《Lightbringer System: Orphan to Paragon》 A New World [You have died.] [World migration in process, please wait.] I awoke to the sound of a clear female voice, with nothing in sight but a clear blue screen floating in the air before me. What is this? Where am I? Why is it saying I died? [World found, locating suitable host.] [Host found. Retrieving details. Name: Kain Duskbane Age: 16 Potential: Undefined Cause of Death: Suicide due to the family politics driving him crazy, combined with his lackluster results in growth. Reason for Selection: Appropriate starting point for the Lightbringer System. Strong bloodline that will not question explosive growth over time.] Kain Duskbane? My name is Kain! What the hell is happening here!? [Do you approve of this selection?] The screen gave me two options, [Yes] and [No]. Can you please explain to me what is going on first? What is happening, how did I die, where am I? [Cause of death: Unknown You were selected for the Lightbringer System upon your death, based upon your strong desire to become a hero in life, and strong pursuit of that goal, despite significant disadvantages granted to you by Fate. You will be sent to a new world and life and train under the Lightbringer System to become the Lightbringer, the prophesied hero from another world who will save the world from demonic invaders.] What if I don¡¯t accept? What if I do, and then fail to become this hero of yours? [If you do not accept, your eligibility will be revoked and you will be discarded for another to take your place. If you fail to become the Lightbringer, then the same results will apply.] You¡¯re not exactly giving me a lot of options here. Fine, I accept. I pressed the [Yes], and heard the voice again.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. [Selection confirmed. Welcome to the Lightbringer System, transfer eminent. Please be advised that failure to complete the System tasks will result in severe punishment.] Everything went black. Waking up to a sharp pain in my chest, I look down to see a long silver dagger sticking out of my heart. Panic started to set in, and then I saw something even crazier. The knife was slowly moving out of my chest, the flesh wriggling back to normal as it did, until eventually the knife fell on my lap. The flesh eventually formed back together, and looked as if there was never a stab wound at all! What the fuck is going on? Looking around to an unfamiliar environment, and sunlight shining through the curtains onto my face, as if a warm reminder of life itself. Curtains? That was too much of a luxury for a street orphan like me. Looking around the room I was in, I see that it is a bedroom¡ªA luxurious one at that. The furniture itself was fairly scarce, a large bed, a desk, with a medium sized bookshelf and the chair I was sitting in. Even someone like myself who has never touched luxury, can tell that the furniture is made from good quality materials. The System! The hazy memories of the conversation in the nothingness before waking up here was returning now. [World migration was successful.] The woman¡¯s voice appeared in my head once again, along with the blue screen. [Host body has been recovered to its prime state prior to death.] Host body¡­ That explains the room that is beyond my price range. System, can you tell me what I need to know about my new identity? I don¡¯t have the previous host¡¯s memories to act upon. [Memories have been sealed due to the psychological overload one will experience if another life¡¯s worth of memories is suddenly merged. Essential information such as language, and the basics of your identity will be unlocked now.] Memories came flooding into my head like I have always known them. Kain Duskbane, the 10th and youngest child of the current head of the Duskbane family, Alexander Duskbane. One of the six noble houses of this kingdom of Solara. I remembered my parents, and nine siblings. Life as a Duskbane child was a cruel and uncaring one, and the lack of results shown by the original host only turned it into one of suffering. Bullying, cruelty, abuse¡­ It¡¯s no wonder the previous host took their own life, their life was truly hell every day¡­ Not too different from me, besides the luxury and never having to worry about housing at least. When someone tries to bully or harass you, it only gets worse if you don¡¯t stop them. May you rest in peace, Kain and I will make sure to turn life around for this body in your place. My confusion cleared up, I got out of the chair and looked through the window blinds. Seeing a large number of maids and butlers rushing around the large manor I now lived in. That¡¯s right! Today is the day of the Awakening ceremony for the Duskbane bloodline members and trainee soldiers to see if they have the potential to become a Soul Cultivator and their elemental affinity!! Remembering that this was one of the rare occasions that the entire family was here, that also meant this was one of the rare times you could make a lasting impression on them. Kain Duskbane might be known as the trash of the Duskbane family now, but the ceremony today could change everything! Taking a second to admire the quality of the formal attire, consisting of the signature black and red colors of the Duskbane family, I put them on and made my way out of the room. While making my way to the ceremonial venue, I remembered the last part of the System¡¯s message in that void space. System, you mentioned failing to complete tasks resulted in severe punishment, what are the tasks I need to accomplish? [To enhance your chances of becoming the Lightbringer, this System will give you training tasks to complete in order to keep your growth active. Completion of the daily tasks, will result in suitable rewards or punishment should you fail to do so. Special tasks may be created as needs arise, such as emergencies or special encounters. The same rules apply, however.] Communicating with the system as my body seemingly knew where to go, I encountered my first problem in this life. The personal guards of my brother who is two years older, Orin, were currently blocking my exit from my hallway. ¡°Apologies, my lord. We are under strict orders to not allow anyone to go through this door at this time. We will be able to do so once our master returns to give us the order to do so¡±, said one of the guards, not even pretending to hide the mockery in his voice. [Task acquired] [Task: A Hero is Never Late] > Objective: Get to the Awakening Ceremony on time, and successfully Awaken. > Reward: ??? > Failure: Disqualification from the Lightbringer System, and subsequently, death. If I don¡¯t get there on time, AND awaken, I am going to be killed?! The Patriarch The threat of death was really unnecessary, System. I have had to deal with lowlifes like this my entire lif-... Well I suppose my first life? These two were sent by Orin to make me late to the Awakening ceremony, and make me look like disrespectful trash to the family? ¡°If you know what is good for you both, you will let me through,¡± I tell the guards, who were used to the submissive and easy target Kain. He is dead because of fucks like you. Sensing something is different with me, they said, ¡°You do not seem to understand, my lord. We serve young master Orin, and have to obey his orders above all else¡±. Feigning a look of surprise, I loudly say, ¡°My, my! I did not realize Orin¡¯s status had risen so high, that he could order his guards to prevent me from seeing my honored Mother and Father, at their request at that,¡± and you could almost smell the fear that spiked in them as they looked at me hesitantly. This was a total lie, of course. Everyone in this manor knows that children with trash results like me would never be invited directly by our parents, but would a lowly guard dare to risk the consequences if it was true? ¡°W-We were not aware of your invitation by the esteemed leaders, please do not let us keep you any longer! I am sure Master Orin will understand this is a special exception!¡± The guards cried out, and opened the door for me to pass through. ¡°Don¡¯t let it happen again,¡± I coldly say as I pass by them, trying to not let any of my laughter through. I lived on the streets in the capital, and was tied up in situations that required such delicate weaving of words that dealing with two muscle heads was child''s play to me. Making my way through the manor, noticing the lack of respect that the staff showed me, despite my status as a Duskbane child, I could only offer another silent prayer to Kain¡¯s spirit. You may have been born into a noble house, but you suffered like a street rat the same as me regardless. I truly wish you peace wherever you are now. Eventually reaching the ornate double doors to the ceremonial venue in the courtyard, and finally having enough of the disrespect from the house staff, I called out to the guards at the door, ¡°Open the doors now, and you may still have a place in this manor at the end of the night¡±. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. It was already going to be annoying dealing with this from my family, much less the fucking staff that serves them. There was a lot of work to be done. The guards first laughed at this suggestion, then looked to see that I was being serious. Nervously looking at each other, they decided to just open the door. Walking through the double doors, I could hear the guards whispering to each other behind me, ¡°Is Kain possessed? The look in his eyes is completely different, almost like his Father¡¯s¡±. Don¡¯t compare me to a man that can¡¯t be bothered to even care for his children to the point they kill themselves. Looking into the courtyard, I saw the group of trainee knights awaiting the start of the ceremony. My family, consisting of my parents and siblings and various irrelevant relatives were seated at the head of the courtyard, overlooking the entire process from an elevated platform. Walking to the back of the trainee knights instead of my family to greet my Father, the crowd was silent as my siblings seethed in anger. Orin angrily yelled out, ¡°KAIN! I know that your existence is trash, but even you should know to pay proper respects to Father!¡± and this happened to be a rare time when my siblings agreed with him openly. My Father stood up from his chair and my mother yelled out to my siblings, ¡°SILENCE!¡± and I looked to my Father directly to see he was making eye contact with me for the first time. ¡°Youngest, explain your actions,¡± he said to me, his voice infused with his power carrying it across the courtyard, scanning my body, with no detection of anger. His gaze alone created a sense of having a sharp sword at my neck, deciding whether to follow through or not. He knows I am not his son. Could his power let him see my soul? This conversation was an extreme gamble, and I will die to him if I fail. ¡°Patriarch, we are all aware of my lackluster results thus far in my life. If I was not of your blood, I would have been kicked from the family long ago, if not killed for the shame I brought upon the family,¡± I say to him. There is a quiet murmur of agreement from everyone in attendance, even some of the trainee knights. Not looking to lose momentum, I continued, ¡°Today is the last day that I can prove that there is something worth letting me live longer, despite my performance so far. Until I have done so, I do not believe it is showing respect to you if I greet you directly like my siblings who have earned that right have done, but the opposite instead¡±. My Father pondered my words for a second, and asked, ¡°Is that why you address me as ¡®Patriarch¡¯, and not ¡®Father¡¯? Because you do not think you have the right to do so?¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch. If I obtain a satisfactory result, it would be my honor if you would grant me the right to do so,¡± I answer, and do not break eye contact. It was important that he saw my resolve to settle this today. To everyone¡¯s surprise, he started laughing. ¡°It would be your honor to be able to call me Father, you say!¡± You could feel the tension caused by the lack of understanding towards the man known as the Demigod of the Underworld, and what he would do next. Taking one last intense look into my eyes, ¡°Very well, show us that you can still earn the ¡®right¡¯ to remain here, and call me your Father,¡± he said as he sat back down. Motioning for the staff to begin bringing forward the trainee knights, with me at the end of the line, he said ¡°Let the Awakening ceremony begin!¡± The Awakening It all leads up to this. I have to get a good result or this will all be for nothing. Kain died because of his fear of truly becoming trash after today, and I want him to see the heights we will achieve together from the afterlife! The trainee knights started performing the Awakening one by one, which consisted of placing their hand on the large crystal orb that would stimulate the inner potential of the user. This shows two things, whether one has the potential to become a Soul Cultivator, and the element that they are most suited for if so. As each of the trainee knights went up to orb, few will leave in a good mood. Out of the 50 trainee knights in the ceremony this year, not including myself, only 4 are expected to have the potential to awaken and can learn to cultivate their Soul Core, and work towards potentially becoming a powerhouse in this world. The orb will not react if the person does not have appropriate potential. Looking up at the sky, I saw that dark clouds were now forming, as if to swallow the light itself. How ominous for our fates today. After 13 failures, the Awakening orb finally reacted to one of them, a young female trainee knight around my age. I believe her name was Leliana? The orb glowed with a bright earthy brown, and the number 4 was visible in it. That means she is a Rank 4 Soul Initiate with an Earth affinity. You can not ask for a better affinity when it comes to being a knight of the Duskbane family. Not all of Kain¡¯s memories have integrated yet, so some stuff is still hazy in my head, but I believe Soul Cultivators starting with Soul Initiate who can awaken with a starting point of Soul Rank of 1-9. Only they are taught the information about the higher ranks, but I do know of Father¡¯s rank. Father is a Rank 96 Demigod, with a Dark affinity. You normally only see affinities for Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth, with extremely few exceptions being Light and Dark. If the chance is 4 out of 50 for a talented person to awaken and get one of the main four elements, then you would be a 1 in a 100 to get a light or dark element. Leliana left the stage and went to sit in a designated area for successful awakeners near my family, being applauded by the attendees of the ceremony.
After around an hour of the ceremony, my time has finally come. In order to not be killed by the System, I needed to successfully awaken. A person can awaken anywhere from Rank 1-9, and usually indicates the potential of said person. Feeling the weight of the attendee¡¯s eyes upon me, especially the ones from my family, I wore my best confident facade and approached the orb. Anxiously placing my hand on the orb, I prayed, Please just give me a Soul Rank of 1 if nothing else! You probably hear this often, but it is quite literally life or death for me! I felt a strong and warm energy flow through my body through the orb. At first there was no reaction from the orb, and my heart dropped. There¡¯s no way, right? The Duskbane bloodline had to at least awaken with a Soul Rank of 1! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The dark clouds above me had to be connected to my emotional state, because they were growing darker as we speak, ready to wash away this stain on the Duskbane name. Orin loudly said so everyone present would hear, ¡°Looks like even the world doesn¡¯t think you should be here, trash! Where is your useless bravado now about earning the right to be here?!¡± The audience to his show of getting rid of me started to join in, and insulting me by calling me the ¡°Trash of the Duskbane family¡±, how my existence was an insult to my Father, and various others. ¡°I will remember these kind words of all of you. You will come to painfully regret them one day, every single one of you¡± I said, finally letting loose the anger and frustration over everything towards everyone present. I fought fucking tooth and nail to survive on those damned streets as an orphan, nobody would offer me help and only beat me for even thinking to ask. I learned though! The right words to say to each group, to be able to incite gang wars between bandits when one of them would threaten my life, and even conversing with nobles out of my league! A few nice words to them would earn me a few copper coins, enough to buy a loaf of bread I could make last a week if I was careful about the mold! I will not accept this result, Kain killed himself because of this fucking ceremony, and I will not let both of our deaths be in vain! I reached back and slammed my hand on the orb with as much force as I could, not giving it a choice to reconsider testing me again, and the stimulating energy flowed through my body again. Humans were not made to handle this energy twice at the mortal level, and forcibly doing so resulted in me coughing blood onto the orb. I WILL AWAKEN! The orb reacted by losing its clarity and filling with a deep black that almost seemed to have an infinite depth. The audience went silent as they witnessed the black clouds in the sky grow darker and move to envelop the stage I was on. A Natural Reaction! This was a rare reaction where the user¡¯s affinity with an element starts at Rank 9! No number was displayed, because it did not have to be. The environment reacting to the orb¡¯s reaction was proof of a prodigy being born! I awakened the fucking Dark element at Rank 9?! As the black clouds kept moving towards me, the System¡¯s voice appeared in my head. [A Hero is one who rises when the world is against them. When Fate acts against them, they shatter it!] [Task: A Hero is Never Late - Complete!] > Objective: Get to the Awakening Ceremony on time, and successfully Awaken - Complete! > Reward: A second Soul Core What do you mean, a second Soul Core?! How is that possible, System? [The previous host¡¯s soul agreed to leave you his Soul Core if you were able to successfully Awaken in front of everyone.] But what does that mean for Kain? What happens if he does not have his Soul Core anymore? [This was a reward that Kain wanted to offer towards the man who had the potential to become the Lightbringer. A pure soul who never wished harm upon any of his abusers, nor destruction upon the world, and last words were to wish his family a happy life. A soul that would have also made a potential Lightbringer if he was eligible for the Lightbringer System.] His last words were to wish his family a happy life? How is it possible for someone to suffer like we have, and still remain a ray of sunshine? Wait¡­ A ray of sunshine? A second Soul Core means a second element affinity can possibly awaken¡­ There¡¯s no way. Within the endless darkness in the orb, a shining golden light began to form and rapidly grow until it filled the entire orb and covered the darkness inside of it. The golden light inside the orb grew so powerful, that a beam of light shot out the top of it and wiped out the dark clouds coming towards me and into the sky. When the light reached the clouds in the sky, it dispelled the dark clouds there as well, leaving only a bright and sunny day in its wake. I have both the Light and Dark elements¡­ A golden number formed from the orb, in large visible numbers to the entire audience. Staring at the golden number before me, I wanted to fall to the ground from the shock. Rank 10. Light and Dark Light and Dark. Kain¡¯s heart stayed pure despite his suffering, and mine went dark with mine. We are truly two sides of the same coin, Kain. I will put your sacrifice to good use, and become the Lightbringer for both of us now. The audience of this show was in shocked silence. Not only did I awaken two elements, they are the two rarest ones at that. The power flowing through me felt amazing, the Light element was a warm embrace, while the Dark element was a cold stare that you felt walking a street at night. Together, it combined to feel like a crisp and cold morning that left me feeling great. I wanted to drink in this feeling and get drunk in it, but that was something for later. A warning from the System appeared. [Danger detected in your surroundings, please be advised.] What? My father noticed it as well, and quickly covered the area in his power, creating a dark fog that covered the courtyard, and allowed nothing to leak through, and covered the mouths of everyone present. Perhaps it was because my Light element countered Dark, or because I shared the same element, but this fog did not blind me like it did the others. I looked to my Father, and he held a finger to his mouth to tell me to stay silent, and then pointed upwards towards the sky. A line in the sky appeared, like a deep gash in the very fabric of space itself, and then as if the sky were its eyelids, it opened to reveal a large Eye. Then rings filled with countless smaller eyes circled around the Eye, creating a truly horrifying sight. It began frantically scanning the area in unnatural patterns, and I was frozen in place, not letting a single muscle move. [Do not be found by the Eye.] An ominous warning from the System once again confirmed my body¡¯s fears were correct. System, what is it? You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. [Unable to answer at this time. You lack the appropriate Authority Level.] How do I increase it then? [You are currently Rank F. Grow stronger and complete more Tasks to increase your Rank] The Eye continued to scan for a few more minutes, and then it rolled up into the ¡°eyelids¡± in the sky and vanished along with the rings of eyes, as if it was falling asleep once again. After a few minutes had passed with no sign of its return, Father released his dark fog encasing the area, leading panic to rise in the crowd. Only Father and I were aware of the Eye that appeared in the sky after all. Addressing the crowd he said, ¡°Apologies for that disturbance, the Natural Reaction of our youngest attracted the curiosity of a few strong beasts that were best left to fly past for your safety¡±. The crowd quieted their concerns, and loudly thanked him for his protection. Looking towards me, there was no longer the scorn that was there previously, but a look of awe and fear. Addressing their concerns also I said, ¡°Today is an important day for the Duskbane family, and so I will allow the excessive amount of insults to not be punished right now¡±. Speaking to my brother, Orin, ¡°You are not off the hook however, brother. I challenge you to a duel to be held in three months. Use your days to prepare wisely, because they very well might be your last,¡± I said to him, not bothering to hide the anger towards the sibling that pushed Kain over the edge to suicide. Seeing he was going to spew some bullshit, I looked to my father and asked, ¡°I understand this is not proper protocol, but may I ask for your approval to this match, Patriarch?¡±. Father looked at this request with a cold stare, and said, ¡°Youngest, you have just awoken and already wish to fight with your brother, who is a Great Realm above you?¡± ¡°Orin has been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember. Constant abuse, harassment, and torment daily. I did not possess the power necessary to pay him back for his care, and I am confident I can do so in three months of training. Leaving a beast that has bared its fangs at me alive is not in my nature¡±. ¡°It¡¯s not in your nature, is it?¡± He gave me a deep look, and I realized he is definitely aware of something different about his son, and continued, ¡°Very well! I like the fire that has been lit in your heart! In three months, you two shall duel and show off the power that the youngest of our family has!¡± The audience clapped at my Father¡¯s words, and I could only see them as the two-faced scum they are. Disgusting. ¡°Youngest, I shall have you accompany me for a talk,¡± My Father said as he appeared next to my side before I could even react, and placed a hand on my shoulder. The next moment, we were gone from the courtyard and in what looked to be a library without windows. Underground? My father was in a large sturdy chair behind a large desk, and I was in a smaller chair in front of him. Seeing him this close, he was truly a monster of a man. Tall, muscular, and long black hair that was as dark as the night itself, with deep crimson eyes to match. Clearly was the parent I took over more, unsure of what part of my looks was given by my Mother. He stared at me deeply, as if pondering my existence itself. ¡°Youngest, I have a question for you, and failure to tell the truth will result in your death in this instance, understand?¡± Sweat threatening to form, I answered him without breaking eye contact, ¡°Yes, Patriarch. I will answer your question to the best of my ability¡±. The temperature in the room dropped to where it felt like I would turn into ice from his killing intent. He asked cold and calmly, ¡°What has happened to my child¡¯s soul?¡±. The Patriarchs Decision System, what do I tell him? I am going to die if he thinks I am lying or hiding something from him! [As long as you do not reveal the existence of the Lightbringer System, it is allowed.] That¡­ Is not really helpful, System! You¡¯re supposed to help me through a crisis like this! [Trials and Tribulations will be the path that leads you to becoming the Lightbringer. Think of this conversation being one such Trial.] Oh, so you¡¯re going to generate a Task and reward me for getting through this safely? [No.] This fucking System¡­ ¡°Do not make me repeat myself again, child,¡± Father said to me, making it very clear that there wasn¡¯t time to form an answer. ¡°Patriarch, are you aware of the conditions your children face in their upbringing here?¡± ¡°That is irrelevant, where has my child¡¯s soul gone, and how have you come to possess his body?¡± ¡°It IS relevant!¡± I slammed my fist on the desk, the damn thing not budging an inch. ¡°Abuse, harassment are just the start! You created a system to create powerful monsters, and in the process you destroy the humanity in them!¡± I didn¡¯t need to tell him this. All I needed to do was explain the circumstances. Why can¡¯t I stop? ¡°Kain suffered every day, for as long as he could remember. His own family, the fucking servants who served and abandoned him, the world itself turned its back on him!¡± Tears started flowing down my face, and I do not understand why. I¡¯m not sad, I¡¯m angry at this household. Memories of Kain¡¯s were flowing into me, faster than I could understand them.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Kain worked himself to the bone everyday, being the first to arrive, and the last to leave. Despite that, his results were poor compared to his siblings, so he was treated as less than dirt. Abused by his siblings, and eventually the servants joined in too. He did not have the talent for the killing arts he was being taught and practiced!¡± As the words kept flowing from my mouth, in an unstoppable torrent, I made a realization. ¡°He¡­ Had the talent to go far, but even despite that talent, his soul was not made for a life of violence. In the end, he truly believed he was a failure and a disgrace to the family line, and chose to kill himself before he could dishonor the Duskbane name more at the ceremony. Driven to suicide by the rules of the house that you fucking made, Patriarch!¡± Eyes red but no longer crazy, burning from the outburst of emotion, I glared into the Patriarch¡¯s eyes, and almost saw a spark of melancholy in them. ¡°So my son chose to kill himself instead of potentially dishonoring the family name¡­ And where does that leave you, who are you?¡± He firmly said, but no longer letting out the killing intent he had prior. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got here. I am just a lousy street orphan who shares a name with Kain, except I never received a family name,¡± sitting back down in the chair, I continued, ¡°We both died at the same age, except I don¡¯t know what caused my death. Something sent me here to Kain¡¯s body to become a hero called the Lightbringer, and that¡¯s the extent that I know¡±. Father stood up in his chair, and slammed his hands on the desk causing a more visible crack than mine had. Stupid desk. ¡°The Lightbringer?! You¡¯re to become the legendary hero of myth and legend?¡± ¡°I¡­ Was told that I had the potential to do so, and to work hard and get stronger to pursue that goal. Kain¡¯s soul core became my second one by his choice to help me accomplish that, and is why I was able to awaken a second element. Whether the Rank 10 Light element was because of me, or the absolute purity of his soul, I do not know for sure,¡± Not sure what this meant to Father, as the System seemed to imply it was unknown to others. ¡°So instead of a suicide, it could be viewed that my child¡¯s death was a sacrifice for the hero to be born in this world,¡± and I was going to argue back at him about that line of reasoning, but I saw the sadness growing in his eyes once again. ¡°You do not need to know about the creature we saw earlier, and let me take care of it for the time being,¡± He said calmly, deep in thought. He sat back in his chair, and waved his hands and his power fixed the desk like it was never damaged, to my amazement. Taking a minute to think things through, he looked at me and said, ¡°You shall be my youngest going forward, and have the ¡®right¡¯ to call me Father, as you put it prior. Your mother will arrange for a proper teacher to train you. I will say that your personality is better suited to this family than Kain¡¯s, so don¡¯t lose it if you want to survive. Lightbringer candidate or no, you will not be free of the house rules, so learn to navigate them properly.¡± Feeling better after letting loose some of the emotions pent up about Kain¡¯s death, I stood up and bowed to¡­ My¡­ Father, and said, ¡°Yes, Father! I will do as you command!¡± As I got up to leave the library, I remembered something and looked back to him and said, ¡°Oh, and Father?¡± He looked to me the melancholy in him rising more, I said, ¡°Kain¡¯s last wish was that the family lived a happy life, so please grant him that much at least,¡± and I saw that the knife that physically stabbed Kain¡¯s heart was mentally doing it to his¡­ No our Father now. With that, I consider the blood debt he owes Kain settled for now. With that, I made my way back to my room, after taking a few wrong turns at first. Once I reached my room, I sat at the chair I arrived in this world in, and let the first day wash over me. System, where do we begin in this journey to become the Lightbringer? The Two Brothers Walking through the city streets of Sword Rock, I finally saw the landmark that is exactly what it sounds like, a large stone sword stabbed into the ground. There were many legends about this sword, but the one I enjoyed the most was it was a relic left by the one in charge of the world, who surpassed even the Demigod rank and ascended fully into Godhood. When the world needs to be saved, the deity would use this sword to protect it. Looking at the Task given by the System, I had to ask a question to this damn System. [Task: A Hero of Few Deeds] > Objective: Use your best judgement to perform good deeds to the locals, and raise your standing among the people. > Reward: A C-Grade Meditation Technique. > Failure: Penalty. ¡°Use your best judgement¡±? System, that is not a proper way to guide me! Speaking of, the punishment for failure is just ¡°Penalty¡±?! [A hero that can¡¯t decide for himself how to better the lives of the people around him? Perhaps a new candidate needs to be found..] I want to strangle this System. ¡°Using my best judgement¡± I spent some time tracking down the street rats of the street, surprised that a lot of the same tricks of the trade applied here. Keep your money pouch and valuables tucked away in the inner pocket on the chest, and if an alley looked too vacant and clean, it was likely an ambush spot. ¡°Kind sir, please grant us your mercy. We were only trying to afford medication for our sick mother, you see!¡± A weird feeling welled up inside of me looking at the two dirty boys before me. The older brother holds his hands together in a friendly gesture, trying to sweet talk me, while the younger brother quietly waits behind. Standard protocol for a little street rat. Attempt a pickpocket, and be smart if you get caught to avoid punishment if you can. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The kids winced as I put my hands on the top of their heads, and touseling their filthy hair, fearing that I was going to harm them. ¡°I am not going to hurt you for trying to survive, kids. Tell me the truth however, is there actually a sick mother or is that your standard story?¡± The older brother, street smart as he was, knew to easily open up about their personal lives, in case it leads back to their home. The younger brother was not quite as well versed in our street rat world, on the verge of tears said, ¡°It¡¯s true sir! Mother fell ill after working multiple jobs around the city to feed us! The doctors turned us away because we didn¡¯t have enough money¡­ Can you please help us?¡± If the older kid had said this, I would likely think it was bait for an ambush by a local gang. This kid did not know how to mask his true thoughts and emotions yet, and it was obviously true. ¡°Can you guide me to the best doctor in this city, and tell me what your mother¡¯s favorite thing to eat is if you know?¡± I asked the two boys, who expected a beating and got an offer to help instead. The younger brother excitedly grabbed his brother who was still skeptical and sizing me up. He asked, ¡°Why do you want to help us, sir?¡± and all I could do was smile at him. ¡°If I told you that I was a street rat like you once upon a time, would you believe me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe anyone, sir. To trust is to be burned,¡± he said. He could not be more than 10 or 11, and he is already aware of the cruel reality of a life on the streets. ¡°Then pretend you do for now, and we will take care of your mother first. Think of it as me performing a deed that nobody did for me on the streets when I needed help,¡± and instead punished me for bothering them or stinking up their business. Having the kids as guides, they brought me to a market, and I saw the younger boy eyeing a street stall in secret that sold these soft buns filled with cheap meat. I purchased two for me, and three for each of the boys who were looking too lean as it stood. The boys mentioned that their mother never mentioned a favorite food, and ate whatever they had on hand, so I purchased some high quality beef, with hearty vegetables and a few jugs of clean water. If their mother had fallen due to exhaustion, she was going to need a nutritious meal and plenty of water to recover. The boys were different from each other. The older brother whose name was Ken, was the calculating type, who ran as many factors as he could think of to a decision. An experienced street rat, to say the least. The younger brother, Alex, was closer to being a normal child than a street rat, a product of their mother¡¯s love and hard work. Survival will not be the easiest for him, but he should be afforded the chance to be a kid like we never got to be. The doctors in this city refused to take the house visit to the slums, so I acquired a round ball of medicine that was pricey, but was made for quick stamina restoration and recovery. Ken and I both looked at each other, and had the same thought: Is this guy a quack? This doctor did have a good reputation, so I chose to take the gamble and got the medicine for the boy¡¯s mother. Everything acquired, we headed to the slums of the city, filled with shabby wooden shacks that were barely protected from the environment. Reaching their home, we see a group of brawny men in rags outside the house banging on the door, ¡°Darliiing, we are here to collect the tax you owe for protection~¡± Some things are universal across worlds, like street rats and scum like these. Black Wolf Gang ¡°Who are the men over there, Ken?¡± I asked. ¡°... They are the local thugs in the Black Wolf Gang. It is a new gang, whose leader is a Soul Initiate and is really strong. They go around demanding ¡®protection money¡¯ every week now. We paid last week, but can¡¯t this week,¡± Ken was on the verge of tears at this. His mother works herself to the bone, and is currently sick from the exhaustion of it all, and still more issues arise for them. ¡°What happens if someone doesn¡¯t pay?¡± ¡°They¡­¡± Ken started shaking thinking about it. ¡°They beat you up and sell you into slavery. That¡¯s what happened to our Dad when he tried to stand up to them a few months ago,¡± Alex answered in Ken¡¯s place. Slavery? These fucking weak, no life scum dare to sell their fellow neighbors suffering with them into SLAVERY?! ¡°I see. Take this stuff we bought, and place the medicine pill into one of the jugs of water and let it dissolve into it and try to get your mother to drink some. Let me take care of these bandits and I will meet you inside, okay?¡± The two boys were on the verge of crying, and I gave them my best reassuring smile and handed them the water jugs, ingredients, and medicine. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t be like that. If you can¡¯t pay this week, there might be some ways to get a.. Discount from us,¡± the men were making their intentions clear, and it wasn¡¯t going to happen. ¡°To think no matter where you go, pathetic men like you still exist in every city. Preying on the people who are suffering the same as you? Honor is cheap in our slums, but even a murderer is kinder than one who sells their neighbors into SLAVERY!¡± The men hear me, and look confused towards my direction as the boys follow behind me as I walk towards the bandits. They back away and huddle together, preparing for conflict and I open the door for the boys to enter while staring down the men. Hearing the boys tend to their mother, I ask the men, ¡°So, protection money, huh?¡± and I take a step towards the men, not hiding my anger anymore. ¡°What business is it of yours, my lord?¡± one of them says looking up and down at my simple, but clean leather outfit. One of them was clearly drunk and holding an empty glass bottle, said, ¡°You *hic* rich brats think you are all that because of *hic* your money, but we have our strengths too!¡± The men each grabbed a different weapon, a waterlogged club, a rusty dagger with chips missing, and the drunk broke his bottle across the corner of the house and held it out with the broken end pointing towards me. All three looked poised to try to kill me, and not capture me. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. [Special Quest acquired] [Quest: Defeat the Bandits] > Objective: Bandits are threatening your life. Slay them or make a strong example out of them. > Bandits Slain or Subdued: 0/3 > Reward: +10 Lumina Points, F-Rank Mystery Box > Failure: Death Their killing intent triggered a special Quest? Any advice, System? [Try not to die.] My eye twitched a few times to the System¡¯s candid response, once again, while the bandits charged with their makeshift weapons. Perhaps it was due to me being a Soul Cultivator, albeit an inexperienced one, but when I focused on these¡­ Mortals? Their movements slowed down, to where I could easily dodge them without breaking a sweat. Targeting the man with the longest weapon, the club, I stepped into his range so that he couldn¡¯t swing his weapon easily at me, and sent my fist into his nose, feeling the crunch as it crumpled sideways on his face as he flew away from me a short distance. Once he landed, his eyes remained open and lifeless and was no longer moving as blood flowed out of his nose. He was dead. I just killed a person for the first time¡­ And it was easy. One hit and he was dead. [> Bandit Slain or Subdued: 1/3] No words of comfort from the System, not that I expected any. This man was the first life I¡¯ve taken, and I¡¯m sure there will be more in this life. If this Black Wolf Gang was allowed to prosper, how many would die by their hands or as slaves when they are beaten and sold? The System was right, this is necessary. Finding my resolve after the first death, I scan the two men who are in shock at how quickly their friend was slain, and find that the drunk with the bottle will be the best one to send a message. Dashing towards the drunk, I pushed him onto the ground on his back, and stomped on his hands, crushing the bones to fragments. A Soul Cultivator is truly a different existence than a Mortal, even one at the first Realm like me. ¡°Stay put or die,¡± was all I said to the drunk and now crippled man. [> Bandit Slain or Subdued: 2/3] The remaining bandit attempted to flee, running in the equivalent of a town center screaming for help from the inhabitants. Help that would not be offered by the Black Wolf Gang¡¯s victims. He tripped onto the ground, and tried to back away from me as I approached him, with an audience of cold stares from this man¡¯s victims witnessing it. Catching up to him, I infused my voice with my power and spoke to the Slums, ¡°I, Kain Duskbane, hereby declare that any gangs that are found to be operating in this city, will be slain on sight!!¡± The people stared in awe and fear, as Soul Cultivators were more of a legend to people like these. ¡°If anyone is unsure of what awaits them if they disobey this order, ask what happened to this Black Wolf Gang member today!¡± and I put my fist to the man¡¯s face, over and over. Blood splattering all over me and the ground, and I did not stop until the man¡¯s face was a bloody pulp, hardly recognizable and long dead now. [> Bandit Slain or Subdued: 3/3] [Special Quest: Defeat the Bandits - Complete!] > Objective: Bandits are threatening your life. Slay them or make a strong example out of them. > Bandits Slain or Subdued: 3/3 > Reward: +10 Lumina Points, F-Rank Mystery Box [Do you wish to receive the rewards now?] Selecting ¡°No¡± when the option screen appeared, I left the man in the ¡°town square¡±, and made my way back to the crippled drunk, who had not moved a muscle. ¡°You can live for now. Take this message back to your boss: Leave town or be hunted down like the rabid wolves you are. The Duskbane will not tolerate your existence any longer,¡± and then I grabbed him by the throat and easily held him to the wall. ¡°If you or any others even think about harming the residents here in revenge, I will personally hunt and slaughter every single one of you painfully, and slowly. Do I make myself clear?¡± The bandit struggled to nod his head yes, but I made him do it nonetheless knowing it caused pain from my grip on his throat. Throwing him away from Ken and Alex¡¯s house, I watched him run off as fast as he could manage to in his drunken state, and entered the house. ¡°Sir, hurry! Our mother..!¡± Alex ran to me and cried.