, but it was also a marketing scheme, too? How interesting. ¡°You all are already aware of the three princesses: Xing Feng,¡± Feng gave a wave, ¡°Xing Yuxi,¡± Yuxi also gave a wave, ¡°and Xing Hua.¡± Hua made her way from the side of the stage, waving into the crowd, which erupted into more cheering as she took up a position beside her mother, smiling at her people. I had no doubt she would make a wonderful leader in the future. ¡°And now, it is time to introduce the princesses¡¯ three corresponding nights. First, we have fighting for Princess Feng, Elowen Thorne, a fire-affinity evoker!¡± A young man took a step forward, likely three years older than me if I had to guess¨C making him fifteen. Elowen was a green-eyed redhead with a handsome face, someone that likely caused heads to turn wherever he went. However, his body was quite slim and lean with an athletic build. It also appeared he was quite the pretentious lad, as he fired a large ball of flames into the sky before bowing, smirking at the knight beside him who was called up next. ¡°Fighting for Princess Yuxi is the earth-affinity evoker, Liam Archer!¡± The crowd roared again as the next boy stepped forward, likely the same age as Elowen. He had brown eyes, and dark brown hair that stopped close to his ears, freckles covering both his cheeks as he smiled. The ground rumbled, his magic erecting a few stone pillars that returned to normal as the cheers died down. ¡°And finally, fighting for Princess Hua is the¨C¡± Tian paused, flicking through his notes. He would likely have nothing on my affinity, not from the way the orb had seemingly malfunctioned earlier. ¡°Fighting for Princess Hua is¡­.. Atlas Reyes!¡± ¡ª The crowd fell silent. There were no cheers, but I didn¡¯t need them to cheer for me. My eyes locked with Hua¡¯s, who gave me a reassuring nod as I made my way up from the side of the stage. All that could be heard was the slow thudding of mine and Isabella¡¯s footsteps as we crossed the stage, the entire area engulfed in silence. My heart beat loud within my chest, thoughts already whirring as my breaths came faster as time passed. What would they think of me? My eyes scanned the crowd, hoping to see something in their faces. Anything that would help me. Why weren¡¯t they saying anything? Was I really that bad? ¡°THAT¡¯S MY SON!¡± My dad¡¯s voice broke me out of my trance, his fist punching the air, my mother following suit. I hadn¡¯t exactly told them of my entering the competition, though it was nice to see they were supportive. Even if I knew I¡¯d likely get an earful from my mother for doing something reckless again. But they were right. I was Atlas Reyes. Son of Caspian and Elizabeth Reyes. Older brother of Evelyn and Lucynda Reyes. Best friend and knight of Xing Hua. And I didn¡¯t dare to forget that. No longer waiting for the crowd¡¯s approval, flames billowed in my palms as I watched the king scribble down more notes onto his parchment. The flames burned, becoming more and more concentrated until I could hear the sparking and crackling of electricity over my body as the crowd parted into two sides, sensing what I was about to do. Slamming my hands into the floor of the stage, a burst of electricity shot forward in a column, which would have fried the now-parted crowds had they been still standing there. There was another beat of silence. Isabella let out a screech, firing a blast of flames into the sky from her small form¡¯s mouth, as the crowd began to cheer at my display, the electricity fading as I took a step back, alongside the other knights, despite being noticeably shorter and younger than them. Sometimes, I hated this prepubescent body. Not only did I have a shorter reach and lower muscle mass, but I was also really quite short. Elowen glared at me, muttering ¡°I was definitely better¡± underneath his breath¨C though because of my Kismet passively increasing my physical abilities, I was able to hear it clearly without straining. Liam remained silent at his comment. My eyes glanced down to Isabella, who stared back up at me smugly. ¡®You didn¡¯t have to do that, you know.¡¯ ¡®I know,¡¯ She replied back mentally. ¡®But I wanted to. If I had the choice, I would¡¯ve transformed properly.¡¯ ¡®But you can¡¯t,¡¯ I reminded her, ¡®We can¡¯t have people finding out you¡¯re a dragon. Those are the stuff of myths, remember? It would spell trouble and you might get taken away.¡¯ ¡®I know, I know. But it would have been cool, you can¡¯t deny it!¡¯ ¡®...Yeah, I guess.¡¯ It was for the same reason I hadn¡¯t revealed my Kismet, nor the rest of my elemental abilities. They were valuable¨C so valuable I couldn¡¯t simply use them to show off to a crowd. Especially since I knew that there were those out there who would lie, cheat, and steal to get their hands on such things. It was the reason I had found Diana in the back of that cart¨C there were people who wanted to buy such things. And although that made me undeniably angry, I had to do my best to prevent Isabella from having a target on her back. ¡°Thank you all for coming to the announcement of the Succession Ritual Tournament! The Tournament will begin in a week¡¯s time in the colosseum, and is open for all residents to come and watch!¡± The king said, as the screen behind him disappeared, and he and his family members¨C including Hua¨C made their way off the stage, waving as they did so. Hua gave me a small smile, before disappearing along with them, leaving me with Liam and Elowen as the crowd disappeared into the distance, my mother giving me a smile and mouthing ¡®I¡¯ll see you at home¡¯. ¡°Tch.¡± Elowen muttered, once the crowd had dispersed. A hand ran through his ginger hair, smile dropping and I could practically see the lights fade from his eyes. ¡°See how easy it is to make the sheeple do what you want, huh, Liam? All it takes is a pretty smile and a cool, flashy ability. By the time they wake up,¡± He let out a laugh, ¡°It¡¯ll be too late to change anything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re talking about this,¡± Liam responded coldly, ¡°When there¡¯s this kid here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly like you said. He¡¯s just a kid, Liam. What¡¯s he gonna do? I mean, really. He¡¯s twelve, and probably barely knows how to use magic. His divergent magic is probably just out of luck¨C and he¡¯s a commoner. Nobody would believe him if he were to rat us out, anyway.¡± Elowen turned to me, leaning in closer, a sinister smile rising to his face. Isabella bared her teeth in response, but he ignored this and focused solely on me. His green eyes stared directly into mine, and although I felt positively uncomfortable, I stared back. ¡°Now, listen carefully. You¡¯re just some dumb commoner kid who¡¯s got no idea what he¡¯s poking his head into, so I don¡¯t see why you should get involved. At the Ritual Tournament, the two princesses are planning to ¡®accidentally¡¯ kill the youngest Princess¨C¡± ¡°How? I thought that she couldn¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°Shut up and let me continue. They¡¯ll be staging it as an accident because there¡¯s a no-killing rule. Now, all you gotta do is stay down when we knock you over, and you won¡¯t gotta be killed as well.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re telling me this¡­why?¡± ¡°Because you couldn¡¯t do anything about it even if you tried. No one will listen to you if you tell them, and you¡¯re too weak to change anything that¡¯s going to happen. Just sit back and enjoy the show, kid. We¡¯ll be making it spectacular.¡± With that, Elowen turned¨C him and Liam finally leaving the plaza. Once they were out of earshot, my fists balled and my teeth clenched. ¡°They¡¯re going to quickly learn¡­¡± I said aloud. ¡°...what true hell feels like.¡± Isabella finished for me, her emotions crashing over me completely unfiltered. And we both felt the same: Nothing but pure and unbridled fury. Chapter 21: Succession Ritual Tournament The week had passed quite quickly in comparison to the previous ones, but I had spent all of it training my absolute hardest after Elowen¡¯s revelation. Feng and Yuxi¡­ they hadn¡¯t stopped at Jasper. Now, they were attempting to kill Hua and play it off as an accident. They disgusted me, and with every passing second, I could feel my hatred festering like a sickly infected wound, growing stronger every day. I had told Hua that it wasn¡¯t the right place nor the time¡­ but now, I felt more inclined to become a hypocrite and simply go after them. The previous day, Hotaru had finally revealed my new blade, and it was nothing like I had imagined, but in a good way. Due to it being made up of the various broken pieces from the titans, it had various cracks along the length of the blade which in no way impaired its combat ability. The blade was segmented, which was where the pseudo-soul cores came into play. Due to the cores, when soul was funnelled into the blade, it had the capacity to turn into a whip through the segments detaching and a long, thin length of wire within the segments controlled by soul. Because of this, the blade could extend the length between each segment as far as the user had soul. The blade itself had a crucifix-guarded hilt and appeared to be a mix of a longsword and shortsword, capable of being used by both hands but lightweight enough to be used by one. And as such, I had spent the previous day adjusting to the blade and getting used to it. Eclipsing Heaven still couldn¡¯t be used due to the weakness of my body, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t use two swords at all. Hotaru had also fashioned me a scabbard from leather, and I was forced to strap the sword over my back due to its size in comparison to me¨C it didn¡¯t have the size-changing ability Requiem did. We had been stumped for a name for quite some time¨C until Isabella piped up. ¡®Genesis¡¯-- the origin. According to her, it was quite fitting for a blade. And so, my new sword had been dubbed ¡®Genesis¡¯. Yet my mind wandered back to where I was, within one of the waiting rooms within the colosseum, sitting waiting for the first round of the tournament to begin. Liam and Elowen sat opposite me, talking amongst themselves. They were dressed in armour¨C as expected of them, having been trained from a young age and no doubt funded by the princesses to give them the best chance of winning. I didn¡¯t have that¨C and I didn¡¯t need it, either. They had more muscle mass as well as the reach advantage. I didn¡¯t want them to give them the speed advantage as well, carrying a load of extra weight in the form of specially-made armour for twelve-year olds, like something a parent would get their kid who wished to become a knight. Instead, I had dressed lightly. A simple white shirt with some under armour in order to protect me if things got dicey, a pair of gloves with reinforced knuckles, baggy black martial arts pants that tightened around the ankles which tucked into a pair of black boots to protect my feet. All funded by Hua, of course¨C as when I¡¯d told her I¡¯d be fighting with my normal clothing, she had wanted to hear none of it. My hand traced over the mask I had found in Meryll¡¯s attic. Though I wished to don it once more, to feel Meryll with me again, I couldn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t the time. Isabella¡¯s voice rang loud and clear through my mind, waking me up slightly as I put the mask into my bag. I didn¡¯t have time to overthink things, not right now when the fight was so close. I had a habit of doing that¨C it was likely chronic. But during battle, all thoughts escaped me, and I slipped into nothing but instinct. During battles, I was alive. There was no worrying about who was watching¨C it was just me and my opponent. The true ¡®me¡¯ came out whilst I was fighting, as it was all I had ever known. ¡®You¡¯ll be fine,¡¯ Isabella reassured me. ¡®I know. You¡¯re going to stay with Hua up on the balcony, yes?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t really have a choice in the matter, do I?¡¯ ¡®Not at all. This needs to be a show of my skill, not yours. Otherwise, nobody will ever believe in her.¡¯ ¡®I understand, but what if they¨C¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be fine. Fire and Lightning isn¡¯t the only thing I have, remember?¡¯ Her voice trailed away as she hopped into my lap, nuzzling underneath my chin as I heard the call. Elowen and Liam got to their feet, making their way out as I soon followed, the blinding light of the outside contrasting the dimly lit room. ¨C As soon as we made our way out, the cheering began, and Isabella veered right, leaping up into Hua¡¯s arms, who gave me a reassuring look before conjuring a few vines which allowed her to reach the balcony and stand beside her sisters, father, and mother. We had been told the rules before. It was a three-way fight, and the last person left standing won. If the opponent surrendered, or was rendered incapable of fighting back, they were considered to have been defeated. Within my head, I repeated this a few times, heading over my corner. We stood atop a triangular platform, raised above ground level through magic. The crowd sat above us, and my eyes searched for my parents, landing on them, cheering the same as everyone else as they looked down at me. I wasn¡¯t about to dishonour them. Drawing Genesis and Requiem, placing the scabbards off to one side, I waited. It wasn¡¯t too long before the horn sounded¨C and the battle began. Elowen began by creating a large ball of fire with his staff raised, but it wasn¡¯t the worst I had dealt with. If I had to guess, he was likely stronger than Jasper. If that¡¯s all he amounted to, this battle would be a waste of my time. The searing heat from the large ball of flames could be felt all the way from my corner of the arena, and he wasted no time releasing it, the ball¡¯s speed betraying its size as it narrowly missed me, body turning sideways to avoid it. My blood coursed through my veins, heartbeat pounding to the point I could hear it as it muted the sounds of the crowd, adrenaline running through me. I felt alive. Pushing off of one leg, I tore across the battlefield, leaping up and over a blast of flame he fired at me, rolling across the plateau. Thankfully, it was made of stone, and wasn¡¯t flammable. Yet before I could strike him down, a wall of earth was raised in front of me. My eyes switched targets. Liam. He stood with his wand raised, chanting something, getting ready to use a spell¨C but it wasn¡¯t him who released anything. A small blast of flames hit me in the back. I wasn¡¯t too fussed about it¨C until it exploded, sending me flying, back searing with burns as I felt my flesh bubble. Teeth gritting, I turned towards Liam.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. They were working together. Individually, I could dispatch them. However, together, that was a problem. Flames wrapped around my wrists, engulfing the length of Requiem as I used the blade as a conduit in order to release a crescent blast of flames towards Liam, which was blocked by a large wall of earth. Sending soul to Genesis and flicking my wrist lightly, the blade extended into a whip-sword. Forcing more soul into it, the blade continued to extend as I swung, lashing out and tearing through the wall of earth. He was¡­ gone? ¡°Got you.¡± He murmured, appearing in front of me. His leg swung, and I caught it in both hands, feeling the force run through me like a shockwave as I barely managed to stop the strike. ¡°No, I think I¡¯ve got you.¡± Throwing his leg off to the side, I forced him to lose balance before responding with a well-placed, soul-reinforced jab directly to the side of his face that sent him flying backwards. But where was Liam? My heart thudded deep within my chest. I wasn¡¯t afraid. This battle was different to the one with Jasper. No, here I was perfectly capable of winning. This wasn¡¯t fear. Rather, it was utter exhilaration. A smile crossed my face as I stood against Elowen, staff raised once more. This ball of fire was far bigger than the last. It warped to form a large spear, the same spell Jasper had used but on a far larger scale. Yet now, I didn¡¯t see him in Elowen. His actions no longer haunted mine, and that was for the best. Slowly but surely, I had felt myself becoming warped. One-track minded, just like him. And that wasn¡¯t who I was¨C who I wanted to become. I didn¡¯t want to become the person I used to be. Facing the tip of the spear, I didn¡¯t falter. Instead, I merely fought harder. Electricity coursed through my body, crackling over my palms and both my blades. The wind howled, and barriers were placed up to protect the audience from the fallout of our next actions¨C but neither of us were willing to back down. Liam had formed himself a dome from the earth, likely attempting to watch us both destroy each other before proclaiming himself as the winner. I had been developing a spell lately, but it always failed whenever I tried to use it. Now wasn¡¯t the best time to try¡­ but I couldn¡¯t help but think about it. ¡°Oh, what the hell.¡± ¨C Electricity focused in my palm, buzzing before slowly but surely changing colour to a deep purple, and then completely and utterly black. It jolted from my palm to the floor, destroying whatever it came into contact with. The heat from the fear caused sweat to trickle down my forehead and body, palms becoming unnecessarily clammy as I dropped both my blades. I didn¡¯t need them. Raising my hand, the black lightning still surging around it, I pointed my index and middle fingers towards Elowen and the flaming spear in a finger gun. I had been afraid of fire, once. Jasper had made me afraid, made me cower in fear of my own self and my own mind. As I faced the spell down once more, my mind drifted back to the cart and my battle with him. Heart thudding within my chest, expressions of fear drawn across everyone¡¯s faces as he stood, halberd in hand, that cocky, arrogant grin across his face. Sweat trickling down my body as the ring of fire engulfed the area, and that look of ecstasy that crawled across his face as he held Hua over the edge. The lightning burst forth from my fingertips, as did the lance. [Chaos Lightning] [Hellflame Spear] The two spells met each other in the middle, and a large bang went off, along with white light filling the clearing, my ears filled with ringing and a low tinnitus tone to the point it made my ears ache. Despite the blast and shockwave that followed, I remained standing, having clad my entire body in soul. At the very least, the blast resulted in less damage than being hit by that spear would have¡­ The dome around Liam fell, and I wasted no time picking up my blades again, sending soul to my feet, and blitzing towards him. My blades tore through his body in the shape of a cross before he had the time to react, watching as his body slowly fell to the floor, fresh blood running down the length of the swords. It was warm as I felt it run over my fingers, the smell of blood in my nostrils setting my instincts ablaze. The smell of blood was linked to memories of my past life, my body stilling. Memories of battles, blood, and war. Countless lives lost¡­ my eyes continued to stare into space, as I watched the scenes play out before my eyes. Over, and over, and over. Despite not being there, they were real to me. Like I could reach out and touch them, hold their bodies until they became cold. There were countless Dianas and Merylls to the point that the amount of people I had lost became innumerable. I wouldn¡¯t be cradling Hua¡¯s dead body next. At that moment, I promised myself that. My body shifted to face Elowen, a cold look in my eyes. Every step left him stuck in place¨C whether it was fear or something else, I didn¡¯t know. It was as though my consciousness had become utterly detached and I was floating somewhere above, watching the monster I had locked deep within myself, that creature of war that had come out as I cried my eyes out, guttural screams ripping from my throat and escaping my mouth as I begged for the dead to return to me. Though they never would. I approached Liam. My eyes stared down at him coldly, and I swore I could see them become nothing more than balls of deep black with white pupils. His staff clattered to the floor as I stood over him, the entire colosseum falling silent. Requiem was raised up, the tip pressing against his neck. I couldn¡¯t forgive them. I couldn¡¯t forgive them for trying to kill Hua¨C but was this truly the right thing to do? Was it really right to pay for their sins with their lives? ¡®Yes.¡¯ I told myself. Or rather, whatever darkness that lingered deep within my soul murmured to me. ¡®Kill him.¡¯ The blade was raised up to my shoulder, and it paused there. Liam was still fear-stricken, unable to move. And it swung, but I never felt the sensation of slicing through flesh. Instead, the blade paused right before his neck, my entire body trapped, as the world paused¨C everything except for my eyes. [Chronosphere] Except, this wasn¡¯t me. Isabella had leapt from Hua¡¯s arms, and was padding towards me, having transformed into her true form. Unlike Diana, her scales were a pure white with some black and purple, her steel blue eyes staring directly into my multicoloured ones. ¡°You can stop now, my child. There is nothing to protect. You have won.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t stop yet. He still¨C!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. After all¡­¡± I could see something of a smile form on her draconic features. ¡°I am here.¡± Her mastery over Chronosphere was clearly at a far higher degree than mine, capable of holding it up for long periods of time very easily. ¡°However, I must remove this spell now. Recovering my power over time proves difficult in this form.¡± ¡°Wha¨C¡± ¡°Sleep.¡± Isabella reverted to her small form and made her way back over to Hua, before ending the spell. Chronosphere fell, and almost immediately after, my blades clattered to the floor. However, instead of my body crumpling, I remained standing, eyes open, seemingly staring directly at Elowen. ¡°I-I surrender!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°P-please, don¡¯t hurt me!¡± Yet his cries fell on deaf ears. I had fainted, eyes open, still standing. Chapter 22: Succession Ritual Tournament II XING HUA¡¯S POV I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that Atlas¡¯ fight had been scary, yet awe-inspiring all the same. His defeat of Liam and Elowen utilising one of the five elements he was capable of using sent shivers down my spine, and only gave me more of a drive to win against my sisters, as well. Yet something about his demeanour at the end¡­ scared me. It didn¡¯t seem like him¨C or rather, the person he allowed me to see. I wasn¡¯t stupid. I knew there was more to him than met the eye, exuding an aura that even my father, as a king, couldn¡¯t match up to. That wasn¡¯t an aura a child could possess, no matter how mature they were. It was the aura only the strong could have. Yet in some ways, that aura truly invigorated me. It lit a fire in my soul as I raced to catch up with him, trying my hardest to be on his level, to finally stand alongside him. Not behind him, not being protected by him. On my feet, as his equal in battle. And perhaps¡­ other things. Isabella had left my side to be with him as Round 2 was soon beginning. My sisters sat opposite me, gossiping with each other as they normally did. It was of no concern to me¨C we had never been close, not since the day I was born. After all¡­ they had always hated me. That was why I¡¯d been forced to run away, after all! But I never let it affect me¡­ never, not ever¡­ Sometimes I wondered why we couldn¡¯t just be a normal family. Sometimes I wondered whether we¡¯d have been able to get along if I hadn¡¯t been born the way I was, if I wasn¡¯t me. Maybe then, we could¡¯ve been happy. If I just wasn¡¯t like this. If I was never even¨C My thoughts had begun to spiral, so I took a deep breath, just like Xiao had taught me. I couldn¡¯t run away from who I was, he pointed out. I was born the way I was for a reason, and perhaps the reason was so I could win here. Because a kingdom with my sisters ruling¡­ for some reason, the idea made me sick to my stomach. They weren¡¯t kind and compassionate. Whatever had twisted them into the way they were now¨C especially considering they had been fine when I was very small¨C I knew not. But that didn¡¯t change the reality of it¨C with the way they behaved sending¡­ him, they were incredibly immature. I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to talk about that incident. Atlas seemed fine, though he was surely suffering from the incident. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t remember much about what Jasper had done, considering I was unconscious for most of it. Though, the burn scars, although healed, told all that needed to be said. They were willing to go to any lengths, though it seemed they were calm. For now. The fire that blazed within the depths of my soul roared at the chance to put them in their place. Atlas was the calm one. I wasn¡¯t. Though I didn¡¯t exactly have a fiery temper, I was quick to anger, reaching desperately at the chance to prove myself. Even though I knew of my flaws, I made no attempt to change them. Why? Because in a world like this, in the situation I was in¡­I had to be egotistical. To take what I wanted without caring for what happened to others. To be hungry for power without worrying about anything else, just like they were, if not more so. I hadn¡¯t had the chance to display my powers, always being overshadowed by Atlas. This was no doubt going to be a tougher battle than he had, due to the fact he had grown exponentially through various life threatening situations¨C but he had also been a boy wonder since the day of his awakening, as though he were the chosen one. But in this world, there were no chosen ones. The only fair reality was that the hands dealt to all were unfair, and I didn¡¯t have the time to sit here and complain that he had been born more gifted than I am. If he had started out stronger than me, I¡¯d work as hard as I had to. I had tried my hardest to become strong, too. The horn that told us the stage was ready¨C after all, to the crowd, this was nothing but a grand performance and a bit of fun, not at all the serious matter it truly was¨C sounded, and I made my way outside, taking the lead. I was here to prove myself. Here to show I was worth something. Here to show I wasn¡¯t the same child who ran away all those years ago. ¨C The stage had changed appearance from the way it had been previously. This time, instead of being purely stone, a small lake ran through the middle, though none of us were water elementalists. The ground this time was earth and not stone. I could use that¨C the place needed a little more green, in my opinion. Hands curling around the staff Xiao had gifted me¨C it was a simple metal bo staff, which helped me to channel my magic as well as deal more physical damage than I was used to (he had forced me to improve my physical strength, too!). However, I knew my sisters had no idea of this. They were far too prideful and arrogant for their own good, and in their eyes, I was still the same, weak girl who had run from them out of fear. My eyes glanced up to the stands, catching Atlas¡¯ gaze as he held Isabella so she could see too. He did not give me a smile, instead a thumbs up, and that''s all I needed. He seemed to be doing fine after collapsing at the end of his battle¨C though his opponent had surrendered, due to his incapacitation, he had not been declared the winner. Though that was somewhat disappointing, I didn¡¯t complain. I would merely need to make up for that with a win here, which would even the score between me and Feng. If we could then win in Round 3¡­ it would be a clear victory to us with two points to one. Feng held a rapier in her left, with Yuxi standing holding a spear. They had no doubt improved, too. My eyes glanced up to my father and mother, who stared down at me expressionlessly. I was unsurprised, after all. We were all their children¨C and they needed to remain unbiased when it came to important matters such as these. Yet I couldn¡¯t help but long for their warmth, long to be a real family. Even as I stared my sisters down here and now, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of guilt for what I was about to do. I wasn¡¯t Atlas. I couldn¡¯t stare my enemies down with cold and cruel resolve, without showing a shred of emotion for taking their lives. I hadn¡¯t hardened my heart to that fact, not just yet. The horn seemed to take an age to blow¨C and, when it did, my face was immediately skimmed by an icicle, drawing blood from my cheek. So it appeared I didn¡¯t know my sisters all that well- Yuxi was a water elementalist, it appeared, with divergent ice! I wasn¡¯t too surprised, since we¡¯d lived apart for most of our lives¡­ was that a trick she¡¯d been preparing? It seemed new, since even Feng appeared surprised, and they did everything together. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The icicles came hard and fast, and, despite spinning the staff to block and break them, I still felt the vibrations roll through my body from the force in the blows. Stuffing a hand in my pocket, I brought out some¡­ seeds? Both of my sisters seemed confused, which was good. They didn¡¯t need to know what I was doing. Dashing in, I easily bounded over the river, a look of pure hunger crossing my face as I closed in on Feng. She met me with a torrent of wind in the shape of a funnel, trying to blast me off of the platform if I had to guess. The water from the river flowed off of the platform and formed a pool below¨C though we wouldn¡¯t exactly be out if we fell, it was still quite the drop which would deal large amounts of damage unless the diving form was absolutely perfect. ¨C My staff clashed loudly against her rapier numerous times, the strength and size difference between us coming into play. Much like Atlas, due to Xiao and Meryll¡¯s training, I was faster and more agile than my sisters, spending my time leaping around them like a little rabbit playing games with predators. Being three years older and in their teens, they were far taller, and I was using that to my advantage. Trading blows, I swung the staff into Feng¡¯s ankles, spinning it in my hand before finally jabbing her in the stomach, knocking the breath right out of her lungs as she coughed. Wasting no time, the end of the pole was slammed into the ground as I vaulted, delivering a spinning kick to her face, heels slamming into her jaw with considerable force. Had she not been reinforcing her whole body with soul, that would have easily been the finishing blow, enough to knock her out. My heart pounded within my chest as I watched blood trickle from her lips, a look of fury on her face. Yuxi took advantage of the fact I wasn¡¯t focusing on her to deal a kick to the middle of my back, and I was sent forward, directly into Feng¡¯s waiting fist, which slammed into my diaphragm. I felt my lungs spasm, and I knew for a fact the attack was revenge for my attack on her a few moments before. I gasped, the breaths not properly entering my lungs, eyes bulging as spit trickled from my mouth. Resisting the urge to vomit, I endured another barrage of attacks which continued to force me backwards and closer to the edge due to our weight differences, attempting to refocus and regain my breathing. Bruises began to form, but I continued to endure the physical attacks, body hunched over. I was no longer finding it hard to breathe, and was instead conserving my soul into small, hexagonal-shaped shields which I manifested upon the point of contact. I was saving it. But every strike of theirs carried a force I couldn¡¯t generate due to our difference in sizes. I wasn¡¯t able to use this move, not normally. It was a small trick Xiao had taught me, but it used up a lot of my energy¨C so when I used it, it had to be either as a last resort, or when I was absolutely sure I would win. Because there was no going back afterwards. I could have¨C I should have used it to save Meryll. If I was faster, stronger, better. But in those moments, fear grasped at my heart, even as I fought. The words ¡®What if this fails? What if I get killed?¡¯ repeated in my head, over, and over, and over. And now, all I felt was anger at my own cowardice. I wanted to remove the shackles I had placed on my own self. Always running away for my own sake. I had run from the crown, and I had run away from the one who had killed Meryll. I could never stand and fight. Why could I never stand and fight?! My hatred for my own fear had continued to grow for the longest time, until the flames of my own passion, the flames of my own anger and hatred threaten to consume me and everything around me. Yet I let them burn¨C because perhaps burning myself to ashes wouldn¡¯t be such a bad thing, in the end. Once I had enough of the continuous assault, I struck outwards. Staff still on the floor, I used my fists this time. My body had ducked down, knees bent as I stepped in quite quickly, swinging my fist into Yuxi¡¯s kidney. It was a low blow, I knew that. But then again, so was everything she¡¯d put me through. The attack hit her directly, which caused her body to stumble. The effects of a kidney blow were paralysis, muscle weakness, and heart problems, all of which were severely damaging. But I continued to attack, even after she was unable to fight back. These strikes contained all the anger, pain, and fear I¡¯d felt, all because of them. Everything I¡¯d lost, all because of them. My childhood. My family¨C the family I should¡¯ve had. My purpose. My life, almost. Everything. Turning to Feng, it was time to end this fight once and for all, proclaiming it as our victory so we could have Yuxi healed fully and the final round began. Taking the seeds in hand, I held them aloft before throwing them at Feng. ¡°Overgrow.¡± [Garden of Eden] The seeds began to expand and grow at a rapidly fast rate, to the point that it seemed they had formed a lush garden in seconds, However, around Feng began to form a thorny cage as the seeds dug into the ground, erecting bars made of thick, thorny vines which grew upwards and then curved into a point, similar to a birdcage, a trap she was unable to escape. An utterly beautiful sight¨C she was like a rat. No, she truly was a rat. A rat in a cage, waiting to die. A bird, soon to have its wings clipped. Picking up the staff, I twirled it around my palm again. Out of frustration, she began attacking the sides of the cage, trying to get it to break open. In response, the vines grew more as well as thicker, resulting in less and less space within the cage as it began to shrink, forcing her to her knees as she desperately avoided being cut by the thorns. Good on her¨C the vines were filled with a poison she didn¡¯t want to get injected with. The secret of the cage was to be strong enough to break out in one go. Feng wasn¡¯t¨C and that was why she cowered on her knees before me. The vines moved aside, just enough for me to stare down at her, kneeling, head pressed against the floor. The fire in my heart burned¨C the fires of retribution, the fire that roared at me to get my own back. Placing my foot on top of her head, I pushed her further into the ground, to the point I was sure she was tasting the mud. ¡°This position looks good on you. Maybe you should kneel a bit more often¡­. You yield, yes?¡± ¡°Hua, you little¡­ Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t end you for thi¨C¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget what position you¡¯re in, big sister. Let us end this here, so you can salvage whatever dignity of yours still remains.¡± She trembled, which I assumed to be out of anger, fists balling. She needed to know what it felt like. To hit rock bottom, to be absolutely crushed. All because of someone else. ¡°...I yield.¡± I allowed my foot to drop-- but the reminder of the way she had knelt and the muddy imprint of my boot on the back of her head sullying her image still remained. The crowd let out a cheer as I raised a fist in victory, chanting my name all around. My eyes darted up to Atlas, and instead of remaining emotionless, he grinned at me, yelling ¡°Yeah, you show ¡®em!¡±. And it sunk in. We only needed to win the final round in order to win it all. Chapter 23: Succession Ritual Tournament III X¨©NG FENG''S POV I had kneeled before her. After making my way into one of the waiting rooms, my hand slammed into the wall, teeth gritted as my fingernails dug into my palms. That brat was likely out there, enjoying the cheers of the crowd with that commoner boy, considering the fool she had just made out of me. I couldn¡¯t¨C I wouldn¡¯t¨C stand for it. Hua had lived through one too many attempts. Jasper had failed, and he was.. Top-of-the-line. For their strength level back then, it should have been easy. But like cockroaches, they managed to rise. Time and time again. Biting down hard onto my finger, my thoughts blurred into one as my anger rose. Why did she have to come back now?! After all those years spent in hiding, all those years she had spent running. Why did she have to come back now, holding on tightly to the crown like a leech? Alone, she was worthless. Useless. But that commoner boy knight of hers¡­ he was a hidden gem. How had he defeated two knights, trained from birth for that to be their only purpose? It was inhuman. At that moment, something clicked within my mind. It didn¡¯t make sense for it to be her¨C that boy was the only reason she was doing as well as she was. He was the crux, the catalyst for all of their recent wins. Despite Elowen¡¯s¡­ failures¨C he had proven himself useless, defeated by a twelve year old¨C we had still won, with a point under our belt. If I could get that boy on my side for the final round¡­ she would still be forced to participate, but it would be an undeniably easy win. Having done my research on his family, I knew that they were of the working class, his father a former adventurer from Krystallos and his mother born a simple farmer. Not rich, but not struggling either. I wasn¡¯t in such a position that I could threaten them, but it wasn¡¯t unlikely he did need money. Atlas Reyes was a mere commoner boy. He¡¯d come running to my side at the sight of money he¡¯d never be able to obtain in his lifetime¨C after all, I was certain he was working for Hua for free. They were all the same¡­ nothing but a means to an end. And so was he¨C not only would I be stripping Hua of her knight, but also her little crush as well¡­ How pleasing. Getting to my feet, I straightened my uniform, as well as my hair. Being presentable was the essence of a princess. We had been situated in three different rooms at different points within the colosseum, from where we would enter the final battle soon enough. But for now, I had to get that child on my side. Briskly walking to Hua¡¯s waiting room, I knocked sharply on the door. It opened promptly, Hua answering as I watched her face visibly curl into a frown, watching me stare down at her. Those eyes. I had always hated those eyes, reminding me of our mother. Truthfully, I hadn¡¯t always hated her. In the beginning, I had loved her dearly as a sister, truly excited at the chance to be a big sister. However, from the moment she had shown an ability to manipulate the soul, it was her. Always her, and only her, in our parent¡¯s eyes. She was the brightest jewel in their crown, the only one they¡¯d ever look at, the only thing that existed to them. And so their neglect fuelled my hatred, becoming a burning desire. They were untouchable. My hatred turned towards the cause of it all¨C Hua, my little sister. Did I regret it? Yes, some parts. I regretted the fact we couldn¡¯t be a normal family. But now, there was no going back. Our relationship would never be the same. I had dug my grave, and I was perfectly fine being buried in it. ¡°What do you want?¡± Hua¡¯s voice resounded through my head, breaking me from my thoughts. ¡°I am not here to speak with you,¡± I snapped, pushing past her roughly, forcing her out of the way as I headed further into the room. Atlas sat, head down with a towel over his neck¨C I assumed his bond had been left with his family in the stands. Likely thinking about something¨C what, though, I didn¡¯t care to find out. His head shifted, turning upwards to face me. A small shiver crawled up my spine¨C the look in his eyes one of utter callousness. He truly¡­ didn¡¯t care that a princess stood before me. A princess, a peasant, a god. It didn¡¯t matter¨C he would have looked at me with the same unflinching gaze. I didn¡¯t even realise I had been spoken to until he waved his hand in front of my face. ¡°You there? I asked you, ¡®What do you want to talk to me about?¡¯¡± Embarrassing. Clearing my throat, I extended a hand. ¡°It has come to my attention that someone as talented as you is being wasted on the likes of my sister. Join me, and I will pay you double¨C no, triple whatever she has used to bribe you into joining her sinking ship.¡± ¡ª ATLAS REYES¡¯ POV Her question took me a couple of minutes to process and comprehend. She was trying to¡­ bribe me into joining her for the final round? What the hell? I let out a scoff, which probably wasn¡¯t the best idea in this situation, but I simply couldn¡¯t stop myself. How dare she? Hua was glaring daggers into her back, but she was intently focused on me and my response. But there was no thinking about it. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but no thank you. I am perfectly content with where I am.¡± ¡°But¨C she¡¯s just wasting your talents. There is no point being with her¨C¡± ¡°Rationally, yes. Logically, yes. But I¡¯d like to say I¡¯ve grown past simply considering logic and treating people like tools. I chose to be at her side because I want to be. Not because I stand to gain anything from it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s useless. Why would you ever want to¨C¡± My soul energy output flared, and Feng fell silent, the words dying on her lips as my gaze turned to something of anger. My hands never left my sides, but my words were clearly a threat. ¡°Leave, now. We will leave all grievances on the battlefield.¡± Attempting to save face, she glared at me once more, turned around, and stalked out. As she left, slamming the door shut, I heaved a sigh, allowing my output to go down to its usual levels. Not only had she planned Hua¡¯s murder, but she also had the sheer audacity to ask me whether I¡¯d betray her trust and leave her alone in this. The reasons why I wanted to give her a satisfying punch were slowly stacking up. My eyes glanced over to Hua, who was seemingly rooted in place, her eyes searching mine. Right now, she seemed more afraid than anything else. I quickly concluded that it was the thought of me leaving her, the thought of being betrayed by someone she trusted once more, that left her in such a state. I couldn¡¯t fathom what it was like¨C considering I had been the one to push them all away. I¡¯d always regret that, but now, I could only press on and try to not make the same mistakes in this life. My hand rested on her shoulder, her eyes finally taking in that I was right there in front of her, arms wrapping around my back as I was pulled into an impromptu hug. I couldn¡¯t hear sobs, but the moistness of my shirt alerted me that tears were flowing. I wasn¡¯t used to this, used to comforting people. It wasn¡¯t me.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. However, I tried my best. My hand stroked her head, mumbling words underneath my breath in efforts to calm her until she finally pulled away, rubbing her reddened eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re fighting together until the end.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°I promise. We¡¯re going to win this thing, and we¡¯re going to do it together.¡± She sniffled, before rubbing her nose, and fixing up her clothing in order to look more presentable. I did the same, though I was conscious of the fact I¡¯d likely need new ones, considering the age I was at and how fast puberty kicked in. But that was a concern for another time. The horn blared, alerting us both that the final round was upon us. Here, it would all come to an end. Our hard work, our hopes and dreams, fears of years past. Here, all those we had met would culminate into one final fight. I had no doubt that our journey would continue even after this battle. But for now¡­ this was our end goal. Pushing open the door, I stepped out. The plateau had fallen and was now the same level as the ground, a simple, circular battlefield. Since this was a two vs two vs two¡­ it would get chaotic, and quite quickly. I was sure that Feng and Yuxi were in tune with their knights, considering both their elemental combinations were complimenting¡­. Us, however? We¡¯d need to be a bit more careful and wise with our choices. From the battles I had partaken in and watched, I knew that Feng was a wind sage, Elowen a fire sage, Yuxi a water and ice sage, and Liam an earth sage. If we combined our moves enough, we could likely overcome the elemental advantages. But only time would tell. Nodding to Hua, who held her metal staff in hand, I glared Yuxi and Liam down, waiting for the horn. On cue, it sounded. And the final match began. ¨C I was met with Yuxi¡¯s spear, stabbing three times at me in quick succession, which I parried fairly easily with Genesis. In the background, I could hear Hua clashing with Feng and Elowen, the sound of steel on steel familiar to me. As I dealt with Yuxi, an earth golem rose behind me, large hands attempting to grasp me and crush me, most likely. However, as its hands closed, and pressed inwards, I was gone. Opening up to thin air, the extended whip-blade of Genesis wrapped around its leg, breaking it down and crushing it into small pieces as it fell to one knee. The golem was large and bulky, crudely fashioned from the earth of the battlefield. Flames blazed to life at my feet, and leaping into the air, I did a quick spin before slamming the top of my foot into the head of the beast. The head shattered, yet it continued to move, albeit slower. So, this was a higher-class golem than most. Going for it didn¡¯t work, so the only option was to go directly for the caster, but I was interrupted by a wave of ice forming between me and Liam. Defeating the two separately was easy. However, once they were together, they posted a legitimate threat. Imbuing Requiem with flames, I cut through the ice wall rapidly, but Liam was gone, and I was instead met with Yuxi¡¯s spear, which I blocked, sending it off to the side. Electricity sparked at my fingertips as I grew more restless, rolling out of the way of more coordinated attacks of frost and earth. It simply wasn¡¯t a good matchup for me¨C my flames not being strong enough to break through her ice directly. Though I had access to all the elements, it wasn¡¯t the same as someone who had dedicated themselves to one. Jack of all trades, yet master of none. Hua seemed to be struggling as well, my eyes following her as I continued to evade. Elowen¡¯s fire seemed to be causing her plants to wither due the sheer heat, if they weren¡¯t turned to dust by the attack itself, and Feng¡¯s wind didn¡¯t seem to help either. We couldn¡¯t fight them. Not with these elements. ¡°SWITCH!¡± I yelled. The sudden outburst caused the four to stop in their tracks, wondering what the hell I was doing. But Hua seemed to have gotten the message, turning on her heel and sprinting away from her enemies, towards me, with me running towards her. Soon enough, she was where I once stood, facing off against Yuxi and Liam, and I stood against Feng and Elowen. Now this matchup, I could get behind. However, in the back of my mind¡­ there was the constant nagging about the princesses¡¯ plans. When were they going to attempt to execute it? How was it going to happen? There were too many variables, and being occupied by the battle, I couldn¡¯t think it over properly. Meeting Feng¡¯s wind with a blast of lightning, since my flame would no doubt be overpowered or snuffed out by it, I watched as Elowen charged up a blast of flames as covering fire. The princess and I duked it out in the centre, rapier clashing with my own two blades, the pace of our collisions increasing as I managed to slowly but surely leave gashes on her body that racked up as time went on. A funnel of wind crashed into my body, sending me flying backwards into a wall. However, despite her likely wanting me to hit it back-first, I quickly used a slight bit of wind magic (enough so that it was undetectable by her) to orient myself, knees bending as my feet made contact with the wall before pushing off at high speeds. Electricity cloaked my body as I flew towards Feng, blades tearing into her torso. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to severely injure her¨C but blood still dripped from the wound to the floor, forcing her to take a backseat for a while. Such was the power of having the correct elemental matchup¡­ Eyes searching for Elowen, I caught him, all the way across the battlefield, running towards her. He had removed a dagger from his pocket, and had it raised behind Hua, preoccupied dealing with Yuxi and Liam. The dagger was, I assumed, poised to¨C To drive right through her skull, ending her life. My eyes widened. Time itself seemed to slow as I moved, but I wasn¡¯t nearly fast enough. Not like this. I could stop it¨C but at what cost? Could we win the fight if I was fatigued and on the brink of fainting? Inwardly, I slapped myself. For her, I¡¯d do anything. There was no time to even think on the matter. ¡°Fuck it.¡± I cursed beneath my breath. If it was to save her life, I would act without thinking of the consequences. The cold rationality of my past life had been dispelled by her and those around me. And for them, I¡¯d pay any price. [Chronosphere] The entire world fell silent as even the soul particles froze in the air. Activating Divine Incarnation, my vision becoming a lifeless monochrome, I moved quickly from my previous position to in front of Elowen¨C so fast that it likely would have taken less time to blink¨C who stood still as a statue. I had to work quickly, considering time was of the essence. Dispatching all three of them¡­. But leaving one conscious. They would pay for their crimes, but I needed one conscious and all three alive for that. [Blink] My body shifted slightly, and the dagger in Elowen¡¯s hand broke. It wasn¡¯t clear exactly what I had done¨C and it wouldn¡¯t be, not until I released Chronosphere. Blink only allowed me to do what I was capable of achieving in the future from the current moment, and I could only place myself forward a small amount of time. Dispelling Chronosphere and my Kismet''s second stage sent Elowen flying backward. Luckily, for his sake, his flight was short lived as he hit the wall with an all too familiar skin crawling crunch. His body slumped to the floor into an unnatural amalgamation of cloth and man. Had it not been for the brown of the cloth contrasting against his pale skin I wouldn''t have been able to tell where his clothes ended and he began. Liam, who had watched the altercation like a deer in headlights, unable to guess what had happened, remained motionless where he stood. If it hadn''t been for his golem which stood ready to slam down Hua''s head, I would have thought he was still under Chronosphere''s effects. She wouldn''t see it coming. Despite what had happened to Elowen, he was still committed to that damned goal. Regardless of his motives, I couldn''t let it happen. My body had a mind of its own, reducing the golem to nothing more than gravel as black lightning danced across my fingertips, having engulfed the stone giant just moments before. Liam quickly joined Elowen on the floor as my electricity coursed through him, locking up his joints, body hitting the hard dirt in a manner that reassured me he would not be trying to get up anytime soon. Yuxi was the only one still standing, but I doubted it would be for long. Her body, as slender as it was, was a canvas of gashes and red paint (which there was seemingly an endless supply of). She was ghastly pale. Despite her deplorable state, she instinctively reached for her spear. When she moved to lunge, her knees gave out, too weak to carry her body any further. She collapsed into the crimson pool below her. Admittedly, I was thankful she did, despite the blood curdling sound of her screams. I doubted I had enough strength to move another step, my energy completely depleted in the prior encounters. Falling to my knees, Hua stared around in disbelief, before her eyes darted to me. I smiled weakly up at her, a smile that the monster who had harmed the three in such a manner shouldn''t have been capable of. My actions were¡­ horrid. Terrifying. But somewhere deep down in my soul, I told myself they deserved it. I consoled myself using the fact that with all the horrible things they had done to Hua, they all deserved to rot in hell. Tian¡¯s voice, amplified by sound magic, resounded across the battlefield. ¡°Well, in a surprising turn of events, it appears that two teams have been left unable to fight. And so, I declare Xing Hua and Atlas Reyes the winner of the Succession Ritual Tournament!!¡± The stands were filled with roars and cheering, my eyes scanning the crowds before finally landing on Hua. She was¡­ shaking. With joy or fear, I couldn¡¯t tell, until she hugged me, tears streaming down her face as she jumped with excitement, the words ¡°We won!¡± repeated countless times to me. She sobbed, and I bit my lip to stop the tears from falling. We had¡­ won? We had¡­ done it? The look on her face solidified my views on my actions a few minutes prior. It was all worth it to see her as happy as this. However, that happiness came to a standstill due to Feng, who had pushed herself to her feet. ¡°They¡­ cheated!¡± She spluttered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened at the end there, but they cheated! They must have done some sort of trickery¨C or something!¡± Teeth gritting as I leaned on Hua, I glared at her. Now, whilst everyone was listening. Now, whilst everyone was watching. Now, she would pay for her crimes. ¡°Says the one who plotted to kill Hua from the start.¡± Chapter 24: Sword And Sorcery There was no more cheering, as all fell quiet at my accusation. Feng stared at me, before indignantly rejecting my claim. So she couldn¡¯t even take responsibility for her own wrongdoings as she stood before her family and her people. I couldn¡¯t fight her in my current state, battered and broken, but she was too. This would be a battle of willpower, evidence, and words. Tian and Mei seemed in disbelief, too shocked to speak. How had they not noticed what was going on between their three daughters? Were Feng and Yuxi that good at hiding it, or were the monarchs both simply that ignorant or their own family matters? I couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°That is a lie!¡± She yelled back at me, the facade of calm she had always worn crumbling before me. ¡°He is lying! He doesn¡¯t even have evidence to back it up!¡± Inhaling, I watched as her cries died down, allowing me to speak. ¡°I have evidence. Plenty, in fact. If you all will allow me, I¡¯d like to tell you all a story.¡± Hushed whispers were audible to me due to my passive Kismet, but other than that, silence filled the area, and I was given space to profess my own side of the story. ¡°Around two years ago, I ended up on a farm on the outskirts of Huagong, which is where I met Hua. She was living as a simple farmer, and told me that, too. However, I noticed various things around her house, including pictures of family. And it occurred to me: why was an eleven year old living alone by herself? Well, the reason is clear to me now. She was driven from her own home out of fear of her own siblings.¡± Feng continued to glare at me, but I wasn¡¯t about to stop there. No, she was going to be condemned for her sins, even if I was punished for it, too. Accusing a member of royalty, even if I was in their favour, was a serious offence. And if they chose not to believe me, I¡¯d likely be placed in jail, or even put to death, depending on how angry I made them. But it was a risk I was willing to take, just so Hua never had to fear them ever again. ¡°After we left to return here, we were attacked by a man named Jasper. The man was a fire sage, and a very talented one at that. And do you know what he said? He said he had been ordered to bring the princesses Hua¡¯s head¨C on a platter.¡± ¡°And now, this all culminated here, today. After being unable to kill Hua not once, but twice, the princesses, and their knights, hatched a plot to end Hua¡¯s life, whilst playing it off as an accident, so they would not break any rules. And all of this, for what? The crown? So I ask you, people of Huagong. Are these your princesses? Are these two the type of people you really wish to entrust your future to?¡± ¡°Arrest that boy!¡± Feng roared, the guards marching from their positions standing beside each of the large doors to the rooms inside. However, instead of locking me down, they placed their hands on Feng and Yuxi¡¯s arms, forcing them to the floor and keeping them there. They would no doubt be punished¨C later. But that was none of my concern. Tian¡¯s face was contorted into a look of anger, but he said nothing, Mei remaining silent and poised, the true face of the royal family. Due to the fact I was occupied with them, I didn¡¯t notice Elowen having struggled to his feet, his wounds mostly healed somehow, making his way over to Liam. The guards turned to them at the same speed I did, but it was already too late. Elowen slammed his hand into the ground, and the entire colosseum was filled with smoke, which clouded my vision and latched onto my throat as I let out a hacking cough, Hua holding my weakened body upright. Through the smoke, I could hear his voice. Oddly enough he spoke directly to me. For what reason, I couldn¡¯t comprehend. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting guy, Atlas Reyes. I¡¯d like to think that the Master will be incredibly pleased with these developments¡­ We¡¯ll meet again, boy, so I¡¯ll give you a little clue on where to find us. Adios, suckers!¡± The smoke cleared, and the two had disappeared¨C leaving nothing behind but a small emblem. ¨C The sea of people parted and a woman appeared on the ground floor of the stadium in the centre. Simply from looking at her, she exuded an aura of strength. I had far too many questions, far more than I had answers for, but my eyes were on the emblem Elowen had left behind. Using Hua as a crutch, I made my way over and picked up the emblem, staring at it. It was almost completely black, bar the golden eye in the centre, wide open and staring directly into my soul. ¡°That¡¯s the symbol of the New World Order.¡± The voice from behind me snapped me out of my stupor as I jolted, now strong enough to stand on my own. It was the woman from before. Her eyes were purple, hair a shade of light, wheat blonde. I assumed she was around thirty years of age from her facial features, but I could never be too sure. ¡°The¨C what??¡± ¡°New World Order. They¡¯re a radical cult that¡¯s been making themselves known more recently¨C oh, but don¡¯t say anything about that. Official secrets, you know.¡± She said, a small smile on her face. Her words were kind and gentle, but due to the power she held, I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous around her. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°If they¡¯ve taken an interest in you¡­¡± She stroked her chin, ¡°You¡¯d be best off keeping your wits about you. That can¡¯t be good.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but¡­ who were you again?¡± ¡°Claire Ambrose, Headmistress of Yggdrasil Academy.¡± My eyes widened. That was the Academy I planned on attending¨C but it also made enough sense that she was watching, considering this was a rather large event. But the more pressing matter¡­ Ambrose. Meryll¡¯s daughter. Claire. The letter¡­ Throat tightening, I nodded along. It wasn¡¯t time for this yet. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but be fascinated by your battles in the tournament, child. But I also couldn¡¯t help but notice it seemed like you were¡­ holding back. Do you know how to utilise more than one element?¡± Slowly but surely, I nodded. Nobody else was with me but Hua, and she already knew. It didn¡¯t matter if Claire knew¨C right? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone, since I presume you are keeping it a secret for a good reason. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, could you show me?¡± Somehow, I was quite quickly dragged back home by my parents, Claire following along silently, Isabella at my heels, talkative as always. Hua had left to attend to family business and greet the crowd¨C not only was she now the heir to the throne, but she also had to deal with the matter of her siblings¨C so I was alone. We moved in silence, my mother¡¯s arm wrapped around my shoulder. I would no doubt be getting an earful¡­ later. That was for me to deal with then. I was the me of now. Leading us out to the back garden, my father gave me a pat on the back, before sitting beside my mother on the steps, who held Lucynda and Evelyn. ¡°Show her what you¡¯re made of, son.¡± He said, to which I nodded. I was still fatigued from my use of Chronosphere, but with Isabella transferring soul from her core to mine, I felt a little more invigorated than I had moments before. ¨C The fight began and I charged in, fire blazing in my fists. Genesis and Requiem were propped up against the wall of the house, as I didn¡¯t wish to use them whilst Claire also remained unarmed. I was met immediately by¡­ wind¨C the same affinities as her mother, I presumed. Yet, unlike the wind I had faced fighting against Feng, hers was much more precise, using as much power as possible for the least energy. Three crescent-shaped blades sailed my way at speeds, which I barely managed to block by raising a wall of earth. Flame spells exploded around me as I was forced to block my vision from the light. How could I counter them with the skills I had? What elements were best? I didn¡¯t know. What could I do to win? The grass grew into vines, which curled around her legs, preventing her from moving. I had no doubt that she was lowering her output to fight me, yet she was still so strong. Was this was all the greats were like? If so, my current self had no chance of winning. Xiao could have ended my life countless times over if he chose, and Claire was likely the same. What did I have to do to stand on their level? How strong did I need to get? Slamming my leg into the ground, the earth shattered and flew upwards in bits. Claire had summoned multiple miniature cyclones which tore across the garden erratically, in wards I was unable to predict. But that didn¡¯t matter. I had lived my life climbing the ranks, facing off against opponents far stronger than I was. But that was life. In order to become stronger, in order to change myself, I couldn¡¯t just fight those weaker than me. Yet I came out on top every time, not because I was strong. I wasn¡¯t. But because I had a brain. Rotating the air around my body in the opposite direction of the cyclones, I was able to pass by them with ease without getting hurt. The earth rose up before shattering, creating clouds of dust which were blown around by Claire''s cyclones, covering me from view. Lightning jolted in my fists as I stood behind her. So, this was my limit. But I had done well¨C I thought, at least, before throwing my punch. The dust cleared. Claire''s hand had wrapped around my fist, the electricity dying out as the battle drew to a close. She seemed pleasantly amused, watching me as I pushed myself into a standing position. ¡°I am greatly surprised, Atlas. You would do well to join my Academy. With your skill level, you would fit right in.¡± ¡®Isabella, could you go grab the letter from my room? I''d like to give it to her.¡¯ Without looking at my bond, I heard her make her way off, so I continued with the conversation. ¡°I appreciate the offer, Headmistress. However, despite my strength, I can''t help but feel like I would be looked down upon by my peers due to my age. I wouldn''t be able to make friends,¡± I explained. ¡°I¡¯ve decided I want to go out and see the world,¡± I said quietly, so that only she could hear me. I hadn''t told my family, not just yet. ¡°Not yet, I mean. I''d like to spend time with them. But I''ve been growing at such a rate that simply training at home isn''t enough any more. I''d like to go and get some real-world experience of myself. So I have a favour to ask of you.¡± Her eyebrow raised, a small smirk rising to her face. ¡°Why, that''s interesting. Not even the strongest sages dare to strike deals with me, yet here, a twelve year old boy is? Go on.¡± ¡°Whilst I am gone, I want you to protect and care for my family. Then, when I return at 17, I will attend your Academy.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°Before you leave,¡± I said, noticing Isabella making her way over to me, letter in her mouth, ¡°I have something for you. I was told to give this to you¡­¡± Thinking about it for a moment, it probably wasn''t best to tell her about Meryll¡¯s death. Not here, not now. Not like this. ¡°...by an old woman on the street.¡± Handing her the letter, I watched her smile at me. ¡°Five years¡­ I do hope they pass quite quickly. I''m excited to see your growth, child.¡± Then, she turned on her heel, and made her way off into the distance. I would continue to fight, but my spar with Claire had made one thing clear. I wasn''t even close to good enough at magic just yet. I was nowhere near standing at the peak. Being able to use more than one element was nothing if I couldn''t put the time in to master and learn to use them in tandem. And with the threat, now, of the New World Order knowing who I was and even going so far as to take an interest in me¡­ strength was needed more than ever¨C especially since I knew nothing of their motives other than the fact they were dangerous. I wouldn''t let my family suffer because of me and my weakness. I was going to hold on tightly to them, just like Meryll had instructed me, never losing sight of what I wanted to protect. And so I''d get stronger, no matter what it took. Chapter 25: To Adventure Or Not To Adventure TWO YEARS LATER XENO''S POV We hadn''t been able to escape the check for the reincarnated Veritas, the Ascender and so-called God of War. However, to my surprise, nobody had been chosen¨C this all seemed to be a ruse for the king to abduct all of the homeless children and make them into soldiers he could use like tools in his endless battles¡­ which had no goal, it seemed. He merely wanted to remain at the top¨C and the best way to do so was to crush everyone else underneath his feet. And as such, Arwan, Deianira, Evanora, and I now found ourselves in a military training camp¨C though it was closer to slavery and child labour than anything else¨C in the forests on the outskirts of the city of Veda. In comparison to our previous life, we were fed consistently and had beds¨C but none of the previous freedoms. Left with nothing but scraps and a blade in hand, learning to fight for a corrupted, tyrannical king. It wasn¡¯t the life I wanted, yet, it was the life that I had been forced to conform to. Waking up at the crack of dawn wasn¡¯t fun. I slept in a barrack on a bunk bed with Arwan, in rows near to the other boys¨C Deianira and Evanora with the girls on the opposite side of the camp. As our instructor called us to attention, we lined up in the middle of the camp, standing with our backs straight and not a hair out of place. If there was, Instructor Grey would likely punish us¨C Arwan had told me before about how the last guy was forced to run from camp to the city centre and back carrying a pail of water¡­ and if he spilled a drop, he was forced to repeat it until he didn¡¯t. Arwan nudged me with a small smirk, pointing towards the man. His ashen hair was dishevelled, and he looked older than normal, spit flying as he proceeded to scream at some of the newer recruits. I couldn¡¯t deny I felt bad, but Arwan¡¯s constant nudging and joking around caused me to let out a small, but audible giggle. Instructor Grey turned, his eyes setting on me as he stalked over, seething. The closer he got, the further back I leaned. ¡°Would you mind telling us all what, exactly, is so funny,¡± He spoke, every word dripping with hatred, before leaning down to scrutinise the small plaque sewn into Arwan and I¡¯s shirts, ¡°#200 and #199?¡± In the camp, the trainees were ranked from 1 to 200 in order of skill. Those ranked within the top 50 got greater perks, such as better beds, better food, and joining the actual army. I was ranked 200th, and Arwan was rather 199th. Deianira and Evanora were ranked somewhere between 50 and 100. Ranks were determined by strength, skill, and amount of soul. Due to the fact I had very little, barely enough to reinforce my full body, and so, I was the weakest of the bunch. And because of it, the instructor picked on me more than he did anyone else. Arwan could easily rise above 199th¨C I was sure of it. But why he refused to maximise his potential, I wasn¡¯t sure. Instructor Grey turned, motioning for us to follow him as we broke the line of recruits, the laughter of the others more than audible in my ears¨C they were doing it on purpose, just so I could hear it. ¡°#200¡¯s done it again!¡± ¡°...What a weakling. He shouldn¡¯t even be here.¡± ¡°Ugh, he¡¯s just going to get beaten up again. What a waste of everyone¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Ew, he¡¯s even looking at us. What a freak.¡± ¡°He should be sent to live amongst those uncivilised human mutts, since he''s got the same level of soul as them.¡± Arwan patting my back slowly dragged me away from their voices and into reality. His voice was calm and playful as usual, a break from the monotonous life I was now confined to. At times like these, I was grateful to have my best friend, more grateful than I was for anything else. ¡°Now, since these two clearly believe that their joke is more important than learning combat, how about they show us what they know? #90 and #71, pass them your blades.¡± More snickers followed, and I let out a groan. Two girls with light-pink hair reluctantly passed us their blades, and we faced each other down. The sharp blowing of a whistle pierced my ears, and our training match began. My physical abilities were average¨C and my soul was¡­ below average. Logically, our matchup was a clear and easy win for Arwan¨C but I had spent my time studying him, taking notes in terms of how he fought. It took him quite a while to get serious, playing with his food more than often. ¡°Tell you what, Xeno. If you manage to land a hit on me, I¡¯ll consider this your win!¡± ¡°I accept.¡± I lunged at Arwan, who dodged effortlessly as though I was moving at a snail¡¯s pace. Which, in comparison to him, I probably was. Attempting to reach him, we danced across the dirt in an unusual rhythm, all of my strikes very nearly hitting him but missing by a hair. Was he doing this on purpose to tease me? I couldn¡¯t tell, but it grew tiresome. My body was becoming fatigued, and I couldn¡¯t keep up with him. My brain was my only positive. In comparison to most of the recruits, I was smarter. That was my talent. Instead of spending my days working as hard as they did, I noted down what they did. The way they fought. And used it to build counter strategies against them. In an actual fight, I wouldn¡¯t have nearly enough time. I¡¯d need to work faster. But for now, this was enough¨C so it was time to deploy the Arwan counter. Instead of attacking, I slowly but surely began to back off whilst enticing him to go on the offensive, so I wasn¡¯t wasting unnecessary energy. Every movement I made was merely to block and nothing else, but I was sloppy. Yet that was good, as it got him cocky, overconfident. As he lunged in, I also took a step forward, twisting my body sideways and off to the right, my left foot stepping on his right, keeping it in place. Turning around, I swung my own blade, hitting him on the back. The entire camp fell silent, and I glanced towards Arwan, who was grinning at me. He hit me on the back the same way as before, but harder, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, wrapping me in a friendly headlock as we made our way back to the line. ¡°You did it, Xeno. I said if you hit me, you win. And I¡¯m a guy who sticks to his word. How does it feel to be the victor for the first time ever?¡± ¡°It feels¡­. Good.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Cherish that,¡± He said with a laugh, ¡°It¡¯ll be a while before I ever let you beat me with something as stupid as that again.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have to, since I¡¯ll beat you properly next time.¡± ¡°Whatever you say. I¡¯m excited to see that.¡± ¨C ATLAS REYES¡¯ POV My eyes blinked open, a yawn escaping my mouth. It had been a while since I had a dream of my past life as Xeno¨C though, I didn¡¯t exactly mind reminiscing every once in a while. Isabella lay curled up on the pillow beside me, still sleeping peacefully as I removed the covers from my body and sat up, fingers curling around the hairbrush on my bedside table. It had been approximately two years since the Succession Ritual Tournament. I was now 14, and had spent the time with my family, simply enjoying life and getting used to it all, finally settled into my existence as Atlas. Sometimes, I still referred to myself as Xeno. In my heart, I thought, I always would. But I knew I needed to let that go. Xeno was dead, and Atlas lived in his place. I rarely ever saw Hua, considering she was incredibly busy now that she was the crown princess. As for Feng and Yuxi¡­ I hadn¡¯t heard much about them, other than the fact they scarcely ever left their rooms nowadays after the public humiliation they had experienced due to the tournament and its aftermath. It was better, I supposed, than being put to death. If they had been anything but royalty, they would have been executed. But once again, birthright came into play, altering even justice itself, blindfolded as it was. Headmistress Ambrose sometimes came around, noticeably more often than I met Hua lately¨C which was a low bar¨C to check on her ¡®little penta-elemental prodigy¡¯, which was fair enough. As I was the only one on the continent, the bragging rights of having trained me were¡­ well, incredibly great. She couldn¡¯t be having me fall into the hands of someone else. I could certainly imagine her wanting to show me off to her friends, having the personality she did. She never questioned me about the letter, but I was almost certain she knew of my connection to Meryll. Why didn''t she ask, though, I wasn¡¯t too sure of. The woman¡¯s brain was too complicated to decipher, nor did I care enough to even try to do so. Hua¡¯s 16th birthday was soon approaching, I noted, as I brushed the knots from my hair. Hua was one year older than I was¨C however, there was a short period each year where she was two years older than me for a few months as my birthday hadn¡¯t happened yet. Having completely brushed the knots from my hair, I tied it into a low ponytail with a short strip of black fabric, shaking Isabella awake, who let out a grunt before leaping up and onto my shoulder, already hearing my mother and father downstairs. Today was the day I planned to tell them about my wishes to become an adventurer. Considering my physical age, I couldn¡¯t exactly simply go without their permission, and it was also out of respect for the ones who had raised this body before I had taken over. ¨C The conversation almost went exactly as I had expected¨C my mother wasn¡¯t happy, in the slightest, as I was chased around the table, my father doing his best to hold her back¡­ and failing quite badly. ¡°No! I won¡¯t let you disappear again!¡± She shrieked, leaning over the table in a desperate attempt to pick me up. ¡°You disappeared the last time, and, what, came back three years later having almost died multiple times! I know, Atlas! I know that you¡¯re not telling us things, and¡­¡± Her voice wobbled, sadness evident as she sat back in the chair, my father¡¯s arm wrapped around her shoulder as he rubbed circles on her back. ¡°...and I¡¯m scared. We both are. You get yourself into such dangerous situations, Atlas. Situations that no child your age should be going through¨C what if next time, you ended up dead? I mean, children your age are hanging out with their friends. What about that academy Miss Ambrose talked about?¡± My gaze fell to the floor. I couldn¡¯t imagine how worried she was, as I had never been a mother before. She had my best interests at heart, and I was grateful for all of their love. It was a love I hadn¡¯t experienced before, a love that if you were to ask the past me, I would have said it was impossible to feel. But ultimately, it was for them that I did all these things. It was for them I needed strength, and lots of it. The war that Isabella had first spoken of was constantly in the back of my mind. Where I was now wasn¡¯t close to enough to keep them safe through it. I couldn¡¯t face the rising tide, not just yet. In terms of magic and soul usage, I was far superior to my previous life, who was forced to rely on nothing but his brain. But even that¡­ I¡¯d need to become stronger, better than I ever had been in order to protect them. Before, I¡¯d survived because I had nothing to take care of but my own life. No friends, family, and romantic relationships were fleeting, never deep enough for me to truly say I cared. With everything I had gained as a person in this life, becoming more of a person than the emotionless husk I was previously, I¡¯d need far more strength to keep it all safe. ¡°Mum, I¡¯d be too young for them. I wouldn¡¯t be able to fit in, or make sense.¡± I said with a chuckle, to which she looked at me, an expression of shock on her face, deep in thought. ¡°I want to go out and experience the world just like Dad did, just like you did before you settled down and had me. I want to see what the world is like for myself before I go to the academy.¡± ¡°He has a fair point, Elizabeth.¡± ¡°B-but Caspian, he¡¯s only 14! He could get hurt or, or¨C¡± ¡°The Lizards are returning from Krystallos in a few days. We could ask them to go with him for extra protection.¡± My father suggested. My mother seemed to be slowly but surely relaxing due to the fact we both had good points, though I could tell she was still ultimately reluctant to honour the request. Upon hearing the Lizards¡¯ name, I perked up. Not only was I surprised to hear them from my father¡¯s mouth, I was also¡­ happy to know that they were okay. After Jasper and the way Hua and I fell from the cliff, we hadn¡¯t been in contact since. ¡°You know the Lizards?¡± ¡°Yes. As a matter of fact, whilst we were putting up missing person fliers around the city a few years ago, they came to us and told us they had seen you. We didn¡¯t believe them¨C not until we saw you through the projection magic.¡± My mother remained silent, but my father nudged her. ¡°Besides, I think I¡¯m more worried about what he¡¯ll do to his enemies.¡± She let out a sigh. ¡°Fine. But under some conditions. One, you must remain in contact with us. Letters every night. Two, you must remain with the Lizards, as they will be your guardians during that time. Three, you have to prioritise your own safety. I know how you can be, but you need to promise me you¡¯ll stay safe. Four, you will be returning for your 17th birthday, so you can attend the academy. Five, you can leave after Hua¡¯s birthday party in a few days¡¯ time. She¡¯d probably be sad if you left before then. Also, we need the time to sort out your equipment.¡± I could accept her rules. After all, she was letting me go, and as such, I didn¡¯t have room to complain, the excitement from also being able to see the Lizards again flowing freely through me as my lips curved upwards into a beaming grin. Making my way around the table and over to her, I embraced her, before pulling away quickly. I had never been good at expressing my feelings, having locked them away for years, but I tried. ¡°I¡¯ll stay safe, Mum. I promise. I¡¯ll return in one piece.¡± ¡°You say you will, but I can¡¯t help but worry about you.¡± ¡°...I know. I¡¯ll try my hardest.¡± I was going to come back to them, no matter what. I promised myself that much. Chapter 26: Reunion Waiting for the Lizards¡¯ arrival had caused the next few days to pass quickly, as I was kept up at night at the mere thought of seeing them all again. Mari, Nessa, Makko, Anthony¡­ being able to show them just how much I¡¯d learned and just how strong I¡¯d become excited me like nothing else. In some ways, I considered them, too, to be a part of my extended family¨C especially after what we¡¯d been through together. I also wondered how they were managing, considering that Jasper had been their leader. The knock on the door alerted me to their presence, and as I had been pacing up and down the house for the past ten minutes (which was unusual for me), I was the first one to reach the doorknob. Mentally preparing myself for the final time, convincing myself that this was indeed real, I twisted the handle and pulled the door open. I was met with Nessa and Mari, and behind them Anthony and Makko. Nessa wasted almost no time tackling me to the floor at such speed I was certain I couldn''t have dodged even when using Blink. Though, despite the fact that my body was constantly augmented by soul, which cushioned my fall, I still had to deal with the weight of the grown woman on top of me. Anthony, Mari, and Makko gazed down at me, presumably taking in my features, which were older than the eleven year old boy they had come to know. Nessa pulled herself to her feet, composing herself before speaking. ¡°How the hell did you survive that fall, kid? We all¡­ thought you died.¡± Nessa glanced towards the other three, whose eyes had all dropped towards the floor as they seemed to be looking anywhere but me. Quickly changing the subject, Makko patted me on the back as I got to my feet, a grin on his face. ¡°Well, it''s good that you lived. Not only that, but we hear that you somehow managed to win the Succession Ritual Tournament! Man, you scare me¡­¡± He punched my arm lightly, which caused Anthony to chuckle and speak. ¡°I always knew he was a monster¡­ winning that thing at 12?¡± I should have laughed along with them, but that word¨C ¡®monster¡¯¨C caused my heart to twist slightly. However, I pushed it away, smiling up at them. ¡°So, how''s the adventuring business been going?¡± ¡°Well, we recently went to Krystallos as you know,¡± Nessa said, ¡°But other than that, we''ve been notified that we''re supposed to be guarding you soon enough. And honestly, I''m more worried about how we¡¯re expected to guard you¡­.¡± ¡°And what about a leader? Because Jasper''s¨C¡± ¡°Funny you mention that, actually. Our new leader is¡­¡± Mari raised her hand shyly. To be honest, it wasn''t exactly what I had expected. Mari was the quieter type, rather shy and awkward. But looking beneath that, I could see leadership qualities. Calm and collected in difficult situations. Able to speak her mind when it mattered. Though she didn''t have much of a voice all the time, she had one when it was needed most. The heart of the Lizards had never been Jasper. No, it had been Mari all along. I merely smiled, extending my hand out to her. She took it, and shook it gingerly. She would grow into it, just like I had. With time, care, and effort. ¡°I''ll be in your care, then.¡± ¡°I-I''ll try my best¡­¡± My hand let go of hers quickly as I felt a presence at the top of the stairs, which quickly approached. In a blur of white, Isabella shot towards me¨C as I had left her sleeping¨C before I caught her like a dodgeball, close to my chest as the force dispersed. ¡®The hell was that for?!¡¯ ¡®You didn''t wake me up,¡¯ She complained, ¡®I would have missed them!¡¯ ¡®They don''t even know you exist, the hell do you mean?!¡± ¡®Yeah, but I know they exist.¡± Our argument continued for a few more seconds, before I became conscious of those around me wondering why I was glaring daggers at a white furball. Isabella uncurled, before leaping up onto my shoulder and giving them a look of acknowledgement. ¡°Kuu!¡± ¡°This is my bond, Isabella. I found her shortly after we parted, and she hasn''t left my side since.¡± ¡°What species even is she?¡± Makko piped up. ¡°I don''t actually know, to be honest. Some sort of horned wolf.¡± I was used to lying through my teeth to those around me. The lack of remorse from my past life had carried on into this one, and I still couldn''t bring myself to feel anything, even if I hurt them as badly as I had hurt Yao, Yuxi, Elowen, and Liam. Only those who could afford it had the luxury of feeling bad for their enemies in battle. They were nothing but numbers to me. My mother''s voice broke me out of my thoughts, as it always did. She had a habit of bringing me back to reality and down to earth, even when I questioned myself and the legitimacy of my own decisions. Sometimes, I feared what she would say. When she found out I was an imposter in the body I lived in, a leech that was living through imitating her dead son. Would she still look at me, smile at me, love me the same? As much as I didn''t want to admit it, the thought of being pushed away haunted my nightmares just as much as losing them did. ¡°I''m glad you''re all having fun reuniting, but remember, we have to go clothes shopping today. We can''t attend the princess¡¯ birthday looking shabby, you know?¡±Stolen novel; please report. ¡ª We spent most of the day ambling around aimlessly, trying a few sets of clothes out before finally choosing. However, I had other plans. After gaining permission, I broke away from the group once more, having left Isabella with my family, heading to the all-too-familiar alleyway where Hotaru¡¯s smithy was. That day, I wasn''t asking her for a sword¨C at least, not for me. It was to purchase a birthday present for Hua. I had thought over what I could get her numerous times, but I never seemed to settle on simply one thing. What would work best with her character? What would she benefit from? No, it wasn''t just about utility. What would she like? Searching around Hotaru''s shop whilst hearing her in the background, my eyes caught nothing which I thought would be of Hua''s tastes. Now that I thought about it, I didn''t know what she would like. For all the time we''d fought together, laughed together, lived together, almost died together¨C I still knew little to nothing about her interests. Perhaps that was likely a result of my past life''s actions interfering in my current ones. Even then, those who I had fought together to the bitter end with were nothing more than pawns in a game I controlled. I wasn''t as strong, fast, or as talented as others¨C so I used their strengths to my own advantage and devoured them whole. Even then, we were so close, yet worlds apart. In reaching distance, but never able to touch. This whole time, I had never considered what she was to be. Well, she was a ¡®friend¡¯. I hadn''t had a friend since Arwan, Deianira, and Evanora. Ever since I had lost them, I didn''t dare grow close to another. She was as important to me as they had been... ¡­No. I couldn''t say that. That was far too bold a statement. They had been my everything when we were children. When we believed that our wishes would come true, when we dared to dream of dreaming. Before those dreams fell from the sky, and shattered like broken glass on the cold concrete of reality. ¡°You alright, kid? You''ve been staring into space for a while now.¡± I didn''t realise I had been lost in thought until Hotaru''s voice dragged me back to reality. Rising from the crouching position I had been in, I turned to face her. ¡°Ah¨C I¡¯m sorry. I didn''t realise.¡± ¡°You can make it up to me by telling me what''s got you so stumped, though.¡± ¡°It''s¡­ nothing.¡± ¡°No, go on. I''m interested. You don''t seem like the type to freeze up in thought.¡± ¡°I''m struggling to pick a gift for my friend, Hua. I just¡­ feel like I don''t know anything about her.¡± Hotaru cracked a wistful smirk, seemingly thinking deeply on what I had said to her. After about a moment, her head raised, and she motioned for me to follow her into the back of the shop. I hadn¡¯t been there since forging Genesis¨C and it was certainly more cluttered than the last time I¡¯d seen it, with forging equipment simply lying around where anyone could steal it¨C or, the more likely option, trip and fall over them. ¡°Gimme a second,¡± She said, searching around amongst the various piles of stuff she had in there, before pulling a box out sharply with an ¡°Aha!¡±, turning to face me and holding it out in front of her. It was very dusty and quite clearly old, not having been opened in a while. In response, I raised an eyebrow, but she just grinned at me. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re going to become an adventurer, and since your friend¡¯s the crown princess, she won¡¯t be going with you. Right?¡± Nodding along, I allowed her to continue speaking without interrupting her flow. Sometimes she was too excitable for my liking¡­ ¡°Then, you¡¯ll need something to keep you two connected. And so, I present to you¡­¡± The box opened rather dramatically, and I peered closer. ¡°A¡­ pair of rings?¡± ¡°Not just any pair of rings! These rings analyse your soul core and your soul levels, before transmitting that information through the symbols engraved on them. That way, for her peace of mind, she¡¯ll know you¡¯re okay! Or if you¡¯re in any trouble¡­ which, knowing you, I doubt you will be.¡± I thought for a moment. Those would work well, almost too well, actually. They¡¯d do just fine as a birthday present, but I also needed to think about my mother¡¯s peace of mind as well. She¡¯d no doubt be worrying about me the entire time. Come to think of it, I also had quite a bit of money from Hua for being her knight after she¡¯d regained her status as princess fully. I could get everything I needed for my adventure, and there was no better blacksmith in the city than Hotaru herself. ¡°Could I get another pair? For my mother? She¡¯ll be worrying about me, too.¡± Hotaru nodded in response, going to get them, but I stopped her as I wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°I also need some other stuff¡­ boots with sound magic to silence them, some under-armour for my size, arm braces, fingerless gloves, and a long, black coat with a hood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot. You sure you¡¯ve got the funds for that, kid? I mean, I¡¯m certain I could find all that stuff for you, but¡­¡± A grin spread across my face as I raised up a large bag of gold, dropping it in front of me. In response, Hotaru simply nodded, before starting to search through her shop for everything I had requested. Ugh¡­. this was going to cost a lot, I could already feel it. ¡ª Hotaru was firm, but I drove a hard bargain, managing to get what I wanted whilst still having some money to spare. Carrying everything I had bought in a bag over my shoulder¨C I had somehow managed to cram everything in¨C I slowly made my way back to the group. Truthfully, it had been such a long time since I had gone anywhere without Isabella, I felt slightly lonely. Gods, I was pathetic now. The fact I needed the company would have been shameful for me in my past life. Or perhaps we both needed it¨C I had just gotten so used to being alone I didn''t even realise how much I longed for the company of another. ¡®Did you miss me?¡¯ Isabella¡¯s smug voice resounded through my head. I glanced around, looking for her, but she wasn''t there. ¡®If you''re looking for me, you won''t find me. I''m not there. We''re bonded, remember?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I remember. We''ve just never been this far apart before, so I didn''t think it would work.¡¯ ¡®Of course it does. I told you, I''m always with you. But hurry up! We''re waiting in the main square for you.¡¯ ¡®I will.¡¯ It was hard to hide my emotions from Isabella, considering we were bonded. However, there was always this sense of worry in the back of my mind that I couldn''t rid myself of. I''d noticed I was prone to losing myself to anger¨C or, those whispering thoughts in the back of my mind. Symptoms of insanity¨C yet I wasn''t insane. I''d never had such a problem in my past life. I''d never had such utterly destructive thoughts as murmuring undercurrents beneath my calmer thoughts. They only seemed to appear when my emotions were especially volatile, too, and took over my body in the brink of an eye, making me prone to do things I never would have otherwise. I still couldn''t feel remorse, that much was evident. But the way I behaved when those thoughts surfaced was beyond what I was used to. Shaking the feeling off¨C I''d have to investigate it later, but for now it was best not to let Isabea know¨C I hurried towards the main square, especially considering that they had undoubtedly been waiting there for me for quite a while. Slowing down as I approached my family and the Lizards, I raised a hand in greeting with a small smile. Isabella sat, perched on Mari''s shoulder, having taken a liking to her. ¡°Did you get whatever it was you needed?¡± My mother asked me, once I was in earshot. Calmly, I nodded in response. ¡°Yes¨C and I also got some adventuring equipment as well, so you guys don''t have to buy it for me.¡± It was the least I could do, since they were already allowing me to go on the journey in the first place despite the worry I had already caused them. Taking one of the ring boxes from my pocket, I handed one to my mother, who examined it carefully. ¡°It''s so you don''t worry about me. One is for you, one is for Hua, and the final one is for me. Both of yours are bonded to mine, which examines my core and my soul levels. If I ever get dangerously low¨C which I promise I won''t¨C the symbols on the ring will glow a dark crimson colour.¡± She slipped it on without wasting any time, as I put mine onto my finger as well. I doubted that anything I could face whilst out adventuring would be stronger than anything I had already fought¨C but I wasn''t about to bet on that. Adventuring was dangerous, but I was grateful for the Lizards being by my side. Isabella was company¨C but she was part of my mind. I needed proper company to make sure I didn''t properly lose myself to those thoughts that were normally confined to the back of my mind. Chapter 27: The Ball Hua''s birthday was a large event, even though she had requested for it to be small and close-knit. I likened it to the coming of age ceremonies they held in my past life. My home world¨C Altruia¨C was riddled with a large divide between the rich and poor, with most children like me not knowing when they had been born. But the rich and the strong often held large, grand parties for their children. This was no different, I noted, as we all stood before the castle. In the darkness, it was lit up beautifully¨C and, I recalled, the last time I was there was with Hua, before I had met the king for the first time. Today, we were there simply to have fun and to party. My family and I were dressed as formally as possible, my mother putting on a dress she hadn''t worn in years and my father wearing a suit, my two sisters wearing small dresses. I had decided on a simple black suit with a tie, Isabella perched on my left shoulder. I had heard certain figures would be in attendance, ones that didn¡¯t normally come into the city¨C Xiao being one of them. Seeing his name on the list had surprised me¨C the guy was a hermit and wasn¡¯t the type to leave his forest for anything. Especially not after what had happened to Meryll. Quite frankly, we hadn''t spoken since then, not that we had to. I still held a lingering grudge due to what had happened with Diana, but the rational side of me pushed past that for a mutual goal. After that goal had been reached, however, there was nothing tying us together any longer. We were nothing more than two strangers brushing past each other on a crowded street amongst thousands of others, as though we hadn''t almost died together. After showing our invitations to the guards, they allowed us inside, and the castle was far more decorated than it had been the last time I''d been there. My sisters were immediately enticed by all of the lights created through magic, and I could already tell Ti¨¡n had spared no expense to ensure the birthday party was as lavish as possible, much to Hua''s dismay. The room was covered from head to toe, with Hua herself not around¨C likely fashionably late, but I could see both Ti¨¡n and Mei, as well as Feng and Yuxi. Even Xiao was in view, sitting in a corner and drinking what looked to be wine instead of mingling. I wasn''t surprised. In the background, classical music played from a band set up in the corner. Little bits of ice shaped like glitter fell from the room constantly, the light bouncing off of them and dancing in a myriad of colours before my eyes. ¡®It¡¯s certainly very pretty,¡¯ Isabella commented, ¡®The king clearly spent quite a bit of money on it.¡¯ ¡®I know, it¡¯s almost too much.¡¯ My attention was immediately dragged away from the conversation as I felt a slow tapping on my other shoulder, head whipping around to face its source. Feng and Yuxi stood before me, their hands tucked behind them as I glanced them up and down. Giving them a cold stare, I wasted no time getting to the point. ¡°What do you want? I would like to enjoy my evening.¡± I spoke calmly, yet there was an undertone of slight impatience. I didn''t want to deal with them tonight. By now, I could already tell what they were going to say, but that didn''t stop me from deciding to hear them out. Yet, I was surprised. ¡°I¨C we''re sorry,¡± Feng started, ¡°For everything that we did to Hua, and the way you were dragged in. It was wrong of us to harm that br¨C our sister, and an innocent person like that, and though we know nothing will ever make up for that, we wanted to express our apologies.¡± I raised my hand as she finished speaking, silently signalling that enough had been said. Isabella glanced down at me, and I looked back. Perhaps, if I was the child I was supposed to be, I would have accepted the apology and that would be that. But having lived the life I had, I couldn''t simply look past everything they had done as though it had never happened. I wasn''t that nice. ¡°Your apology is appreciated, though, you are right. It won''t make up for what you did, not ever¨C and I¡¯m not even the one you should be apologising. Hua is. She''s the one you hurt. However,¡± I offered a small smile, ¡°if you take the time and strive to be better people, I suppose I can forget a little of what happened.¡± They were both a long way off from changing fully, but they were trying. That much was good enough, at least for now. They both nodded, accepting what I had said, and walked off to enjoy the party. Exhaling¨C I hadn''t even realised I was holding my breath, to be honest¨C I looked back to Isabella. ¡®I''m surprised. I didn''t expect that from you. I thought you were going to¡­ curse them, or something.¡¯ ¡®I can be nice and forgiving when I want to be.¡¯ ¡®Yes, of course. Absolutely.¡¯ ¡®Why, you little¡­¡¯ ¡ª After I was done conversing with Isabella, which had only taken a few seconds at most, I walked slowly over to my family, hands in pockets. The Lizards stood, laughing and joking with each other, and I couldn''t help but enjoy the pleasant atmosphere. It wasn''t something to take for granted after all, not with what approached for me. I hadn''t even told Hua I was leaving, to be honest. She was so busy, and I didn''t think it was necessary anyway. She kept things from me, and vice versa. Besides¨C we would always be an arm''s length away from each other. We could never be truly friends, not with me being reincarnated. She could never find out about who I truly was, as the faces of her and those I cared about contorted into looks of horror were often vividly painted into my dreams. Was that what she would look at me like? The same cold-hearted monster everyone else had seen the vast majority of my previous life? Biting back a small hiss, I waved at my mother, who rose from her seated position and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. ¡°Are you enjoying the party?¡± She asked, a smile on her face. It had been a while since I had seen her so peaceful, so happy, and a small part of me wanted to stay, just so she wouldn''t have to worry. But I knew that in order to protect that happiness, happiness that was so utterly fragile, I needed to become strong. And for that, I needed to spread my wings and fly, to forget my old world and throw myself fully into this one. ¡°I am, Mum. It''s all a bit¨C new,¡± I explained, ¡°I''ve never seen so many people in one building. It feels a bit¡­ weird, to be honest.¡± She smiled, taking me over to my dad and my sisters who were sitting on the marble steps. Next to them stood Mari and Nessa who were talking, though I couldn''t figure out what about. Not that I cared anyway, it was none of my business. Sitting beside my father, I allowed Evelyn to sit in front of me.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Big brother! Do my hair!¡± ¡°What do you say?¡± My mother asked her, to which she nodded. ¡°Pleeeeease?¡± I smiled. ¡°Of course. Your wish is my command, your highness!¡± ¡°Me too! Me too!¡± Lucy''s voice followed immediately after, as she squeezed in next to her sister to sit in front of me as well. ¡°You both will get your turn, don''t worry.¡± I smiled softly. It still didn''t get my mind off the fact that when I returned from my adventure, they would both be 9 years old¨C three years of their lives I would never get back. Yet it was three years I couldn''t simply spend standing idly by. War was approaching. I had known this since I had awoken in this new body¨C and with the lingering threat of the New World Order in the background, it appeared that things would be growing more tumultuous, and fast. Unable to shake the anger I had felt after losing to Claire with little effort on her part, I knew I had to get stronger. Perhaps that lingering hatred was a good thing, pushing me to get stronger¨C both Isabella and I. We were still far too weak, and at this rate, we wouldn''t be able to protect anyone. Meryll¡¯s words still lingered in my mind. ¡®Become strong enough to write the ending.¡¯ I still knew very little about who or what she was, except for the fact that those who had existed for aeons referred to her as ¡®Mother¡¯. Why, I couldn''t tell. I had noticed that whilst I remembered my past life as Xeno, parts of my memories were patchy, even before I was reincarnated. As though someone had intentionally cut out bits of it in order to stop me from remembering things. Who Isabella was, and how she was involved in this war was still a mystery to me¨C but I was desperate to find out. She was the key to finding out why I had been saved, for what purpose I hadn''t died like the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in Altruia. But for now, it was okay to enjoy the time I had with my sisters and my family, fleeting as I knew it would be. Every second meant the world to me. If only Arwan, Deianira, and Evanora were here with me. Then, this life would have been beyond perfect. ¨C My attention was drawn, as I quickly finished up Evelyn''s hair done into a simple bun, to the top of the staircase as we quickly moved backwards and away, the entire hall falling silent. From the top, the door was pushed open¡­ and Hua arrived¨C late, as I knew she would have been. The entire hall erupted into clapping, as I spent a moment taking her in. She was¡­ the brightest star in the room, to put it simply. Her hair had a brain tied into it on either side, from the top of her hair and ending around her ears. The excess was left to hang in a fringe or pulled into two buns on either side of her head, with a small yet intricate fengguan perched atop her head. Her hanfu swept across the floor as she descended the stairs, everyone''s eyes on her. Various male nobles made their way to the front, falling over one another whilst trying to get the chance to ask her to dance with her. The first dance was saved for her, after all, and it would be both a great honour and a great opportunity to dance with and gain the favour of the crown princess. Yet her green eyes never landed on any of them. It appeared she was staring at something¡­ but what? Immediately afterwards, I felt everyone''s eyes on me. Why were they looking? Had I done something wrong? Messed up again? A billion thoughts went through my head, moving at a mile a minute. The answer became clear as Hua got closer, the crowd of nobles parting like the seas at her command. Her footsteps became audible, their rhythm elegant and slow, as she knew her worth. Hua made people wait for her, and she wasn''t going to hurry for anyone. That was who she was. Hua stopped, standing right in front of me, and before I realised, she had extended a white, gloved hand in front of me. It took a second, but what I had to do clicked in my head. Of everyone in that room, she had chosen to dance with me first. I couldn''t fathom why¨C after all, out of everyone, I was a commoner. A simple commoner boy¨C her friend, yes, but just a commoner. The only thing I was good at was fighting. I couldn''t give her anything she deserved. But she still chose me, and I couldn''t deny her in front of all these people. Dropping onto one knee, I took up her hand. ¡°May I have this dance, Your Highness?¡± Isabella leapt from my shoulder, padding over to my mum as I got to my feet, one hand wrapping around Hua''s mid-back, the other taking her hand in mine as her hand rested on my shoulder, our eyes locked as we danced across the room as though we had done this a thousand times before, everyone gathered in a circle. Though, I couldn''t deny I had forgotten their existence as we moved in sync, entangled in our own little world for a few seconds. Her green orbs were all I needed, in those moments. She was all I needed. And the dance ended, slowly but surely, as I let go of her. And we parted once more, the nobles immediately circling round her as she disappeared from view. ¡®Oooh, look at you! Someone''s got a bit of noble in him.¡¯ Isabella''s voice echoed in mind, teasing ¡®Oh, shaddup. It''s just something I picked up from having to attend lots of parties in my old life. Thankfully Lady Sara taught me more, otherwise I would''ve just made a fool of myself.¡¯ ¡®Lady Sara?¡¯ ¡®She was like my¡­ caretaker for a time, if you will. A mentor, almost, before she was killed by¡­. by Emperor Caelus.¡¯ Although we were talking within my mind, my tone suddenly dropped to rather sombre and somewhat reserved. Lady Sara''s death was a sore subject for me. Especially since much like with Evanora, I had been able to do nothing about it, not with all the power and strength I once had. They were my breaking point, their deaths hitting so hard and so quickly one after the other it felt like I had no one left to rely on, like all I had left was slipping through my fingers and I could do nothing but watch it happen right before my eyes. I couldn''t take losing anyone else, so I pushed Arwan and Deianira away and shut my emotions off in the hopes that I wouldn''t have to feel the pain ever again. People became nothing more than tools to me because I knew when it came down to it, I couldn''t handle losing them too. ¡®I¡­ see. Tough subject?¡¯ ¡®You could say so.¡¯ ¡®You need not continue on, then. I won''t pry.¡¯ ¡®...Thank you, Isabella.¡¯ ¡®For what? This is nothing.¡¯ ¡®For being by my side. It might seem like nothing to you in the grand scheme of things, but I need a rock. Someone to keep me anchored, keep me sane, so I don''t fall into despair like I did before.¡¯ ¡®You don''t have to mention it. That much was always a given.¡¯ I smiled, and extended my hand out to my bond, who leapt up onto my arm and made her way to my shoulder. A hand scratched her chin, and she let out a sharp ¡°kuu!¡± along with a yawn. A figure brushed past my arm, and only upon looking down did I realise it was Hua. As she did so, she muttered a few words in my ear. ¡°Meet me outside.¡± I wondered what that was all about. Chapter 28: Rifts X¨©NG HUA''S POV My fingers tapped against the railing of the balcony as I waited for Atlas to come out, along with, mostly likely, Isabella. A multitude of emotions were running through me at that moment, but the largest one was anger. After finishing my dance with him and escaping the nobles¡¯ grasp, I had talked to his parents and siblings for a bit where I found out he was planning on becoming an adventurer. I wouldn''t have been so angry had he simply told me. However, despite the fact he had likely been planning this for a long time, I had never found out. He had never spared the time to simply come and tell me he would be leaving. And that made me wonder what our friendship even meant to him. Atlas was a very mysterious person. His mind was a maze, and his thought process wasn''t clear. Since we were young, he had always acted with wisdom beyond his years, as though he had lived an entire lifetime already. I wasn''t privy to his thoughts and feelings about me, but I had least was cast that I meant just as much to him as he did to me. But maybe I was wrong, and maybe I had misjudged the distance between us after all. He had constantly kept himself at an arm''s length away from me, never capable of touching. He did the same to everyone else, too. I wasn''t blind. I could see the way he put up a front when talking to people, even me. Everyone but his bond, I noticed, yet that was because she was just as much a part of him as his own thoughts. My tapping had slowly increased in speed, until I heard the opening of the sliding door behind me and footsteps approaching. Atlas stood to my right, gazing out across the city, which was lit up with lanterns and the stars twinkling elegantly in the night sky. Turning to him, my gaze was nothing but cold. If he was surprised, he didn¡¯t show it, looking back at me as Isabella leapt from his shoulder and onto the balcony, clearly more interested in watching the stars than listening to the two of us. The silence was heavy and very weighted, blanketing us both until I broke it with a simple question. ¡°You weren¡¯t going to tell me that you were leaving, were you?¡± His gaze was cast downwards towards the floor for a moment, but he quickly lifted his chin up to look at me in the eyes, getting a little closer. However, I immediately kept my distance by moving backwards. ¡°Hua¨C¡± I cut him off sharply. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®Hua¡¯ me! You weren¡¯t going to tell me anything! If your mother hadn¡¯t told me, I would have been left in the dark, just like usual.¡± I snapped at him, but his expression still didn¡¯t change or even flinch. He still continued to look at me. And to be perfectly honest, this part of him scared me. The way he always seemed to be completely composed, yet breaking on the inside, slipping ever so slowly into insanity¡­ ¡­It frightened me. ¡°You always get treated like an adult. I''m the one that gets treated like a child. Because ¡®Hua''s too dainty'' to be told anything!¡± ¡°I don''t ask people to treat me like an adult, they just do. You should be enjoying your childhood!¡± ¡°And you shouldn''t?!¡± ¡°Listen, there''s something I need to do¨C¡± ¡°What is it, Atlas? What is it that it''s so important you need to leave for?!¡± ¡°...Forget about it. You wouldn''t understand anyway. I guess I was right in not telling you, then. You''re too immature after all.¡± His words stung, piercing my heart like a knife, twisting in before firmly lodging itself there. My entire world collapsed with the words he spoke, falling from the sky and shattering like glass, spreading into tiny little pieces across the floor. And with it, the glass ceiling that had been stopping my anger from boiling over had been broken, too. ¡°I''m not the immature one. You''re not normal, Atlas. You act like an adult when you''re a child, and you don''t fit in anywhere you go!¡± I yelled at him. ¡°I know what you did to those two in the tournament¨C it was crazy! Maybe I don''t want to go with you¡­ because maybe you''d do the same thing to me.¡± If it hurt him, he didn''t show it. But I desperately wanted him to, to prove my words wrong in that moment because the moment they escaped from my lips, I regretted them. But he didn''t. He simply stared at me coldly, his eyes glaring icy daggers into the depths of my soul. It was hard to believe we were the same people who had danced together perhaps ten minutes before. ¡°Maybe I would.¡± With that, Atlas turned on his heel, not even bothering to spare me a glance as he walked away. I wanted to tell him I was sorry, but the words died on my lips as my arm, slightly outstretched, fell back down to my side. What had I done¡­? But this wasn¡¯t entirely my fault. No, he hadn¡¯t told me what was going on! But I didn¡¯t need to lash out like that¡­. My head had turned to a mess, and my breath was coming in short gasps as I attempted to hold back the tears. But as I gagged, it slowly dawned upon me that there was no point, watching my vision become blurry as I cried, anguished sobs ripping from my throat, guttural and absolutely painstaking. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I was thankful, for the first time that night, to the band for playing so loudly, as it muffled my agonised cries, with the knowledge I had just willingly hurt my best friend. It was my fault, all my fault. And so the night ended, my crying finally subsiding as things drew to an untimely close. ¡ª ATLAS REYES¡¯ POV I had a feeling that Hua wasn¡¯t going to show to see me off, but it still stung, my eyes instinctively searching for her amidst the group of family and friends. Even the Headmistress had come, yet she was nowhere to be seen. Yet perhaps that was for the best, after our argument the previous night. As much as I had refused to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had hurt me with her words, she had. Every time she opened her mouth, I had felt the fact sink in deeper that I didn¡¯t belong. Nonetheless, I had to forge ahead. It didn¡¯t matter what she said, nor what she believed. The way I lived my life was my business, and mine alone. However, the way Isabella looked at me led me to believe she had something to say, and I wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡®Aren¡¯t you even going to try to make up with her?¡¯ ¡®Why would I? She started it.¡¯ I replied indignantly. ¡®She should be the one apologising to me! It¡¯s not like I care, anyway.¡¯ ¡®You say you don¡¯t care, but you¡¯re clearly taking much more offence from her words than you¡¯re trying to convince yourself you are.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not.¡¯ ¡®Look into my eyes and tell me that, then.¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ ¡®See what I mean?¡¯ ¡®Whatever.¡¯ Isabella rolled her eyes, and I turned my attention back to my parents and sisters. Lucynda tugged on my shirt, looking up at me. ¡°Big brother¡¯s leaving?¡± She asked, her eyes wide and staring. I almost wanted to lie, to tell her I wasn¡¯t going anywhere and that I¡¯d be right by her side. ¡°Not for a long time. I¡¯ll be back before you know it, Lucynda. With souvenirs, too!¡± ¡°Promise that you¡¯ll be back soon?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± My mother wasted no time, once Lucynda had made her way over to my father, enveloping in a big hug, burying her face in my neck. We stayed like that for a moment, my arms tentatively wrapped around her back before she let go, hands resting on my shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine,¡± She said reassuringly, though I was certain she was trying to convince herself of that. ¡°The ring won¡¯t ever go off, and¨C oh, why are you leaving?!¡± I smiled sadly. My father placed his hand gently on her shoulder, pulling her away from me and by his side, the way he looked at her saying everything. Then, he looked at me, and he wasn''t messing around like he usually did. ¡°You''re going to stay safe,¡± He said, ¡°And you''re not going to make your mother or I worry. You''re strong, son. But I worry about you.¡± I could understand his sentiment. In the future, I would be facing stronger and stronger enemies, and perhaps my current power wasn''t enough. I had been nothing more than a big fish in a small pond, and perhaps soon it was time I''d have that hammered into me. ¡°Yet I''m not going to leave this on a sad note. We''ll be waiting to hear from you, and when you return, which I know you will, we''ll train together again. Your father isn''t going to rest, either!¡± I smiled, nodding, turning on my heel and approaching the carriage that was at the end of the path. Before I could, however, I was stopped by Claire. ¡°I will do my best to protect your family,¡± She said simply, ¡°just like you were a friend to mine.¡± And with that, I joined the Lizards inside of the carriage. It trundled by slowly, travelling through the city at an even pace as we passed various fields of crops, the others speaking amongst themselves. It reminded me of the first time we were heading to X¨©ng¨C except now, we didn''t have an egotistical maniac out to kill us. If I faced him now, would I have the strength to win? It was something I thought about often. If I faced them all in my current state, would I be strong enough? Fast enough? Smart enough? Isabella snored in my lap, and it was one of the only times I caught her at peace. It was nice to see, especially since she was normally the one comforting me. Makko¡¯s voice immediately drew me out of my own thoughts, however. ¡°Have you come up with an idea as to what your adventurer name will be? I mean, you''ve got the mask, so calling yourself by your actual name would be a little redundant.¡± Taking out the mask I had found in Meryll''s attic, I ran my finger over it. It was white and smoothed, made out of some kind of polisher bone-like material. It had two, sloping eye holes, being completely and utterly featureless. I pondered it for a moment with a gentle yet monotonous hum, placing a hand to my lips. ¡°How about¡­ ¡®Anonymous''? We can call you Anon for short.¡± Mari''s voice piped up, quiet yet as firm as usual. She had grown, noticeably, from a shy girl, to confident¨C or maybe she''d always been that way, yet being hidden in Jasper¡¯s shadow, she hadn''t had the chance to shine. ¡°That could work, actually¡­ Anonymous. It has a nice ring to it, and it has nothing leading back to who I actually am.¡± As an adventurer, I knew that I''d be making enemies, and as such, I wanted to give them nothing they could use to find out who I really was, and therefore, target my family. This way, I''d become a whole new person. Slipping the mask onto my face, I exhaled. Even my breath seemed to be a semitone deeper, my eyes widening as I was unused to the new sound of myself. Pulling the strap of my bag tight, I could hear the carriage slowly coming to a halt outside a small building on the outskirts of the city. Pushing open the door, Makko stepped out onto cobbled pavement, which led up to the front of the building. It was a small, unassuming place, with an old look that would keep those that weren''t meant to be there away, but I had no doubt it was that way for a reason. ¡°This is the site of your adventurer''s exam,¡± Nessa declared. ¡°They change them every year, so not even we can be sure of what''s going to happen. However, we''ll be spectating elsewhere. Good luck.¡± She patted me on the back, as she and Makko re-entered the carriage and it proceeded to leave me and Isabella all alone. The wind whistled around me, and it was¡­ quiet. Unusually so. ''Well, that''s not ominous at all.'' Isabella muttered from within. ''...Yeah.'' Weren''t there other participants? Or were they already inside, perhaps? It was time to find out, I thought, as we approached the building, pushing open the door. Chapter 29: Adventurers Exam The door creaked open, and I was immediately met by eyes all on me. It was a range of people. Commoners, nobles, people from Sumeria, Hu¨¡g¨­ng, and Krystallos as well, though my glances at them were so fleeting I didn''t remember their faces. They all remained silent as I stepped inside, Isabella at my heels. The silence hung over us like a heavy blanket, until it was finally removed due to a voice. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting one.¡± A shiver passed down my spine, as though death had gone knocking on each vertebrae like a morbid xylophone. Though the words were spoken in a friendly tone, the weight it carried was far greater than the others. My eyes darted around, attempting to find its source, eventually latching onto a boy who looked to be my age, sitting at the end of the room on a chair, hands in his lap and two sheathed machetes propped up against the wall by his side. My eyes caught his hazel orbs glimmering in the dim light, flecks of grey scattered around his pupil. Drawing himself up to his full height, he made his way over from the chair, stopping right before me, before his face pulled into a grin. ¡°I think we¡¯ll get along.¡± His skin was a shade of almond brown, black dreadlocks styled in a half-ponytail running all the way down to his waist. Very slightly taller than I, he stood at around 5''5. Isabella let out a hiss, bristling at his presence, but I didn¡¯t respond, simply looking him up and down, any response hidden behind the mask anyway. ¡®You sense anything from him?¡¯ ¡®No. But he¡¯s definitely strong. Around your level, maybe.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll remember that, just in case we have to fight.¡¯ ¡°That seems to be everyone.¡± A voice sounded inside of my head, forcefully pushing Isabella¡¯s aside as I looked for where it could have come from, but everyone looked just as confused as I. ¡°Testing, testing. Can you all hear me?¡± A few nodded here and there. ¡°Okay, then. You might be wondering who I am. I¡¯m the head examiner for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, currently using sound magic to speak to you all nonverbally.¡± Ah, that made more sense to me now. ¡°You all will soon be teleported to an unknown location in pairs. Some pairs will have a flag. In order to pass the first round, you must get that flag to the location of the second test before the time runs out. And before you ask what the pairs who don¡¯t have a flag do¡­ Well, it¡¯s every pair for themself. Just steal it from someone else, I guess!¡± A laugh followed, the cruelty of the test quickly becoming apparent. Those that didn¡¯t have flags would target those that did, entering us into some sort of diabolical capture-the-flag battle royale. And I had no choice but to play by the rules. Nausea set into my mind as my body was thrown around, and before I knew it, I was no longer in the building. Eyes peeling back, I took in my surroundings. Trees, and I could feel grass beneath me, the smell of the forest all around. We had been teleported. A sense of dread quickly set in as I searched around by my side. Isabella! Sighing quietly with relief as my hand caught the familiar feeling of her fur, I sat up. In my belt was a small, red flag. Wait¡­. weren¡¯t we supposed to be transported in pairs? Turning to my right, my eyes landed on¡­ the boy from before. What a coincidence. I was starting to think someone had planned all this¡­ He was up and about before me, surveying the area before returning to my side. ¡°There¡¯s no one around. At least, from what I can te¨C¡± His voice was cut off by a flash of light, and then the opening of a screen similar to the ones used to portray the king¡¯s visage to the people at the Succession Ritual Tournament. Before us stood an overhead map of the forest, along with our current location and the area we were to head towards being marked out on it. The screen promptly disappeared, and the boy turned towards me. Extending a hand for me to shake, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m Aaliyah, a divergent ice elemental Evoker. And you are, my mysterious masked friend?¡± The way he spoke reminded me of Arwan, my thoughts drifting back to the memories I had of him. My¡­ best friend. And I had pushed him away¨C for what? But I couldn¡¯t think about that now. ¡°...Sorry, I drifted off for a moment. You can call me Anonymous.¡± ¡°Anonymous, huh? That¡¯s an interesting one. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve got a reason to hide your identity, so I won¡¯t ask anything more. Is that your bond there?¡± He pointed to Isabella. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s mine.¡± He nodded, and with that, we began our trek to the centre. ¡ª Aaliyah was a talkative yet mysterious person. Despite the fact he spent most of the walk talking to me, with me responding minimally, I couldn¡¯t figure anything out about him bar what he had told me. Isabella remained surprisingly silent, presumably spending the time detecting anything nearby. Though Aaliyah had told me his affinity, I had no indication of how strong he really was other than Isabella''s rough guess. ¡®Be on your guard. I can sense people approaching.¡¯This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Her warning came a little too late as I heard the thwip of an arrow moving through the air, moving my head slightly to the side to avoid it as it firmly lodged itself into a nearby tree. Glancing over to Aaliyah, it appeared he had already sensed them. The two figures dropped from a tree nearby, vines wrapping around Aaliyah''s legs. Nature magic? Getting a good look at them, I took note of their appearances. Black hair, green eyes, female. Carrying a staff¨C most likely the one that cast the spell, so a nature-affinity Evoker. Black hair, blue eyes, male, carrying an axe. Affinity unknown. As I was about to charge into the battle, I was stopped by Aaliyah¡¯s outstretched hand. The vines at his feet had crystallised, being covered over by a thick yet elegant layer of ice. As he moved, it crumbled, slowly approaching our opponents. Well, I wasn''t going to complain about the chance to see his abilities in further detail. As he walked, the ground beneath his feet became coated in a thin layer of frost, as though it was accommodating his existence. The air grew suddenly chilled, my body resorting to feeble shivers in order to regulate its temperature. But not him. He walked with confidence, towards our enemies who remained rooted in place due to fear. Stopping right before them, he stared downwards, as though he were gazing upon an ant from a god¡¯s perspective, the pressure he exerted on his surroundings akin to one as well. He didn¡¯t need to say anything, eyes portraying enough meaning for me, and them, to understand. He was giving them one chance. Only one. Or else here they would remain frozen, for all of eternity. After turning back to face me, he merely continued walking, and I took that as my cue, catching up. I, too, had been frozen in place. He hadn¡¯t even needed to say a word, with the pressure his existence caused enough to cause someone to lose their will to fight. I had been powerless before him¨C so much for Isabella saying we were the same level. Had we been on opposing sides¡­ I wasn¡¯t so sure I¡¯d have been able to win, now. Isabella trailed behind, not saying a word, though I could tell her thoughts were the same as mine. If he dared to turn on us, it would take everything we had in order to win. And that was a thought that left me unsettled, especially considering my past experiences with allies. I still thought of Jasper every now and then, and the impact he¡¯d had on my life. I despised him with every fibre of my being, and I knew I always would, but I couldn¡¯t deny his actions had forced me to change for the better. Perhaps now, I¡¯d be able to forge proper relationships with those around me and gain worthy allies¨C starting with him. Aaliyah would be invaluable in future, especially with the strength he had displayed, and I wasn¡¯t going to pass up on that. Quickening my walk to keep pace with him, I looked over. He had resumed his cheery demeanour quite quickly, it seemed; he was nothing like the person I¡¯d seen mere moments prior. ¡°So, uh, where are you from?¡± I asked tentatively. Hopefully, I¡¯d be able to get more information about him than I had in the past hour. ¡°If I had to guess, Sumeria. I¡¯m not really sure, to be honest¨C I was found as a baby on the side of the street by Gramps.¡± ¡°Gramps?¡± ¡°The man who took care of me. I just call him Gramps since I don¡¯t know his actual name.¡± ¡°... What do you think the second part of the exam is going to be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If I had to guess, probably a strength test from the instructors of some sort.¡± My eyes glossed over for a moment. A strength test, I could do well on¨C but my main concern was how much I''d have to hold back. I couldn''t merely show off my skills, not at this stage¨C if I was going to wear the mask and try and protect my family from the New World Order, I had to truly adopt the identity I was going for, and that meant leaving Atlas behind with his mother, father, and siblings. I could not be a penta-elemental sage, here¨C that was who Atlas was. Anonymous was something else. But that only begged the question: what element was I going to use? I was the strongest with fire, so it seemed like the most obvious choice. After all¨C I couldn''t put myself in danger by treating this journey like a mere training exercise. There would be times when I would battle beasts to the death, and for that, I need to be at my strongest. It was obvious to me which one I had to pick¨C with it only becoming clearer as we grew closer to the appointed location. The forest opened up into a clearing containing a stadium, with the entrance manned with guards who let us in upon seeing the flag. Entering first with Isabella at my heels and Aaliyah following suit, I reached the end of the long tunnel, and was met with the harsh glare of the unfiltered sun beating down on me unrelentingly. The smell of sweat filled the air, the clash of blades as steel met steel like music to my ears. ¡®It seems like the test has already begun for those who reached the location earlier than we did.¡¯ Isabella commented as I took a seat in the stands, leaping up into my lap and staring keenly out at the combatants as Aaliyah took a seat beside me. It was a pink-haired girl with a large battleaxe against an instructor¨C a red-headed woman holding a black metal staff with a blue orb attached to its end. Presumably an evoker, I thought. The pink-haired raised the battleaxe, before slamming it into the floor of the stadium. The earth rattled, and a large gash ripped through the stadium floor. So, she was an earth elementalist. Immediately afterwards, the instructor conjured a barrier, wind swirling around her¨C similar to a tornado, but in the shape of a dome. It was something I hadn''t seen before, but could understand the workings of. The wind was moving at such high speeds that unless the girl managed to produce an attack that moved faster, her attempts would simply bounce off the dome''s exterior. Using such barriers was a common tactic amongst evokers, since most of them lacked close-combat skills. The girl, growing more impatient as none of her attacks were getting through, charged in brazenly. It was easy to see how it would end, even before she had attacked. The battleaxe, swung down with great force, was blown back by the barrier as she was sent stumbling backwards, tripping over her own feet, the weight of her own weapon used against her. Like the autumn breeze, the instructor moved freely, appearing directly behind the girl, the orb of the staff swung directly into her back. A deafening crack echoed, akin to the snapping of celery in two. Wincing a little, I looked at Aaliyah¨C but his gaze was firm and unshakeable, unbothered by what had just happened. The girl lay on the floor for a moment, before rolling onto her back, pushing herself to her feet unsteadily, wobbling a little. Clearing her throat, the instructor spoke. ¡°You''re far too hot-headed, but you have good potential. D-Tier.¡± Elysian Beasts were ranked in Tiers, ranging from 7 to 1, with 1 being the strongest. Adventurer''s were also ranked in Tiers, ranked in order of strength by letter: E, D, C, B, A, AA, S. Tier 7 monsters were the same strength as D-Tier adventurers. S-Tier Adventurers were the strongest of the strong¨C something that I aspired for one day. But it appeared we weren''t done yet. The instructor opened up a long scroll, containing the names of the people that had passed the first test. ¡°Aaliyah? Is Aaliyah here?¡± Looking towards my companion once more, I watched as he rose from his seat. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Ah, good. You have been awarded B-Tier.¡± There were some hushed, incredulous murmurs, especially since he had bypassed the second test without even needing to fight the examiner. Had he fought already? My thoughts raced at a mile a minute, wondering how he was so strong that he could be awarded the rank of B without being tested, but I was suddenly dragged out of my little world as my name was called. ¡°Is Anonymous here?¡± Standing up, I raised a hand. ¡°That''s me.¡± ¡°Good, it''s your turn. Make your way down to the bottom, and the second test will begin.¡± Chapter 30: Adventurers Exam II Having been called down by the instructor, I made my way down to the bottom floor of the stadium. I could feel everyone''s eyes on me, and I didn''t even have Isabella¡¯s presence at my side for comfort, as I''d left her in the stands with Aaliyah. Silence blanketed the arena. I wasn¡¯t surprised¨C the unnamed fighter (and probably the biggest mystery) was finally taking the stage. They were all eager to finally see how strong I actually was. Whether I meant anything, or whether I would just fade into the background, another fool who thought his life was worth something. I did not intend to fade into obscurity, merely someone who would face the consequences of his hubris. Through the slitted eye-holes of the mask, I could see the instructor for the last girl whispering to a brown-haired man, before walking off. The man turned to face me, bowing. ¡°I will be your instructor for this exam. My name is Mark Caddel, nature-affinity.¡± It would be polite to introduce myself as well, I thought, and so I bowed before speaking. The customs of this land were still unfamiliar to me, and in comparison to before, where I didn''t need to be polite (as my only job was to be a strong and silent figurehead), now there were people stronger than me; I needed to learn how to navigate the political landscape before I got myself into unnecessary trouble. ¡°My name is Anonymous, as you all already know.¡± I wasn''t just speaking to Mark, but to everyone in the arena. My voice came out slightly deeper than I was used to, but I was forced to push through. ¡°You all do not know me, yet I can feel you judging me nonetheless. It does not matter to me¨C for I am a man of actions, not words. Whether you like me or hate me¡­ it won''t matter if you''re at my feet in the end.¡± Aaliyah let out a snicker, before clapping, his jolly, boisterous attitude a stark contrast to the silence of the place. ¡°Well, then. Give it all you''ve got, pretty boy. I won''t be happy if you disappoint me here, not after all that.¡± The battle began almost instantly after he''d stopped speaking, a long, thick vine bursting through the ground beneath us and shooting towards me. Had I still been standing in the same place, I''d have been impaled in the very same instance. Mark used nature, just like Hua¨C but not nearly in the same way. He was far more cold and calculated in his attacks. Blood pounded in my ears as I was forced to leap from place to place around the battlefield as poisonous spores erupted in the thousands wherever I stood. Getting hit by, or breathing in any of them, would spell the end of this battle. Not to mention that the vines were constantly trying to skewer me like I was a piece of fresh meat, making it ridiculously hard to get close. Mark was purposefully trying to keep me at bay, likely knowing that I could use the blades at my side but due to the fact I was a mere 14 year-old I didn''t have close to enough stamina to outlast him or put up a good fight provided he kept me away. Allowing for a small intake of breath, my lungs burned due to the constant movement, rolling from side to side and feeling my head swim as I made utterly preposterous movements to stop myself from getting hit, despite the fact the vines (which I had by now realised were thorny) still managed to graze me quite a bit. Flames billowed from the tip of my blade, engulfing the vines as I moved in some sort of slapdash sword dance, trying my best to burn away the vines as the imminent smell of smoke caused a hacking cough. To tell the truth, I had grown to appreciate the fire. It once reminded me of Jasper. Of what he had done, of memories I could never forget, and the bitter taste that followed. And it still reminded me of Jasper. Yet I had grown to accept those memories. The bitter taste still remained, and it always would¨C but I had learned that bitterness wasn''t always so bad. Pushing off the palm of my hand, I avoided another well-placed attack. Mark stood facing me, completely and utterly calm, whilst I was being forced to play a morbid game of tag. This would never end unless I forced him out of his comfort zone. So after steeling myself to the knowledge that I would have to get hurt, I stopped in my tracks. Stopped running away, and merely turned to face him. It was time for the battle to truly begin.. ¡ª Instead of trying to avoid the spores, I simply ran straight towards him, Genesis in one hand and Requiem in the other, ripping through vines with murderous intent as I charged towards him. I needed to abruptly knock him off-balance, and keep attacking from there. The spores, I noted, were being released by lycoperdon perlatum¨C the common puffball. Thanking Xi?o silently for always droning on about different species of plants, I pushed through the clouds of spores. The only way to get through without inhaling them (as they were toxic) was to hold my breath. It was an all-or-nothing gamble. He wasn''t going to release the spores where he could breathe them in, so if I failed to reach him in time, I''d be the one in trouble. A large vine whipped around, knocking the wind out of me as I was slammed into a nearby wall (causing it to crack) and dragged face-first around the circular arena. Shit, I''d spent all my time focusing on him without thinking about that¡­ The wind was ejected from my lungs forcefully as I gasped, winded from the blow. Breathing was difficult as my eyes bulged from my head, blood dripping down my nose, yet not visible due to the mask. ¡°You''re pretty good¡­¡± I spoke aloud, grimacing underneath the mask. The instructor was trained, clearly¨C had it been the lady from before, I would''ve ended the fight all too easily. Vines burst from all angles, and with a simple flick of my wrist, I watched as they burst into little chunks, cut to bits by my blade. Yet every time I did so, they continued to regrow and reform. ¡°Is that really all you''ve got?! So much for all that talk, Anonymous.¡± I let out a hiss, pulling myself to my feet. The next few vines were angled at my legs, and with a few risky manoeuvres, I managed to avoid them. Was he truly that good¨C or had my sword skills gotten worse? I couldn''t be sure, but it wasn''t the time to think of that, I noted, as all the vines began to¡­ retreat. That was weird. Then it caught my eye. Behind him, they were gathering, converging and curling around each other before they formed one, large being. It was a hulking, giant monster of a beast, made of thorny vines and grass and nature. With two eye-holes (which didn''t contain eyes) it stared down at me, opening its makeshift mouth and letting out a roar. So that''s what he had been preparing, standing there. I cursed my inability to see his plans coming earlier, but I was knocked out of my thoughts by a fist crashing into the ground. I had sidestepped out of the way, but where I had previously been standing, a large dent was etched into the ground with cracks spreading from it.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. My blades cut large gashes into its arm, but it still wasn''t even close to being enough, the wounds sealing up as quickly they''d appeared. It was, perhaps, just as fast as it was strong, immediately throwing another jab which threw me off balance, crashing into my blades (which I had barely managed to raise to block it). Using Chronosphere was out of the question, especially for a fight like this. Therefore, I was limited just to fire and it''s divergent, especially if I was intending to keep my status as a penta-elemental hidden. Flames burned across my blade, burning a bright white colour. They slowly thinned and became more concentrated, before being released as a burst of electricity. ¡°Let''s try that again, shall we?¡± The golem swung again, and I sent a burst of electricity through its arm, burning the vines and watching as the arm flopped. Jumping off of the ground, my feet used its arm as a platform, running straight up it. My electrically-enhanced senses provided me with the speed I needed to dodge any vines that attempted to throw me off. Reaching the top, I drove Requiem right through the eye socket of the beast, watching as it pierced straight through. It let out an anguished growl (I hadn''t thought it could feel pain, up until that point), shaking violently, trying to throw me off. I should have known that wouldn''t work; it was a golem, I needed to aim for the core, not the vital organs. However, that seemed to do a decent amount of damage, with the golem still continuing to stumble around in pain as I discharged another burst of electricity. This time, it was through its entire body. The golem fell to the floor as I wrenched my blade from its head. This would be the end of it. Flames engulfed my blade, which then spread to its body, consuming it whole and devouring it in a heat haze, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ashes and the smell of burnt grass. My head twisted to face Mark, the two blades hanging loosely in my hands. Eyes boring holes into his body, I said the only words that came to my mind at that moment: ¡°You¡¯re next.¡± ¡ª Mark''s body seemed to freeze up as I approached him, a deer in headlights. He was like prey, staring into the eyes of an apex predator; completely and utterly lost, frozen in fear. My hand merely had to rest on my blade for him to raise his, calling for the end of the fight. ¡°This fight will end here¡­¡± He said hurriedly, trying to save face¨C likely knowing I would embarrass him. ¡°...Anonymous, B-Tier.¡± There were some cries of outrage from the stands, but I didn''t mind. He gave me a knowing glance¨C likely because of the fact that considering I was wearing a mask, I was hiding something. Putting me at A-Tier, even if I was at that level of strength, would do nothing but harm to me. The next few fights went relatively quickly. C, D, D. With that, the day had ended. Isabella remained in my lap the entire time, occasionally looking at the fights (yet mostly sleeping) and making comments if she felt like it, which was even rarer than her actually watching what was going on. ¡®They''ve all been rather boring since you fought¡­¡¯ ¡®That''s to be expected. I wasn''t expecting much to begin with, to be honest¨C though there are a few outliers¡­. like him. I was hoping to learn more about his abilities from here, but he didn''t even participate.¡¯ Glancing over to Aaliyah, I looked back down at Isabella. ¡®He''s a mystery,¡¯ She replied. ¡®I don''t know how he got around participating, but there must be a good reason.¡¯ ¡®Aaliyah, just who are you¡­?¡¯ After everyone had their turn, Mark made his way back inside. Once he had done so, he continued down the hallway, holding a checklist in hand. Pushing open a door, he let out a tired sigh, slumping onto a chair, brown hair framing his face. Just after he had gotten comfortable, the female instructor quickly burst into the room. ¡°Instructor Caddel! You have to explain what''s happened today. Two B-Tiers?! And kids, no less! First, you¨C you allow that kid to get by without a test. Then¨C then there was Anonymous¨C¡± Mark merely raised a hand in response to the instructor¡¯s persistence, a sigh escaping his mouth. Flicking through a book, it contained the identities of all the participants that had registered that day. On a double spread lay Aaliyah and Anonymous. To start with, he looked at Aaliyah''s page, beckoning the instructor over to come and take a closer look. ¡°Firstly, Aaliyah. Nothing remarkable about him¨C or so it seems. An orphaned child of Sumeria, raised by a man he calls ¡®Gramps¡¯. He''s a water-affinity evoker, capable of using divergent ice. Nothing special, until you look closer. Have you heard the rumours about him, Arianna?¡± ¡°...No, why?¡± ¡°They call him a godchild. A descendant of the divine. Of course, all of these are just rumours¨C but all rumours have some truth to them, and I''d rather not get on his bad side if it does turn out to be true. And¡­. besides. You can tell from the soul energy levels he outputs unconsciously that he is, at the very least, B-Tier.¡± ¡°And Anonymous?¡± ¡°You saw the fight. He''s a fire-affinity amplifier, capable of using divergent lightning. Wears a mask. We were relatively even, up until the end¨C but he was holding back. If that had been a real fight, with him trying to kill me¡­ Well, our fight would have been over before it even began.¡± A small gasp escaped her lips. ¡°...Impossible.¡± Mark let out a sigh, closing the book, resting his head on the palm of his hands. He looked as though he had aged, far more weary than he had been at the start of the day. ¡°Why else would he wear a mask? He''s clearly got something to hide. ¡­Arianna, people have begun to call this generation ¡®the miracle generation¡¯. And after seeing those two, I can understand why. But it also makes me terrified.¡± ¡°...Why?¡± Mark rose from his position, to look directly at Arianna. And the look in his eyes was one of unbridled terror. ¡°Because the world always has a way of returning to equilibrium, which means that something is going to happen. Something unimaginable, beyond our worst nightmares. And that man-- ''Anonymous''¡­ may just be at the centre of it all.¡± Chapter 31: Roots XENO''S POV The rapid scratching of a pencil upon paper was all I could hear as I turned in the thin blankets I¡¯d been provided with for what seemed like the thousandth time, trying to find the sweet release of sleep. The mattress didn¡¯t help¨C it felt like sandpaper to the touch, yet was still better than the one I¡¯d had previously. Slowly but surely, I began to drift off into the calming embrace of slumber, until¨C ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± The abrupt outburst of the one holding the pencil caused me to let out a disgruntled snort, sitting up abruptly and turning to face him, a rather annoyed expression on my face. He looked back to me, holding up a piece of paper with a large grin on his face. It was Arwan, the one I liked to call my closest friend and ally. ¡°Wadahell¡­.?¡± I said, yawning, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes, blinking profusely as I did so. ¡°Wazzat¡­?¡± Arwan came closer as I pushed myself to the side of the bed, legs hanging off the edge as I leaned in, squinting as I attempted to read his handwriting, or what I liked to call ¡®hieroglyphics¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ve finished working on it. I¡¯ve worked out the final component for the Amplifier!¡± Ah. The Amplifier was a project Arwan had been working on for a while, even before we¡¯d had our sparring match in front of the group. It drew out the power of the gemstone ¡®chryrrite¡¯ and used it to amplify soul abilities. However, chryyrite could only be found in Arekos, the land of the humans. And Sophia forbid we were actually allowed to go down there. But Arwan had.. other ways of getting it, but he had never managed to properly draw out the power of the gem. Yet here we were¨C and he had done it. If the generals got a hold of this and mass-produced it, it would be more than enough to curb the uprising in the east and the west, which was what we were all training for. That, and to fight against the Creator, Sophia. However¡­ I glanced towards him. ¡°...I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°...You can¡¯t.¡± We both spoke at the exact same time, and it appeared we had been thinking the same thing. The Amplifier¡­ the generals¨C we couldn¡¯t allow them to find it. If they did¡­ people would die. Far more people than we could ever predict as of that moment¨C it was too many people. For what had been a great achievement moments ago to have become so¡­ sour wasn¡¯t enjoyable to see. I patted Arwan¡¯s back gently, smiling softly to him. ¡°You did well, friend. Though¡­ it¡¯s important that nobody ever gets a hold of this. Not any of the instructors, not the general¨C no one.¡± The piece of paper was slowly folded over in Arwan''s arms as we took one last look over at it, the information contained within our minds and nowhere else. Taking up a lamp that burned in the corner of the room, I removed the candle from it, raising the folded paper up to the flame, watching as it crackled, loud in comparison to the heavy silence that suffocated us two. The Amplifier would have helped me greatly. That was why he had created it after all¨C to amplify my soul output to what was considered a normal level for an aeon, as I was lacking in that category greatly, which was why I was so low-ranked. The only reason we had been granted a better space, in fact, was because of Arwan¡¯s achievements. Sometimes, I hated my inability to help him. I was so weak, held back by the fact I had so little soul. It felt like a curse. No, I felt like a curse. Laying back on the bed, I rolled back over onto my side, the position I had been in originally. At times like these, when the thoughts surged through my head and I couldn¡¯t push them away, it was at times like these when I wanted to disappear, never to be seen again. ¡°...It¡¯s fine.¡± Arwan said. He seemed to always know when I was distressed¨C and for that, I was grateful. ¡°...I can always come up with something new. You know I always do¨C you¡¯ll be fine. No, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡ª ATLAS¡¯ POV ¡®We¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ My license as an adventurer had been given to me quite quickly, and I had said goodbye to Aaliyah and met up with the Lizards¨C however, I couldn''t shake those words. It was a line from a book I had read once as Xeno¨C and despite all the other memories I had stolen from me, that sentence remained vividly ingrained into the core of my mind. What a lie. We hadn¡¯t been fine, we weren¡¯t from the start¨C pawns in the game of a higher being that no doubt laughed at our every failure, at our unending grit and will to get back up. Continuously breaking us down until there was nothing left but despair. After a look from Isabella, I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away. I was in the here and now, and it was this life I had to focus on. Sometimes, I felt immensely guilty for being granted a second chance at life¨C as though it was something I didn''t deserve. I wondered why out of everybody, Isabella had given me the opportunity. Yet no matter the reason, I was going to live this life to the fullest, just as I had promised Atlas I would. He was gone. I lived in his place. And that was a fact I hadn''t accepted yet, but one day I would come to terms with.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡®Y''know, Isabella, there''s something I''ve been wondering about.¡¯ I said silently, transmitting my thoughts over. ¡®Oh? What might that be?¡¯ ¡®Don''t you have a human form? I mean, all of Xi?o''s other puppets had one¨C I understand that Diana was defective, but you aren''t Diana.¡¯ ¡®Well¡­ I haven''t really thought about it much. I suppose it would be possible once reaching the required threshold of soul core and soul amount level, however, due to the fact I am constantly expending my soul healing someone, it is taking longer than it should.¡¯ I shrugged, smiling at her softly. It was possible, not that I wished for it per se. Rather, it was merely a thought I had, considering all of Xiao¡¯s other puppets were capable of achieving such a feat. My mind wandered back to Diana, as it tended to do when I had nothing to think about, but I shrugged it off. Nessa¡¯s voice shattered my thoughts like a single arrow of pure light. ¡°We watched your match. Well done, kid. Not bad, not bad!¡± She patted my back with a grin on her face. ¡°Yeah, you really put the guy on his ass,¡± Makko continued, ¡°I almost felt bad for him! Almost.¡± Anthony remained silent, simply patting my back as well. Ever since our fight all those years ago, he had seemed more withdrawn when it came to interacting with me, almost like he was afraid of me. He didn¡¯t say why, and I didn¡¯t ask. Yet we had a kind of mutual understanding of each other, even if we rarely talked. Mari gave me a small smile of acknowledgement, which was about as much as I expected from her, considering her more reserved nature. She cared, and this was merely her way of showing it. Finally, I had become a real adventurer. After writing a quick note to my parents and sending it off with a carrier pigeon, I turned to the Lizards. There was so much of the world to explore¡­ and now, I finally held it all in the palm of my hand. The strength I needed to gain¡­ and the person I needed to become before entering Yggdrasil. This was how I would change everything. After a good ten minutes of walking (with Isabella occasionally complaining about how much her feet hurt), we had left the city¡¯s outskirts, now being fully in the forests and wildland beyond the capital, without another town to be seen for miles. It reminded me of far more simpler times, the days with Hua without a care in the world. Hua¡­ every thought of her reminded me of the argument we¡¯d had. Maybe I did need to apologise for choosing to leave without telling her¨C but that didn¡¯t condone the things she said. But as I thought about her, I realised how bad she was likely feeling as well¡­ However, that wasn¡¯t my problem. That was hers to figure out, hers to fix. Perhaps the years apart I was spending adventuring would be good for our relationship after all. ¡ª The sun had slowly begun to set up, and we had chanced upon a quiet spot, choosing to set up camp there. Lower-ranked Elysian beasts roamed the forests in the distance, and I took note of Isabella running off to chase them. ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ ¡®A lady¡¯s gotta have her secrets¡­¡¯ ¡®Whatever. Just come back safe, alright? I¡¯m trusting you.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll know if something happens to me anyway, Atlas. We¡¯re bonded, remember?¡¯ And with that, she ran into the distance. Makko watched her, pointing before looking to me, slightly confused. ¡°You¡¯re just gonna let your bond run away like that?¡± He asked me rather inquisitively. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± I responded, ¡°If anything happens, we¡¯re bonded. To be honest, I feel more worried about whatever she¡¯s decided to hunt..¡± ¡°Anonymous.¡± Nessa¡¯s voice rang out above all others. She couldn¡¯t risk using my actual name, not even out here, since we couldn¡¯t know who was listening at all times. ¡°I am formally requesting a spar with you.¡± I raised an eyebrow, now visible as I placed the mask beside me on a log I had been sitting on, fire crackling nearby as Anthony and Mari cooked the meal for the night, considering they were the best cooks we had. ¡°What for, Nessa? I¡¯m not declining¡­ I just want to see where you¡¯re headed with this one.¡± ¡°Nothing serious. I just noticed something in your battle with the instructor¨C and I wanted to test it for myself. But one condition: no magic. Merely reinforcement and weaponry. Does that sound good to you?¡± I nodded along, unsure where she was taking this, placing Genesis down as I chose to go with Requiem alone for this fight. Genesis was tough to dual wield with, and it was more suitable to be a longsword. Requiem, however¡­ was a perfect fit for my height and weight. Hopping silently in the place I stood in order to warm myself up, the battle began without a second thought. Nessa charged in, sparks immediately flying from the clash of blades. A dagger? From what I knew, Nessa had always used a bow. So, she¡¯d changed in our time apart¡­ ¡­Well, she wasn¡¯t the only one. I had too. Blocking her flurry of attacks, I was noticeably being pushed back by her onslaught. Slipping to one side, I kicked at her leg, hitting her square in the shin, which caused her balance to shake as I followed up with a soul-reinforced back kick to the ribcage. My bladework felt sloppy. At occasional moments during the fight, I would overestimate my reach and swing into nothing but air, or trip over my own feet. Was I really this bad without magic? Just how far had I fallen in such a short space of time? My blade was once again blocked by one of her daggers as she stepped in, knee shooting up towards my jaw, blocked by my hand as I pulled her closer to me, kicking out her other leg. She tumbled to the floor, but got back up just as quickly, pushing herself to her feet. Raising a hand, she signalled the end of the fight. ¡°So, it seemed my suspicions were correct. You rely too heavily on your magical prowess¨C and as a result, your close combat skills are heavily lacking. Not only that, but your physical body lags behind as well.¡± She was right, and deep down, I knew it. In my old life, I wouldn¡¯t have missed my strikes¨C I wouldn¡¯t have been so weak. I had been so fascinated at the fact I was finally capable of using magic, the one thing I hadn¡¯t been able to do in my old life, that I had forgotten the thing I was best at¨C weapon-based combat. I had allowed complacency to get the better of me¨C but I could no longer allow that, not any more. If I wanted to get stronger¡­ I had to grow. And to grow, I couldn¡¯t rely on magic as much as I had been. Mari and Anthony were quick to call us over for food, and we shared a hearty meal over the fire as I occasionally checked in on Isabella to ensure she was alright. And from the looks of it, she was enjoying her dinner too¡­ whatever that was. Settling into our bedrolls as the sun fully set, stars glittering above our heads, I couldn¡¯t help but feel some kind of excitement for what lay ahead. This was where it truly began, in there here and now. And with that brought worry. The threat of the New World Order¡­ and the war Isabella had spoke of so long ago. But for now¡­ I was enjoying the moment, as I slowly but surely drifted off to sleep. Chapter 32: The Desert ONE YEAR LATER VALENS¡¯ POV Spending time serving drunken men and women at the bar wasn¡¯t ideal, but it was the best way I could earn a quick bit of money without having to do anything too dangerous. Most of them were adventurers, spending time in town or drinking their sorrows away due their inability to climb the ranks. Most remained stuck at C-Tier, unable to rise to the rank of B. And on this particular day, it appeared that Morris, our most regular customer, wasn¡¯t exactly happy with that. It was a small bar on the outskirts of Huagong, close to the border with Sumeria, so many flocked here before leaving to go there. Morris slammed his cup down onto the table, wiping his mouth sloppily before turning to a man sitting beside him. ¡°If they can¡¯t see the worth in me, then that ain¡¯t my problem. Pah! All you adventurers actin¡¯ like C-Tier is a bad thing¡­ I¡¯ll make sure to show ya that the B-Tiers ain¡¯t shit compared to me.¡± He took another hefty swig of his beer, eyes turning towards the noticeboard. His friend nudged him, before asking a question. ¡°Have you heard about the new rising star?¡± He asked, curiously. Internally, I rolled my eyes¨C that was like asking for Morris to get mad, yet I was interested in how this would play out. ¡°What rising star?¡± ¡°Anonymous.¡± ¡°Oh, that guy. He¡¯s nothing more than a pretty boy.¡± Whispers and murmurs spread throughout the bar, everyone muttering things like ¡®I heard he doesn¡¯t use magic!¡¯ and ¡®I heard he cleared an A-Tier dungeon by himself¡­¡¯, all of which didn¡¯t help Morris¡¯ anger. Morris was a man who was rather full of himself with a large, inflated ego¨C and to hear that the ¡®pretty boy¡¯ was leagues ahead of him likely wasn¡¯t doing much to help his fragile, yet large ego. ¡°SHUT UP!¡± He roared. ¡°ANONYMOUS IS LITTLE MORE THAN A NO GOOD, GROVELLIN¡¯ POSER BRA¨C¡± Thump. The door slid open, as all chatter (including Morris, oddly enough) was cut short immediately and silenced by the entrance of a young man, everyone watching him. Step. Step. Step. His boots thumped on the wooden floor, the aura he exuded alone enough to have the entire room¡¯s gazes in a chokehold, forcing us all to look at him and nothing but him. At his heels walked a small horned wolf cub, easily keeping pace with his movements. Even that beast was menacing, small in stature as it was. From the mask alone, I could tell who it was. Anonymous. Black and white locks framed his face in a fringe, hair hanging down his back in a low ponytail which reached just below his shoulders in length. Through the eye-holes of the mask, I could see one blue eye, the other a shade of amber as he approached me. However, before he could reach me, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Morris leaned forward, close to him. Too close. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, please, sir.¡± Anonymous said, brushing Morris¡¯ hand off. Morris¡¯ eye twitched in response, and his voice slowly but surely became more threatening and aggressive towards the other. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the man of the hour. We were all just talkin¡¯ about you. Y¡¯know, cause you¡¯re really not all that.¡± Morris raised his hands again, this time placing them firmly on Anonymous¡¯ shoulders with a decent amount of strength from what I could see, trying to force him to kneel. ¡°How about I put you in your pla¨C¡± He was cut off mid-sentence as his arms were severed at the wrists, hands dropping to the floor, blood pooling alongside as it gushed from his cleanly severed arms. His eyes slowly widened in shock, blood having splattered up the corner of Anonymous¡¯ mask. Anonymous¡¯ blade was held loosely in one hand before he shook it, the blood splattering up the floor. Morris let out a yell of pain, sinking down to his knees from pure shock, tears and blood dripping down his face as he tried to make sense of what had happened, considering his arms had been removed in less than the time it took to blink. Anonymous glared down at him, without a hint of emotion nor remorse held in that icy gaze. The friend he had been with let out a yell. ¡°Someone get him a healer, quickly! We can still reattach his arms if we hurry!¡± Anonymous turned back to face me, and his cold gaze caused shivers to run down my spine. No guilt was contained within those eyes for his actions a moment earlier¡­ Was he even human? As he began to walk towards me, I felt the urge to run away¨C but instead, I froze, like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Wordlessly, he dropped a bag of coins that rattled as he placed them onto the counter, pushing them towards me. ¡°I need some cloaks¡­ and some camels, please.¡± He was surprisingly polite, but that didn¡¯t ease the fear he had induced in my very soul. After handing him the coats along with the reins for the camels, he turned on his heel, walking past the still-crying Morris (though his hands had been reattached by this point), not even sparing him a glance. And it became clear¨C to him, Morris was little more than an ant beneath his feet. Nothing more, and nothing less. The door shut behind him¨C and I was finally able to breathe in what felt like a century. ¡ª ATLAS¡¯ POV After exiting the bar, I wiped the blood that had splattered up onto my mask with a finger. It smeared, but it was mostly gone. An entire year had passed, and I was now 16¨C considering my 15th birthday had been shortly after I had started adventuring properly. Leading the camels out the back, I trudged over to the Lizards, ensuring that the animal didn¡¯t spit on me as I did so. Nessa had asked me to get the camels due to the fact we would be entering the desert soon enough, and horses would die off far too quickly¨C before we¡¯d even reached the capital. Sumeria was an arid region, surrounded by a vast desert except for the capital, which had been built around an oasis and lush greenery. As such, the cloaks were to protect our skin from the dust and sand that the region was known for best. Many died on the way to the capital of Uruk, however, we weren¡¯t like that. And this would also be the Lizards¡¯ first time returning home in a while¡­ I wanted to ensure they could enjoy it. Not only that, but the Championship Tournament was being held in Sumeria, and it was a chance to get stronger that I couldn''t pass up. Over the past year, I hadn''t used any magic other than soul reinforcement and pure bladework to rise from B-Tier to AA-Tier, in order to hone my physical body and my swordsmanship to the level it needed to be. Now, I could say I had reached a level good enough that I wasn''t bringing shame upon my previous life. Nessa looked me up and down, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Did everything go alright in there? No problems, I hope?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I thought back to the burly drunk man that had attempted to fight me. ¡°Yes, everything was fine. No problems at all, Nessa.¡± I lied through my teeth. They had probably reattached his hands by now, but quite frankly it was none of my concern. I gave him what he deserved, in my eyes. And there was no time to pity the weak. Isabella leapt from the ground, up onto my outstretched arm, finally reaching my shoulder where she perched. Over the past year, she disappeared quite often, the length of time increasing every time as she returned to me quite rarely. I had asked her where she was going and why she was gone for so long, but she refused to elaborate, so I asked no more. After we had saddled up onto the camels properly (with significant effort from Makko''s part as he continued to fall off sideways), I gave the reins a quick flick, beginning our journey. The roads soon dissolved into nothingness as we grew closer to the border, the sight of greenery becoming more scarce as the land became only more barren. Dry earth cracked underneath the camel¡¯s feet, and the sun beat down on my body like an opponent more ruthless than anything I had ever faced, sweat already dripping down my face. The others seemed to be fine, but it appeared like Isabella was also struggling¨C which made enough sense considering her whole body was covered in a thick layer of fur. At the very least, I had switched out my clothes for something thinner and far more breathable knowing that this was coming, but the heat itself was unbearable. Perhaps a little magic would do the trick¡­ Using ice magic to cool down my body and the surrounding air (and the air around Isabella too after a bit of nagging), I felt significantly better. My magic and my capacity for it hadn¡¯t improved much in the last year, and so my core¡¯s level hadn¡¯t advanced, but that was perfectly fine. After about an hour of travelling like this, I looked over to the other 4, calling out to Makko who was holding the map at the front of the group. ¡°You sure we¡¯re going the right way? We¡¯ve been going for an hour and I still haven¡¯t seen the big rock you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Sliding off of the camel, I trudged towards him as he handed the map down towards me. I squinted, the dust and sand whipping at my face as the speed of the wind increased, causing my skin to sting. Looking at the map, I exhaled silently and pinched the bridge of my nose, leaning my head back and looking towards the sky as I attempted to calm myself down. ¡°Makko, you¡­ you¡¯ve been reading the map wrong this whole time.¡± Hearing Nessa and Anthony groan, I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m never letting you put your hands on a map again¡­¡± ¡ª After the map had (thankfully) been given to Mari, who took the lead, we were back on the right track once more. Spending the time singing songs and making fun of Makko''s blunder, the sun had begun to set before I realised, and the temperature began to drop from incredibly hot to incredibly cold within a few hours, forcing me to change back into the clothes I had been wearing in Huagong. The journey from Huagong to Uruk was more than a day¡¯s length, and as such, we needed someplace to camp out for the night. Chancing upon some ruins, it was promptly decided that we¡¯d stay there, considering it provided some shelter against the weather and the cold. And it was getting cold, and fast¡­ which I had to admit, I disliked. Though I could likely keep my body warm with fire magic, it certainly wasn¡¯t ideal and would begin to use up my soul and fast. Sliding off of the camel, I landed on solid ground¨C likely sandstone if I had to guess, leading on a short path to what seemed like a crumbled village. A half-broken sign said ¡°KHORANGH¡±. So that was the name of the place. Walls stood firm with no roofs, cracks spreading across their structure like spider webbing, a clear sign that they had been standing far too long. Isabella¡¯s head continued to turn, drinking in her surroundings, and my companions did much of the same. It was a ghost town, to put it in simple terms. It showed all the signs that life used to exist there, that life could exist there¨C but it didn¡¯t. As we continued to walk through, I noticed that it wasn¡¯t a mere few homes. No, it was an entire town that had gone to ruin. Moonlight filtered in through the clouds that drifted across the sky, stars twinkling overhead, aiding in the illumination of our path. A violent breeze whipped through the area, causing a high-pitched whistle to pierce my eardrums as the wind blew through the deserted town. ¡®Atlas.. Come look over here.¡¯ My head turned at Isabella¡¯s voice resounding within my mind, calling me over to a more secluded part of the desolate place as I broke away from the Lizards slightly. ¡°What did you want me to se¡­¡± My voice slowly trailed off as I approached what she wanted me to look at, fading into the silence and the whistling, shrieking wind. It was a crib. A small, wooden child¡¯s crib, still containing a blanket as though the child had been snatched from the cot not too long ago. And a small, shoddily-made stuffed rabbit with black button eyes sat propped up against one of the wooden bars that would have been used to keep the baby from ending up on the floor. The stitching was all wrong and it was really quite dirty (being a shade of dark grey rather than the white I presumed it was originally)¨C but it had been made with love. That much I could tell. Picking it up gingerly, I held it in my hand, ensuring I didn¡¯t break it as I ran my finger over the cloth. Had I... ever gotten one like this? It was likely. I didn''t remember much of my mother, aside from the lullabies she used to sing in order to get me to sleep, and that she was a sweet woman, kind-hearted and the type of person that nobody could bring themselves to hate. And her smile, toothy and gentle. The type of smile that could light up a room, no matter how dark things had gotten, like the sun-- giving life to all those around her. I had... lost her far too soon. Now that I thought about it¡­ there were far more signs of a struggle here than I had first noticed. Yet the struggle was clearly very quick, as things had been left the same way they were when there were still people living here. And whoever had taken the people had destroyed the place before they left in order to cover their tracks. Before I realised, I had been staring at it for some time. ¡®...You alright? You''ve been looking at that bunny for a while.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m fine. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re feeling pity, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®Of course not. Something like this would never phase me¨C¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m your bond. I can feel your emotions. And right now, you¡¯re feeling pity. And some anger, too. You¡¯ve grown. You care, Atlas.¡¯ I remained silent, stopping to think about her words. The me of before wouldn¡¯t have cared. Xeno wouldn¡¯t have cared. These people had no relation to me, none at all. I would have carried on my day without a second thought, for their misfortune had nothing to do with me. And yet due to this world, due to those around me, I found myself slowly softening, the icy wall I had built around my heart to protect myself steadily thawing out as the love of my friends and family was given to me unconditionally. This was none of my business, and it didn¡¯t concern me. But I wasn¡¯t Xeno anymore. I was Atlas Reyes, son of Elizabeth and Caspian Reyes. If I let this stand¡­ could I really say I was fulfilling Atlas¡¯ will? If I let this stand¡­ how would he look at me, the one who had promised to live his life to the fullest, the way he would have wanted? If I let this stand... what would my mother think of me? My own goals came first. But this mattered as well. Staring down at the stuffed bunny in my hand, I steeled myself once again to the weight of my choices, to the burden of my decision to help others without any gain. If the child was alive, I would return it to them, I swore to myself. I was no hero. I merely had a conscience, and a promise I intended on keeping. The feeling of tremors through the earth grabbed mine and Isabella¡¯s attention immediately, my head darting off to one side. The hell was going on? Picking up the pace immediately, Isabella and I sprinted through the abandoned streets in order to catch up to the Lizards¨C and what I saw wasn¡¯t what I expected to see. A horde of beasts like no other. They were humanoid, but there seemed to be something off about them. Something utterly malformed (aside from their incredibly grotesque appearances) that I couldn¡¯t place my finger on. Yet at the exact same time¡­ there was something familiar about them that I couldn¡¯t fathom. But that no longer mattered. I reminded myself that ultimately, they were nothing more than mindless, rabid beasts. And we got to work. Chapter 33: The Horde The glint of my blade under the moonlight was all that could be seen as I ripped through the ranks of the beasts, slicing through them like they were butter and painting the town red. Yet I was beginning to notice something. Normally, the blood of the Elysian Beasts was golden¨C like the ichor that ran through the veins of gods. Yet here, the only thing that tainted my blade was a thick crimson liquid¨C the lifeblood of mortals. A single step, and I tore through ten. Another step, twenty. Then thirty, fourty, and fifty until the number itself became irrelevant as I cleaved their ranks in half from its original number¨C but they continued to come, seemingly rising directly from the depths of hell. Through the silence, I could hear incoherent garble, which seemed to be coming from their mouths. The sound was dissonant, unintelligible.But to me, it was faintly reminiscent of¡­ wailing. Reminiscent of cries of pain. But these were mindless beasts. They were unable to feel pain, having lost all reason to the mindless slaughter. And if they weren¡¯t¡­ then what were they? My job wasn¡¯t to question. It was to kill, just like it always had been. In my old life, I was something of a tool. A blade without a will of its own, merely following the whims of whoever chose to wield me¨C whether it was to cause destruction or to save others, I did so without issue. It seemed like the beasts had no end. No matter how many we defeated, they continued to arise, to the point where my entire body had been soaked from head to toe in their blood, causing my clothes to cling feebly to my skin. I could continue to fight¨C but the Lizards were clearly growing tired as time passed by, being pushed into a corner. Isabella, too¨C she still refused to transform into her true form, and therefore was struggling with the horde of enemies due to her small stature and inability to cause any real damage. I could use Blink¨C but that was a risky strategy, as it would take almost everything out of me when I didn¡¯t know how many enemies were left. The sun had begun to encroach on what had previously been a darkened sky¨C it was soon to be morning, which meant we had been fighting for hours to no avail. Taking another step, I tore through another wave of beasts, blade flashing through the air despite my fatigue as I forced my body to its current limits. I was completely engrossed in the heat of battle, locking onto another enemy, until¨C ¡®Atlas! They need your help!¡¯ My head swung sharply to one side. The Lizards¨C in trouble. Fatigue had begun to set in for them as they had broken formation, being pushed into a corner in different locations. My heart screamed at me to save them, screamed at me to do something as time seemed to visibly slow, the blood pounding in my ears and muting everything else¨C but I, really, could only save one no matter how hard I tried. Logically, I¡¯d have to make a sacrifice. Logically, I¡¯d have to pick and choose who I wanted to save. Logically¨C I had dealt with this before. Yet in that past, as Xeno, I had chosen not to care about those around me to make the eventual choice of who to save somewhat easier. But now¡­ ...I didn¡¯t have that luxury, for I had chosen to get close with all of these people. We laughed together. Cried together. Ate food and sang and danced together. But it seemed I wouldn¡¯t have to. A chill that caused my blood to run cold filled the air as the horde seemed to shudder to a halt, all turning to face in the same direction. I could feel it, too. They were mindless¨C simply attacking the strongest thing they could sense. And whatever was approaching¡­ was undoubtedly strong. A thick layer of ice engulfed the horde, with edges that jutted out like spears hurled towards the sky before it shattered, raining hell down upon them in the form of iridescently glittering icicles. Aaliyah had grown stronger¨C so much stronger. Many of the horde were skewered by the ice in that instant, but the ones that remained were frozen due to his mere presence nonetheless and the icy aura that was emitted by him. The entire area lay covered in a thin layer of frost, the ground freezing beneath every step as he made his way towards me, breaths visible as a cloud of vapour in the air. His eyes remained trained on me as he stopped, tilting his head down slightly to meet my eyes. The cold expression dropped within a second, instead replaced by a small, wry smile. ¡°Fancy meeting you here, Anonymous.¡± ¡°You too.¡± I responded, a smile gracing my features behind the mask. ¡ª ¡®So that''s why they call him the Winter''s Monarch¡­¡¯ Isabella mused, making her thoughts audible to me. ¡®Yeah. Aaliyah¡¯s been making quite the name for himself, hasn''t he?¡¯ ¡®He was special from the start, I think. There has to be a reason why he immediately became B Tier. Now that I think about it¡­ where''s your cool nickname?!¡¯ I let out a sigh, allowing Isabella to fade out of my mind. There was one thing that stuck, though. Aaliyah was stronger than me. He always had been. Even with everything I had done over the past year or so¡­ I was still behind him. I had to work harder. I had to get stronger. I couldn''t fall behind. Yet at the back of my mind lingered my promise to Meryll. Strength wasn''t my only focus. It couldn''t be. Not if I wanted to change from the person I had been as Xeno. Making our way over to the Lizards, Aaliyah and I helped them to their feet as they dusted off their clothing, breathing heavily. Isabella made a quick leap up onto my shoulder, before I turned back to Aaliyah. Naturally, I had questions. ¡°What are you doing here, Aaliyah? I mean¨C what are the chances that you show up right when we need help?¡± My voice was controlled, calm, yet very clearly searching for answers. He, however, paid it no mind and simply shrugged. ¡°I was actually investigating the ruins around the area. If I''m correct¡­ then something lies beneath this town.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°...What?¡± Makko¡¯s voice sounded first, just as confused as the rest of us. ¡°What do you mean, there¡¯s something beneath the town?¡± My eyes darted up towards Aaliyah¡¯s, searching for any trace of something that would give him away, give away the fact he was messing with me. Yet I found nothing. He was being completely serious. If there truly was something hidden deep beneath this place¡­ then I supposed it gave whoever took the villages more motive than simply being insane. If we could find what was hidden beneath¡­ Perhaps we could find why they were taken. And if I could find that, it was only a matter of time before the culprit was found, too. Time was of the essence. We¨C no, I didn¡¯t have any time to waste. ¡°Tell me everything you know, Aaliyah.¡± He seemed rather confused at first, but appeared to catch onto my body language, and simply nodded as we all listened intently to his answer. ¡°I¡¯d returned to Uruk after adventuring for a while, and Gramps was telling me an old legend. About a man from Sumeria¨C they called him Veritas.¡± Surprise filtered through the barrier between Isabella¡¯s emotions and mine¨C unusual, since she was usually in control of her emotions. Yet I didn¡¯t comment, as Aaliyah¡¯s words were far more important right now. ¡°They called him Veritas the Ascender. Supposedly, he was a man capable of using all the elements¨C and he eventually ascended to godhood, and that¡¯s where the nickname came from. But even though he became essentially a god, he decided to return to humanity to spread the things he knew instead of keeping it for himself. And then he died of old age. But it wasn¡¯t sad, because he brought happiness. But the reason why I¡¯m here is¡­ apparently Veritas is buried right beneath our feet.¡± Ah. So that¡¯s what Aaliyah was searching for. It was of some interest, I had to admit¨C but it was a myth. A legend that had little to no substance to it, something that was more like a folk or a fairytale. Ascending to godhood? I chuckled to myself quietly, shaking my head. But to be fair, though¡­ I had seen some fairly crazy things in the past few years, I couldn¡¯t count out the fact something like that would happen just yet. ¡°Nevertheless,¡± Aaliyah spoke in a gentle tone, leading us over to what appeared to be a slightly raised stone platform with runes engraved all across its surface, ¡°It¡¯s not like I can get in, anyway. I think I¡¯ve found the entrance¨C but it¡¯s locked. No matter what I do, and I¡¯ve tried everything, I just can¡¯t unlock it. I think it needs some kind of key, but¡­ I can¡¯t fathom what that could be.¡± Key¡­ a key? Didn¡¯t Meryll talk to me about keys before¡­? ¡®That thing within your chest. Think of it like a key.¡¯ ¡­It couldn¡¯t be, could it? I mean, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it was. The gods were as meticulous as they were crafty, if what Meryll had told me was true. Nonetheless, it was worth a shot. Whilst the Lizards and Aaliyah watched, I took a deep breath in. ¡°...I¡¯m going to try something.¡± ¡®...What are you going to do?¡¯ ¡®Isabella, go stay with Mari. I¡¯m going to see whether I can open this.¡¯ She leapt off my shoulder, before bounding over to Mari and sitting beside her. Walking at a steady pace towards the platform, I took a deep breath in. Channeling the power of my soul into my hands, I placed them onto the edge of the platform and began to push. This wasn¡¯t enough yet, it wouldn¡¯t budge. I had to dig deeper, down to the deepest depths of my soul and claw out all the raw power I could muster until I had nothing left. And slowly but surely, the platform began to move. A discordant, ear-piercing sound rang out as it scraped against the sandstone lining the floor as I continued to push it forward, before it fell off of the other side of the raised bit of rock. In the middle was an entrance, with a staircase carved from rock that led beneath the ruined city of Khorangh. The darkness had engulfed the entire tunnel, before being forced back by the light now filtering in from the outside. The Lizards and Aaliyah made their way over to me, peering into the blackness as well. ¡°...We¡¯ll need some light,¡± Mari chirped up in the gentle yet firm tone she always took. ¡°Anonymous, could you lead the way? I¡¯ll remain at the back in order to cover us.¡± I nodded, before taking a step into the darkness, Isabella and the rest following suit quite quickly as I lit a flame in the palm of my hand. ¡ª The only noise audible to me was the crackling of the flame I had lit along with the slow, rhythmic thumping of our feet on hard ground. The further we went, the more convinced I became that what Aaliyah had said might have been true after all. Every so often, we stopped to observe carvings in the walls, drawings that looked as though they had been there for over a millenia, with writing in some ancient language we couldn¡¯t decipher. But the carvings told the exact same story that Aaliyah had told us. The story of Veritas the Ascender. Veritas, the strongest human being to have ever graced the land. But then¨C if he was so important to them, considering he had literally become a god, why was he never mentioned in the books I had read? Had someone purposefully omitted him from the history of this world? And if so¨C why? My eyes glanced at Isabella, who was keeping pace with me rather easily. Now that it was silent, I finally had the chance to ask her what I had been meaning to from before. Just why was she so surprised at the mention of Veritas? What was she keeping from me? ¡®Can I ask you something, Isabella?¡¯ ¡®Go ahead, Atlas.¡¯ ¡®...Why were you so surprised when Aaliyah mentioned Veritas¡¯ name?¡¯ Isabella fell silent for a moment, which weighed heavy on the both of us. I could sense hesitation from her, like she was contemplating whether to tell me the truth or to attempt to change the subject. ¡®...He was just¡­ someone that I used to know. That is all.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re saying that like it¡¯s not a big deal? Wasn¡¯t he alive a million years ago or something???¡¯ ¡®Ten-thousand¡­¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not any better. How old are you?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s rude to ask a woman her age?¡¯ ¡®But¨C¡¯ ¡®No buts, Atlas. Politeness is key.¡¯ I let out a silent groan, with the knowledge I wasn¡¯t going to be able to prise any more information out of her. Nevertheless, I had gained something from our conversation that brought me closer to Isabella¡¯s true identity. Not only had Diana referred to her as ¡®mother¡¯ as well as called her a god, but she was also at least ten thousand years old. But Isabella had denied being a god, without hesitation, stating that if she were a god, she would be the most useless and incompetent god in the world. So she couldn¡¯t be¡­ ¡­Could she? I shook my head, pushing the thoughts from my mind. It wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking about this. Around an hour had passed since we had entered what seemed to be some kind of underground labyrinth, and the walls seemed to curve out into some kind of open room, with torches lining the walls that immediately lit up the second we stepped into it. And in that singular moment, I was only begging for one thing. ¡­Please, let this not be another one of those godforsaken trials.