《Sovereign Spirit [Esper Progression]》


 Chapter 1: Loss of a Mother (REVISED!)

    There was a room with all-white floors, white walls, and no windows. In the center of that room was a teenage boy pushing on the ground with a puddle of sweat beneath him. ¡°300!¡± He counted as he collapsed on the floor.


    Kenan looked at his watch. ¡°Almost didn''t finish my sets before I had to leave.¡± He thought. He got up from the floor and headed towards the door. He touched a few buttons on the side of the door and felt a literal weight lift off his shoulders. ¡°Ah, that first breath after the weight has been lifted is like taking in the breath of God himself.¡± He says, stretching his limbs


    The door slides up, making the whoosh sound it always makes, and he heads up to his room to shower and change his clothes.


    After getting ready, Kenan looked around the kitchen to ensure his aunt didn''t leave any notes for him before she left work. ¡°Alright, time to go see Ma,¡± he thought. Kenan makes his way out of the Condominiums and into the street below.


    Greenwood City is barely considered a city, most people would say, just due to how new it was. Still, it was home to Kenan. No matter where else he had been, Greenwood was still his home.


    Kenan kept his routine as if it were almost clockwork. He would get up simultaneously, work out, eat breakfast, and then see his mother at the hospital.


    He even had a dedicated playlist he would listen to on the way to the hospital.


    He was only a few blocks from the hospital before he decided to turn his playlist off. He slowly inhales and then exhales. As much as he loved seeing and talking to his mother, putting on a brave face was hard. He faked it every day when he saw her. He used the rest of the walk to get his mind right.


    As the door opens to the floor he was too familiar with, he says hello to the nurse at the desk and heads to his mother''s room. He opens the door and sees his aunt crying with a tissue beside his mother.


    The woman in the bed turns towards Kenan and smiles at him, tears rolling down her face. ¡°Today is the day, son.¡±


    He nods his head, and tears start to fall from his eyes. Today was the day his mother would be taken off life support.


    The woman lying on the bed was a dark-skinned woman with long twists like braids and slightly sunken eyes. Even moments away from her death, Kenan couldn''t deny his mother''s beauty. Her complexion was deeply melanated, kissed by the sun in the most elegant way. Her eyes were dark and warm, as if all your worries could be comforted by her eyes, and her smile would lighten your mood at a moment''s notice. ¡°Ma, I''m not ready.¡±


    He approached the bed, and as soon as he did, his mother tried to push herself up to see him more clearly. He quickly helps her.


    Tears start to form in his mother''s eyes, but she quickly catches herself as if convicted of what she is about to do.


    ¡°Kenan . . . Your father is alive.¡±


    A wave of emotions washes over Kenan. Almost overshadowing the fact that his mother was about to die. He wanted to scream and rebuke her, but the only thing that came out was, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He''s been alive this whole time. He never went missing in action. Malachi is far from here; no one in this city can reach him. He''s back in his ancestral home. I doubt anyone in all of Bethel Pasture could reach him.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Kenan said through his teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t care if that old man is still alive. Where has he been? We needed him!¡± He shouted.


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    Kenan started to get flooded with emotions. ¡°He left me here to watch my mother die by myself? He left his wife here as she dies slowly every day?¡± He thought.


    His mind became flooded with more questions at the reveal of this new information. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. His father abandoned them. . . Not even two hours ago, he was thinking about how much he had missed him. Kenan never understood the thin line between love and hate until that moment. ¡°Betrayal can make you hate anyone,¡± he thought.


    His mother remained calm as a still lake in the midst of his anger. ¡°If he could have been here, Kenan, he would have. Same way he would have been there for you to complete your training.¡±


    ¡°I hate him. . . He''s as good as dead to me.¡± Kenan said. ¡°I''m sick of being strong in this unfair situation. Why can''t it be someone else''s mother? Why MINE?!! Now I''m left with a deadbeat for a father? If I ever see him, he can kick rocks.


    Kenan¡¯s mother''s eyes held nothing but guilt and empathy. ¡°Calm down, don''t say that about your father. He is the man I love, and I will not allow him to be disrespected,¡± his mother said without moving her mouth.


    She wasn''t saying anything out loud but speaking directly into Kenan''s mind. He knew then he''d gone too far. She only uses her Superior abilities whenever she needs to be heard. It was this same Ability that put her in the hospital now.


    She continued to speak in his mind. ¡°Kenan, I need to know if you will at least seek your father out and try a relationship with him.¡± She said,


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡± He asks


    ¡°Because it''s the last wish I have for you. Find him, Kenan, and you will discover a part of yourself you never knew you needed.¡±


    ***


    15 mins passed, and his mother was lying on the bed completely still, never to move again. Kenan cried and cried. The last words his mother said to him were. ¡°"Kenan, being a Shepard is more than a title¡ªit''s about who you choose to be. Lead with strength, love with courage, and never let the world steal your light. You are my greatest pride, and no matter where life takes you, know this: you¡¯ve already made me proud. Now, go, my son. Find your path, and let it guide you to the man you¡¯re meant to be.¡±


    Moments later, some people came into the room and took his mother away. He turned to the last person in the room. ¡°I guess it''s just me and you now, huh, Auntie Aria?¡± He spoke in a low voice.


    She walks over, clicking in her heels, wearing her lab coat, and hugs Kenan. ¡°I''ll take care of you, I promise!¡± Aria said. Her makeup was running down her face, and it would be easy to believe she was the one who had just lost her mother. From how much she was sobbing.


    Kenan tries to break away from her death grip hug and somehow manages.


    ¡°How hard will it be to reach my father?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Nearly impossible if you don''t absorb the Elixir,¡± she responds between sniffles.


    ¡°I should leave that old man to rot. Well, at least whenever I see him, I can punch him in the face. Kenan reassured Himself. ¡°Where is the elixir anyway? It felt like it had been ages since me and Ma talked about me getting one.


    ¡°It''s in my safe at home along with a letter from your father. . .¡± Aria says in a low voice.


    ***


    It''s been two weeks since they buried Kenan''s mother. He wanted to take the Elixir as soon as he got back to train with his new ability before he left for the Shepherds Academy. However, with the controversy surrounding his father''s extended family, he had to give himself a week to recover emotionally. Then, after reading his father''s letter to him, he needed a week to recover from that emotionally as well.


    He looked at the letter again: ["My son, now that you have come of age, I want to give you this gift. Your mother knows not to give you any Superior elixir than this one. This is something that no one on the continent can produce normally. With this, your chances of finding me will increase dramatically. I''m sorry for not being there for you. Please forgive me and find me. Never forget, my son, that I love you and your mother more than I can ever express.]


    Kenan was so angry while reading the letter that he wanted to break the vial in his hand.


    ¡°He said it was special, but what does he mean?¡± He spoke. He gets up and goes to the living room.


    His aunt was on the couch watching her crime shows while eating her snacks. Her usual routine on her day off.


    He walks in while holding up the vial that held the Elixir. ¡° So what''s so special about this anyway? Pops made it sound like this isn''t a normal elixir.¡±


    Her eyes go wide. ¡°Are you going to take that right now ?! Do it in front of me so I can see what Superior ability you get. She said, pushing up her glasses. ¡°Oh wait, yeah, your question, sorry.¡±


    ¡°This is a Superior Sentient Elixir. So you won''t just gain a Superior ability, but you''ll awaken as a Sentient too,¡± she nodded.


    Kenan''s mouth dropped. ¡°You mean I''m literally going to awaken if I take this?¡± How''s that possible? I''ve never heard of that before?¡±


    ¡°There is too much we don''t know about the outside world. However, whenever a Sentient reaches a Current Realm, they can pass on their awakening to a direct relative.¡± She explained.


    ¡°I don''t know what that means but this is huge! I was going just to trash this and buy my own with my inheritance, but I would be a fool not to take this.¡± Kenan said. He held up the vial with the purple glowing liquid.


    ¡°It''s hard to believe. That it could be this easy. I train in a martial arts my dad created just for me and listen to these different Orcales Artists who have at least awakened one person from their music, but you''re saying now, instead of a divine revelation, I just take this little juice in a bottle.¡± Kenan said.


    Aria laughed. ¡°Which is why I want to see you take it in front of me. I''ve never just seen someone awaken on command. Also, that elix is worth twenty million cyber coins. Only you can take it, but theoretically speaking, it''s the most valuable resource within all of Bethel Pasture, probably the known world if I had to guess.¡±


    ¡°So it would be pretty stupid of me to just toss it just to be spiteful towards my dad?¡± Kenan asked.


    Aria deadpans. ¡°To say the least.¡±


    Kenan clenched his jaw. ¡°I don''t want to rely on this deadbeats gift but it''s a clear path towards one of my goals. I shouldn''t be a fool and be vindictive to squander a clear opportunity for myself. I should see this as him just helping me cripple him in the future.¡±


    He unscrews the vial and takes the Elixir, stealing his conviction.

 Chapter 2: The Ring (REVISED!)

    Kenan nearly lost his breath as he stared at his hands, now encased in a gleaming layer of silver steel. It wasn¡¯t cold or rigid like he expected¡ªno, it felt alive. Like skin. Like his skin.


    ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± His voice trembled, breaking the heavy silence. He ran his fingers over the metallic surface, the texture impossibly smooth yet warm. His pulse thundered in his ears. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. This isn¡¯t real.¡±


    He staggered back, every movement amplified by the strange weight coursing through his body. His chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths. A spike of panic gripped him. ¡°How do I stop it? How do I make it stop?¡± His fingers clawed at the metal, desperate to peel it away, but it clung to him. It was, in fact, his skin. ¡°What if¡­ what if I¡¯m stuck like this? What if I hurt someone?¡±


    The fear coiled tighter in his chest, suffocating, until his mother¡¯s voice whispered through the chaos: ¡°Your father is still alive.¡±


    The words pierced the storm in his mind. He froze, her voice like a lifeline, steadying the chaos inside him. He closed his eyes, drawing a ragged breath. Focus. Breathe. Slowly, something shifted. The steel began to ripple, retreating into his skin, until the silver was gone.


    Kenan released a sharp breath, his legs nearly giving out beneath him. Relief washed over him, but it was fleeting. As his bare hands trembled before him, another thought struck¡ªone that sent a different kind of shiver down his spine.


    This power wasn¡¯t just a curse. It wasn¡¯t just something to fear.


    It was a weapon.


    His fingers curled into fists, the remnants of the energy humming beneath his skin. His heart still pounded, but it wasn¡¯t just panic this time¡ªit was something else. A spark. A purpose.


    ¡°I can use this,¡± he murmured, his voice steadier now. His gaze hardened, his mind racing. ¡°I can do something with this.¡±


    The memory of his father¡¯s face, half-formed in his mind, pushed through the doubt. A faint smile tugged at his lips, tinged with resolve. ¡°Maybe I can find him. Maybe¡­ this is the key.¡±


    He glanced at his hands again, no longer trembling but steady, the fear now tempered by a rising determination. The power within him pulsed, quiet but insistent, as if it, too, understood.


    ¡°This is just the beginning.¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°Well I''m glad you didn''t burst into flames or something. I was honestly expecting that.¡± Aria says.


    Kenan looks up and gives a half smile. ¡°I was too. Is it normal to have a panic attack?¡±. He was still trying to calm his heart down.


    ¡°Of course not only are you gaining power but the cells in your body are transforming. It can be painful for some. Plus your awakening as a Sentient so you''re definitely experiencing a lot on top of that as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh right.¡± Kenan started to feel the lightness in his body and the quality of the air around him. He felt something lingering in the air that only felt alive.


    Aria grabs a pen off the coffee table and throws it perfectly aiming for Kenan''s eye. Before he could reach him he snatched it out of the air.


    ¡°Wow you really are a Sentient. I threw that pretty hard.¡±Aria says. Leaning back on the sofa.


    ¡°Since when were you so strong! No way would I have been able to catch that if I wasn''t awakened.¡± Kenan complained.


    ¡°Your Auntie is way stronger than you think. I may be a scientist but I am still a heavy hitter in the Shepherds. She said flexing her tiny muscles.


    Kenan wouldn''t have believed her a moment ago but a normal person definitely wouldn''t have been able to throw a pen like that unless they were like an assassin or something.


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    Kenan broke out into a laugh at his aunts display.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ¡°That is what you have to prevent my son from turning into. So, I¡¯m asking you never to reveal the cause of my death and the reason why I overused my abilities. He will have enough enemies as it is.¡±


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


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


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


    ***


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    [Error]


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


    [Error]


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


    [Error]


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


    [Welcome Kenan Ogun to the Family Archive system]


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


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


    ¡°Eh¡±


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 3: The Breath of God

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


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


    [Ogun Archive System]


    A purple holographic screen appeared in front of him.


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


    [Ogun Archive System]


    [Meditation Realm] [Analyze] [Superior Database]


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


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


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


    [Meditation Realm]


    [User: Kenan Ogun]


    [Mediation Realm: Consciousness]


    [Meditation Stage: 1st Stage -Woke]


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


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


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


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


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


    ¡°This is a lot of information to absorb. I''m lucky I have the system. Ok, so Ruah is how the Sentient continually gets stronger. But how does the Psionic arts come into play? Kenan waited for an answer. But the system didn¡¯t reply. Kenan starts to eat the breakfast he prepared since his aunt has already gone to work.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


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


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


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


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


    ***


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 4: The Spar

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ***


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 5: The Spar 2

    Begin!¡± Nelson said


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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    ¡°Begin!¡±


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    Kenan spoke.


    ***


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 6: Shepard Council

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ***


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


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


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


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


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


    SMACK


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 7: Zombie with No Teeth

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    *CRUNCH


    *Break


    *Slurp


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


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


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


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


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


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


    He rushed over In the opposing direction everyone else was headed in and laid eyes on the walking corps, tackling a man down and attempting to bite his face off. Luckily, the man had a briefcase to defend himself.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    No reply from the system.


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


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


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


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


    [Superior Sentient Integration complete]


    [Congratulations on fully adapting your legacy ability]


    [You have unlocked the Legacy Feature]


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


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


    ***


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    Kenan activates the system by just thinking about it.


    [Ogun Archive System]


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


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


    [Legacy Feature:]


    [Superior Ability Advancement and Augmentation]


    [Psionic Arts] [Locked]


    [Psionic Implants] [Locked]


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


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


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


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


    [Superior Ability Advancement and Augmentation]


    [Users Legacy ability: Organic Metal Mimicry


    [Advancement Options:]


    Specific Metal Mimicked


    Shapeshifting While Mimicking


    Metal Mimicry Transfer


    [Augmentation options:]


    Partial Mimicry


    Armor manifestation


    Growth expansion


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    [Condition Warning !!!]


    [Everything has a price]


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 8: Pride and Reprisal

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    Kenan made a puzzled face?


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


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


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


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


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


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


    He turns back to Kenan. ¡°Whatever it is, don¡¯t brag about it to anyone. Especially your cousins. The last thing I want is strife within the Family. Also, while at the academy, try to get along with them, your uncle pushes them hard. Maybe it''s too hard, so don¡¯t make Everything a competition and support each other.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


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


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


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


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


    [Ogun Archive System]


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


    [Legacy Feature]


    [Superior Ability Advancement and Augmentation]


    [Psionic Arts] [Locked]


    [Psionic Implants] [Locked]


    [Superior Ability Advancement and Augmentation]


    [Users Legacy ability: Organic Metal Mimicry]


    Advancement Options:


    Specific Metal Mimicked


    Shapeshifting While Mimicked


    Metal Mimicry Transfer


    Augmentation options:


    Partial Mimicry


    Physical Armor manifestation


    Growth expansion


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


    [Advancement Choice:]


    Shapeshift While Mimicked


    [Augmentation Choice:]


    Partial Mimicry


    [ Please confirm choices:]


    [Yes] [No]


    Kenan Selected [Yes]


    ***


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 9: Sword Breaker

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


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


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


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


    ¡°Huh?¡± he managed to utter


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ¡°Yes, my sworn brother and I are,¡± Kenan said, looking around for him.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ¡°Really, how so?¡± Edith asked.


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


    They all laugh.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 10: New Cole

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    "More dangerous than the fiend?" Cole asked.


    "Possibly," Kenan spoke.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    "Well, there''s no use in waiting around; let''s try it out right now," Cole says as he quickly gets up from his chair.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    "No way, did he just-"


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


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


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


    "Of course," Edith replied.


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


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


    ***


    A few minutes earlier


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


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


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


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


    [Cole Justus]


    [Superior Sentient]


    [Superior Ability: Optic Blasts]


    [Meditation Realm: 1st Stage Consciousness.]


    [Mediation Substage: Woke]


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


    "I want a rematch," Cole said.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    Kenan nods his head.


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

 Chapter 11: Abyss that leads to Hell

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


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


    [Ogun Archive System]


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


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


    Kenan focused his mind on [Superior Database].


    [Superior Database]


    [Mimicry Abilities]


    [Superhuman Abilities]


    [Manipulations/Generations]


    [Animal Shifting/Traits]


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


    Kenan toggled [Mimicry Abilities].


    [Mimicry Abilities]


    [Organic Metal Mimicry]


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    Kenan nodded internally. ¡°These are exactly what I expected. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s under [Legacy].¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    [Legacy]


    [Legacy Ability: Organic Metal Mimicry]


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


    [Augmentation Option: Partial Mimicry]


    [Psionic Arts] [Locked]


    [Psionic Implants] [Locked]


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


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


    [Meditation Realm]


    [User: Kenan Ogun]


    [Meditation Realm: 1st Stage ¨C Consciousness]


    [Meditation Stage: 1st Stage ¨C Woke]


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


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


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


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


    [Meditation Realms:]


    [Consciousness]


    [Esper] [Information Locked]


    [Psychic] [Information Locked]


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


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


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


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


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


    [Meditation Stages for Consciousness:]


    [1st Stage: Woke]


    [2nd Stage: Foundation]


    [3rd Stage: True]


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


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


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


    ing with a single punch.¡±


    ***


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 12 : Jacob City

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    They both nodded. She sat down opposite Edith and right next to Kenan, but it was too close for comfort for him, so she slid a couple of inches away on the sofa.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Edith cracked a small smile.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    They all shook their heads.


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 13 :Shepherds Tower

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ¡°That sounds pretty stupid,¡± Cole said


    Kenan nodded in agreement


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ¡°Do I make myself clear?¡±


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

 Chapter 14: Challenges

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


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


    The assistant nodded.


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


    ***


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    Ashwin then Saluted after being introduced.


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


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


    Lia instantly knew who the three individuals were.


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


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


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


    ¡°Yeah, even I look like I could take the skinny one,¡± another voice said.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    Both Cole and Edith put their head in their hand.


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ¡°My name is Chris B-¡±


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


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


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


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


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


    [Ogun Archive System]


    [Analyze]


    [Chris]


    [Superior]


    [Superior Ability: Super Strength]


    [Meditation Realm: N/A]


    [ Mediation Substage: N/A]


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


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


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


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


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


    *Slow claps twice. ¡°I¡¯ll say.¡±


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


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


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


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


    Kenan jumped down with a satisfied expression on his face.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    Kenan analyzed Cornelia right away.


    [Cornelia]


    [Superior]


    [Superior Ability: Elemental light Weapon Creation]


    [Meditation Realm: N/A]


    [ Mediation Substage: Woke]


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


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


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


    *GONG


    *vibrations


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ¡°Already know sir¡± he replied.


    Edith disappeared, only to the untrain


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


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

 Chapter 15: Challenges Part Two

    Cornelia wasn''t afraid to admit she peed herself a little once she came to. ¡°You were holding back from the start,¡± she said as she collapsed to her knees. Her sword, made of pure light, disappeared into particles as she did so.


    ¡°Well, I was going to wait until you told me I didn''t have to. You are also wearing armor, so I figured it should protect you. I wasn''t trying to kill you. . . I promise,¡± Edith said, lowering her swordbreaker. She instantly bowed to Senior Enlisted Ashwin. ¡°Please forgive me for having to intervene sir.¡±


    It was hard to see Ashwind¡¯s face already with the helmet he wore, but Kenan could tell he was surprised by the humility displayed. ¡°It''s alright; you all are new to using your abilities, so it''s understandable you don''t completely know your strength.¡±


    Cornelia couldn''t hear Edith at all and not Ashwin when he seemingly appeared out of nowhere to save her. She was too caught up in her failure. ¡°I should have trained harder and maybe taken up martial arts. I thought too highlighly of myself.¡± She thought as tears glided straight down her face. She could hear her father''s words now. ¡°We rich you don''t need to fight those monsters out there. Stay here and run the company with your old man.¡±


    ¡°Ms.Miles, Congratulations,¡± a voice said. It wasn''t a quiet voice, but Cornelia was in such distress that it sounded far away. She mistook it for Jeffrey, her butler.


    It wasn''t until she felt a hand on her shoulder and the opponent that took all her confidence in one move. Say ¡°You''re not weak. . .¡±


    ¡°But she''s clearly not her opponent,¡± Cole whispers to Kenan.


    She got up, reoriented herself, and gave a nod to Edith.


    Marshall Solomon smiled approvingly. ¡°As I was saying, Cadet Cornelia, you performed adequately. Although I did say that you had to defeat them, your performance impressed me, and I am interested to see if your ability affects Shadow Fiends.¡± Both Ashwind and Vena nodded approvingly.


    After receiving medical attention, Cornelia took her place in the front of the platform near Kenan and Cole.


    ¡°Are there any others that wish to test the might of Cadet Edith?¡± Ashwin said.


    There was an air of reluctance, but two people raised their hands while coming forward. One was a short young girl with a short box braid and the other was a young man that had a beard. It made him look far older than he was, and no one believed he was sixteen.


    ¡°I''ll take on both of you. If that''s allowed, Edith said, turning to Senior Enlisted Ashwin.


    ¡°I would say you''re over-estimating your abilities, but you have an enforcement mimicry ability, so I don''t think you¡¯ll be hurt too badly. I think you¡¯ll be alright let''s do it! Ashwin said. He took a further position away from Edith so he could referee more closely.


    ¡°Is it ok that she fights too many opponents? Isn¡¯t that a little too much? Templar Vena asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem with it plus she¡¯s the one that posed the idea. Who am I to neglect the training of cadets looking to improve their abilities? Marshall Solomon spoke.


    She rolled her eyes internally. ¡°Of course, he would approve; he''s the worst person I could have asked. Vena doubts the rumors behind Marshal Samson''s obsession with fighting worthy opponents, but she starts to believe them. Plus, his answer regarding going against academy rules was too perfect of an answer.


    Edith¡¯s opponents joined her on the platform. She didn¡¯t have a worried look in her expression at all; she was completely comfortable. Which got on the nerves of both of her opponents.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Kenan had already analyzed both of her opponents. The girl could clone herself, and the man with the beard had accelerated movement. ¡°Which kinda sounds like the ability Sentient got at the awakening stage. I wonder how that would affect his Superior ability if he awakened? Kenan thought.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Marshal Solomon spoke


    As soon as He said those words, Edith activated her Diamond ability, turning herself and her exposed skin into a diamond-like substance. Her opponents expected her to charge but she didn''t. She held her swordbreaker up and said. ¡°Come¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate us! The girl said charging in. Her body seemed to vibrate as she did, and two exact copies of herself materialized next to her. They all punched and kicked at the same time. Edith effortlessly dodged their attacks. As soon as she saw an opening, she took it and speared one of her attackers right in the chest. The attack landed and the clone dissolved into mist. This led the young girl to attack Edith even harder. Once again, Edith dodged her with ease.


    At the corner of Edith''s Eye, she saw a punch coming, but she decided not to dodge this time. ¡°They need to see exactly what they''re dealing with,¡± She thought. The punch landed, and Edith felt a small vibration in her body. Not enough to phase her; it was more like a tickle than anything.


    The punch was from the man with the bread. ¡°AAAWW,¡± He said while holding his hand in pain.


    The young woman stopped in her tracks and they both forfeited the match. Ashwin announced Edith as the winner and she deactivated her ability. After that, no one else decided to challenge Edith; they all thought her defense was too great for them to overcome.


    ¡°How can we have a fair fight whenever she can literally turn her body into one of the hardest materials on the planet?¡± Someone complained.


    ¡°To be fair, she beat the last girl without even really using her ability.¡± someone else said.


    ¡°Before those who wish to challenge cadet Cole come there is something you all must know. This is somewhat of a lesson you can only know by seeing it first-hand. The three Cadets chosen for the officer positions are all Sentient beings, which means that they will have abilities not just from the elixir but also from their awakening. This is the defining difference between our officers and enlisted. But that is not to say that all officers are awakened Senintent. We have some whose superior abilities are so great that they can even match a Sentient being to some degree.¡±


    ¡°If you think your ability can match up to a Sentient or have the potential to, come forward down and test your might against a young awakened.¡± Marshall Solomon said, gesturing towards the platform.


    There was silence among the cadets. No one had the confidence to say that their ability did, even those with a martial artist background. Until two young men did. The same two who were getting ready to fight in line while in processing spoke up and headed to the platform. They would have challenged Kenan and Edith before but were too busy arguing.


    ¡°Yes, I''ll take on-¡± Before Cole could finish his sentences Kenan stopped him.


    ¡°Don''t be reckless, bro. It''s not like you have defense abilities like me and Edith. I''m not underestimating you; I don¡¯t want you to do anything foolish. Kenan said.


    ¡°Wow, you do care. But I''m not about to miss out on the chance of fighting two Superiors. Cole turned to both of them and continued. ¡°I''ll Fight the both of you. he said with a menacing grin.


    Kenan put his face in his hand. ¡°Idiot!¡± he thought. ¡°But I can¡¯t say I wouldn''t have done the same thing.¡±


    Virgil and Cyril were the same height, around 5¡¯8 two inches shorter than The Kenan.


    ¡°My reach is way longer than both of them. I''ll be alright.¡± Cole said, turning to Kenan from the platform.


    Kenan deadpanned. ¡°What sort of logic is that?¡± he thought.


    ¡°Are you sure about this kid?¡± Ashwin said to Cole


    ¡°I''ll be alright, what¡¯s up with you guys underestimating me? No one has ever seen me fight yet.¡± Cole said while stretching.


    ¡°How do you think this one will go?¡± Templar Vena leaned over and asked Marshall Solomon.


    ¡°To be fair, I honestly don¡¯t know. But what I do is,¡± he said, turning his face to Vena. ¡°That Kid is a monster in the making.¡±


    ¡°Begin! He spoke, not taking his eyes off the platform.


    Volts of electricity started to come off Virgil¡¯s body and Cyril Started to transform into his beast form. Before he could completely transform, he felt an uppercut from the bottom of his chin and was sent backward towards the sky. ¡°As if I''m just going to sit and watch you power up,¡± Cole said, pulling his fist back.


    Virgil attacked immediately. ¡°He was able to cover the distance that quickly? Is that due to his martial arts or being a Sentient?¡± Cole dodged Virgil''s palm strike and counted with a jab.


    Virgil dodged at the last second. ¡°His fist seems to move just as fast as I do. I need to create some distance. He jumps back, not taking his eyes off Cole, only to see him smirk as his eyes glow orange. A blast of energy hits Virgil before his feet can even hit the ground. ¡°Crap, I couldn''t dodge in mid-air. He knew that.¡±


    Cyril had recovered from Cole¡¯s uppercut and blitzed to take the offense. Only to see Cole''s eyes glowing a dark, bright orange. ¡°So he has heat-vision.¡±


    He meets Cole with a claw attack on his head and weaves his body out of the way. He swings his claws five times without taking a step back. Cole avoided all of them.


    ¡°My goodness, his footwork for his martial art is insane. No wonder he was surprised I landed a hit against him.¡± Kenan thought.


    Cole''s fist is blurred, and more than five fist marks appear throughout Cyril¡¯s body. His eyes roll to the back of his head, and he falls backward. Before his body hits the ground, Virgil appears behind Cole in a flash of electricity. Just as Virgil''s attack is getting ready to land, he gets directly punched in the face and sent flying backward several feet.


    ¡°As if I wouldn''t expect you to attack me from behind, knowing you''re faster than me. Come on, if anything, you should have appeared behind your partner.¡± Cole says.


    Marshall Solomon puts his hand in his face and raises a hand to Templar Vena before she even starts speaking. ¡°Ok, so I probably should have read all of their profiles. These three would be elite even among our officers cadets that just graduated.¡±


    ¡°The rest of the cadets don''t have to know that. Plus, this saved us time on who''s qualified to be in the officer''s division and who isn''t.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Templar Vena says, pointing her nose up.


    ¡°In any case, although you two have also lost this match, you''re still qualified to be in the officer''s division. With enough training, both of you will be fine officers. Congratulations. Marshall Solomon announced.


    ¡°Yay,¡±


    Virgil said while holding his nose.


    Cole got down from the platform and took his place next to his sworn

 Chapter 16: Living Arrangements

    All cadets selected for the officer''s division were directed to another place within the Shepherd Tower. They had two days before the rest of the officer cadets arrived. Lia and Edith parted with a hug, and Edith promised Lia she would put in a good word for her once she graduated so that she could better choose where she would be stationed.


    Kenan, Cole, Edith, Cornelia, Cyril, and Virgil sat in a waiting area to see where their barracks would be. There was a silence among them, especially those that Cole beat them moments ago.


    ¡°So where is everyone from?¡± Cornelia spoke up and said.


    ¡°My sworn brother and I are from Greenwood City. Also, my name is Kenan,¡± He said, introducing himself.


    ¡°I''m from a neighboring city called Redbird,¡± Edith said.


    Cornelia, Virgil, and Cyril all had a confused expression.


    ¡°Where on earth is that?¡± Virgil asked.


    Kenan laughed at their expressions. ¡°Our cities are under 75 years old so you probably haven''t heard of them. How about you guys? Where are you all from?¡±


    ¡°Well, given that my last name is Nomad, I''m from a human colony. it''s not very big, maybe 50,000 people or so.¡± Cyril spoke.


    ¡°Do all people from human Colonies take on the last name Nomad?¡± Edith asked him.


    ¡°Most of us do it just because it''s easier to find others from human colonies that way once we get to big cities. You can''t imagine the difference between city life and a human colony.


    ¡°I''m actually from Jacob City, born and raised. My dad was a shepherd officer, so I''ve lived a pretty good life here.¡± Virgil said.


    ¡°I¡¯m from Wi-Fi City,¡± Cornelia said softly. She looked completely different without her helmet on. She had light brown skin with even lighter brown curly hair.


    ¡°Isn''t a Wi-Fi city like the most technologically advanced city in the country?¡± Kenan said.


    ¡°Heck yeah, it''s the major city closest to us. We passed it on our way here. I always wanted to go, but it''s so expensive.¡± Cole said.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s alright,¡± Cornelia said, shifting in her seat.


    ¡°So, what exactly is your ability,¡± Cyril said, looking at Kenan.


    ¡°Is it super strength? Because you knocked that guy out pretty easily.¡± Cornelia said, eager to change the subject away from her.


    Kenan couldn''t keep back his smile. ¡°Along with being an awakened Sentient, I also have a mimicry ability.¡± Kenan activated his abilities on his hand, turning it into a silvery metal.


    ¡°How did he do it just within his hand? Every Time I do it, I have to do it throughout my whole body. Edith thought. ¡°You''ll have to show me how you did that later.¡± She said.


    ¡°Just the two of us?¡± Kenan said, eyebrows raised.


    Edith blushed a little and said. ¡°Only if you want it to be.¡±


    Kenan ¡°Coughed¡± and quickly looked away. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to say that.¡±


    ¡°But how in the world are all three of you Sentient beings and from some remote city? The odds of that happening are less than one percent. Heck, the fact that you''re even a Superior and qualified to be within the Shepherds is a miracle in itself,¡± Virgil mentioned.


    ¡°Well, I just became a Sentient not too long ago, at least within 48 hrs. Oh yeah, that reminds me that I should tell my parents, right? I should be able to beat that old man now.¡± Cole said, rushing up from the lounge area to call his parents.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I wonder how powerful that old man of mine is right now," Kenan thought. His aunt was way too vague about it whenever he asked. He looked up to three pairs of eyes looking at him as if asking him something.


    ¡°Yeah, he awakened on the way here. Edith saw it,¡± Kenan said.


    Three heads snapped in Edith¡¯s direction. ¡°Honestly, it was the craziest thing I have seen in my entire life. Kenan and I explain to him how he needs to meditate on his martial arts, and then he gets up and awakens right in front of us.¡±


    All three of their jaws dropped. ¡°He¡¯s an actual monster,¡± Virgil said. My dad awakened 4 years ago, and he''s been meditating on his martial arts for at least 20 years! He said, sinking back into his chair. If I told him this he would probably bite his hand off.


    ¡°There was only one Sentient being that I knew, and he was the protector of the human colony,¡± Cyril said.


    ¡°Yea there aren¡¯t that many awakened beings in general it''s mostly the Elder families that produce them besides the Shepherds that is,¡± Cornelia said.


    ¡°Really? Mhm, I never knew that?¡± Edith said.


    Kenan remained quiet the whole time. He didn''t want them to know he was tied to an Elder family. Mostly because he hated most members and felt like he cheated into becoming a Sentient, he was sure that only one of his three cousins would be a Sentient; he wasn''t sure about the other two. The real geniuses are Edith and Cole, and their awakening is like the chances of a mosquito killing a tiger.


    Before another conversation could happen, Cole returned with a young enlisted shepherd lady to direct them to their barracks.


    ***


    Kenan wasn''t sure what floor they were on within the tower because his and Cole''s living quarters had no windows. The room provided the bare minimum of what they would need: a bed, a desk, a closet, and a bathroom to share. Their room was just big enough to fit all of the young enlistednshepherdnch bigger needed.


    Kenan was glad he got to roommate with his sworn brother and anyone else, and he could feel it being too crowded. They were in their room and about to sleep for the night. They were told they could use the next three days to get familiar with each other and prepare for the training they were going through.


    Kenan got up from looking at the ceiling and faced Cole, who was throwing a ball against the wall and catching it from his bed. ¡°Hey man, there''s something you gotta know about me and my family, well, my extended family.¡±


    Cole caught the ball and sat up to listen. ¡°What happened, do? Do owe them money or something?¡±


    ¡°Nah, nothing like that,¡± Kenan takes a deep breath. ¡° I am from the Ogun Elder family, and my dad is the firstborn son. So I''m tied to them indefinitely regardless of whether I hate them.¡±


    Cole put a hand on his neck. ¡°To be honest with you, bro, I don''t know much about the whole Elder Families business. But from the sound of it, they are rich and powerful. Anything beyond that is news to me. Why do you hate them?


    Kenan exhaled. ¡°Thank God I got a brother who lived a simple life under a rock. This makes it a lot easier for me. Anyways among the powerful families especially the Elder families arranged marriages is commonplace it ties powerful families together and some other political stuff that I don¡¯t care to get into. My Dad, being the family''s first-born son, was destined to have an arranged marriage just like it was. He didn''t accept it, especially after meeting my mother.


    ¡°This led the rest of the family to resent him and despise my mother. They treated her like trash to the point where my father cursed all of them and threw away his birthright. I grew up somewhat around my extended family, especially when I was younger. But as I got older, we would only see them at major gatherings. Then, after my dad was MIA, I didn¡¯t see any of them except my Grandfather. Then. Kenan tightened his fist.¡±


    My mother died, and she was buried at the Ogun Family grave. Tradition says that all members must attend in the death of the immediate family member, but it was only me, my aunt, and my grandfather who attended. I didn¡¯t know how much they despised my mother, but to go against the family''s rules, they just let me know how they didn¡¯t see her as family. I will not be connected to a family who treats my mother that way. . . I hate them. Kenan spoke as he clenched his jaw.


    Cole suddenly grabbed Kenan''s Shoulder, startling him a little. ¡°Your enemies are mine as well. So, if you want to go to war against the ones who treated our mother badly, point me in the direction, and I''ll lead the charge.


    Kenan wanted to cry at his words. ¡°Our mother,¡± he thought. ¡°This fool I only met a week ago truly does see me as a brother.¡± ¡°I will fight for him till the ends of the earth,¡± he said as his eyes began to water.


    Cole grabbed some tissues and patted his sworn brother on the back to comfort him.


    ¡°If you tell Edith I cried . . . I''ll kill you,¡± Kenan said, throwing the tissue in the trash.


    ¡°What about it? My brother is a sensitive guy, and nothing is wrong with that.¡± Cole joked.


    Kenan made a mocking face at Cole. ¡°I''m not a sensitive guy.¡±


    ¡°Bro, you accepted those tissues way too quickly. You would have made me awkward if I wasn''t a momma''s boy.¡± Cole said while putting up his hands in defense.


    There was silence, and both of them paused and started laughing.


    ¡°But know, seriously, if you tell Edith, I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Kenan said, holding up a knife-hand.


    Which made Cole laugh even harder.


    ¡°Anyways, I also told you that because I have three other cousins my age, they should be joining us here at the Officers Division. I don¡¯t have any personal beef with them, but since they stand with my family who were against my mother, they''ll taste the end of this fist.¡±


    ¡°Are they just as strong as you? Wait, aren''t you supposed to have fire ability? I don''t know much, but know that the Oguns wield fire.¡±


    Kenan''s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I don''t know. I honestly was expecting to wield fire as well. honestly, I think my dad did, right?¡± He asked himself. ¡°I asked my grandfather about it, but he didn''t say much; he was pretty shocked once he saw my mimicry ability. As for my cousins, they should at least be on par with me and one that definitely could be stronger.¡±


    ¡°Stronger than you? That''s exciting.¡± Cole brightened.


    ¡°I haven''t seen them in three years so I''m unsure. Also, remember, bro, my martial arts is centered around an any way. You haven¡¯t seen what I can do. Also, I''m going to use a weapon next time we fight.¡±


    ¡°Really how come?¡±


    ¡°Because I think I''ll lose if I don¡¯t,¡± Kenan said, leaning back on his bed. ¡°After seeing your fight today. Bro your ability to determine the flow of the fight is amazing. You''re not anyone to take lightly.¡±


    ¡°I''m glad you think so,¡± Cole said while getting up from his bed and stretching. ¡°I''m about to go to the cafeteria to eat. Are you coming?¡±


    ¡°Nah I''m going to meditate,¡± Kenan says positioning himself.


    ¡°You''ll have to show me how to do that later. I''m not sure how to gather Ruah at all.¡±


    Kenan nods his head as he closes his eyes. ¡°I got you, bro.¡±


    Cole left and Kenan was left Alone with his thoughts. ¡° Who knows my cousins could be way stronger than me now. They have a master guiding them.¡±


    ¡°This system is amazing, though I was able to analyze quite a few people. I should have tried it in one of the Shepherds, but who knows, that could have a way of feeling themselves being analyzed. The last thing I need is someone realizing I have Psionic Technology. If it got exposed, I would have no choice but to go to my family.¡± Kenan rolled his eyes intentionally at the thought.


    ¡°I wonder how things are going in the family anyway?

 Chapter 17- Ogun family

    Chapter 17: Ogun family


    The city, controlled by the Ogun family, was north of the capital and could easily be considered one of the safest human cities in the Pasture. It had towers that touched the sky and thick walls for fortification. Amid the city was the residence of the Ogun family. Right now, a meeting has been held between the Tribunal.


    The Tribunal is considered The Patriarch, the head of the family¡ªthe Bearer, the Patriarch¡¯s wife. The right hand is usually the Patriarch''s brother or sworn brother. Along with the First Sister. Who is usually the sworn sister of the Patriarch¡¯s wife or blood sister of the wife?


    Four Core Tribunal members represented the family''s present, and four Elders represented the family''s present. These 8 people determined the future of the family.


    Their meeting was about how to deal with the Oya family.


    ¡°We should have dealt with this as soon as Malachi got taken from the continent. Now, we might be indebted to the Oya family. An Elder spoke. She was the third elder an¡ªelderly woman who wore a traditional head covering.


    ¡°This all would be a lot easier if you did not spit on the grave of Ashanti. There is no way that Kenan will cooperate with us now, no matter how much we beg him. Elijah spoke.


    There was silence among them. Until the Patriarch spoke.


    ¡°Father; weright, we may have gone too far. But what''s done is done; we can''t change the past; we must work with what we have. Is the young miss from the Oya family really that stubborn?¡±


    Two people to the Patriarch''s left both sighed.


    ¡°Is it that bad Korah?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Dion, my love, she makes me glad that I''m not her mother or would be in prison.¡± She said, sighing again, rubbing her temples.


    ¡°I even tried to offer her the hand of Kane, the Heir to the family, but she denied him without hesitation. I even tried with my son and got the same result.¡± Cinder said, folding her arms.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°So that leaves out Apollo and Kane. Is there any other young man in the Family she''s taking a liking to? Asked the 2nd Elder.


    Both Korah and Cinder respond in a monotone, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°The Oya family and Ogun have gotten along for generations, and it could be unified for the first time in its history. Is the young miss prepared to throw that all away?¡± The right hand of the Patriarch spoke.


    ¡°She doesn''t care about tradition, she doesn''t care about power, she only cares about being with Kenan end quote,¡± Cinder replied.


    ¡°We do have that effect on young maidens,¡± Elijah replied.


    All the men in the room nodded.


    Cinder and Korah roll their eyes.


    ¡°Just because Kenan has denounced us as family doesn''t mean he doesn''t carry our blood. If he likes the young miss, then the Oya family can have him as an heir, or he can have any other title he''s worthy of.¡± The Patriarch Declared.


    ¡°But if he doesn''t tell them, we will owe them two favors. One from me and one from the family. What do you say, Father *cough. I mean Prime Elder.¡±


    Elijah thought for a moment while stroking his beard. After a moment he gave a large clap. ¡°Well done my son! I couldn''t have thought of a better plan myself whenever I was Patriarch.¡±


    ¡°Moving along with other business, the children should be arriving at Shepard¡¯s Tower today,¡± Cinder said.


    ¡°Did you finish Calypso''s training? Korah asked.


    Cinder nods her head. ¡°She''s at the level of ability I expect her to be. But it will take her real life and death to advance further. Besides that, she wields her blade well, far better than me at that age. That''s for certain.¡±


    ¡°It''s the same for Kane and Apollo, while we can take them out to protect the city. They are too valuable to put them at risk. We are still behind in training Sentients and developing them properly, as the Shepherd does. They are still the best organization for awakening.¡± The Patriarch said.


    ¡°It''s the only real chance we have in awakening Apollo and Calypso,¡± Korah added.


    ¡°It can''t be helped, it''s a necessary evil. Plus it helps us to know what exactly they are capable of. having as a family member on the Council of Shepherds.¡± Elijah said.


    ¡°Speaking of the Pasture as a whole, the situation is becoming more and more complicated with the rise of Superior Terrorist Organizations. Not only are they becoming influential among the Mercenary Organizations to the point that one disbanded and went off of the grid.¡± Cinder briefed.


    ¡°How is that any concern of ours surely you don''t believe that these terrorist organizations pose any threat to an Elder Family such as ours.¡± The 3rd Elder spoke.


    ¡°The Den of Wolves leader is a Superior Sentient who is, I dare say, capable. He''s the one that pushed Ashanti to the brink which led to her death.¡± Cinder said.


    Silence filled the room again.


    The third elder nodded her head in understanding. She turned her head to the Patriarch. ¡°Should we consider this man our enemy?¡±


    Before he could respond Korah spoke. ¡°No, Ashanti had no ties to us. Not only did she want this, but Malachi did as well.¡±


    They all turned to the Patriarch.


    ¡°I can''t let the killer of my brother¡¯s wife go freely, but on the other hand, my wife is bitter at any topic in regards to this woman even though she¡¯s moved on to the next life.¡± Dion sighed internally, making sure not to show any expression. It''s a skill all leaders in powerful positions must master.


    ¡°My Bearer is correct. This terrorist is not our enemy, at least not yet. If the Den of Wolves set their sites on Kenan, we have no choice but to regard them as enemies of the Ogun.


    ¡°Dion, He has already disregarded us -¡± Dion raises his hand to stop Korah from finishing her words.


    ¡°He is still our blood and holds the blood of Malachi, my eldest brother. No harm will come to him. Plus we can use him to make amends with the Oya family.¡±


    Korah nods at the Patriarch¡¯s last words.


    Elijah shakes his head internally. ¡°Korah is still swaying his decisions I see. If my son wasn''t as smart as he was, we might as well consider Korah the Patriarch.¡±


    ¡°I agree with that as well Patriarch wise decision


    ¡± Elijah said dipping his head slightly. The rest of the Tribunal followed suit.

 Chapters 18: Family and Friends

    Kenan stood in front of Cole, spear in hand, and waited for Edith to give them the single so they could begin. They were currently in the training room still within Shepard''s Tower. All the other cadets that came with them to the officer division were on the sideline waiting to witness the spar.


    Cyril and Virgil secretly hoped Kenan would get the same treatment they did when they fought against Cole. It was downright embarrassing whenever they thought back on it.


    Cole and Kenan were eyeing each other, almost having an unspoken conversation.


    Cole knew it would be a different type of fight from last time just by how Kenan held and stood with the training spear.


    ¡°Remember, gentlemen, this is a strictly martial arts fight with no Superior abilities,¡± Edith said, standing between the two. She would be acting as a referee.


    Kenan and Cole slightly nod without taking their eyes off one another.


    ¡°They''re pretty intense, huh?¡± Cornelia leans over to talk to Cyril.


    He nodded. ¡°I''d assume so; they are both newly awakened Sentient, so they are in complete control of their muscles, meaning that any slight movement from their opponent could mean an attack.


    Edith looked between Cole and Kenan again and shouted. ¡°Being!¡±


    Before Cole''s next heartbeat, the tip of a spear was in front of his eyes. It was a training spear, of course, but it had enough speed that it wouldn''t matter too much that it wasn''t real. He weaved his head to the side and threw a counterpunch. A palm blocked his punch.


    After the exchange, they both leaped back. ¡°The spear really is core to your martial art,¡± Cole said with a smile.


    Kenan smiled in return, ¡°Yeah, it is, but as long as it''s a polearm, I can use it.¡±


    ¡°He could do a spear thrust that quickly with just one arm? He''s definitely at a level of mastery that may be even greater than mine. ¡°I will ask to spar with him in the future.¡± Edith thought.


    Cole raised his fist again, indicating he was ready for another exchange. Kenan readied his spear.


    This time, Cole took the offense and blitzed Kenan. He used a footwork technique to close the distance between them, but Kenan held him back with spear thrusts.


    ¡°He''s the worst opponent for me to fight. He has the reach that keeps me at a distance whenever I''m a close-combat fighter. It would be a lot easier if I could use my heat vision.


    Cole sped up his footwork and broke the pattern of spear thrusts Kenan was using against him. The moment Kenan''s spear pulled back from the thrust, Cole attacked. He aimed his punch at Kenan''s face.


    Cole was coming from Kenan''s spear, which was almost impossible for him to defend because his spear was still half extended. Still, when Cole''s punch landed, it was shallow because he got a palm strike in his abdomen.


    ¡°He attacked under his spear thrust! Why?! Did he know that was going to be my only opening?¡± Cole thought.


    Kenan held his jaw while trying to hold back his laughter. ¡°That¡¯s my weak side, so I guessed you would go for the head. I''m not some adaptive fighter like you are. With that said, I''m ending the sparring session right here. You win.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°What, why!?¡± Cole protested.


    ¡°Because you''re just going to keep getting better at fighting me. I''m starting to think you don¡¯t just have heat vision but another eye ability. You adjust at an alarming rate to people¡¯s fighting styles, not in the traditional martial arts.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm, I''d say that too, bro, if I¡¯d lost. I can''t wait to tell my mom about this because she didn¡¯t think I would beat you.¡± Cole said, pulling out his NCD.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you all fight the first time, but I will say that he outperformed you on that second exchange,¡± Edith said while walking up to Kenan. Do you think he¡¯s naturally talented in martial arts, or does he have some other eye ability that even he isn''t aware of? ¡°


    ¡°Both,¡± Kenan replied.


    ***


    Two days flew by, and Kenan and the rest of the cadets were walking to their first day in class in their Cadet Officer uniforms. The uniform was a formal dark brown kaftan with gold trimming and buttons. The Enlisted Cadet uniform was the same, but dark blue instead of brown.


    Kenan was leading the group of six cadets admitted to the officer program. Edith was standing to his left while he tried to explain how he only partially mimicked his body.


    ¡°It''s just focusing on the specific nerves within the desired body part you want to mimic. Luckily, the metal I transform into isn''t heavy, or I might have ripped my arm off.¡± Kenan chuckled.


    ¡°Nerves? What do you mean by that? Edith asked.


    Before he could answer, they were already at the door to the classroom they were supposed to enter. Kenan walked in and immediately heard a scream as he entered the room.


    ¡°KENAN!! Why have you been ignoring me!¡± the voice yells.


    Kenan''s face deadpans as a gust of wind shoots past everyone behind him, and he almost gets tackled. He smelled the Southwind along with White Sage.


    ¡°Hello, Yalissa, Kenan says, hugging the girl around his neck.


    Yalissa was tall and had long box braids, with wooden breeds at the ends of each braid. Well tall for a young woman, she was the same height as Kenan, at 5¡¯10".


    Turning around, Kenan starts to introduce Yalissa to his friends. She had a big smile on her face as he did so.


    ¡°Guys, this is Yalissa, my childhood friend.¡± He gives a flat tone.¡±


    From what Kenan could see, Cole looked speechless, and Edith looked like she had a strange twitch in her eye. He looked down at his arm and noticed Yalissa hugging it. ¡°Anyways,¡± he said, pulling himself free.


    ¡°This is my sworn brother Cole Justus and my Other Friend Edith Gardner.¡± Kenan points to his friends.


    ¡°My name is Virgil,¡± Virgil sounded from behind them.


    Cyril lightly shakes his head.


    ¡°My sworn brother never told me he had such a beautiful childhood friend. I hope we can become friends in the future. Cole says, shaking Yalissa''s hand.


    ¡°Is Yalissa beautiful? I never thought about it. She''s always been that snotty-nose little sister to me. Kenan thought, shrugging his shoulders.


    ¡°Hello, Yalissa, glad to meet you. I didn''t think Kenan had any friends other than Cole. ¡± Edith said, sticking out her hand


    ¡°Oh, we''re not just friends. We were betrothed as well,¡± Yalissa said with a smile, shaking Edith¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What!¡± Both Cole, Vigil, and Edith say in unison.


    Kenan put his hand on his forehead. ¡°I''m not about to go through this again with you, Yalissa. I''m not a part of that family anymore, so the betrothal is off. Plus, I want to pick my wife and not have someone else do it for me.¡±


    ¡°It''s not like we''d want you anyway,¡± a voice behind them in the classroom said.


    Three people were sitting together in the classroom¡ªtwo guys and one girl. The one who said something spoke again.


    ¡°Grandpa misses you, though,¡± said the young man with the short afro twists. He was built stocky even when he sat down.


    ¡°Kane. . .¡± Kenan said


    ¡°Kenan. . .¡± Kane replied.


    There was a staredown between the two, and the silence in the area was loud¡ªuntil Kenan broke the silence.


    ¡°Have you awakened? Are you still amongst the flock?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I''ve awakened and didn''t need my daddy''s elixir to do it.¡±Kane Spat


    The young man behind him chuckled in agreement. ¡° He probably thought he would be the only one among us awake.¡± He had deep melanin skin and dark honey-blonde hair, and his eyes matched his hair color.


    ¡°Apollo, I still see you co-signing everything this idiot says, ¡°Kenan says, gesturing to Kane. Tell me, Calypso, do you still let your twin speak for both of you? ¡°Kenan says to the female of the group.


    Kenan didn''t even give her a chance to reply before he said, ¡°Thought so. It looks like you all are the exact same as I left you.¡± He went to find a seat in the classroom and didn''t look in his cousin''s direction again.


    Cole gave a scowl of his own and headed toward Kenan. On the way, Edith leaned over and whispered. ¡°Kenan is a part of the Ogun Elder Family?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ask him about it later. He only told me last night,¡± he replied.


    After Kenan and his friends sat down, someone in the back of the class broke the silence. ¡°As always the Ogun family is getting along so well. The voice scoffed.


    Before even turning around, Kenan knew who the voice belonged to. He was at every Elder Family event along with Yalissa.


    ¡°Kyron, how did you even end up in this Shepard class with us? Aren''t you still 14?¡± Kenan says, turning around.


    Kyron was a dark Caramel teen with green eyes. Although he was sitting down at a desk, he could tell that he was probably around the same height as Kenan. ¡°Why is everyone in the Oya family so dang tall?¡± he wondered to himself.


    ¡°I was able to join because I''m awakened and the Elder Families want this generation''s descendants to be grouped as much as possible. Although there''s no one in the Yemaya family represented in our generation. They are either older or younger.¡± Kyron said, his feet were propped up on the desk like he didn''t have a care in the world.


    There were murmurs whenever he mentioned being awakened. After all, he was only 14. He was a genuine genius. Even if he used an elixir that Kenan suspected he had, it was still an impressive feat.


    There were around 11 people in total in their class. Kenan was sitting next to Cole and Yalissa, and Yalissa would not stop talking his ear off. Just when he was about to tell her off again, Templar Vena Stepped through the door. Immediately, Everyone stood at attention and greeted their instructor.


    ¡°Greeting Templar Vena!!¡± They all


    said in unison.


    ¡°As you we''re Cadets today I''m going to teach you all how to awaken as Sentient beings and gather Ruah effectively."

 Chapter 19 : Neural Paths

    ¡°Sentient Beings are the true power not only behind this country but to the outside world as well. There are Sentient beings who can tear open space and clone a perfect copy of themselves. Meaning these beings can destroy a city and be gone before the last breath is gone.¡± Templar Vena says, lecturing.


    ¡°This is why a great deal of tax dollars goes into developing and nurturing Sentient beings. You will get access to these resources as Officers of the Shepherds organizations.¡±


    ¡°Is it true that you even have Neural Paths available to us? Cornelia raised her hand and asked.


    Templar Vena nodded. " Of course, we do if you are compatible with them.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are Neural Paths? Is That the same as Psionic techniques?¡± Cyril asked.


    ¡° That¡¯s a good question, Cadet Cyril. Neural Paths are specific brain cells activated by Ruah that could potentially give a Sentient a specific affinity. While Psionic techniques are something only Sentient beings with the same affinity can imitate.¡± Templar Vena explained.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± Cole said.


    ¡°I''ll explain it like this, and I''ll use you as an example, Cadet Cole. You are a newly awakened Sentient and don''t have an affinity yet. A Neural Path could give you an affinity, and then you could use a Psionic technique once you gain an affinity.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see, but isn''t my Superior ability of heat vision considered an affinity for fire?¡± he responded.


    ¡°Not necessarily; in our country, we are backward. Traditionally, you would get an affinity rather than a Superior ability. But in your case, once you get a Neural path, your ability will change, and it should also grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by affinity? Cyril raised his hand and asked.


    ¡°That''s another good question. While it may seem like common knowledge to some of you, given your background, remember that we have to be all on the same page.¡±


    ¡°To answer your question, Cadet Cyril, I''ll use myself as an example. Originally, my ability was Invisibility, but after I awaken and gain a Neural Path, I gain a Mist affinity.¡± She says, demonstrating. She raises her, and mist covers it, then completely disappears.


    ¡°Affinities are aspects of reality that typically come in the form of Elements, but our knowledge of this area is still lacking. The most important thing to remember is that when choosing a Neural Path, it should complement your Superior ability. Not doing so can result in you being stunted at your Meditation Realm.¡±


    ¡°So my Neral Path was already built into the Archive system, and that''s why I got the Augmentations. It would also explain why only Superiors Sentient have augmented abilities.¡± Kenan concluded.


    ¡°With these resources that the Shepherds provide you as officers, we expect loyalty in its height form for the cause of the Shepherds. Tell me, what is that cause?!¡± Templar Vena steeled.


    Everyone, in unison, spoke. ¡°To Provide Absolute Safety to the Flock¡±


    ¡°Correct, you now wear a symbol that protects Humanity! Forget the money, forget the power, forget fame. The Shepherd''s care for nothing of the sort is the primary mission of the survival of humanity!¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Everyone replied. ¡°Yes, Templar!¡± With a standing salute.


    ¡°This is another reason I joined the Shepherds. This is my mother''s and father''s legacy to defend those who can''t defend themselves. ¡°Those who bully the weak represent the evil in this world, and they must not go unpunished.¡± Kenan wasn¡¯t sure if his father or mother first said those words, but they would always say them. It sounded cheesy when he first heard it, but it is one of the realest things he¡¯s ever heard.


    ¡°Now, let''s get down to official business. It doesn''t just take a great ability to become an officer of the Shepherds. We need officers to be equipped Mentally and Physically. This means that as soon as you run out of psionic energy, you can''t gather. Ruah, what do you do?¡±


    Kenan answered. ¡°Rely on the strength of your mind and the strength of your hands .¡±


    ***


    Later that afternoon.


    Tactics: That was the first paper test the cadets took on their first day. Vena had to admit that this year''s batch of cadets differed from previous ones. Besides, half of them were from the Elder families, which wasn''t the only anomaly. Their test scores were astonishing the more she sat at her desk and graded them.


    Nearly all of them, including the ones from seemingly normal backgrounds, answered above average.


    ¡°Marshall Solomon did say he felt like this class was going to be different, but I thought he was referring to the influence of the Elder families,¡± Vena said, talking to herself.


    She looked down at three tests in front of her. Edith Gardner, Cyril Nomad, and Kenan Ogun are tactical geniuses. ¡°All the answers they gave I would expect senior Officers to give. Commanding troops is no easy task, especially within the shepherds, as everyone has superior abilities. Each used their squad''s max utilization to back their reasoning.¡±


    ¡°If we can get them to apply this on the battlefield, they will be amazing assets to the future of the Shepherds.¡±


    ***


    Right after the test


    After taking the test, they were free to leave the classroom and would be done for the day.


    Kenan didn''t mind; he didn''t want to speak to his cousins again after class. So, he rushed through the test and continued his day. He felt like the test was simple enough. He and his mom would play tactical games like that all the time, especially whenever she was hospitalized. She would always win, but Kenan started to think that Aunt Aria gave her some cheat codes since she was the one who designed the game.


    Before he reached his dorm room, he got a notification from his NCD


    Edith: Would you like to visit the library to help me choose a Neural Path?


    Kenan smiled at the message. He wanted to spend time with Edith, just the two of them. She was amazingly pretty and smart, too. ¡°Just relax, don''t, and don''t say anything stupid,¡± he told himself.


    Kenan: Yeah, I''ll meet you there. He replied.


    The library wasn''t a traditional one because books were rare. Everything was digital, so there were massive storage drives the size of cars within the library. When Kenan walked in, he could see his breath because it was cold. He instantly spotted Edith as she was speaking to one of the Library attendees.


    When she saw him, she gave Kenan a warm smile, which made him almost trip when he approached her. Luckily, he had the balance of a Sentient, or we would have landed on his face.


    ¡°She said we can find the Neural Paths for mimicry abilities here,¡± Edith said, walking and pointing in a particular direction. On the way there she asked Kenan a question. ¡°So wh, what did you think of the test?¡±


    ¡°It was easy enough. I was rushing through it because I didn''t want to run into any of my cousins,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Is it that bad between you all? I can''t believe you''re a part of the Ogun family.¡± Edith says as they stop in front of a Storage Server.


    ¡°I''m not; I''ve disowned them; they might as well be strangers with the same last name as me,¡± Kenan says in a low voice.


    Edith looks at Kenan and can see the pain along with the hurt. Being an orphan, she always longed to have a family. She never thought anyone who didn¡¯t want theirs was simply ungrateful. But she recognized the eyes too well¡ªthe eyes of someone who had been abandoned.


    She quickly tries to focus her attention back on the task at hand and Starts scrolling through the options on the tablet screen in front of the Storage Server.


    ¡°Your Diamond ability is considered earth, right? So, is that the type of Neural Path you will choose?¡± Kenan asked.


    ¡°I''m not entirely sure yet if I was being honest with you, which is why I wanted your help. I already put in my Superior ability, and these are the options they gave me.


    Neural Path Archive: Diamond Mimicry


    Available Neural Path Options:


    Earth Elemental Augmentation


    Light Elemental Augmentation


    Heat Augmentation


    ¡°Great, so I only have three options,¡± Edith said, rolling her eyes.


    Kenan lightly laughed. ¡°I wouldn''t worry too much about it since you already have an Elemental ability. I think Templar Vena spoke to people whose abilities don''t have an affinity yet, like Cole''s or Cyril''s.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I want to get as much of an advantage as I can. I don''t have the resources like other people here may have. . .¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°And that''s ok because you have friends right?¡± Kenan gave a warm smile. He may have been seeing things but he was sure that she blushed when he said that.


    ¡°Let''s think of what these Neural Paths would do to your ability if you choose them. Earth Elemental Augmentation would Essentially leave your ability being the same. Just strengthen in some sort of way.¡±


    ¡°A Heat Augmentation would give your diamond form a heat effect. Is that something you would be interested in?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, I feel like if I went this route then I could eventually learn Fire Psionic techniques and burning things to a crisp is not really my style. Plus I know I wouldn''t like the smell.¡± She replied


    ¡°Light Augmentation sounds interesting though, It sounds like it will give me a long range ability.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about that as well and I doubt it would change your ability too much from what it is now. With a Mimicry ability like ours, long range attacks honestly wasn''t an option.¡± Kenan mentioned.


    They both looked at e


    achother once they realized what he just said. ¡°Light Elemental Augmentation it is.¡± They both said in unison

 Chapter 20: Synchronization

    Chapter 20: Synchronization


    Afterward, they parted ways so Edith could properly synchronize with her Neural Path.


    Kenan was now opening the door to his room only to find Cole on his bed with a panicked expression.


    ¡°They''re going to kick me out of the academy, bro; there is no way I passed that test.¡±


    Kenan kicked his shoes off and got in his bed. ¡°Nah, they''ll probably just make sure not to give you too many troops to command in the future. Not everyone can strategize with 10+ people to account for with different abilities.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s true. still, I''ll have to shine in other areas the next chance I get.¡± Cole said, hitting his fist in his hand.


    ¡°Oh, hey, would you like to help me pick out a Neural Path at the library?¡±


    ¡°I had just come from there. How come you didn''t go after class?¡± Kenan says, putting his shoes back on.


    ¡°Because I was hungry and decided to go get food. Wait, why were you there? As they both were getting ready to walk out of the door.


    ¡°I went to help Edith pick out her Neural Path,¡± Kenan says, walking past Cole and out the door.


    Cole raises his eyebrows and tucks in his lips while nodding his head, ¡°So you help out your love interest before your own brother?¡± Cole crosses his chest with his arms and leans back, slowly falling on Kenan dramatically. ¡°My own brother has forsaken the code.¡±


    Kenan pushes him off trying to contain his laughter. ¡°This is why your mom told you to stop watching anime. You''re way too dramatic already.¡±


    ***


    Neural Path Archive: Optic blast


    Available Neural Path Options:


    Earth Elemental Augmentation


    Air Elemental Augmentation


    Fire Elemental Augmentation


    Water Elemental Augmentation


    Thunder Elemental Augmentation


    Light Elemental Augmentation


    Dark Elemental Augmentation


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Cole looks back at Kenan wide-eyed


    ¡°My mind will explode if I have to choose one. You do it!¡±


    ¡°You can''t ask me that this is the base of your abilities. You might as well ask me to pick out what woman you will marry; it would be no different.¡± Kenan explained.


    They started arguing for nearly 10 minutes before an unexpected individual arrived in the blink of a golden light. Immediately, Cole and Kenan saluted Marshal Solomon.


    ¡°As you were cadets,¡± he says in his deep voice. ¡°I may have a solution to all problems. He is holding up a memory device and then handing it to Cole.


    ¡°Lazer?¡± Cole asked, looking up from the label on the finger-sized device.


    ¡°It''s a Neural Path,¡± Kenan says, snatching it from his brother and offering it back to Marshall. ¡°We''re not interested. We know there is no such thing as a free lunch.¡±


    The Marshall smiled, revealing his sharp, canine-like teeth. Kenan could have sworn he saw his eyes glow and look like those of an animal for a split second, but it was hard to tell behind the thick circle sunglasses he always wore.


    ¡°I like your caution, young man. That will surely save you in the future. But you are right; there is a condition I will add to bless Mr.Justus with such an extraordinary path.¡±


    ¡°We''ll. I''m listening.¡± Cole stiffened.


    ¡°Become my appearance and-¡±


    ¡°Deal¡± Cole says, snatching the memory device back from Kenan.


    ¡°He doesn''t mean that,¡± Kenan said.


    ¡°Yes, I do. Are you serious? This guy is crazy powerful and the Director of the academy. If he''s not worthy of being my master then who is?¡± Cole argued.


    Kenan couldn''t find any fault within his brother''s logic, but the last thing he wanted was for his brother to get tied up with any Elder family or Aristocrats. Marshall, could I ask what your surname is before my brother accepts?¡±


    ¡°It''s Judah.¡± Marshall Solomon responded.


    ¡°Mhm, well, alright then, seems alright to me,¡± Kenan says, shrugging his shoulders. If he were an Aristocrat, I''d never have heard of that family name, that''s for sure. Maybe he''s an independent party.


    ¡°Well, now that''s been sorted, let''s have you synchronized to that path,¡± Marshall Solomon says as he snaps his fingers, and he and Cole disappear.


    ***


    It took Edith an hour to figure out how to synchronize with her Neural Path which was terrifying by normal standards. She was completely unaware of that fact. Instead of testing out her new Augmentation, she thought about Kenan. He was smart, calculating, and charming.


    They have flirted a couple of times, but no one has made a move. ¡°He''s probably not even thinking about dating right now. With his family stuff going on. Who was that girl? His supposed childhood friend? I don''t think they are romantically involved but I don''t like how handsy she is with him.¡±


    ¡°Sister Edith, remember to remain focused on your studies and avoid courting. It will strip you of your ambition,¡± Edith recalled the words of one of the Nun Sisters at the orphanage.


    ¡°Ok, yeah, sure, but what am I supposed to do with my attraction to this ¡°young man?¡± she threw up quotations with her hands. She then flopped on the bed straight into her pillow.


    ¡°Whatever, I won''t worry about it unless he makes the first move. All these other guys aren''t that cute. Well, maybe . . . Never mind, it''s either Metal Boy or no one, at least for now.¡±


    ***


    Cole was currently at Marshall Solomon''s office. They had just teleported and sat in their respective seats, and we were staring at each other in silence.


    ¡°I would think you would be asking questions in regards to what being my apprentice would consist of.¡± Marshall Solomon spoke.


    ¡°The details aren''t too important for me unless you''re trying to get me to kill someone, which I wouldn''t do.¡±


    Marshall Solomon''s eyebrow furrowed. ¡°You''re a child, why would I ask that of you?¡±


    Cole started to panic. His mother meant this when he said he watches too much anime.


    ¡°Anyway, let''s just move on to the Neural Path Synchronization process for now. First and foremost, Cole Justus, your heat vision that you listed isn''t correct. You actually have an Optic blast, which isn''t tied to any affinity. This is quite a rarity. Your eye power is suited for almost any affinity.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I figured as much; I honestly didn''t know what Neural Path Affinity I should choose. I''m glad you came along and made it much easier for me.¡± Cole said scratching the back of his head.


    ¡°I can see that being stressful for you given the background you have. Being a first-generation Sentient can be stressful, and you need to be guided correctly if you truly want to advance.¡± Marshall Solomon then held up the memory drive.


    ¡°I''m not going to hold you Cole. The cost of this Neural Path was extremely high. It''s a rarity, and I doubt you''ll find anyone with it. Not at least for a long time.¡±


    ¡°So what is all this going to cost me?¡± Cole''s hands slightly went up while speaking.


    ¡°As your master, let''s just say my enemies are your enemies and vice versa. Marshall Samson''s eyes flickered purple, and his pupils became slit like animals.


    ¡°Are your enemies the Oguns?¡± Cole asked


    with tension and seriousness in his voice.


    ¡°No¡±


    ¡°Then we''re all good; what is Laser Energy anyway?

 Chapter 21: Ruah

    Ruah is the energy that we, as Sentients, use to activate Psionic Particles in our brains to have Extraordinary abilities. "Can someone tell me if they are Magical or Supernatural?" Templar Vena asked while lecturing in front of the class.


    There was silence in the room.


    ¡°It was a good question that almost everyone got incorrectly,¡± Kenan thought as he raised his hand. ¡°Well, honestly, it''s a trick questio,n, some might say. Magic/Sorcery is something that goes against the natural order of the world. At the same time, the Supernatural is something that usually resorted to magic.


    ¡°He''s a sharp one; isn''t his Aunt the vis-captain of the Science division?lTemplar Vena thought. ¡° Correct, Kenan, that was very well explained. Ruah is considered by most to be the breath of God, and Psionic Particles are something natural that you can find within any human brain. Our abilities may be extraordinary, but they do not forsake our relationship with God like magic does.


    ¡°I don''t understand what the significance of that is. Virgil said, raising his hand.


    ¡°It''s a debt that''s been going on for 100s of years, maybe 1000s. Before the Sentient, humans believed that if a human were to wield any power at all, it was demonic. This could have been true, but the stigma was deeply rooted. Before science could be explained, this was what humans believed.¡±


    ¡°This is an important distinction because our Enemies, the Fiend, are using magic while we are using Ruah and Psionic energy, something considered natural and incorruptible. While they may appear the same, they are, in fact, very different things.¡±


    ¡°The Super Science behind the Sentient needed to be explained; otherwise, people would think we''re trying to go against Heaven and become immortal. Like the Fiend.¡± Edith spoke.


    ¡°So we''re Syfy, and the bad guys are magic-wielding demons,¡± Cole said.


    The entire class stops, turns around, and looks at Cole. They are completely amazed at the knowledge he just dropped. It was so simple and informative that they believed it was a great explanation and could have avoided this lectured info dump.


    Kenan leaned over and whispered to Edith, " It''s either he''s the main character in his own universe, or he''s being controlled by some great sage completely outside this universe.¡±


    Edith whispered back. ¡°The second one, for sure.¡± They both start laughing, trying to contain it and not be heard.


    ***


    The class continued later in the afternoon when everyone returned from lunch.


    ¡°Normally, when it comes to the Officer Cadets, we have a tournament to see who is the strongest among you. But seeing as we have 2 of them, 3 Elder family representatives here, we decided to avoid that at least we burn bridges needlessly.¡± Templar Vena explained.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Are the Elder families really that petty?¡± Edith asked.


    All Six of them. In unison, Kean, Kane, Apollo, Calypso, Yalissa, and Kyron replied. ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°That is why we will be purging an abandoned True Metal mine that the Fiend had captured from us. This would be a test for a Superior looking to be promoted to Senior Enlisted, but you, as potential Officers, should be capable of at least this.


    ¡°This test will be your final exam, and the Ccadet who gets the most points wins a personal weapon made for them by Professor Network himself.¡±


    Everyone in the class cheered in excitement. Anyone who knows Professor Network knows that he''s the greatest investor this country has ever seen. He designed everything from fully immersed video games to hollow graphics interfaces with your Network Communication Device (NCD) to the magnet train.


    ¡°Your studies will be constant, and you will learn all you need to know about the fiends you may encounter once you get there while gathering Ruah or trying to awaken yourself,¡± Templar Vena added.


    Now, let''s discuss how to gather Ruah first. Ruah is all around us, and meditating is the best way to do it. Meditation is all about stillness and recognizing your limitations. You should be thinking about your place in the universe and where you fit into the grand scam of the universal clock. This should, in turn, stimulate Ruah around you. Then, you slightly activate a psionic particle within your brain with every inhale and exhale. You can do this automatically once you get further within your Meditation Realm. I''m doing it right now.¡± Templar Vena points to the Wall behind her, and a screen appears.


    ¡°It was an image of a brain that showed normal cells and cells that turned into Psionic Particles. ¡°We color-coded these so it''s easy for us to digest and teach others. As you can see, the green cells are the normal brain cells, and the Psonic Partials are the Cyan color. While Ruah is Blue. Right now, as a Sentient, I''m in the Mediation Stage, Consciousness, while my Sub-stage is High, Making me a Sentinet of High Consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Around this stage, I have no less than 1000 Particleic particles.¡± Templar Vena said. ¡°And I get around 10 to 20 every day without Mediation.¡±


    ¡°So the number of Psionic Particles you have determines your Mediation stage?¡± Cornelia asked.


    ¡°Correct.¡± Templar Vena responded.


    ¡°How many Brain Cells are in the brain anyway?¡± Cyril asked.


    ¡°Around 86 billion.¡± Templar Vena said.


    Everyone''s mouth dropped.


    ¡°Before you ask, you will not become a god if you activate them all. To put it in perspective, the strongest Sensitivity within this country is Shepard Captain Alcon, and he has around 9000 psionic particles, the highest we have seen in history, which makes him sensitive with the title of True Esper. To our knowledge, there has never been a Sentient that has achieved activating them all.¡±


    This was the time for members of the Elder Family to keep their lips sealed, not because there was a being to activate all of their brain cells but because they knew of beings Stronger than Shepard Captain Alcon. It was the Patriarchs of their respective families.


    Kenan wasn¡¯t entirely sure how powerful his Uncle was, but he knew that the family Patriarch should be more powerful than the Strongest Shepherd Captain. The Elders wouldn''t allow it any other way.


    ¡°That concludes today''s lessons. When we convene again, it will be over Revelations,¡± Templar Vena said as she dismissed the class.


    As everyone leaves the class, Kenan sets his sights on Kane and calls out: ¡°It looks like the family won''t get the opportunity to witness you getting put to sleep. So let''s have a little spar of our own.¡±


    Kane walks over to Kenan, and Squares approaches him, making eye contact. ¡°You talkin'' real big little cousin, but do you know what you''re getting yourself into?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, crossing names off my list, and you three are definitely on it?¡± Kenan gestures to his other two cousins.


    ¡°What list?¡± Apollo asked.


    ¡°All of the people that disrespected my mother before and after she drew her last breath. All of you will apologize or taste this fist, preferably both.¡± Kenan spat


    ¡°Nah, I''m not doing that, and neither are we. We don''t owe her or you anything. What, you''re going to fight all of us by yourself.¡± Kane said


    Calypso looked like she was about to perk up and say something but decided against it at the last second.


    ¡°That''s the plan,¡± Kenan said without a flinch.


    ¡°But he''s not going too,¡± Cole said, stepping up next to Kenan.


    ¡°I heard you wield a blade, is that true?¡± Edith said, looking at Calypso . She then put her sword breaker on her left shoulder. While standing on Kenan''s other side.


    Templar Vena was still packing her stuff as this situation progressed. She rolled her eyes. She figured something like this would happen. ¡°Martial artists are the craziest people on the planet.¡± She whispered to herself. ¡°If you all are going to fight then it has to be approved by the Marshall and he''s very busy right now so you''ll hav-¡±


    A golden light appears to her side and Marshall Solomon stands next to her. ¡°I approve¡±


    Templar Vena deadpans. ¡°I''m going home¡± she snaps her fingers and mist fills the room then she disappears.


    Marshall Solomon clapped his hands together. ¡°Alright then, shall I give the details?¡±

 Chapter 22.: Old Rivals

    Kenan and Kane have been compared for as long as Kenan can remember.


    They would always pit themselves against each other playfully, and it never got serious until they got older. Kenan remembered whenever their first spar got serious. They were around 11 years old, and it was at the Ogun family reunion. It was a huge celebration throughout the city, and every family member was obligated by blood to attend.


    His grandfather would talk to his Prime descendants, which consisted of Kenan, Kane, Calypso, and Apollo. Apollo never really cared for combat; he was a pretty boy through and through. He had been praised for his good looks since Kenan could remember. While Calypso admires Cinder, their aunt constantly asks her to teach her some moves with a sword.


    ¡°So, have the both of you been keeping up with your training?¡± Elijah said, holding both of the boy''s shoulders.¡±


    Kenan''s face brightens. ¡°I have a grandpa. I''m going to beat up bad guys and monsters just like you, Dad, and Uncle. I''ve been practicing hard.¡±


    Kenan turns to Kane with the same smile. He thought Kane was going to reply the same way he always had, but he said something that surprised him that day.


    ¡°I''ve been training, so I can definitely beat Kenan today. It won''t be like last time, " he said, clenching his fist.


    At the time Kenan thought he was just sparked to challenge him again


    But it was much deeper than that.


    ¡°Alright, cousin, let''s see how far both of us have come,¡± Kenan replied.


    ¡°That''s the spirit, boys. Let''s get everyone together and witness this spar,¡± Elijah said.


    They were currently in the Ogun Tower''s top floor, which is usually used for large gatherings like balls and weddings. Everyone was dressed in the official family colors of Red and black, and they were also in their best attire. They would be sparing on the main stage for everyone to see.


    ¡°Alright, everyone. My grandsons want to show off their might and show us the strength of the younger generation. So let''s give them some encouragement and enjoy the show they put on for us,¡± Elijah said to the crowd.


    Kenan didn''t know it at the time, but days before the family reunion, Devon, his uncle, had officially taken the Patriarch''s position that his father had denied long ago. This meant that Kenan was no longer the True heir of the Ogun Family, while Kane was.


    Before the fight began, there were murmurs about who would win and how capable we would have been as an Elder Family if Malachi had been the Patriarch. There was an air of disappointment when Malachi didn''t take the position, so this spar would show not only Kenan and Kane''s capabilities but also their fathers'' abilities in training them.


    The person this affected the most wasn''t Devon himself but his wife, Korah, Kane''s mother. She was an elegant and highly tempered woman, and the one thing she cared about most was her image. She came from a very wealthy aristocratic family, and they would try to make up for what they couldn''t match in power in social perception.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Moments before Kenan and Kane took the stage to spar, Kenan saw Kane getting what looked like a stern talk from his mother.


    Korah grabbed Kane by his chin so they could make eye contact. ¡°You are the son of the Patriarch now, do not embarrass me. I will not continue to lose out to that woman and her son. Do you understand me?¡±


    Kane yanks his face away. ¡°You''ve already said this a million times Ma, I understand.


    Korah nods at her and then quickly regains her Noblewoman demeanor as If she didn''t just scold her son.


    Kenan heard a snapping sound, which brought him back to reality. He was trying to guess what was happening on the other side of the stage with Kane and his Aunt.


    ¡°None of that concerns you. Focus on the task at hand, son,¡± Ashanti said. How do you feel? Are you still up for this fight, or are you having reservations?¡±As always, his mother''s voice was as calming as the rain gently hitting a window, calming him down.


    Kenan makes a suspicious face at his mother. ¡°You''re not reading my mind are you?¡±


    ¡°I may be a telepath, but more importantly, I''m your momma; I can tell when something is troubling my child,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I just don''t want to burn bridges; something seems more off with Kane than usual,¡± Kenan said reluctantly.


    Malachi and Ashanti looked at each other. As always, they looked like they were having an unspoken conversation, which was most likely the case.


    Malachi sighed before he spoke as he got closer to his son for a more intimate conversation. ¡°Kenan, I know how you feel about not wanting to make a bigger deal out of something you don''t see as a problem. However, we can not base our decisions on how others will respond. All we can do is live our own life. If we based our decisions on those around us, we would live for them, not ourselves. Do you understand what I mean son?¡±


    ¡°I think so, Dad, but. . .¡±


    ¡°Let me put it this way: you wouldn''t be doing Kane any favors if you let him win. Would you want him to give up the fight if it were you?¡± Malachi pointed to his chest.


    ¡°Heck no!¡± Kenan replied


    ¡°Then, if you love him, you won''t hold back. That''s the only way for the both of you to get stronger.¡± Malachi then flexed his arm muscle.


    ¡°So I should use my bo staff then, huh, Dad?¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, that might be a little too.¡± Before Malachi could finish his words, Kenan was already gone to get it.


    He turned around to his wife, holding his face slowly stroking his short beard. ¡°I may have just started a wildfire, but I''m more confident in my brother''s teaching abilities than my own.¡±


    ¡°You sealed your nephew''s fate once your son decided to use a bo staff. What did you say that he''s a once-in-a-100-year genius with that thing?¡± Ashanti asked.


    ¡°Not just the bo staff, all polearms. We should leave right after the match and have someone pull the car around for us in 10 minutes.¡±


    Ashanti nodes and got on her NCD.


    Malachi stopped her for a second. ¡°Actually, make it five minutes. He is my son, after all.¡±


    ***


    It was no less than 90 secs before the match began that Kenan claimed a swift victory over Kane.


    For years, they have always matched in skill, so their fights were fun to bet on, and it really could go either way. It just so happened that Kenan won last time. That was whenever they were 10 years old, and now they were 11, and this was the year Kenan wielded a polearm.


    Malachi rarely praised his son as his Martial arts master; it was important for him not to let it go to his head. But spear and javelin to his son whenever he introduced the bo staff. Even he was surprised by his son''s talent


    Kenan was a natural talent able to master all basic forms in 90 days. Once they were spared as masters and students, Malachi saw his son''s instincts as a martial artist grow by leaps and bounds.


    The fight with Kane Kenan displayed mastery over him so well that Malachi shouted joyfully as Kane''s back hit the stage floor. Everyone was so shocked at the precision and mastery of the technique that they could quiet for 2 seconds, and the only thing that could be heard was Malachi yelling ¡°THAT''S MY BOY¡±


    Ashanti put her hand over her mouth, trying to contain a giggle. ¡°My husband is a lion, so it is safe to assume that my son would be as well,¡± she thought to herself.


    ***


    Kenan stood in front of Kane with anger in his eyes; everything they spared them before was nothing but pettiness compared to the disrespect they showed his mother after her death. It was something that could have to be paid in blood.


    Kane looked at the anger in Kenan''s eye and matched the same energy. Kenan had no clue what he''s been through. Yet he was standing in front of him, acting righteous. For the past five years, he''s been living under his shadow. Being belittled by his mother and constantly getting compared to their grandfather. ¡°Your anger could never topple mine, little cousin, because you have righteous anger. But I don''t, I despise you and there will be no mercy shown today.¡± Kane thought.


    ¡°You have no idea how long I''ve waited for this,¡± Kane spoke and said.


    ¡°Those who knew me and disrespected my mother after her death don''t get the luxury of thinking they know me. It would do your best not to assume you


    know my heart, which was buried months ago along with her, ¡± Kenan said, raising his spear.

 Chapter 23: Burning Fist

    Kane looked at Kenan and he could tell that he had changed. Not just physically but mentally. There was a deep coldness in his eyes whenever he was talking about avenging his mother. One that intimidated him though he would be scared to admit it. ¡° Either way he''s the reason for my suffering. To all of the hardship I''ve gone through while he''s lived a comfortable carefree life. He doesn''t even appreciate the girl that''s given her heart to him.¡± Kane looks over at Yalissa. She has a worried expression on her face while looking at Kenan.


    ¡°I''ll show you what he''s really worth,¡± Kane said under his breath as he activated his ability. He had a light orange color around him as his body started to heat up and the heat in the room converged on him.


    [Analyze]


    [Kane Ogun]


    [Superior Sentient]


    [Superior Ability: Heat Empowerment]


    [Meditation Realm : 1st Stage Consciousness.]


    [ Mediation Stage: Woke]


    Kenan was surprised for a second after Kane activated his ability. He had the exact ability Malachi had, Kenan''s Father. It wasn''t rare or odd that he had it but it did tug at his emotions. ¡°I remember when you used to rush up to my dad saying Uncle, Uncle let me show you my new techniques I''m going to fight just like you do. With stars I''m your eyes. You probably looked up to my dad more than I did. I remember the way you looked when you were at his supposed funeral.¡± Kenan stopped himself as he tightened his grip on his spear.


    He transformed into his metal form covering himself in silver. ¡°No one gets a pass, especially you. You may have looked up to my old man but the disrespect you and the family showed my mother is inexcusable.¡±


    Marshall Solomon gave them instructions they completely ignored and waited for the signal to begin.


    ***


    ¡°Begin!!!¡±


    Kenan thrusted his spear like he wielded a lighting bolt but the only thing he made contact with was the air. Kane was already advancing to close the gap between them. But another spear thrust held him back.


    ¡°He''s a lot faster than Cole is so I have to stay on my toes¡± Kenan says as changes the grip he holds with his spear. ¡° I should strike with shorter, faster jabs instead of thrusts or I''ll be exposed like I was with Cole.¡±


    Kane had an annoyed expression on his face. ¡° Of course he has an ability perfect for wielding a weapon. He has a solid defense with his metal ability plus range with his spear. I can''t even afford to hold back a little here.¡± He glances over at Yalissa who is still looking in Kenan direction. Kane tries to calm his heart down. He takes a deep inhale then exhales and advances on Kenan with even greater speed.Stolen novel; please report.


    On Kenan¡¯s sideline watching was Cole, Edith, Yalissa, and Virgil.


    While on Kane''s sideline were Calypso , Apollo and Kyron.


    ¡°So what do you think of that first exchange between them?¡± Edith leaned over and asked Cole.


    He sighed. ¡°Honestly it doesn''t look good for bro. Kane clearly has a lot more fighting experience. But Kenan is a tough opponent on pretty much all fronts like you. This really all depends on how strong can Kane really make himself with his ability.¡±


    Edith nodes. ¡°What about your opponent do you feel confident in beating him?¡±


    ¡°I always feel confident in beating anyone Ms. Gardener,¡± Cole answered. As his eyes began to glow green.


    Edith smiled at the display. ¡°So you choose a neural path I see. Your ego must have grown tenfold with your ability.¡± They both laughed.


    He folds his arms. ¡°Honestly I don¡¯t know how powerful Apollo is but since he¡¯s all over the network its not hard to find his weakness. He posts all of the time and gets 1000s of views. I don¡¯t think he''s being a Shepherd for noble reasons.


    Edith agreed. ¡°Not all do but he is still an Ogun with the traditional family ability. I wouldn¡¯t take him too lightly.


    Edith looked over at Yalissa. Who looked worried. ¡°I''m curious, Yalissa, do you know what the difference between a Queen and a princess is?¡±


    ***


    Kenan held his ribs while holding his spear like a crutch. He was currently trying to catch a decent breath while his opponent did the same. He lost three of the five exchanges. Kane Didn¡¯t come out unscaved but he wasn¡¯t in as bad condition as Kenan; he almost cursed at the realizations. ¡°I can''t take another blow he hits way too hard. He seriously has become powerful, to injure me to this extent.¡± Kenan thought.


    ¡°I''m not done yet though,¡± He said. Even though his body was scamming for him too. He could feel his head start to hurt meaning he was over using his Psionic particles. He stood straight and started spinning his spear fast around him. Wind started to pick up around him by the sheer speed at which he was spinning the spear.


    Kenan started to show his mastery whenever he began spinning it in complex maneuvers around his hands and arms. An untrained eye could believe that the spear had a life of its own.


    ¡°I should ask if this kid has a master. I''m not opposed to having two students.¡± Marshall Solomon said.


    ¡°That means nothing to me! Little cousin today is my victory and I hope you feel the same way I did five years ago. Kane said.


    Kenan continued to spin his spear as he walked toward Kane. Kane held his fist in front of his face and Kenan immediately knew what Kane''s next move was.


    Kane gathered enough heat in his fist that it started to glow orange and you could lightly see heat waves coming off of his fist. This was Malachi''s signature move that made his name feared.


    ¡°Burning Fist!!!¡± Kane said as he launched himself as Kenan''s Spear Barrier.


    As Kane flew towards Kenan he couldn''t help but think. ¡°He really learned that move? And he looks exactly like that stupid old man while doing it too .¡±


    Before He Made contact with Kenan Kane was Slashed 5 times. Still once he got through Kenan¡¯s Spear Barrier he punched Kenan in the ribs completely Shattering his left side ribcage. Kenan flew like a rocket outside of the platform until he was completely engrossed in golden light and teleported safety on the ground. Like always, medical officers appeared out of nowhere and he was carried out. Just before he was about to leave three people came running to his side. Cole, Edith and Yalissa. They all headed out of the training area to the medical wing


    Kenan was back in his normal form and he spit up a little blood before saying. ¡°See they aren¡¯t that tough. As his eyes began to water he passed out onto the gurney.


    There was an audible cry that could be heard into the hallway that they followed Kenan in and the other medical officers into. It was coming from Yalissa. ¡°I''ll stay here and wait for him.¡± She said,


    Cole walked off without saying a word.


    ¡°I''ll give you my answer since you gave me yours Lady Oya. The difference between a Queen and a Princess isn¡¯t power or authority; it''s much deeper than that. A true Queen fights with her King on the battlefield while the Princess stays within the protected castle. Crying waiting to be saved. While a woman worth her salt has a different responsibility and mind. The only one that can truly protect the back of the King is th


    e Queen herself. No one can protect the back of a man like his woman can.

 Chapter 24: Ignis Fang

    Cole and his family struggle a lot financially. Most of the students that were within the dojo couldn''t pay because it was a low income area.


    Hannibal and Autumn Justus Cole''s parents took up side jobs being police officers to help with the dojo and their own finances. They were local heroes in their community. ¡°Autumn weather it be our son or one of our Students people will know the ¡° Fist of Pure Heart¡±


    ¡°Do you not have faith in our son? He has the purest heart I''ve seen.¡± Autumn questioned.


    ¡°I see the way he practices the techniques while they may be close to perfection the boy only fights for himself .¡± Hannibal arged.


    Autumn smiles as she embraces her husband with a hug. ¡°Like you said he is still a boy so of course he''s going to fight for himself but there will be a time where he will fight for something much bigger than himself. When that happens everyone will see him as I do¡±


    Hannibal hugs his wife back and asks. ¡°And how do you see him?¡±


    ¡°As the son of his father. A Man with the purest heart and a fist that delivers the justice of that heart. Just as your ancestors intended.


    ***


    Apollo stared at his opponent with indifferent eyes. ¡°This low born seems so distraught at the loss of Kenan as if the match would go any other way. Surely they should know that challenging us would result in this. Still here I am lowering myself to this challenge. I guess I have no other choice but to show him how amazing I am.¡± He said flipping one of his locs out of the way of his face.


    Virgil leans over and whispers to Edith. ¡°He is exactly the same way in person. I just thought he was putting on and acting over the network subline.


    Edith raises an eyebrow. ¡°You did? No way he is pretending to be that narcissistic. I''ve been following him on the network subline for a long time.


    ¡°Really!? So you think he''s handsome as well?¡± Virgil replied


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s no denying him being handsome but he''s not my type¡± Edith said with a shrug.


    Virgil nods his head.


    ¡°What are you doing on these sidelines anyways?¡± Edith asked.


    While he was relying Edith noticed a tremendous amount of Ruah converging on Cole. ¡°Do you see th-¡± She cut herself off before she realized he was still one of the flock so there was no way that he could.


    In order to awaken as one of the Sentient you have to have a divine revelation that is a known fact. However that is not the end of your journey as a Sentient. There needs to be continued revelations in order for a Sentient to not slip into mediocrity.


    ¡°There was so much pain behind his eyes. The first chance he got at defending his mother''s honor he failed. For the longest his mother was the only thing he had. Here I am thinking my mother was nothing but a bother. I have taken her for granted. How would I feel if I lost her the same way he did and failed to give her justice?¡± Cole tightened his fist.


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    ¡°These people are the reason for my sworn brother and sworn mother''s suffering. They will know defeat today by my fist.¡± Cole got into his fighting stance fist raised.


    ¡°I want to remind you that you asked for his low-born, '''' Apollo said as he made a movement with his hands and conjured a bow made entirely out of fire.


    Both of Cole fists started to glow.


    Marshall Solomon looks at his student baffled. ¡°So I wasn¡¯t just seeing things he did get a revelation. He shouldn''t be able to use his ability like that. It should only be limited to his eyes.


    Marshall Solomon almost forgot he was the referee for the match as he was trying to guess how Cole was about to use this technique. ¡°Began!!¡± He shouted.


    Cole released two jabs so fast Marshall Solomon was sure he was the only one that saw them. Two green lasers in the shape of fists with beams following behind them landing on Apollos right liver and left shoulder.


    His body did a helicopter spin in the air as he landed on the ground with a hard thud. Everyone in the area''s mouth dropped. Marshall Solomon forgot to teleport the boy to the ground safely due to his own shock.


    Kane on the sideline was the one that broke the silence. He was still recovering so his voice was low but everyone still heard it. ¡°Dear God¡­¡±


    Cole walks over to the sideline and makes eye contact with both Calypsoand Kane. ¡°This is only the start of my brother''s act of Justice. Remember this face.¡± Cole said. He flashed his eyes a green color, turned around and walked back towards the sideline.


    He walked past Edith as she walked up to the platform. ¡°Beat that¡± He said with a smirk.


    ¡°That was the last time I compared myself to you, you monster.¡± Edith said.


    Cole slightly falls back with his hand on his chest. ¡°I''m hurt and flattered all at the same time.


    Edith walks onto the platform with authority and majesty sword-breaker in hand as if she was getting ready to give her subject a decree that would affect them for ten generations. She completely ignores Calypsoand points her sword breaker at Kyron who was sitting next to Kane. ¡°Call your sister here at once. She will need to be here for this as well?¡±


    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t¡± Kryon protested.


    ¡°Then you can fight in her place! As I take her betrothal away from her?¡± Edith snapped.


    Calypsoturned back to Kane and made a confused face? But he gave her the same look and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I''m not sure what you''re trying to do but¡±


    ¡°Hush!! Lady Ogun and wait for Lady Oya. I don''t want to have to repeat myself twice once she gets here. Edith said.


    Calypsolooked at Edith with Venom in her eyes. ¡°Who does she think she is talking to a member of the Elder family with the tone she does!? Along with that other guy, Kenan has made a bunch of fools for friends.¡± She thought as she summoned her weapon. ¡°Ignis fang¡± she said.


    Calypsoheld out her hand as she spoke those words. Flames in the form of a blade started to manifest from her hand. At first Edith thought it was going to be a simple flame weapon like the one Apollo used but once Edith grabbed it and flicked the flames off of it revealing a ebony blade with a flowing orange flame running down the middle of the blade. She knew that Calypsowas the real deal.


    Right before Edith was getting ready to comment on Calypso''s weapon she saw Yalissa enter the Sparing area and headed towards Kyron''s direction.


    ¡°Lady Oya, I Challenge you for your betrothal to Kenan The lost son. Should I win you must give up all hope of being romantically involved with him in the future. Let My Victory over the heirs show the Ogun and the Oya I am worthy and of being a hand to a descendant of an elder family.¡± Edith turns to Kane. Will you stand as witness to this raining her to the Ogun Family.


    ¡°Absolutely!?¡± Kane spat out. He quickly turned away and coughed and recomposed himself. ¡°I mean of course,¡± he said. ¡°This is my only chance to get the woman of my dreams again. Thank God for this random girl loving Kenan. Lord give her heavenly strength to win this battle for me.¡± He said looking at Yalissa with hopeful eyes.


    Calypso quickly turns to her brother. ¡°Kane?¡±


    ¡°Sorry sis.¡± he says. Then he secretly mouths the words ¡°take a fall.¡±


    ¡°Well at least this Idiot truly loves my sister instead of that jerk that always ignores her and keeps her worrying.¡± Kyron thought. While holding onto Kane''s shoulder.


    Yalissa had fury in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t back down from a challenge from a low-born not as a Arisocrate and Member of the elder family. She made eye contact with Vilina and they had an unspoken conversation. ¡°Who was this girl that knew the edicate of the Aristocrats along with the formal titles they all had. She addresses them all by their proper titles. She was either a fangirl or there was more to her.


    Meanwhile Marshall Solomon blinked back in after personally delivering Apollo to the medical wing before anyone noticed. ¡°It looks like no one even noticed I was gone that good. The last thing I need is a stern talking to from a Shepard Captain about how to treat members of the Elder family.


    ¡°I accept your challenge Ms.Gradner but with a couple of exceptions if I win you not only forget a romantic relationship with Kenan but completely drop out of the Shepherds.¡± Yalissa spoke.


    Marshall Solomon was getting ready to interject before Edith swirly accepted.


    ¡°I highly doubt you''ll be able to beat Calypso anyways¡± Yalissa said. As she went to go sit next to her brother Kyron.


    Edith then focuses her attention back on Calypso . ¡°Tell me Lady Oya , have you ever fought someone who wields a sword breaker?


    ¡°No but my master told me what to do when meeting one.¡± Calypso said. She took her fighting stance, raising her Ignis Fang.


    ¡°No they didn''t or you would have sheathed your blade already¡±

 Chapter 25: Star Piercer

    Edith really did enjoy the company of Kenan but she wasn''t sure about marrying the boy. She just felt it was completely unacceptable for him to be married to a useless woman when he clearly needed a Queen by his side. ¡°Seeing him cry really made me want to save him. He probably felt so alone since his mother died.¡± Edith internally rolled her eyes. ¡°The Sister always told me not to court a momma¡¯s boy but I feel like he¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°I know one thing, forsure I''m differently not letting some doormat woman like her have a man like him.¡± Edith said, steeling herself.


    Calypso was more annoyed than anything else with this fight and it hadn¡¯t even begun. ¡°I''m just a pawn in their little game at this point. Maybe I should just take a fall and not have to worry about a pontinental headache.¡±


    Both Edith and Calypso eyed eachothers weapons. ¡°There''s no way I can walk away and not test my blade against her''s though.¡± They both thought.


    ¡°Began!!!¡± Marshall Solomon said.


    There was an unspoken rule with two fighters that wielded a weapon. That they wouldn''t use any abilities in the first exchange. It was strictly the mastery of one''s weapon that must be tested. Not the way they use their ability alongside their weapon.


    Both Edith and Calypso rushed in, their weapons clashed together a few times before small sparks began forming after every contact.


    Edith swipes down with her sword breaker and Calypso raises her Ignis Fang to block it. After their blades connect it comes a test of strength.


    ¡°She is a genuine genius with her weapon. How can she match me blow for blow? I''ve been taught by an actual master swordsman.¡± Vilena thought. She struggled to raise her sword. Edith was about to gain the upper hand.


    ¡°I have no Choice!!¡± Calypsosaid. She said as flames erupted from her blade.


    Edith quickly transforms her entire skin into diamonds. The only skin that she had visible was her head and hands due to her uniform. However, Cole immediately noticed the difference from her previous diamond form.


    ¡°I see you integrate a neural path too. I like the new slight blue color! I see you Sis!¡± Cole shouted from the sideline.


    Edith internally rolled her eyes but she did appreciate the compliment and support.


    ¡°It''s a good thing I can transform in a moment''s notice or my beautiful black skin would be melted right now. Even for a swordswoman you have to admit that was a low blow.¡± Edith spoke.


    ¡°I will not be seen as weak, especially from a low-born with no background. Consider this the start of the match.¡± Calypso hissed.


    ¡°We get it, you''re an Aristocrat and I''m nothing but an orphan girl with no backing blaw blaw blaw could you be any more of a cliche.¡±


    ¡°This girl Integrated with her Neural Path? They just opened them up to all of them less than three days ago. It looks like my disciple isn''t the only genius among this class of students. This group of friends should be looked after.¡± Marshall Solmon thought.


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    Calypsogot in a sword stance. ¡°Between her and Kenan''s superior ability it is almost like they were born to counter the Ogun flame ability. Kane only one because his ability allows him to get physically stronger. I should test the waters.¡± She thought.


    Calypsosends out a Flame blade in the form of a crescent moon at Edith with a swipe of her Ignis Fang. Edith meets it with her sword beaker and dispearces the technique.


    ¡°Normally even after dispearcing the techniques the flames are still hot enough to avoid. But with her being made out of literal diamond they might as well be little sparks.¡± Calypso thinks. She then sends three more Flame blades back to back to confirm her suspensions.


    The flame blade disperces but if Villana wasn¡¯t mistaken it almost seems like Edith diamond had a slight glow to it whenever she interacted with the flame.


    ¡°Are you just going to stay there on defense and let me attack you? Is this how all swordbreaker users fight?¡± Calypsoprovoked


    Edith smirked. ¡°That bold of you to say whenever your little flames haven¡¯t left a mark on me yet. Is this what Sword summoners are capable of?¡± Edith shot back.


    Calypso''s face tightened at those words. Since she could remember she wanted to be a weapon summoner, especially one that was a sword. Those who have an ability to summon a weapon are said to be chosen by God to wield there specific weapon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care even if I am a pawn in this little scam she''s trying to play against the family. I don''t care that my brother is love struck about a girl who hasn''t given him the time of day. I want to beat her.¡± Edith said under her breath.


    She holds her Ignis flame out in front of her and whispers ¡°Synchronize¡± the flames from her blade start to dance around her body until it leaves an aura like glow around her.


    ¡°Calypso !!¡± Kane yells at his sister.


    ¡°Sorry little brother I¡¯ll pay you back somehow¡± She says without turning around.


    ¡°What happened? What did she do?¡± Kyron asked


    ¡°This is the only move that she has that''s a sure fire way to beat me.¡±


    ¡°Beat you even when you''re fully empowered?¡± Kyron asked.


    ¡°No, this is the move she uses whenever I''m already passed 100% maximum power and using the burning fist.¡±


    Kyron''s mouth dropped. ¡°You''re saying she''s stronger than you?¡±


    ¡°Of Course not! Well I''m not sure to be honest but I do know this move is stronger than my burning fist.


    Calypsojumps up into the air launching herself.


    ¡°Now this is more like it! I was afraid I wasn''t going to get a real fight! Edith says. As her diamond form starts to glow.¡± Edith could feel the power coming from Calypsonot just Psionic Energy but one of pure martial arts talent.


    While in the air wings made of Flame started to form on Calypso''s back and the color of her blade went from ebony black to a dark red as her blade got hotter. She hovered in the air for three seconds before she raised her blade. ¡° Phoenix¡¯s Descend!¡± She roared. As Red Crescent Flame descended towards Edith.


    Edith Diamond''s form is glowing so brightly that it became hard to look at her directly. She raises her sword breaker directly at her opponent in the sky. ¡°Star Pearcher!¡± She shouts as a white blue beam escapes from the tip of her weapon.


    The two techniques clash for a split second until the White beam of light breaks through the Crimson flame and even pierces through the center of Calypso ''s chest. Her flames die out and he is quickly surrounded in golden light and teleported away.


    Edith undos her diamond form and heads in Kane''s direction. ¡°Your sister will make a worthy rival, tell her I grant her that title as a swordswoman.After all, we are family after all.¡± she laughs walking away.


    ¡°You still have to defeat me before you can say that.¡± Yalissa said in a shaky voice.


    Edith quickly transformed into her diamond form and pointed her sword breaker at Yalissa as it started to flow like it just did. ¡° I only aim at Calypso ''s chest to not create bad blood between me and my family. Do you think I would do the same to a weak love rival?¡±


    ¡°Tell me Lady Oya. What is it that I need to hear?¡± Edith spoke with unwavering eyes.


    Yalissa swallows hard. ¡°Out of all of the people in the world it had to be the strongest Cadet at the academy that loved Kenan.¡± Strength and Power were the only things that mattered in this world. Yalissa knew what she had to do.


    ¡°I yield. . .¡± She said with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°As I thought,¡± Edith replied. She then turns back to Kane who oddly looks pleased with the outcome. ¡°Just as my husband''s sworn brother said. This is only the beginning of what''s to come. You should never let a tiger catch his breath.¡± She then walks away with Cole right behind her as they leave the training room.


    Kane had his fist clenched at the realization of everything that took place. While he may have won his match against Kenan. Calypsoand Apollo surely didn''t. ¡°Kenan has allied himself with the monsters of our generation. This can''t be hidden from the Tribunal . Mother especially won''t like this.¡± Kane began rubbing his temples in anticipation.


    Kyron looked at his sister as he slowly approached her while she was sobbing. ¡°Come on sis, let''s get out of here.¡±.


    She stops for a second to calm herself. She looks up and meets her brother''s eyes. ¡°I''m calling Mother.¡± Her eyes are bloodshot red and Kyron flinches back for a second. He never sent a look like that before on his sister.


    Yalissa hovers in the air for a seconds as she wipe her tears away then wind blows around her and she flies off leaving a tornado behind her. Kyron waves his hand dispersing the technique. ¡°This doesn''t look good.¡± He turns to Kane. ¡°Well congratulations I think, I thought your dream was dead but there''s still a chance. A


    nyways see you tomorrow I''m class bro. Kyron says disappearing with a gust of wind behind.

 Chapter 26 : The Man with the Curse

    Somewhere in an underground cavern they were lit touches attached to stone pillars that lead to a stone throne with a man sitting upon it. He held his head in agony At every 10 min interval. There was no one that could save the man from this. His help tried. He even brought in people whose superior ability was to heal but even they couldn''t stop his agonizing headache until one day it completely vanished.


    He was in the same place he was always in his throne room. He has been confined to it for the past two years thanks to that God forsaken woman. ¡°So you have finally left this world, haven''t you Reprisal? You have lived up to your name. He whispers as he crushes the stone armrest he was leaning on.


    He raises from his throne and he begins to transform; he feels an intense, burning sensation coursing through his veins. His heartbeat accelerates, pounding loudly in his ears. Muscles start to spasm uncontrollably, and the body convulses as bones begin to shift and elongate with audible, painful cracks.


    The skin stretches and thickens, sprouting coarse, dark fur that spreads rapidly across the body. Fingers and toes elongate, nails turning into sharp, formidable claws. The spine curves and extends, forming a pronounced hunch, while the chest broadens, and the shoulders expand, giving the figure an imposing, bestial posture.


    The face undergoes a grotesque transformation: the jaw elongates into a snout filled with sharp, gleaming teeth. He hadn''t transformed in a long time and he''d forgotten how painful it can be once you haven''t done it in so long. He raises his head and lets out a howl that shakes the entire cavern.


    ¡°Darius!¡±he growled


    A man with white hair and eye patch appeared in front of him. He was in his late 20s but battle has gotten to him over the years so he looks much older.


    ¡°Alpha Herod, you called me sir?¡± Darius bowed.


    ¡°Go get the rest of Betas and acting regent. We have a pup to snuff out. I''m sure they already are aware that the true alpha has returned.¡± Herod spoke.


    ***


    Everyone that was brought to the Medical Center within Shepard''s Tower. After the match wasn''t anywhere close to critical condition. Kenan included. He was on a hospital bed tossing and turning while muttering something.


    ¡°He''s been like this for a couple hours already. Do you think he''ll go all night?¡± Cole says. He turns to Edith.


    ¡°The Doctor says he''s perfectly fine, we just have to wait for him to wake up. You can go ahead and go get dinner. I''ll call you whenever he wakes up.¡± Edith then pulls up a chair next to Kenan''s bed.


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    ¡°Alright, before I leave I''ll have someone come bring you food.¡± Cole says before he leaves the room.


    Kenan continues to toss and turn.


    ¡°I hope he''s not suffering too much. He looks like he''s fighting as hard as can right now.¡± Edith sighs.


    ***


    Kenan was dreaming. He was currently at his house with his dad and mom. Instead of training like he usually was he was relaxing with his parents as they walked the streets of Greenwood. They usually did this on the first day of the week. It was a tradition in the house that the first day of the week was for rest and family. More importantly to Kenan it meant they were on the hunt to find a new chilly dog stand.


    There were probably over 100 in the city and It was his family''s mission to go to all of them.


    They recently got back from there chilly dog run and we''re discussing on what movie they wanted to watch.


    ¡°What about the Volt Sentinel bio pic.¡± Kenan suggested.


    Both of his parents on the couch next to him all cuddled up and both rolled their eyes at the same time.


    ¡°Are we going to watch every bio of every retired Shepherd Captain?¡± Malachi asked. ¡°Those guys aren''t even that strong anyways.¡±


    ¡°Let''s watch romance. I just finished this novel and it turns out it''s a movie too!¡± Ashanti said. She had pure excitement in her eyes.


    Both Kenan and Malachi looked at each other. There was no question on what they were going to watch tonight now.


    Moments later during the movie Malachi gets a call from Elijah. He doesn''t look worried in the slightest his dad never did. ¡°Looks like there''s something I have to handle that the family really needs me for. Sorry guys, I''ll be back.¡± He says walking out of the door.


    That was the last time Kenan saw his father. He was only 12 years old at the time and that was the last time he had chilly dogs.


    His dream fast-forwarded two years. He was waiting for his mother to get home from work at the same time she always does. He made Spaghetti just like she taught him and he was going to surprise her.


    She was 30 mins late ¡°I''ll just put it up for now she probably had a harder case to crack today.¡±


    An hour became two and in the third hour he gets a call from his Aunt Aria. She''s panicking saying she is getting ready to pick him up and head to the hospital.


    He gets there and sees his mother in a hospital gown and for two years this would be the only thing that she wore.


    It wasn''t all bad being at the hospital with his mother. He came 6 days a week and he never felt closer to his mother. They played board games, hospitals always had board games no matter what time period you lived in. They watch all of the romantic comedies streaming services have to offer. Kenan didn''t care as long as he could lay in bed and cuddled next to his mother. They said that his mother was in a tough battle and she overused her abilities.


    None of that mattered to Kenan at the time all he knew was he saw the life leave his mothers eye little by little everyday. He knew his mother was going to die.


    He wanted to rage and fight against the whole world. But he decided to put that aside and enjoy the time he had with her.


    ¡°I know this must be hard for you but you really do make this easy on her. I know Malachi would be proud of you. Aria said. As they drove home one day.


    ¡°I want to believe in myself more than anything because it''s unfair. But if I did it would only upset her more. I can wait for that after she''s gone. It''s the least I could do.¡± Kenan replied. While staring out of the window of the car.


    Aria burst into tears and Kenan had to quickly grab the wheel before they ran off the highway.


    The last casual conversation Kenan had with his mother was about her appearance. ¡°Do you think your father would still find me beautiful? Ashanti asked.


    She had a bald head from her body trying to hold on to it''s life and she looked like she hadn''t eaten in days.


    Kenan gave a warm smile. ¡°He would say you''re as beautiful as the day I met you ¡± looking into his mother''s eyes.


    Ashanti smiled at her son''s reply. That gave her all the reassurance she needed on how she raised him right. ¡°Boy, you know it wrong to lie to your momma.¡±


    ¡°I''m not, I already told myself Ima marry me a girl that has the same eyes you do.¡± Kenan said.


    ¡°What about Yalissa? She seems like a nice girl.¡± Ashanti said.


    Kenan sneared. ¡°What nah, I see her more as my sister than anything. Plus she''s not my type.


    ¡°Well what is your type?¡±


    Kenan thought for a moment. ¡°Someone bold, daring and beautiful. Like you.¡±


    ¡°Well whoever she is I''m sorry I don''t get to meet her and I hope she takes


    good care of you.¡±


    Kenan''s eyes suddenly pop open and he sits up from the bed. ¡°Momma!¡±

 Chapter 27: Cyclopes

    ¡°Matriarch Ava Oya¡± the servant bows while lifting up a communication device. ¡°Your daughter needs to speak to you urgently.¡± he avoided eye contact.


    Ava Oya was a woman with a temper but she never shouted or distorted her face displaying it. She felt it unbefitting of her.


    ¡°Did you tell her what exactly was taking place?¡± Ava pulled back her bow string on her bow. It was made of polished wood with a hole in the center of it for the arrow to be placed In. By this world''s level of technology this couldn''t have been a more simple bow.


    She let the arrow loose and more than a mile away a fiend beast perished. With a hole through his skull.


    ¡°Hit¡± one of her servants with high tech binoculars said. ¡° Poor thing didn''t even know what hit him. The servant thought.


    Ava Oya sighed. ¡°I may have to go down there because I let my brother go on vacation. Where was he going again? She said turning to her personal assistant. He was a broad young man 6 ''3 and he looked like he should be on a battlefield.


    ¡°He''s on his honeymoon ma''am.¡± The broad young man replied.


    ¡°Oh yea that''s right, thank you Jeffrey.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am that''s not my na-¡± before he could finish one of the servants quickly shook her head no to correcting him.


    Ava turns to the servant with the NCD and answers her daughter. While continuing to look at the situation in the outer city.


    ¡°Yes, what is it sweetie? Momma''s working. Actually work this time, not me just managing the family.¡±


    *Pauses


    ¡°What! Who is this girl?¡±


    ¡°Jeffery, investigate a girl named Edith Gardner for me will you¡±


    The broad young man then walked away from the balcony to complete the task.


    ¡°Well honey we could get rid of her but if she is strong as you say she is then I''m sure she''ll get a backer soon. We would have to make it look like an accent in a couple of years after she''s already at a base under Shepard''s Captain. Or you could just give up on Kenan and allow Kane to court you. That boy has been giving me all kinds of gifts in order for me to put in a good word for him.


    *Pauses


    Ava lets off another shot Killing five more Fiend Beasts.


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    ¡°Ugh, it looks like I have to go down there and a Cyclops has appeared.¡± She says to one of her servants.


    ¡°Yalissa honey I have given you my blessings on marrying who you want but this has to be the last straw for me. Kenan isn''t an Ogun on paper anymore and some female genius wants him. This may be a sign baby. Move on I think he only really saw you as siblings anyways. Anyways, I love you bye kisses. She makes a kissing noise then hangs up.


    Ava starts to lift up off of the balcony as she tosses her bow to the side. ¡° Have, Jeffrey run a bath for me will you? It looks like I''m going to get a good workout today¡± She then shoots off into the sky breaking the sound barrier.


    Her servants look up as she disappears. ¡°When is the new guy going to learn that his new name is Jeffery?¡±The servant that brought the NCD said.


    All three of them laugh. ¡°They are all handsome though. I wonder how long this one will last?¡± The servant girl with the binoculars said. She then tossed the binoculars to the side.


    ¡°I say another two months. Maybe three if he really likes the check.¡± The servant girl said behind the bar. ¡°Why do you use those things anyways? Can¡¯t you just use the tech on the balcony to see the Outer city barrier?¡±


    ¡°It is a traditional thing amongst the Oya''s to use the binoculars and the bow and arrow. Otherwise I don''t think Matriarch Ava would use it at all.


    ¡°Oh, well that''s probably the least weird thing about this place. Let me go tell ¡°Jeffrey¡± to go run that bath. The Male servant then took his leave.


    ***


    Currently at the Barrier of City Oya


    Ava was high above, flying in the sky ground looking at the savage beasts attempting to overwhelm her troops and her city. ¡°All it takes is a little corruption magic to turn these normal animals into mindless monsters. That was Centuries ago but still. It''s hard to believe that these Fiend beasts were once normal animals at least their ancestors were.


    ¡°RRAAARRA¡± the Cyclops shouted. Pointing his club. The Fiend beast made up of bears,big-cats ,wolves and large reptiles advanced on the Shield right before the city wall.


    ¡°I can''t say I¡¯ve ever seen anything like that. A Cyclops acting like a general giving commands? I''ll have to report this to the Shepherds. It''s best this information not be concealed among the Elder families. Ava thought.


    Ava opened the palm of her hand and a small tornado could be seen spinning in the middle of her hand. She casually tosses the baby tornado just outside of the city''s forcefield and in the midst of the fiend beast army. ¡°Hurricane Cyclone¡± She makes spinning moations with her hand adding more power to her baby tornado until it''s a massive twister in the sky. The Fiend beast army was literally blown away. Either completely cut to pieces by the force of the winds or fallen to their death due to being lifted off the grown. At least 80% of the army was wiped out.


    Even in the midst of the rushing winds that could burst an eardrum and dust in the sky Ava saw all of the Fiends that perished. The Cyclops was plummeting to the ground but he was still alive once he hit. He rose looking at the destruction and was met with a woman with light brown curly hair and a caramel complexion. She was wearing a light blue women''s suit with a white colored shirt and a silver tie. She landed right in front of him on a snake corpse. She made a repulsive face as she tried to kick the blood off of her white high heels.


    ¡°Forget I''ll just float why I talk¡± Ava said. She lifted herself off of the ground with visible air currents around her. She snapped her fingers a couple of times at the Cyclops.


    ¡°Do you understand human speech?¡± She asked.


    The Cyclops made a confused face.


    Ava flicked her finger and a wind blade cut right through the monster''s arm. The next sound was a mangled armed landing on the ground.


    ¡°I''ll ask a different question: who sent you? I already know you understand human speech. Do you not know whose territory this is?¡±


    ¡°The Oya, the Oya.¡± cried the Cyclops who shouts of pain.


    ¡°I will not ask my question again,¡± Ava said. She rose her finger as a gesture.


    His single eyes widened. ¡°It was the Den of W-¡± his head exploded before he could finish the sentence.


    Darius from a distance watched the entire scene play out. As he held a trigger in his hand that just made the Cyclops head explode. ¡°Attacking the Elder families is clearly out of the question.¡± he said as he ducked behind the hill he was just laying over. Either way I should report his back to Alpha Herod.


    Back by the Cyclops


    Ava had anticipated this would happen; she already had a wind barrier around her so her clothes won''t get dirty. It was practically invisible, which was nice. ¡°Den of what? I''ll have to look into this personally? Whoever attacked the city is either bold or a complete fool.


    A speedster appears in front of Ava as she is thinking about the situation that unfolded. ¡°Macharh, sorry for the delay I had to help personally move troops who weren''t wind users off of the battlefield.¡±


    Two other speedsters appear by his side. Bowing slightly at the waist acknowledging Ava.


    ¡°It''s fine, make sure you pay the butcher double,not triple the price for processing this meat. Make sure we get all of it. Also? She turns in the direction that Darius was in completely unaware he was there. ¡°Scout in that direction for 20 miles and report back to me if you find me. Make sure you do that first.¡±


    The three Speedsters looked at each ot


    her and nodded their heads. As they disappeared leaving a dust trail behind them.

 Chapter 28: Forage

    Kenan was flooded with emotion whenever he woke up. He felt the sweat on his back as shirt stuck to it and his heart pounding in his chest. He looked towards the window and was surprised to see one there. He scanned the room again and didn''t even notice the deeply melanated goddess resting on a chair at the end of his bed. ¡°Has she been here all night waiting for me?¡±


    Kenan tightly grabbed his sheets and clenched his jaw. ¡°I failed at avenging you momma. . . Kenan said.


    ¡°No you didn''t son.¡± a Voice spoke in the corner to the left of Kenan. It was a voice he hadn''t heard in four years. As soon as Malachi stepped into view. He was met with a metal fist to his chin.


    Kenan punched him with all of his might and it didn''t phase Malachi in the slightest. There was a light sound that filled the room. It was the vibrations from Kenan''s body from hitting his father.


    ¡°Just like old times,¡± Malachi said. He forced a smile. There was so much pain behind it Kenan admittedly broke down crying and embraced his father with a hug.


    ¡°I needed you, I missed you . . .¡± He cried


    Malachi hugs his son tightly back with his own eyes tearing up. ¡°I know, son. You have no idea how hard it''s been to come see you¡±


    Kenan pushes his father away. ¡°I don''t want to hear your excuses. She needed you! The worst part of this is that she forgave you till the very end! He wipes his tears away.


    ¡°But I sure didn''t. . . You better not for one second believe that we had the relationship we used to, that died along with my mother.¡±


    Malachi stared at this son and his heart broke for a second time. But he didn''t have time to explain the last 4 years. Not that Kenan would let him. He had a purpose for being here.


    ¡°Then I''ll just get down to business then son. The family will pay for their disrespect but the true Enemy responsible for the death of your mother is a Superior terrorist organization.¡±


    Kenan''s heart skipped a beat. He swallowed hard trying to come up with a question.


    Malachi looked confused. ¡°Were you not told this? Was this covered up by someone? Malachi asked. His expression turned serious.


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    ¡°I was told that she overused her ability, that''s it not that I was too concerned with the details at the time I just knew they told me she wasn''t well.¡±


    ¡°The Den of Wolves is what they call themselves. The next piece of information I''m about to give you is classified but you have to know what you''re dealing with. This organization has ties to a Fiend Army so be wary of that before you wipe them out.


    ¡°Are you so big and bad now that you can''t even avenge your own wife?¡± Kenan spat.


    ¡°There isn''t anything on this continent I couldn''t handle boy. Malachi eyes flashed red. ¡°It is against Sovereign law for me to intervene.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Kenan asked


    ¡°It''s the equivalent to a dragon destroying an ant hill.¡±


    Kenan''s heart skipped another beat.


    Malachi sighs, cutting the tension in the room. ¡° I¡¯m sorry Kenan, I came back to tell you that first and foremost. I know that you hate me but I still want you at my side once the time is right.¡±


    Kenan remained silent.


    ¡°Right now I need you to focus and get stronger, not only to avenge your mother but to stay alive. Me and your mother have had conflict with powerful people organizations. I''ll send a file to your system once you''re ready.¡±


    ¡°You can do that?¡± Kenan question.


    ¡°And much more¡±


    [Ogun Archive System]


    ¡°The System activated without me.¡±


    [Ogun Archive System]


    [Activated by the Patriarch: User will be locked out until further notice.]


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Kenan asked.


    ¡°Checking in on your progress. Do you have any Mediation Techniques for properly gathering Ruah? You made some good choices with your Advancement Option but it''s too early for you to ShapeShift. I''ll change that. Do you have a Master''s yet?


    Kenan deadpans.


    ¡°Right, I''ll try to make up for that. Oh right, try asking Solomon Judah, his old man and I are friends so it should be fine. I''m not sure what he¡¯s doing out here but his family is good people.¡±


    Kenan was so confused by that statement. ¡°Is Marshall Solomon not from here?¡± he thought.


    ¡°I need a weapon that I can manipulate on the fly. When I go against someone faster than me it''s a lot harder to use my spear.¡± Kenan said. He crossed his arms and looked away. He didn''t want to ask but his dad is still his dad and master he had no one else to help solve his problem.


    It was Malachi''s turn to look confused. ¡°Just manipulate the weapon you created from your forage?¡±


    Kenan unfolded his arms ¡°What forage?¡±


    Malachi Open Kenan''s Ogun Archive System again. . . Closed it moments later


    ¡°Sorry I forgot where I was for a moment. It''s a Psionic Technique; it''s pretty much the hallmark family ability. Anyways I know you want to avenge your mother by beating me and I''m even willing to help you. But just remember this Kenan. I don''t go down easy.¡±


    ¡°This old man is so predictable I knew he was going to say that.¡± Kenan thought. A half smile formed on his face. Before you go, how many psionic particles do you have anyways, what''s your rank?¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to discourage you. What''s the highest count you heard?¡± Malachi waves his hand and space rips open and a portal with orange energy is formed behind him.


    ¡°9,000,¡± Kenan said.


    Malachi starts laughing while holding his stomach. ¡°Haa, oh ok yea that is funny.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kenan asked.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it. But yea I definitely have more than that.¡± Malachi got serious after he calmed down. ¡°Let that ring in your ears. If you want to beat me. You have to set your sights far higher than even the strongest guy or gal here amongst the Shepherds. Solomon will tell you about it. Oh and congratulations by the way. Malachi said. He was fully in the portal at this point.


    ¡°For what?¡± Kenan said.


    ¡°On your new engagement I approve, she reminds me of you momma. Also I''m pretty sure she''ll be listening to our conversation the entire time. You better be stronger the next time I see you.¡± Malachi said. As the portal began to close.


    ¡°You''ll feel this fist next time.¡± Kenan says. Waving a metal fist at him. The portal closes and he''s left with his thoughts. ¡°Wait Engagement!¡± he said out loud.


    Kenan heard a sneaker come from Edith as she ¡°slept¡± ¡°My husband isn¡¯t the smartest tool in the shed but at least he''s cute.¡± she spoke. She stood up and stretched.


    ¡°Anyways, we have a lot to talk about¡±


    ¡°To say the least!¡± Kenan replied.

 Chapter 29: Disciples

    It was very early in the morning and Kenan was once again flooded with information.


    ¡°So both of you won against my cousins?¡±


    Edith nodded her head.


    ¡°I''m honestly impressed, Korah is going to lose it whenever she finds out you are all my friends too. Man, I wish I could be there for that.¡± Kenan smiled.


    ¡°Who''s Korah?¡± Editha asked.


    ¡°My aunt, also Kane''s and Calypso ''s mom. Anyways¡±


    ¡°While I appreciate you getting out of the engagement with Yalissa you made it 1000 times worse. Her and her mother are petty. I wouldn''t be surprised if they didn''t know everything about you already and targeted you in the future. How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°Only a day.¡± she replied. Completely ignoring the fact that she might have offended a member of an elder family.


    ¡°So what motivated you to challenge not only her for the right to betrothal but Calypso as well? Kenan started to notice he was manually having to breathe after he asked the question. Although he wouldn''t show it.


    ¡°I see us as friends and I want to fight and protect you as I would hope you would do for me. Not only that but I know Calypso is a swordswoman. I really just needed an excuse.¡±


    ¡°Yea I get that part but what about the whole engment thing. Kenan said. ¡°Is she dodging the question she knows I actually want answered? He thought.


    ¡°Because I have a crush on you . . . I just felt like we had a connection. I know it''s weird because we just met but I just feel comfortable around you and that means a lot to me. . . Also when I found out you were betrothed to that doorstop of a woman I had to intervene.


    Kenan knew at that moment God was real. The first girl he''s ever had a crush on not only admitted she had feelings first but even beat up his cousin to show her seriousness even if it was a situation. Clearly this woman was foraged by God himself. He was lost in thought until she snapped her fingers in front of his face.


    ¡°I like you too!¡± He said.


    Edith blushed as the sudden confession.


    ¡°I mean yea I like you too. He attempted to say smother. ¡°I''m not calling off the betrothal by any means but I was raised to do things the right way so we should could Court first.¡± Every hormone in Kenan''s body said he should just marry this girl tomorrow. But he wouldn''t be able to live with himself if he knew it wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°Agreed. We have a long journey ahead of us. Anyways, we can''t be too distracted.¡±


    Kenan nodded his head agreeing he honestly had a lot on his plate.


    ¡°Now that I have publicly claimed you to be the man that has my heart. You have to show strength. I will not submit to a man who doesn¡¯t conduct himself like a king. I know you already have the heart of one. Edith said. She said that last bit in her head.


    Kenan steeled himself. ¡°I never fall down the same way twice.¡± he reaches over and grabs Edith''s hand across the table.


    ¡°Good,¡± she says, squeezing his hand back.


    ¡°How much of the conversation did you hear anyways?¡± Kenan asked.


    ¡°Pretty much all of it. I woke up whenever I heard your body make a ringing noise. Are you going to ask Marshall Solomon to be your master?¡± Edith said.


    ¡°I should, I need better direction for my fighting style and more guidance on what it actually means to be a Sentient. You should too if my dad recommended him he must be the real deal.¡± Kenan said.


    ¡°Ok yea I will. So how do you want to handle your family from now on? Your dad who is handsome by the way, said that their disrespect will be handled.


    Kenan sided eyed Edith for that comment but in the end decided not to acknowledge it. ¡°Depending on how that old man handles my aunts and uncle will determine what I do. Still Kane hasn¡¯t tasted defeat and that''s the only way I''ll be able to live with myself.¡±


    Edith tightens her grip on Kenan¡¯s hand. ¡°So we wait. How will we know if he made a move or not?¡±


    ¡°My dad''s Code name was Pride of ten men. No one stands prideful in his presence. I''m sure either they''ll tell us or will see it on the news.¡± Kenan replied.


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    Cole walked through the door moments later. ¡°Your wake. Am I interrupting something?¡± he asked, seeing them holding hands.


    Kenan quickly lets go of Edith''s hand. Edith reaches back over and grabs his hand back. ¡°Yes you where we didn¡¯t mean to call you.¡±


    ¡°Good! I didn¡¯t care anyways, it was just the polite thing to ask. Cole said. He then pulled up a seat at the small table they were sitting at.


    He then puts a hand on top of Edith¡¯s and Kenan''s ¡°This is nice, I''ve always wanted to be a third wheel. Tricycles are a lot saver anyways.¡±


    Both Edith and Kenan Pull away. ¡°Remind me to look for a girlfriend for him in the future¡± Edith pouted.


    ¡°I want to thank you both for backing me in my endeavor against my family. Whatever goals you seek, you have my support tenfold.¡±


    They both nodded.


    ¡°What is understood doesn¡¯t have to be explained. Especially among brothers.¡± Cole said. Placing his hand on Kenan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Or future wife¡¯s¡± Edith said. Blushing after making that comment.


    Cole dodge Kenan''s shoulder. ¡° So when is the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Chill, we''re only teenagers plus typically betrothals last a long time when you''re an Aristocrat. Even longer whenever you''re a Sentient.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡± Cole asked. ¡°What the point of the engagement then¡±


    ¡°Mainly to solidify connections with the two families so they can integrate their resources. Also to run off any would be pursuers.¡± Edith said.


    Cole made a suspicious face. ¡°How do you know all of this anyways when you''re from an orphanage?


    ¡°One of the Sisters was an Aristocrat so she taught us everything the children of an Aristocrat would know.¡±


    Cole turned to Kenan. ¡°Were you taught all of that as well?¡±


    ¡°Nah, Just how to eat at a formal dinner my parent''s couldn''t care less about that stuff. Anyways let''s get down to business. The Den of Wolves is the Superiors Terrorists Organization that inadvertently killed my mother. I will not leave this country until they are completely destroyed.


    ¡°How is this going to work? We don''t know where they''re operating from and Shepards Officers Aren''t allowed to just investigate any city.¡± Edith asked.


    ¡°The Spy division can investigate and take over any mission the Shepard Captain assigns. All you have to do is join them.¡± A voice spoke in the corner of the room.


    They all turned and saw Marshall Solomon leaning against the wall staring at them with his golden eyes showing through his small sunglasses. ¡°We''ll we learn to just blink into a room like that too? Can all Sentient do that?¡± Kenan asked.


    ¡°Blinking in and out of places is a family ability. But tearing a hole through space to walk through is an ability so far from us you shouldn''t even think it''s a possibility. Your Father made me almost have a heart attack doing it to me. In the future if you ever see a portal open in front of you run the other way.¡±


    ¡°You met my pops?¡± Kenan said. Fully facing the Marshall.


    ¡°Yes, Which was very intimidating I might add. In the future you¡¯ll know the weight of that comment. Anyways This works out in my favor because I was wanting to mentor you and Ms. Gradner anyways. Your father provided the perfect excuse for me too.¡±


    ¡°So do you know what my goals are?¡± Kenan asked


    ¡°Yes and I''m being volunteered to help. But It doesn''t interfere with my plans for the future so it works out. Let''s talk somewhere more comfortable.¡± Marshall snaps his fingers and a light swallows the three teengers at the table.


    They appear in a living-room with a fireplace and couches set up in a U formation.


    Both Kenan and Edith both sat down and made themselves comfortable.


    Cole looked at them preplixed. ¡°You guys aren''t worried about the fact that you could have just gotten teleported to an evil lair to get tortured?


    ¡°If we wanted to kill us we''d be already dead.¡± Edith said.


    Cole thought for a moment. ¡°Yea that''s a good point. He said. He then sat down straight across from Edith and Kenan.


    Marshall Solomon came into the room with coffee in his hand with a plain T-shirt and sweatpants. ¡°I gathered us here because I honestly wanted to take that uniform off. It gets to be too much sometimes.


    Kean thought the Marshall looked a lot younger without his military uniform on. Maybe late 20s or early 30s instead of a solid 45. He still had his circle shaped sunglasses on even though you could see his eyes part of the time.


    The Marshal sat down in the center of the U shaped sofa. While they waited for him to put his coffee cup down. ¡°When you get over 25 you understand why adults dri this stuff. He took one more sip before placing it on a wooden placemat on the table.


    ¡°So we should be open and honest with each other. Seeing as how we will be relying on one another in the future.We need to make known what exactly everyone''s goals are and then start the conversation from there. Let''s start with you Kenan. You have big ambitions I''m assuming tell me what that all entails.


    Kenan leans forward. ¡°To completely cripple my father from practicing any form of martial arts again and destroying the Organization that helped kill my mother.¡±


    ¡°We won''t even talk about how ridiculously hard that will be. But the second goal is much more realistic so I say focus on the first and worry about the second a lot longer from now.¡± Solomon said.


    He then looked towards Edith. What is the goal that we can help you achieve?


    ¡°To help me find the person who created my sword breaker manual. It''s not complete. I also would like to get off of this continent.¡± She spoke.


    ¡°Why¡±


    ¡°Because my little sister was adopted and taken off the continent and I have to find her. She sighed saying it out loud. I didn''t say anything about it because I didn''t want to burden you. She said looking at Kenan. ¡°I also didn''t intend to be THIS involved with you. I thought we would part ways once we left to fulfill our own goals.


    Kenan looked with Soft eyes. ¡°It''s ok we have secrets I didn''t tell you I was and Ogun so we can call it even.


    ¡°No more secrets.¡± She said as they hugged.


    ¡°Anyways, next my first Disciple and student, what is your goal that you want to make known to the group?¡± Solomon said


    ¡°To topple the best fighters in the world and for everyone to the Fist of Pure heart. Cole said, looking at his fist.


    What Cole said was absolutely ridiculous but He had a level of seriousness in his eyes Kenan hadn''t seen before. ¡°We¡¯ll make them proud,¡± Kenan said. Looking Cole in his eyes.


    ¡°Thanks bro¡± Cole replied.


    ¡°These are all goals I figured you all had in mine. As you new Master of the Psionic arts I will properly guide you all to the best of my abilities. But since there is no such thing as free lunch I will make known my own goals and demands.¡± Marshall Solomon said. Taking another sip of his coffee before sitting it down again.


    ¡°I have a mission of my own I must complete and that intel''s destroying not one Fiend army but two. There are roughly five within the continent if we play are cards right the other three won¡¯t come after all of humanity. At least with the Flock Empire.¡±


    Kenan, Edith and Cole all started laughing. They awkwardly stopped once they realized the seriousness on Samson''s face.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that impossible ? The Shepherds actively avoid the Fiend Armies over their turf wars. That''s not to say that I''m interested but is it possible? Edith asked


    Both Cole and Kenan nodded in agreement.


    ¡°By the Standards of the Shepherds possibly but under my tutelage you''ll be able to go toe to toe against a Sheparad Captain far before your peers.¡±


    ¡°He says that so easily as if they are merrily pushovers. He previously said he''s his blink ability is a family ability but I''m sure there is no way that they could go unheard of within the Flock Empire. He must not be from this country forsure.¡± Kenan thought.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± Kenan asked.


    Solomon dipped his nose towards Kenan as his eyes flashed yellow gold showing animalistic eyes. ¡°I could tell you but the information is really of no value to you at least not for now.¡±


    ¡°All of this sounds like we won''t be leaving the continent any time soon.¡± Edith complained.


    ¡°That is sadly the case but with my guidance you will still be a formidable Sentient. By the time you get the entirety of your Martial arts manual you''ll be more than ready.¡±


    Cole began looking around the area they were currently in and it was a luxurious apartment. ¡°Are we still within the tower?¡±


    ¡°Of Course I can¡¯t just travel so far with so many people,¡± Solomon said.


    ¡°So you just made us your disciples just like that? Is there not any paperwork or ritual we are supposed to go over?¡± Edith asked.


    Solomon raised an eyebrow. ¡°This isn''t a cult or you


    buying a house, a simple agreement is enough.


    ¡°Oh¡± Edith said leaning back on the leather cushion.


    Kenan leaned forward ¡°Tell me what you know of The Den of Wolves.¡±