ã€ŠDraconic Ascension: Book of Reality and Spiritsã€‹


 Death

    My name is Jackson. I am an 18-year-old high school student who lives in the city with my parents, two younger brothers, and a sister.

    I am a coder, animator and writer, but I haven''t gotten anything published yet.

    I have never had a relationship but wanted to start one, but sadly, I will never have one as right now, I am dying.

    This morning, I was walking to school with my best friend when we got caught in the middle of a gunfight with some gang or something.

    My friend pushed me out of the way but didn''t make it out of the way in time, and a bullet went into his chest. I tried to pull him into some cover and managed to call an ambulance, but he was also shot before they got there.

    When I woke up, I was in the hospital, but my friend didn''t make it,t and I was told I didn''t have much time either.

    My body was severely damaged to the point where nothing could be done. Yet somehow, I am still alive and continuous, but I will not survive for long.

    Now, I am lying in a hospital bed with my family surrounding me. My mother is kneeling over the bed, crying her heart out while holding my hand. My dad, little brothers and sister all looked at me with sad expressions on their faces, holding back tears. I can hear the heart monitor beeping slower than it should, and I feel very weak.

    "Don''t worry about me, there is nothing that can be done," I say in a weak yet calm voice. "I am dying, and we can''t stop it. I know I will sound like an old man saying this, but I will give you some words of advice that you should carry with you to help remember me."

    "First, Dad, be kind and patient with the others and don''t let anyone shut themselves off, that includes yourself. It will be hard, but it must be done. Remember to be someone the boys can look up to, and never forget that so long as you are a good role model for your kids, you will always have my respect."

    I turn to my sister, "Sis, be careful about who you date and don''t go out with strangers. Continue with your projects and crafts, and when planning for the future, reach for the stars. Also, other than my c, computer you get to decide who gets my room and stuff."

    I look to my brothers, who are both under the age of 10 "Play nice with each other and don''t fight over petty things. Play games and keep the family happy. Remember, your big brother will always be watching over you and never be mean to others. Also, if you want my room, you have to win a game of your sister''s choosing." I say with a smile.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Lastly, I look at my mother,r who is sitting on a chair with tears running down her face and still holding my hand. "Live on for your family and take care of them. I know it will be hard losing one of your kids, but don''t ever close yourself off from them."

    "On my computer, you will find three files called Family, Projects and Research. Save them to another hard drive and reset my computer, please."

    "Family has all the photos I have taken over the years."

    "Projects are programs, animations and stories I have made or written. Keep them, publish them or post them, it is your choice."

    "Research has the location and details of grandma''s necklace that was stolen last year, I found it and have evidence to get it back."

    My mother looks up at me with wide eyes and hugs me while crying again,n but with tears of joy this time. "Thank you... Oh, thank you, Jackie. I knew you were looking for something, but I never... I never thought I..." she is crying so much it is hard to talk.

    I hugged her back. "It''s going to be ok just always remember me and that I love you, all of you." I could see all my family was crying now

    Feeling more tired, I looked at them and said one last thing. "I will die here so, on so don''t forget what I have told you and remember that I will always be watching over you even when I am gone. Thank you for all the joy I have had in this short life." I could hear the heart monitor beeping slower and my eyes feeling heavy. "Goodbye all of you, and just remember I love you all," I say as I close my eyes for what I thought would be the last time.

    ------------

    When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in what looked to be a library with wooden shelves over 100 feet tall. Looking down the aisle, the shelves went further than I could see. Millions of leather-bound books were neatly stacked on the shelves, and a soft red carpet lined the floors.

    "Wh...what the fuck?! Where am I?" I said. Suddenly, I remembered I was in the hospital and started checking myself.

    I am wearing the same clothes I had on this morning, and there were no holes or signs of damage. I checked for my injuries but saw nothing as if I had never been injured. "Wait... what the, am I dead? Is this the afterlife?... or is this a dream?" I start looking around more.

    When I looked at some of the books on the shelves, I couldn''t read any of them. I knew they were in English,h but I couldn''t read them as if they were in another language even though I could tell it was English.

    "ok, this is probably a lucid dream," I said while looking around

    Curious and not knowing what else to do, I started walking down the aisle, trying to find someone or something that could tell me where I was.

    After a few minutes of walking through the library, I heard the noise of a book falling on the ground on the other side of the shelf next to me. I quickly walked around the shelf and found a man picking up a book off the ground.

    "Um¡­ hello?" Jackson said to the man.

    The man looked up "Oh, hello Jackson. You''re here sooner than I thought," he said in a surprised yet kind voice.

 The Library

    The man looked up "Oh, hello Jackson. You''re here sooner than I thought." He said in a surprised yet calm voice.

    I looked at the man standing before him.

    He stood at just over 6 ft tall and had tanned skin. He has a kind-looking face and wears old-looking glasses. He has long brown hair kept in a braid, amethyst-colored eyes and wears clothes like what you would think a librarian would wear in a fantasy novel.

    His voice was kind yet stern, almost like a grandfather talking to his grandchildren.

    "Hi, um¡­ where am I, and who are you? God?" I asked.

    The man laughed and said, "Before I answer any of your questions, why don''t we go somewhere more comfortable so we can sit and talk rather than standing here."

    "um... ok, but can I get your name first?" I asked.

    "A,h right. you can call me Brakos now follow me I know just the place." Brakos said with a smile

    We started to walk through the aisles.

    I could tell Brakoy knew where he was going because of the way he walked with confidence and didn''t look around. I didn''t even see any signs anywhere, so I had no idea how someone could navigate this place.

    Eventually, we came across an open area apart from the shelves.

    I still could not see any walls, but in this place, I saw two leather chairs and a wood fireplace just in the middle of the library. The fireplace had wood burning, but I saw no chimney or way for the smoke to leave, somehow, there was none,e even though it was burning wood.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    There was a soft wool carpet in this area, a coffee table with a few pastries on it, and a pitcher of cold water and glasses.

    The scene was very bizarre,e seeing a place set up like this in such a way for two people to talk comfortably.

    The fire was burning, and pastries and water were prepared. It looked as if someone just put this out only 5 minutes ago.

    Brakos sat on one chair. He saw me just staring at this place and said. "Please take a seat we have much to discuss, Jackson." After snapping out of my daze,e I walked over and sat down.

    Brakos said, id "Now, to answer your third question, no, I am not god, nor any god or their servants for that matter. I am the Primordial Spirit Of Time, Stories and Knowledge, but as I have already told you, you can call me Brakos." he said with a slight bow.

    Jackson looked at Brakos with surprise and confusion. "I''m sorry, primordial spirit of what?"

    Brakos smiled and said, "One question at a time,e please, I will answer them all with time. Now, as for where you are, this place has had many names throughout time. To name a few, The Akashic Records, The Nexus, The Collective Consciousness, The Crossroads, The Castle Of Dreams, but for simplicity, just call it The Library."

    "As to what The Library is, it is the one place in all of existence that contains all knowledge. From every person''s story to all written knowledge, from how to kill a god to becoming one, how to cook a meal from literal garbage so good that you start an intergalactic war, and how to easily pass your high school math exam. It is me in the true sense and is not me as I stand before you."

    I looked at this man who just dropped a bombshell on my head and had to take a minute to process what I just heard "Ok, so this place... is a library that contains all knowledge in the universe."

    ''I''m not going to ask about the crazy stuff yet, as that will probably be answered later on.'' I thought to myself

    "In all of existence." Brakos corrected. "A single universe is a small thing when compared to the multiverse"

    ''And that answers the crazy part and¡­ wait?!'' "I''m sorry, multiverse?"

    Brakos smiled "Yes, the multiverse is real and this library contains all the knowledge of every world out there, with a few exceptions."

 So Much Information: Ethereals

    "Ok..." I said with a sigh. "So you are a spirit that existed since the beginning of the multiverse, that is also a librarian that takes care of an interdimensional library that contains all knowledge in the universe. Is that right?"

    Brakos smiled "Not exactly, but close enough. I know that this is a lot for you, so don''t worry about understanding everything right now, we have plenty of time." he said, picking up a pastry and taking a bite. "If you don''t mind, I will answer some questions that I know you will have. So let me talk and save your questions for after is that ok?"

    "Yeah, that''s fine," I respond while taking a pastry of my own and sit quietly and listen.

    "To what a spirit is, spirits are one of the 3 Ethereal races of existence. The other 2 are Infernals, which you would refer to as Demons, and the Celestials, which you would refer to as angels or holy beings. To be clear, the gods exist, but they are not all celestials, some are spirits, and some are demons, but the latter is rare. But thankfully the gods are not something you will have to worry about right now, but if you are curious I can answer your questions later."

    I nod and let Brakos continue.

    "Each of the ethereal races has its responsibilities. Celestials bring order to the world and make sure that demons don''t cause too much chaos and destruction. They keep the balance between worlds, guard ancient and powerful secrets and bestow blessings and power on those who fight against the evil in their world.¡±

    ¡°Celestials rarely descend upon the mortal world. Instead, they will either watch through the eyes of people whom they have granted power to or create an avatar. Think of it as a body that they can control or take over and interact with the world."

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    "Infernals will cause chaos and ensure that mortals live eventful lives while also punishing those who live evil lives. The younger Infernals do cause destruction and consume souls to gain power, but that is how young are. They don''t want to be at the bottom and want to rank higher. Infernals do invade worlds on occasion, but that is rare, some demons do this for entertainment or to gain power, while others follow the orders of higher-ranking ones; it varies, but it does happen.¡°

    ¡°High-ranking Infernals are aware of how important the balance of the worlds is and hold back the other demons from invading other worlds. These Infernals also use avatars to descend upon worlds, but the only reason they would do that is if someone powerful enough created an avatar for them and forcefully summoned them there or something would happen that could disrupt the balance of the worlds, and they came to warn people who could handle it."

    "Earlier, I said that Infernals help people by causing chaos and destruction. Before you ask about how Infernals help people, Ask yourself this: what would a life of total order and no excitement be like? Demons bring sin to the world, yes, but they also bring excitement and adventure to the world. New experiences and events, everything that a person would find fun, require a mix of both order and chaos. If you don''t have enough of either, life can''t function properly."

    "Spirits are sort of in between. There are both good and bad spirits, but they rarely side with the celestials or infernals. We are the guides of the mortal races, grant them knowledge, and teach them about magic in the world.¡±

    ¡°While the Infernals and Celestials fight their war between themselves and rarely interfere with the mortals, Spirits actively help people even if they don''t notice. We help plants grow in burnt down forests; we guide lost travellers, we grant people the ability to use magic."

    Brakos paused for a second and looked me right in the eye with a happy yet serious face and his eyes slightly glowing light blue. "We grant people who died at a young age the chance to start a new life in another world," Brakos said.

 Reincarnation!?

    "I''m sorry what!?" I was shocked.

    "You heard me," Brakos said with a smile.

    I just stared straight ahead into nothing, as I tried to process that and came to a realization. "So I really am dead," I said in a cold tone.

    Brakos'' smile dropped, realizing what he just implied. "I''m sorry about that. I was hoping to ease you into that, sorry."

    "It''s fine" I replied with a sigh and leaned back in my chair "I figured that was the case from the start. I just needed confirmation."

    We sat in silence for a minute until, "What happened to me exactly and what do you plan for me in the future."

    Brakos, glad that Jackson did not seem upset, answered. "For what happened to you you already know. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said in a sympathetic voice. "For how you got here. That was because of me"

    I looked at Brakos with a confused expression and then I realized "Oh, that''s why you were expecting me."

    "Yes. I have been watching you for some time now. As the spirit of stories, I love to watch people write their own stories and go on adventures. Just from watching you search for your grandmother''s necklace was proof that you were exceptional."

    "When I saw you were shot I decided to intervene, and no I couldn''t stop you from dying. That was your fate and I can''t change it, but what I can do is extend your fate by offering your soul the chance at reincarnation."

    I looked at Brakos and said."Ok, so first off you have been stalking me."

    Brakos''s eyes widened. *cough* "That¡­ that wasn''t my intention." He said with an embarrassed expression.

    I laughed. "It''s not like I can blame you. Based on what you have said you have been doing this for a while so you are used to doing it. Plus I have gotten used to the weird stuff you have told me so far" I looked at Brakos and said, "Reincarnation, You can do that?"

    "Yes" Changing the subject. "I can accommodate you by selecting a world based on what you want and can even grant you a certain level of power. There are limits and I will tell you them if you reach that point."

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    "What kind of worlds are there?" I asked

    "To name a few world sci-fi, zombie, magic or nuclear fallout apocalypse, medieval or modern era with magic being or not being publicly known, one where humans live among supernatural creatures like dragons, werewolves, vampires and other races, worlds where the people are all anthropomorphic animals and many others."

    "Overall it''s your choice. Just so you know, I can''t reincarnate you back into your previous world." Brakos said listing off a few options and warning me.

    I leaned back in my chair and said "Ok, can I have some time to think?"

    "Sure" Brakos replied and leaned back as well.

    I sat there for a few minutes and thought about my life and what I valued and wanted.

    Despite my personality and hobbies, I have experienced many hardships and loss.

    One of my close friends was bullied because he had darker skin than everyone else and he committed suicide.

    Another 2 of my friends died in a car crash with a drunk driver while on their way to pick me up for a trip.

    My house was robbed with both me and my mother held at gunpoint and my grandmother''s necklace which my mom wears was taken.

    I have faced pain and heartbreak many times and I want a change.

    Going over everything I have experienced I let it shape my decision as I went over my options.

    Thinking about what worlds I could go to and what I want to do there. How I wanted to live this life and make up for my failures.

    While thinking, one thought came to mind and I asked. "What about my family? Will I forget them and will they be ok?"

    Brakos smiled. "You will keep your memory if you want to, but as for what will happen to them, well I can''t guarantee anything."

    "What do you mean?" I asked.

    "Well everyone has a fate and I can''t go against it. For example, your fate was to die today. If I stopped you from getting shot, then you and other people would have died in a car accident or something of the same extent on the same day."

    "If you want I can keep you updated on them and ensure that they will live happily, but if they are fated to die tomorrow I can''t do anything," Brakos explained.

    I sighed and said "That will have to do. Please watch over them, but if they do die don''t tell me I just want to know that they will be safe."

    He nodded and I leaned back and thought some more.

    Eventually, I had another question "By the way, as a spirit of both time and stories. If I live an eventful life can you document my adventures and place them into the computer I owned before my mother finds what I have already written?"

    "That way even if they don''t know it is me, I will still have a way to reach them. Of course please change the name and how I die but other than that I am fine with what you told me. Is that possible"

    Brakos looked at Jackson with a shocked and astonished expression that changed to happy. "That is within my abilities. Any preference for the changes?"

    "We can talk about that later. For now, I have my plan on what I want for my reincarnation" I said with a smile.

 The Plan

    "For my reincarnation can you send me to a world with magic and supernatural creatures. one where I can live a life of adventure and learn about magic," I said excitedly with a smile.

    "Ok a simple request, but is that all? If you want I can have you appear in another world as an adult." brakos says with interest while looking at me and feeling an abnormal intelligence behind my eyes.

    "Of course, I have more but in this world, I would like to reincarnate as baby instead. This way I can adjust to this world on my own and have a traceable background rather than just appearing out of nowhere and no one knowing who I am."

    I paused in explaining my plan and decided to ask something that had been on my mind for a while to try and catch Brakos off guard. "Although before I say anything else what is your goal in all of this? Why accommodate me with so much? Will this function like a contract between the 2 of us and if so what do you want as payment?"

    Brakos looked surprised but collected himself and replied with a smile "Yes this will act like a contract but rather than a material payment I want you to live a life of adventure the way you want to."

    "I find entertainment in watching people go on adventures and being themselves. I will consider that my payment."

    "As for my goal, I don''t really have one. Want to see you go on adventures and have fun that is all. I know this response does make me seem more suspicious, but that is the truth."

    I looked at Brakos and shrugged "Very well. Now as for the abilities can you give me the ability to use magic and make contracts with spirits (read [Information: Etherials] auxiliary chapter for more information)."

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    "You want to make contracts with spirits?" Brakos said with a raised eyebrow.

    "Yes, I am not a person who likes close-up combat very much, and having companions I can count on to help me is important. Besides, what you have told me about spirits seems interesting, and I would like to try working with them." I said

    "An interesting plan, I have a few ideas for you" Brakos smiled

    "Thank you, but one thing is that I want to start out weak. I want to grow stronger by working hard, not by having someone else give me a power boost." I said

    "Keep yourself grounded and too not let yourself become vain and conceited. I like it." Brakos said in approval.

    "Glad you do. I won''t deny that being born into a family that has a magic user who could teach me would be nice but it is not necessary."

    "However I do have one request, please make sure I will not be born into a noble or merchant family or a family involved in politics. I absolutely hate politics and business like that, a family that avoids it would be preferred but if you can''t find one, I will accept it."

    "Understood," Brakos said.

    While looking at Jackson Brakos noticed a level of intelligence that he had not seen in a long time and while Jackson had told him this plan, Brakos could only be impressed ''This kid is truly unique. We have only been talking for around 30 minutes and yet he has fully adapted to everything I have told him. Plus he has come up with a plan that will allow him to gain power and become truly powerful.'' Brakos thought to himself, but he could never have been prepared for what I told him next.

    I then looked at Brakos and said in a serious tone. "Now this is something I am not sure you can do but I will ask anyway. In this world what I have already asked is what I want my normal identity to be but I also want to become something else, a Primogenitor."

    Brakos stood there wide-eyed and speechless, trying to make sure that he heard that right. "A... a Primogenitor?! You mean you want to create a new race."

    "Yes, I do. Is that possible?" I say in a matter-of-fact kind of voice.

    Brakos stared through me and into space for a minute I could tell that the main thing he was thinking to himself was ''What the fuck?!''

 Primogenitor

    Brakos took his hands rubbed his face with a sigh and said "Yes it is possible, but the power needed and danger that comes with it would be immense."

    "There is only one world I can send you to. Primus, the home to the Primogenitors. If you want that, I can but... the other Primogenitors will try and kill you to take your power to boost their own or prevent competition. Not to mention that it will be extremely hard if you want to start weak and gain power as any primogenitor will be born with power equivalent to a trained and experienced warrior."

    I smiled "That is why my powers will be locked away until I unleash them."

    Brakos removed his hand from his face and looked at me. "What do you mean sealed?"

    I smiled and explained my plan. "I do want to become a Primogenitor but not right away. Those powers will be sealed away in a container that only I can open and only when I have a good enough understanding of this world and how to hide/cover up my powers will I break the seal."

    "This is partly why I want to make contracts with spirits, the energy they release could probably cover up my primogenitor powers. And to make sure others can''t take my powers and control over my race shall be bound to the seal, a book that only I can write in."

    Brakos took a minute and thought about my plan. I could see on his face a range of emotions, shock, wonder, excitement, worry, fear, admiration and curiosity. "Ok... that is well thought out... How did you come up with this so fast? We haven''t even been here for an hour yet."

    I shrugged "This is how I have always been, planning stuff has always been easy. Well, that and I was thinking about writing a book where that happened to someone, minus the whole library part."

    "plus the reason why I want to start weak is kind of an unhinged part of me thinking of this opportunity as me being a character in an RPG video game. When playing games like that I am a grinder, asking for power at the start makes me feel like I am a Pay-to-win player while gaining power on my own makes me feel like I deserve it."

    "Ah, ok. What about this book, you said your powers will be bound to it?" Brakos asked.

    I replied "The book will be the container that holds my powers when I open the book the seal will be broken. To other people, it will seem like a normal blank book but when someone tries to write in it the writing disappears after a few seconds. But when I write in it it will stay and become a part of the book."

    "The stuff I write in the book will pertain to my race. What I write will grant/change the traits, powers and abilities of my race. For example, if I write that we can breathe fire we will be able to breathe fire."

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    "Of course, this is a big ask and is extremely overpowered for me to just write down powers and gain them. So to balance this, I decided to go video game style, to grant us an ability I will write it in the book and the book will give me a quest to do like kill someone, gather certain materials, learn certain information or do a certain thing.

    "The quests could be dangerous and some could be simple depending on what I want, some examples of dangerous quests could be to save a certain person from a cult, harvest a dragon''s scales, or freeze a kingdom in a glacier. Some easy ones could be to, learn the biological functions of a dragon, gather a magical herb, craft a certain item or negotiate with a spirit.

    "We can have all the information I need in the book and we can go over details later but what do you think of my plan?" I said with a smile as I looked at Brakos.

    Brakos sat there for a few minutes not moving, just processing this information. ''Fuck me what did I get myself into.'' Thinking to himself.

    I looked at him with concern and was about to ask if he was ok until...

    Brakos then suddenly burst into laughter. "HAHAHAHA, oh you really are psychotic but that just makes this even better." He kept laughing "Ok this is amazing you are probably the first person to ever catch me this off guard before and I love it. Your plan is great and well thought out. It is very much possible, some tweaks will have to be made but I can do it."

    I smiled upon hearing that.t

    Then Brakos held his chin and started mumbling to himself thinking. I could make out a few words but not enough to tell what he was saying.

    After a little bit, Brakos started to speak louder, both to me and thinking aloud to himself "It will take some time to make a book like that and even more time to arrange what you want. Overall it could take a few months and I need you here to go over the details so I can''t just send you there now and give you the book later."

    He turned to me with a plan in mind and said, "Ok, for now, you will have to stay here in the library. When the book is almost done, I will send you to this world to adjust and learn about it. Then when the book is finished I will bring it to you and you can start your journey as a primogenitor."

    "While I work on the book you can read a few books here but always ask me what you want to read first. The books in the library engrave their contents onto your soul while you read them. That way no matter what, you will always know what you have read here. But I must warn you. If you read more than your soul can handle you could damage your soul so much it will shatter."

    "Oh wow. OK, um..." I said surprised and thought for a second about what books I wanted and about the books I had tried to read before. "Can you give me some books on how to strengthen your soul, books on spirits, and books on how to hide/suppress magic signatures? That and I do also want to ask why I couldn''t read a book before?"

    "Sure," Brakos said and snapped his fingers.

    Suddenly a few books came flying from the shelves and landed on the coffee table in front of me. "Here are the books you want and why you couldn''t read a book before is that you need my permission before you can. Sorry I have to rush things I want to get to making your book right now, I will come and get you when I need you." Brakos then got up, turned, and left in a hurry with an excited look on his face.

    I watched as Brakos left like a kid on Christmas, and turned to the books Brakos left "Huh, well this will be fun," I said with a slight laugh. Smiling I started reading the books Brakos left for me.

 Primus

    It has been three months since Brakos brought me to the library, and the shock that initially left my mind in a slight haze has fully dissipated. I am now able to focus on my plans and have helped Brakos create the book by fine-tuning it together.

    During the time I have stayed in the library have learned a lot from both Brakos and the books he gave me. Thankfully Brakos has told me a few things that I will need to know ahead of time and warned me about dangers that I will have to watch out for in the world I now know is called Primus.

    Some things he has told me is how the quality and the standards of living are the same as in the 21st century. For example, all houses have plumbing, heating, working showers and lights but everything is made with magic instead.

    Plumbing is done with water magic and gravity, pushing the water down pipes rather than pressure, heating is done with fire magic and lights are done with light magic.

    Of course, people with a lot of money or high status will own larger properties. Cities have large walls and castles and tall and grand just like I would expect.

    All houses rather than having power lines have a device in the basement that will drain magic power from a large crystal with magic stored in it(it is called a crystal battery, and can come in mini sizes). After a while, you have to buy a new one as it runs out and replace it.

    Magic despite being a rare talent for most people is used for absolutely everything instead of electricity. Radios, crystals that act like phones (They can only call people, They don''t have apps), magic-powered vehicles, almost everything runs off of magic.

    The education system is similar to my old world but the level is slightly lower. They understand most common subjects but things like space travel, guns, sci-fi, TV and other similar things do not exist.

    Broadcasts can be made for large events and kingdom announcements but it isn''t a constant thing, nor can it be rewatched.

    Brakos did tell me things about how the world works, for example, Primus is a Planet like my old world. it is almost twice the size of my old planet but the Gravity is still the same (Physics doesn''t work the same between different dimensions)

    The length of a year here is slightly different, 1 year is exactly 360 days with 12 30-day long months and 24-hour days. All of these are exact in length while in my old world, a day was roughly 23.93 hours, and a year was approximately 365.25 days. (Yes, I just know that. I am smart.)

    The months don''t have names yet, instead, they are just called by their number. Which does make sense as in my old world the months were named after Roman emperors or something, I forget (No, I don''t know everything), but they don''t exist here.

    The years are named weirdly. The current year there is year 553 of the 3rd era.

    Each era is named after it ends and each era varies in length. The 2 eras before the 3rd were the Exploration and Cultivation Eras respectively.

    It is unknown how long the first era lasted but the second is said to have been over 7000 years long.

    Time zones and daylight savings do exist here so that is a plus.

    Seasons are somewhat the same, in my old world the year would start in the middle of winter but here the year starts around the beginning of spring. It does still get warmer the farther south you go and the north and south poles (not called that In this world) are here too.

    One thing I didn''t expect would be the guilds. Most cities have a branch of one of many different guilds, some of them are the Mages Tower, Merchant Guild, Adventurers Guild, the Auction House and Smithing Guild.

    I expected an adventurers'' and merchants'' guild and maybe the mage''s tower, but not the others.

    The Adventurers Guild is where I plan on signing up later on in life, it is a guild that will send adventurers out on quests for money. The quests can range from gathering herbs to physical labour, bodyguard duty, to killing monsters and not every quest is safe.

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    It is the same as what we are doing with my book but this will allow me to do the things the book needs me to while not raising suspicion.

    The Mages Tower is kind of self-explanatory, it is a group of mages who research magic while offering support to kingdoms and protecting people with their magic, and yes the mages live in towers.

    The Merchant guild manages merchants and monitors expenses in kingdoms.

    The Auction House is where you can buy and sell rare items you have gotten and they work directly with the adventurers and merchant guilds.

    The Smithers Guild are the crafters and builders. They are the ones who craft gear for adventurers and design/build houses and other projects that require proper training.

    Schools for magic and combat are also present in this world. Teaching people how to defend themselves and how to use magic (if capable).

    Most schools teach people from all walks of life and you can start attending at the age of 16 can attend for 8 years max if you want and have the money(it is cheap until your 3rd year).

    The common folk tend to go there to become adventurers or knights and mages afterwards, but the noble students tend to go to the more elite schools.

    Although the elite schools do primarily have nobles, common folk are still allowed to enroll. I thought about attending one later on as well but we shall see.

    Unfortunately, the behaviour is also similar to my old world. People don''t usually care about skin colour here in Primus, instead, it''s more species profiling.

    For example, Orcs exist in primus, some live in warring clans and attack innocent people while others act like normal citizens but people like to think all orcs are the same, that they are just lumbering idiots that live for battle and will eat people alive when only a few barbarian clans do this.

    Orcs and other non-human creatures that live here are very similar to the descriptions in my old world. Some things are different while others are the same.

    Werewolves for example don''t transform on the full moon, instead, they can transform anytime they want and can control themselves and become more powerful depending on how full the moon is.

    Sadly the time period I will enter this world will be before Werewolves exist so no big fluffy friend for me. though Brakos said he could be wrong as he couldn''t remember

    I liked this difference as the whole you turn into a monster once a month is just dumb.

    Another is Dragons, they don''t all breathe fire, hoard gold and kidnap princesses like most old stories (note that I say not all do this). Depending on the colour of their scales they will have different powers and personalities, kind of like what Brakos has told me about spirits.

    Of course, I can''t forget the dangers that come with being a primogenitor or just life here in general.

    Monsters exist here and many roam the forests and mana-dense areas in Primus. Adventurers take care of them most of the time but sometimes they will attack before anyone can do anything, and let''s not forget the possibility of bandits or going to war with another kingdom.

    Primus is both a strange and old world. Primogenitors are common in Primus, and one appears occasionally.

    The way a primogenitor appears varies a lot, some are people born with this power, some manifest/spawn from a large amount of magic in an area(rarely), some are created from a blessing or curse from a god or ethereal and a few others.

    When a new primogenitor appears many signs show like changes in certain areas around them, monster attacks, cults seeking a new god, them releasing/showing their powers accidentally and several others.

    Other primogenitors can even sense the appearance of a new one so they could also send people to look. If these things all start in certain areas at once people will start to suspect there is a primogenitor.

    Sadly many don''t survive for long. Some primogenitors are known for causing chaos and destruction. Because of this, some kingdoms and people, in general, will execute them or people they suspect of being one early on in their life.

    Not all primogenitors are bad but people don''t like to take chances. Some kingdoms will take in Primogenitors and either attempt to use them to create a race of warriors, experiment on them or take them in as their own and tie them to the family. The power of a Primogenitor is immense and many would like it for themselves.

    The Mages Tower has been trying to recreate the power of a Primogenitor as well but they haven''t made any progress. Some mages know how to and can remove a primogenitor''s power but it will weaken them greatly. The Mages Tower tends to follow ethics and morals to the public eye, but underneath, well let''s just say that they delve into some stuff that could lead to a civil war.

    Of course, normal people aren''t the only problem, other Primogenitors could try and kill me as well.

    Some of them don''t like the idea of others encroaching on their territory, others like to test out the new blood by fighting them and killing them if they don''t see potential.

    Scarely some can also take the power of weak primogenitors and increase their power but only a few can do this.

    Thankfully not all Primogenitors are like that and most just don''t care what others do, even their people. Some may talk to me and or warn me about stuff, wanting to see what I will do but I can never be too careful.

    Unfortunately, Primogenitors can also sense other Primogenitors when they appear or when nearby so that could be a problem.

    Thankfully my plan to seal my powers should protect me and not show signs or allow people to sense that I am a Primogenitor. Unless they are a Primogenitor and closely inspect me personally but that is very unlikely.

 When I Get There

    I am preparing to enter this world soon as brakos doesn''t need me for the book anymore. we have been talking and have agreed on a few things for my convenience.

    One thing we have agreed is that my mind will de-mature to match my new body''s age for the first 3 years of my life, to help avoid seeing/remembering things that I don''t want to. My memories will remain partially sealed until then. This way I won''t accidentally reveal important information while I am a toddler. After that, my memories will slowly return and I will start to mature faster than normal but still enough to not cause suspicion.

    When I arrived, Brakos decided that he would speak to my new parents. He will explain that I am blessed by the spirits and will have powers different from normal people. He will also confirm that I am not a primogenitor to keep them from worrying. This way, should they notice I act weird they will think it is from this blessing. It''s not a lie, I am blessed by a spirit and have abnormal powers and at birth, I will not be a primogenitor. I will gain my actual powers a few years later when Brakos finishes the book.

    Brakos said that I would be able to use magic but I would have to learn it myself or find a teacher.

    While in the library I have read a few books on low-ranking spirits so if I pursue making contracts with spirits I will know their typical personalities, powers and what kind of contracts they will ask for.

    When Brakos finishes the book he will bring it to me he expects it to be done when I am 6 or 7 years old but it could change, he will stay in contact and update me. He also decided to give me 2 other books as well both bound to me but not as powerful.

    All 3 books will have similar traits: 1. I will always know where it is, 2. only I can write in it, 3. each book has a spirit Brakos made (yes he can make them) who can automate certain stuff like the quest system taking notes and upholding the other 2 traits, and no the spirits are not sentient enough to make decisions. That are more programs that do what they are told. It does feel weird but brakos said if I want, they can evolve later on.

    Each book has a different purpose. The first is just a simple notebook I can use to document and take notes of what things I learn in this world

    The second is a book that allows me to cast a spell called [Appraisal]. When cast on an item or person, writing will appear in the book. The writing will tell me information about the target, allowing me to identify items and people and what they are if I don''t know. This can also be used to document information I don''t have time to write or could forget.

    The third will be the core of my powers as a primogenitor, The Draconic Book we call it. When I unlock it I will gain the ability to write in the book and add details to my race. I won''t have to do it all at once and can hold off on becoming one until I am ready so that will help.

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    Brakos did warn me that it would be extremely painful if I had my race look non-human as my body would have to transform to look like it. He said that transformation/shapeshifting powers are common among several races, like the Were Beasts. So long as I use [appraisal] on someone during their transformation I should be able to give us that power.

    For the quest system I came up with we have worked it out. I can choose what I have to do for the quest and the spirit will tell me if that will work. As my race will be a type of dragon, in order to give us scales I will need to collect and use [appraisal] on a few dragon scales or a dragon itself.

    The book itself is bound to me, is indestructible and only I can write in or just open it, this will prevent people from messing things up or finding out what I am doing.

    While contemplating what I would do, I did start to feel guilty about just leaving my past life like it was nothing. I did come to terms that I had died and I will basically be replacing my family with a new one but It can''t be helped. I have always been the kind of person to move on from things quickly but this took a while. Thankfully Brakos will keep me updated on my old family. Previous family? Past family? It feels weird calling them that but I will have to adjust.

    While getting mentally prepared to go I had a thought and decided to talk to Brakos.

    ~~~~~~

    "Hey, Brakos?" I said walking up to him

    Brakos, who was sitting on a chair reading a book on soul-binding items, looked up and said. "is there a problem?"

    "No. I had a thought and was wondering if you would be up for it."

    "what would this thought be?"

    I took in a deep breath and asked "Would you be willing to sign a contract with me?"

    surprised Brakos looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean a contract?"

    "Just as you have told me about the spirits, you can make a contract with me and grant me certain things while I pay you for the help. I know you are doing all this for me in exchange for watching my story but there is something else I would like to ask for."

    "Ok you have caught my interest, what is it you want and what do you offer?"

    "For payment, I don''t really know I just want to know if it''s possible. Would you be willing to, later on, become a contracted spirit and join me on my adventures?" I ask in a somewhat shy voice

    Brakos looked at me with curiosity and sadness in his eyes and smiled. "well I do like the offer I will have to refuse, I can''t leave the library for too long, but I do have a counteroffer if you are willing."

    saddened by his response but curious I ask "What kind of counteroffer?"

    "Truthfully I was hoping to offer you this before you left but this work too."

    "Now while I can''t join you on your journey, what I can do is come and aid you from time to time. I will add quests from me to the book. The rewards will allow you to summon me outside of me coming of my own volition. When I am summoned I can give you 3 things."

    "1: You can ask me a question and I can provide information on a matter depending on certain factors. I can''t reveal secrets or information that you aren''t able to learn on your own or through your connections.?

    "2: I can bring you back here to the library and you can read one book that your soul can handle."

    "3: I can temporarily stop time for you." Brakos said with a smile"

 Awkward Goodbye

    "Um... wow ok. That''s a lot. Returning to the library was something I meant to ask but forgot about." I said surprised then shyly.

    "Well yeah." Brakos gestured to the surrounding area and smiled." The Library is amazing. Anyway for the payment, you will receive that when you complete my quests. You will learn the functions of them later but for now, be prepared it won''t be long before you leave."

    "Right sure. Um if you don''t mind me asking, doesn''t that work against itself? If you give me rewards from quests and then I give them to you for help, doesn''t that just add in an extra step and take away from you?"

    Brakos looked away from me, clearly uncomfortable with that question. "Normally yes but the book and quests run differently than normal. It is best not to worry about that."

    Brakos said in a quieter tone "So long as certain people don''t realize it should be fine." Then I think I heard Brakos say under his breath "Probably." and looked away not willing to give any more answers.

    I was concerned with this response but decided not to press the matter. Brakos was doing so much for me, so it is best not to stress him out or make him regret his decisions. I don''t want to make a powerful enemy this soon.

    Rubbing the back of my neck, I responded, "Ok. I will think about your contract. I have to finish one more book before I go. I will give you my answer then. So, um, I will see you later." I left concerned about what he would not tell me, but I knew it was best to let him tell me about it when he was ready.

    ''It is kind of strange how even though he is some primordial spirit who has lived for who knows how long. he acts a lot like a human'' I thought to myself as I walked away.

    ~~~~~

    ~Brakos Pov~

    I was sitting in his chair with a worried expression, thinking to myself. ''it''s going as it should, he warned me about him but I didn''t listen.'' I looked in the direction Jack left and sighed. ''If he is the one, the one to change it I must endure no matter what. My plans can''t end here, I will not lose this. I just hope they don''t find out until it is time.''

    "You will fail Brak, just as you always have." A ghostly voice said behind me and I instantly turned around but saw nothing.

    Placing a hand on the side of my head, I shouted into nothing. "NO! I can do this. I can succeed! NO, I WILL SUCCEED!" Gripping my hand tightly.

    Realizing what I had just done, I reached into my coat pocket, grabbed something, and left, going to a place that no one else knew about.

    "Calm down, I need to focus," I said to myself before disappearing into the shadows of the Library.

    ~~~~~~~

    A few days later

    ~Jackson''s Pov~

    It has been a few days and Brakos has seemed to return to his normal self. Neither of us has brought up anything about what happened yet but I can tell Brakos is hiding something. I won''t push him but it is definitely troubling him. We haven''t known each other very long and I just feel weird bringing it up with him.

    Things have been awkward between us recently. I think it is partly just because we became friends and I am leaving today.

    Walking to where I knew Brakos would be. When I got there he was standing in front of what I could only describe as a portal.

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    "Um, is that safe?" I asked walking over

    "Yes, it is. This is the portal that will bring you to your new world, Jack." Brakos said to me while focusing on the portal.

    "Oh cool," I said awkwardly.

    We stood there in tense silence. Trying to build up the courage to break the silence.

    "I wanted to apo..." Brakos spoke up first turning to me.

    "I''m sorry about Lea..." I said at the same time and the silence returned.

    "*cough* Um, you go first," I said embarrassed after a few seconds.

    Brakos looked awkwardly at me for a second and said "I''m sorry about how I have been lately. Some spirits have been bugging me about some stuff and... well I guess I will miss having someone to talk to around here." he said not making eye contact.

    I looked at Brakos with surprise "Really you will miss me?"

    Brakos looked at me and said "Yeah, believe it or not, but very few people come to The Library and those that do don''t talk to me. I guess having someone to talk to after so long has made me realize that I live a pretty boring life and having a friend helps a lot."

    I looked at Brakos with sympathy, feeling sorry for him. "I''m sorry about that. Guess I didn''t think about how boring it can get here. I can stay for longer if you want."

    "No, it''s fine. I have lived this long like this I will be fine. I am definitely coming to Primus as often as I can. Besides if you stay here for me I don''t think I would let you leave after that. Not in a creepy way, please." Brakos said jokingly. Trying to break the tension in the room.

    "Yeah sure," I said with a chuckle. "Well, I was going to say the same thing about leaving you here. It was fun and I enjoyed having someone to talk to about... certain things."

    we both laughed and stood for a little bit

    "Have you thought about my contract?" Brakos asked

    "Yeah, I have." I said thinking about what Brakos offered "And I accept the contract. It will allow us to remain friends and talk to each other, even if I am forcing you to come to me sometimes."

    Brakos looked at me surprised and asked "Friends?"

    I looked back to Brakos confused "Yeah? Or do you not see me as one?"

    "No no, I do. It has just been a while since I have had someone to call a friend."

    At that moment I felt so sad for Brakos. He has been alone for so long and I am just leaving him behind.

    "Don''t feel bad for me." He said knowing what I was thinking "It is my fault for not leaving The Library often and not making or maintaining friendships for long. After what you have shown me since you got here, that having friends does bring joy, I am going to go out more often. Thank You"

    He reached his hand to me but I hugged him instead, and then I smacked him on the head and released him. "How has it taken you this long to realize that? Am I the first person you have ever talked to?!"

    Rubbing where I hit him he said. "You didn''t have to hit me and yes I have talked to people before I just never found anyone I found fun."

    I looked at him with a raised eyebrow and said nothing for a few seconds, then I said "Ok but promise me that you will meet other people I can''t be your only friend forever."

    "of course, I promise that I will meet more people and try to find new friends."

    I placed my hand on my face and sighed "I feel like a father talking to their son after they just moved."

    "I''m older than you." Brakos retorted.

    "I know" I responded.

    We both laughed

    "Now if you want we can sign the contract."

    "Ok let''s do it."

    Brakos raised his hand and floating above his palm was a spectral scroll with writing on it, and he handed it to me.

    "Here is the contract feel free to read it, this can be good practice for you when making more of them with other spirits as well."

    "Thanks," I said and started to read. I noticed the payment was listed as a reward from quests which I thought was a little weird but didn''t ask.

    "Looks good to me I don''t see anything that should be changed. So how do I sign this?"

    "You already have," Brakos said.

    As he said that the contract started to glow and fade away. "If both sides are happy with a contract you will automatically sign it."

    "If someone is being magically controlled the contract will not work. Others can''t sign a contract for you and you can''t for them. And if you want to change part of the contract both sides must agree.

    Also, contracts will always have the full details on them, no hidden items can be added and no lies can be made. If one side lies on the contract they will either be forced to do their side or die in excruciating pain when they don''t fulfill their side, it varies"

    "Good to know and thanks, although I wish you told me that sooner. One of my concerns with this was something you didn''t say but I guess I was just being paranoid," I said

    Brakos laughed and said "Good point, sorry for worrying you. Anyway, are you ready to go?"

    "Yeah, thanks for all this," I said and turned to the portal.

    "No problem" Brakos said

    "Don''t forget to come to visit me when you can," I said facing back to Brakos.

    "Of course, I will see you soon. Goodbye, my friend." Brakos said waving.

    "Bye." and I walked into the portal, sad for leaving a friend behind but excited for my new life.

 Terra Rondo

    ~Terra pov~

    My name is Terra Rondo. I am 10 years old and the only daughter of Count Erik and Countess Miranda Rondo¡ªa Noble Family in the Kingdom of Rumia.

    We are the lords of a few villages and Rondona, a small city named after us. We take care of and protect the land we own and make sure the people living here are happy.

    We live in a mansion outside of the city near a forest and lake.

    I have long curly blond hair and blue eyes. I wear a green dress and glasses and I am learning plant magic.

    My dad is a Half-Elf and has short blond hair, light brown skin and brown eyes. He is very kind and is always happy and funny when playing with me. He is an expert Archer and Hunter and has tried to teach me how to shoot a bow, but I''m not that good.

    My mom has long curly red hair, light-coloured skin and blue eyes. Mom plays the violin and loves to paint and play with me. mom is the head of our house and handles most of our people''s needs, but she can be scary when someone makes her mad, even Dad fears her. She is a plant mage like me and is teaching me magic which I am very good at.

    My mom was the youngest of two daughters of my grandfather, Count Patrick Rondo. He died a long time ago after my mom and dad got married, and my mom became the head of the house soon after they had me.

    My mom''s older twin sister is named Alexandra Rondo. My aunt is a tall woman with firey red hair and Blue eyes and is a powerful fire mage. She isn''t a noble like us but she comes to visit sometimes.

    She says that she didn''t like being a noble and ran away, leaving her noble title to become an adventurer when she was young using her fire magic and becoming very powerful.

    When my grandpa died she came back to help Mom and say hi, but she also came with another adventurer who she introduced as Draven Drovas, Alex''s Fiance.

    He is a tall man with brown hair, tanned skin and golden brown eyes. He is a sword master and blacksmith with a great knowledge of magical materials.

    They got married when I was 2 and my cousin was born when I was 3. His name is Jack.

    ~~~~~

    "Mom look! it''s a blue frog!" I said crouched down by the pond pointing at a frog on a lilypad.

    "Yes Terra, I''m coming. Don''t go chase it leave nature as it is." Mom said standing up from the flower bed near the pond and walking over. She was in her normal clothes, a white shirt and brown shorts and with a red jacket on, with dirt all over her hands

    "I know don''t worry. I know" I whined to her

    Mom''s face changed instantly "Don''t use that tone with me young missy," she said sternly

    I flinched "Sorry Mom." I said in fear.

    "That''s better, now where is that frog"

    "over there." I pointed to it.

    she looked and spotted it "Oh that one. Dont touch it ok it can make you sick." she warned

    "Really? Is it poisonous?" I asked, tilting my head.

    "Sort of. it won''t hurt you, just make you sick if you touch it." Mom said

    "Ok," I immediately thought about using the frog to get out of my lessons.

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    "Don''t even think of using that to get out of archery practice Terra." I flinched again hearing that voice. I turned around and saw my dad walking towards us from the mansion. He was wearing a white button-up shirt and black pants. He is also carrying his bow and puts it down nearby.

    "H...Hi Dad. D... Don''t worry about that I wasn''t going to." I said hearing my mother giggle to herself.

    "Sure," he said to me and looked at my mother "Honey, should you be wearing that?"

    Mom smiled at Dad and said "So what if I wear this at home, it''s not like anyone will see. Besides you don''t have a problem with this do you" glaring at him.

    a shiver ran down his spine as he turned away from his wife. "No, I don''t. It is just unbefitting of a noblewoman of such beauty to wear such simple clothing."

    "well, flattery is one way to make me happy," Mom said smiling

    "Please stop flirting in front of me," I said to them.

    "Oh don''t worry Terra. I''m simply messing with your father a little bit," Mom said with a smile

    "A little?" Dad said

    Mom smiled

    "I''m leaving" I turned and ran around the pond

    I looked around spotting different animals and bugs around the pond and even saw some deer at the edge of the forest. I love seeing nature and the different animals that live here.

    Soon it started to get dark. I walked back to my parents who were keeping watch and talking about something I couldn''t hear.

    When looking around I noticed what looked like a blue tiger with yellow stripes standing near the edge of the forest.

    it saw me and started to walk towards me.

    I ran back to my parents.

    "Mom, Dad! what is that?!" I said running towards my parents in fear.

    They turned and my dad pulled out a dagger he kept tied to his waist. "What is a Lightning Tiger doing here?" he asked

    "I don''t know. Spirits don''t live around here." Mom said while moving me behind herself and grabbing the wand she kept in her jacket.

    Suddenly the Lightning Tiger stopped walking and sat down, looking at us.

    We stood there for a few seconds and Mom said "Hold it, I don''t think it wants to fight." Mom put her wand away and slowly took a few steps toward the Lightning Tiger.

    "Mom, what is that?" I asked hiding behind my Dad now.

    "It''s a spirit." Dad answered, "A Lightning Tiger to be exact. A low-ranking lightning spirit but they rarely come here."

    I know spirits are beings with great magical powers but are rare in the area we live in.

    Mom stopped walking, still a few feet from the tiger and reached out her hand and talked in a calm voice "Hello. Why are you out here? Are you lost or is there something you need?"

    The Lightning Tiger looked at Mom, then at Dad and me. It then turns away and walks towards the forest, but it stops before it enters and looks back at us.

    Mom and Dad are both confused but I notice the tiger weirdly move his head.

    "I think it wants us to follow them," I said

    They both look at me then back to the tiger and it continues to walk into the forest.

    "They say that if a spirit is trying to lead you somewhere. It is either because they want to trap you in a spirit forest or they need help. Since there is no spirit forest nearby I think it needs help. We should follow." Dad says to my mother, then grabs his bow and arrows.

    "Ok but we should be careful," Mom says back grabbing her wand again.

    "I want to come to," I said excitedly

    "It could be dangerous. You should stay here" Dad said

    "We can protect her if needed Erik, but Terra, you should be ready to use your magic if something happens. Ok?" Mom says to us both

    "Right," I say back and we start walking.

    "I will track where we are going," Dad said and Mom nodded

    After we entered the forest the Lightning Tiger was waiting for us. When it saw we were following it started to run. We were able to keep up but it was hard.

    After a few minutes when both me and mom were out of breath, the tiger slowed down and so did we.

    When we caught our breath we came to a small clearing and found many spirits huddled around the same spot. I saw deer whose antlers were glowing in different colours. fairies, rabbits with antlers, and tiny little people wearing leaves for clothes.

    "I''ve never seen so many spirits" Dad Said shocked.

    When we got near the tiger let out a small roar and the other spirits moved away clearing a path for us and we could see what they were looking at.

    We could see a tall man with long brown braided hair, tanned skin, amethyst eyes and glasses dressed in a red librarian uniform with a concerned expression on his face. Sitting on the ground holding an injured child around wrapped in a red blanket.

    "Help him. We can''t do anything." the man said

    My parents nodded and walked over and moved the blanket to check the injuries. When doing so they saw the boy''s face and they both gasped with pale faces.

    "What is it?" I asked and moved over to get a look.

    The boy I saw was about 7 years old with short brown hair, and tanned skin, dressed in a black sweater and blue jeans(yes these clothes exist in this world). He is injured from cuts and bruises and several of his clothes are ripped. He has a serious cut on his chest that is covered up with leaves and vines.

    He is unconscious and clutching what looks like a black, silver and gold dagger in his hand.

    Looking at the boy''s face I could recognise his face instantly. It''s the face of my younger cousin, Jack.

 Help Him!

    "Jack! What happened?" I said rushing over to him.

    Mom held me back "Honey stay back, let your father work." she said to me and looked at my Dad.

    He looked back at her and nodded. He then pulled out a small pouch from his pocket. He reached his whole arm into his Magic Storage Bag and pulled out a vial with a red liquid in it, one I knew to be a healing potion.

    He then moved his hands to the vines around his wounds, but the strange man grabbed his hand and said, "Don''t use it yet, he is starving and I have already tried."

    "Why can''t you give him a potion!" I said with tears in my eyes

    "Terra, we need to give them space to work. I will explain ok." Mom said grabbing my arm.

    "Ok," I said

    Once we moved away Mom explained "Honey. Healing potions can be complicated, they can heal wounds but they need energy to work. If someone hasn''t eaten anything and drinks the potion it will permanently weaken them or could even kill them."

    "How do we get energy then?!" I said almost crying

    "He needs to eat or we give him a special potion that I know we don''t have any of," Mom said with worry in her eyes as she held me tight.

    ~~~~~~

    Brakos POV

    "What happened to him?" The half-elf man asked.

    "I don''t know, we found him here and have given him potions but all it did was consume his energy and heal nothing, internal or external. " I said holding Jackson I''m my arms.

    I looked around at the 3 people in front of me. A human woman, a half-elf husband and a 10-year-old daughter.

    ''This must be his aunt, uncle and cousin.'' I thought to myself and looked at the Lightning Tiger standing off to the side. The one I asked to find Jack''s family or someone who could help him.

    ''If only I got here sooner, he wouldn''t be in this situation.'' I thought to myself.

    "He was attacked by someone. One of the cuts he has are from weapons but I don''t know what kind or why potions don''t work." I finished

    The man, Erik, looked at me with shock for a second then started thinking. Mumbling to himself. "If potions don''t work and he was cut by weapons does he have a fae bloodline and was harmed by iron, no I would have noticed. Could he have been poisoned?"

    Suddenly he looked up. "Oh f..." He looked behind him at his wife and daughter "Oh crap!" He said

    "What is it" I asked.

    "Some reports have come through about The Red Hand. A wandering orc tribe that coats their weapons in a poison that stops someone''s Healing Factor (natural regeneration ability) and potions from working!" Erik said

    Suddenly things made sense to me but they also raised some concerns.

    Deciding to focus on the matter at hand, I thought for a second "I know the poison and it makes sense. The poison is made from the pollen from a special flower. It can be removed by someone with plant and water magic but it is difficult. Do you know anyone who can use plant magic? I can use water and can guide the plant mage but we need them now!"

    Erik turned to his wife and daughter "Terra, we need you here now!"

    Both girls looked over and the daughter got up and walked over. "What is it?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

    "Jack has been poisoned. This man says that your magic can help him, can you do it?" Erik asked his daughter, Terra.

    Wiping away the tears from her face she said "Yeah I can help what do you need." and nealed down next to Jack.

    "I will explain soon, just be ready," I said and she nodded

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    I turned to her father. "This will probably hurt him greatly. I will help your daughter guide the poison out through his nose, it will be a yellow liquid. When it comes out I need you to give him this." I said as I produced a jar of honey mixed with a few other ingredients.

    "This concoction will supplement the energy needed for healing potions to work. Pour half a cup into his mouth and make him swallow. After that give him a potion and hopefully, it will work."

    "What if he wakes up?" Terra asks worried.

    "We can''t do much if he wakes up. Me and your mother will hold him down but no matter what don''t stop using your magic. Letting go could harm him more than anything else, ok." I said to Terra while motioned for her mother, Miranda, to come over.

    Terra nodded with both worry and determination written on her face.

    Terra took a minute to calm herself down. "Ok. I''m ready" she said with a nod.

    I nod back and lay Jack flat on his back with Terra sitting to his left the mother next to her and me and her father or Jack''s right.

    "All right now place your hand over his chest and slowly move your magic through his body, you should be able to sense mine. I will guide the flow of blood but you need to move the poison. We do this slowly and I will guide you through this."

    "Ok," Terra said. She closed her eyes and moved her hands over his body.

    Over the next few minutes, we worked on moving the poison out of Jack''s body. Slowly but surely we moved it through his bloodstream and managed to get it to his nose with little damage considering I was working with a child. Thankfully, through all of this Jack didn''t wake up but I knew he was not in a good condition.

    When the poison got to Jack''s nose I caused his nose to bleed and the poison came out, dyeing the blood orange.

    Erik moved quickly, poured the honey into his mouth and massaged his throat to make him swallow. After Jack ate the honey Erik grabbed a healing potion and removed some of the vines and leaves pouring some of the potion directly on the wound.

    ''it''s a good thing this man knows how to use potions properly.'' I thought to myself.

    After pouring half the potion on Jack''s wounds he made Jack drink the other half.

    Soon the wounds on his body started to close and we all sighed in relief.

    "It''s done. He should live through the night at least but you should have someone with healing experience look after him," I said to the family.

    I soon noticed the spirits started to move away now that Jack was safe, all except for the Lightning Tiger from before.

    "Right, thank you," said Erik while looking at his wife who was hugging their daughter, who were both crying.

    "Um If you don''t mind, why did you help him? I can guess the spirits didn''t want to see a child die but why you?" Erik asked.

    I looked at this man with some confusion ''Does he not realize I am a spirit?''

    "I helped this child because we spirits need someone to help us. This child has a connection to us. If we want to bring an end to the slavers we will need his help."

    I surprised him with that response and his wife looked over at him and said "Did you not realize that, Erik? I thought elves were supposed to be able to sense spirits."

    "I''m half-elf, and I don''t know how," he said sheepishly looking back at her. "Wait how did you know?"

    "His words. He kept saying ''we'' when regarding the spirits. Plus his aura doesn''t match that of a human despite his appearance."

    "A good eye, She is right I am a spirit. Although it is odd having a human joke at a time like this." I said

    She laughed "This is how I deal with stress, same as my sist... wait! Jack was supposed to be with Alex and Draven. What happened to them?!"

    All of our faces except for Terra''s, who didn''t realize what was implied, darkened instantly as we realized what this meant.

    "Orcs..." a weak voice escaped from Jack''s mouth.

    "Jack, you need to rest," I told him. Holding him gently.

    "Orcs... attack... Thornbrach... Mom... Dad... Defend... told me... to run." Jack told us ignoring my warning.

    "If it''s Orcs then it must be The Red Hand! We have to get the guards now!" Miranda said with worry.

    She then turned to me "Can you help us?"

    "I''m sorry I can''t. We spirits can''t interfere with the affairs of the world unless a contract has been made or we wish to make one with a summoner."

    "Then why help Jack!" She yelled in anger

    "As I said he has a connection to us. We can help him as if were a spirit. Before you ask, no a contract won''t work, I can''t fight and the others are not willing to help anyone other than Jack." I said partially lying. I can fight but certain rules prevent me from doing anything.

    "So what do we do?!" She said pulling her hair and pacing back and forth.

    Erik then spoke up "Honey we need to get back to the manor, organize the guards and move out as fast as possible."

    Miranda looked up at her husband and nodded "Right. Let''s go!"

    Erik picked up Jack and held him in his arms while Miranda helped Terra who seemed to be in a slight daze. Understandable for what has just happened.

    She turned to me slightly angry as I wont help. "I know that you can''t help us with this, but thank you for helping us to save Jack," she said gritting her teeth at the first part and calming down at the second.

    "It''s no problem and here, take this," I said and handed her 2 crystals.

    "I may not be able to help with the attack but I can give you a teleportation crystal to bring Jack to your manor. Simply smash it on the ground and think of where you want to go and anyone you want to come within a 10 ft radius will come with you."

    She looked at the 2 crystals and was about to ask but I interrupted and said "Spirits can''t interfere with the world''s affairs unless it is someone like Jack. The crystal is to help save his life. Hence why I only gave you one." I said and winked

    She nodded, walked a little bit away and smashed the crystal on the ground and they all left.

    I stood there in the clearing and noticed the lightning tiger standing nearby

    "If you intend to forge a contract with him you will have to gain his trust," I said to the Lightning Tiger.

    He looked at me, let out a small chuff and stood proud.

    "Hm, we shall see when he wakes up," I said back.

 My Life

    Jack''s Pov

    I feel like I am floating in darkness. It''s an odd feeling, like I am in space but I don''t feel cold, where I can''t see anything. This feeling is weird but it is one I sadly remember quite well¡ªthe feeling of dying.

    I know I am not dead yet but... I am scared. I am scared of the fact that I am dying again.

    I can''t help but think about what caused this and how I got here.

    ~~~~~~~

    When I first reincarnated I didn''t have my memories or previous maturity. I would get them back slowly when I turned 3 and get them all back by the age of 6 or seven. I would remain at the same maturity as my body would be, maybe a year or 2 older but most people would just think I was smarter than Normal.

    I was born to a married adventurer couple a powerful fire mage, Alexandra Rondo and a swordsman and blacksmith, Draven Drovas.

    From what they have told me I was born in the middle of a battle. Mom was over 9 months pregnant but despite that, she went on a quest from the guild with my father and a few friends to kill a goblin nest. They needed a mage for magic support and she wasn''t due for a few weeks still. But in the middle of the battle she went into labour and they had to finish everything fast and help her.

    I was born on the 15th day of the 8th month just before sunset.

    Growing up we lived on the edge of a small village called Thornbranch. Our property was large but our house was small, yet cozy.

    Both my parents had their own areas for them to work. Dad had a forge in a shed a little bit away from the house. Mom had a workshop upstairs next to their room where she could work on her magic.

    We had a small training ground out back for them both. My room was on the ground floor with a window looking out to a lake not far away.

    When I was 3 I started to get my memories back and thankfully my mind and the memories of what was happening came back first so I didn''t reveal anything.

    Around the same time, we went to my aunt''s home. There I learned that my mother was the older sister of twins and the younger twin, her sister is the head of a noble family. While there I learned that, like me, my mother didn''t like politics and left to become an adventurer so she left and her sister took over the family.

    When I was 5, my Dad started teaching me how to fight. I was really good with polearms and staffs but I was best at fighting with a spear, so he decided to teach me how and even asked a fellow adventurer and friend of his to train me, a green lizard-man spear fighter named Rirki.

    Sometimes other friends and adventurers would come and visit. Some were other adventurers that my parents went on quests with, some were friends they made on the way and others were people who had been saved by or owed a debt to my parents.

    Sometimes they would bring me with them on adventurers when they would be gone for a few days. They would keep me away from large and dangerous quests but when travelling, I could go with them and they taught me everything I would need to know to become an adventurer.

    When I was 6 my mother tried to teach me magic. I managed to cast some minor/weak spells and was able to control them to an excellent degree but couldn''t use large spells.

    She had me visit a mage in the capital.

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    While there we learned that my Mana capacity or Mana Pool(the current amount of magical energy my body can store) was abnormally low for being the child of a mage but my Control was exceptional.

    So sadly any spell I would cast would be weaker than a normal person but I could control it on a much larger degree.

    It is something I will have to work on when Brakos arrives with the books.

    A few months before I turned 7 I was wandering in the forest while my parents were on a quest. While walking around I saw my first spirit.

    It looked like a small tiger but its fur was blue with yellow stripes and yellow eyes, instead of orange with black stripes. It stood at about 2 ft tall and was crouched down near a tree.

    When I saw it I froze thinking that it would attack me. We stared at each other for a little bit, not moving a muscle. While looking at it I could sense an energy signature that was similar to Brakos.

    When I didn''t see it moving I decided to take a risk and slowly moved towards it to get a better look and show I was not scared.

    When I sensed the energy signature I realized that it was a spirit and if I could gain its trust and respect we could form a contract.

    I remembered reading about this in a book in the library, it is a spirit called a lightning tiger. They look like blue tigers but can use lightning magic. They can summon, absorb, control and redirect lightning, and some can even turn into lightning.

    They are normally calm but protective spirits who live in forests. They do act somewhat like normal tigers but there are some differences.

    To gain its trust and respect I need to show that I was not scared and wanted it to approach or face my fears and stand my ground and not give into fear.

    As I walked more into the open I sat down on the ground and calmly looked at the lightning tiger, not directly making eye contact but making it know that I knew it was there and I meant it no harm.

    It looked at me and slowly approached. Remaining vigilant of its surroundings but keeping an eye on me. I can understand that, curiosity killed the cat and all.

    Soon It got to around 10 feet in front of me, still looking at me and sniffing the air, stopped and sat down just staring at me.

    We sat there for a few minutes and after a while, I said in a calm and quiet voice "Hello? I am Jack. You are a spirit, right?"

    It sat there and stared at me, tilted its head and let out a small chuff sound. Then it got up and started to walk away but before it disappeared it turned back and looked at me then left.

    After that day when my parents got back, I told them about what happened but made sure to not mention I knew it was a spirit. They were surprised by that and decided to talk to me

    we sat down and they told me a story about when I was a baby.

    They told me that a few days after I was born a strange man appeared before them. He was a tall man with tanned skin, amethyst-coloured eyes and brown hair, he wore a red uniform and walked around with a black book in his hands. I knew this to be Brakos but didn''t say anything.

    He told them that I was blessed by the spirits and had the potential to become a powerful Spirit Summoner. As my powers begin to blossom spirits will start to appear near me more and more often and some will ask to make contracts with me.

    They said I need to be careful as people who learn about this may try and use me for their benefit.

    I told them I understood and would keep it a secret while holding a finger in front of my mouth. Acting like a little kid is fun sometimes.

    After that life continued like normal, I didn''t see the lightning tiger for a while but soon, every so often I could see something blue and yellow watching me from the forest, keeping an eye on me. It felt like it was protecting me rather than stalking me though.

    At the age of 7, I was getting better at spear fighting and spell casting and have even seen some more spirits. Life was good and I was enjoying it all.

    One day I asked my parents if I could become an adventurer like them. They told me that only when I turned 12 I could become an adventurer as per the adventurers guild rules. They said that as long as I continue my training when I become an adventurer, I could rise through the ranks pretty fast and maybe reach C-Rank by the time I can enroll in the magic academies if I choose to do so.

    Soon it came close to my 8th birthday. I haven''t seen Brakos once since reincarnating and a part of me has gotten a bit worried. He said he would visit me every once in a while and the books would be done around when I turned 7 but hasn''t shown up yet.

    I doubt he forgot or decided to give up, his actions when making and planning the books showed true dedication and doing all that work as a trick or prank was illogical and not something I think he would do.

    I believe something did happen though as he is taking so long. It could just be that something came up and delayed him or an unexpected problem with the books arose. I don''t know what is keeping him but one thing I do know is that I must remain patient.

 Parents Guidance And Love

    My father decided for my 8th birthday he would make me a special spear. 2 months before my birthday he asked me about it before he did anything about it as weapons that my father makes need to match the person who I using them.

    He asked what kind of spear I wanted and what kind of metal I should use. I said that I wanted to help him, go with him, pick it out myself, and learn how to make my weapons in the future.

    He smiled and said he would love to have a helper but I was not old enough yet to help in the crafting but I was old enough to gather the materials. He said that when I was ready he would teach me how to use a forge.

    First, he brought me to a mine with several ores and minerals inside and showed me some. He wasn''t a miner but he always said that those who gather the materials for blacksmithing themselves can make items more powerful than people who just buy the materials.

    I picked out a mix of Gold, Silver and Obsidian. Even though I picked out soft metals and obsidian he said that he has his ways of making it stronger than steel.

    I did think it was weird that obsidian was in this mine when there isn''t a volcano nearby but this world doesn''t follow the same rules as my old one. Maybe it''s due to lava forming down there a long time ago or something.

    We went deep into the mine supported and protected by magic and started to mine out the resources. Dad was swinging the pickaxe and I was holding a bucket to put the materials in.

    Thankfully he had done this before several times so he knew what safety measures to take.

    After dropping the ores off at home we went into the forest and he asked me to pick out a tree for the spear shaft.

    I looked at him and asked why the whole tree, why not just a branch.

    He corrected and said, "You pick out a tree and we only take out a branch."

    I felt stupid after that while he laughed.

    I picked out an oak tree that I love to climb when I am playing In the forest.

    He said that oak trees mean strength courage and knowledge and that it was a good choice for me.

    He climbed the tree and cut a branch down and we walked back home.

    While walking home he asked me to draw what I wanted the spearhead to look like and gave him the drawing afterwards. Then when I was done to took a carving knife and started to carve away at the branch until it was a length and shape I liked.

    I asked if that would cause the shaft to break and be too short when I grew up. He said not to worry about it and that the spear would adapt to me as I grew and so long as I had that connection the spear would not break so long as I was alive.

    He said that this is a secret technique he learned years ago and it has always helped him.

    I looked at him in wonder just imagining what he knew as he never talked about his past with me.

    That night I stayed up all night thinking about what I wanted and drew the spear. What I drew it to look like I would be 8 inches long with the main part being obsidian black with silver veins running through it and gold dots all over it looking like the night sky.

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    After the drawing was done I showed it to Dad and he said it could be done but it would take time. We talked about it for a little and he went to his forge to start working.

    I was not allowed in the forge when he was working but I knew he was doing something as I could see light coming from under the door.

    After that, I started working on the shaft. It took about a month but when I finished it was great. I kept the shaft a straight pole but carved some designs into it like water flowing and lightning crashing from clouds along with a few hidden magic symbols I learned while in the library.

    When the shaft was done I showed it to both mom and Dad and they both congratulated me. Dad took the shaft into his forge to work on it and add the finishing touches. While he was doing that I was cleaning up from carving so much. Mom asked if I had a piece of wood left about 1 foot long and 1 inch thick from the branch left, thankfully I did and said yes.

    I asked what she wanted it for but she wouldn''t say.

    After another month it was almost 8th my birthday.

    I noticed in the past month that Mom would enter their room and work on something and the carving knife was gone too. I realized that she must be working on something.

    One day I noticed my father didn''t go into the forge that day, nor did he go on an adventure he just helped around like normal. It was at that moment that I knew the spear was done.

    When working on something he would pretty much lock himself in his forge and only come out for food, to use the bathroom and sleep.

    On my birthday my parents told me that had 3 presents for me.

    My mom gave me hers first. I wanted to see the spear but curiosity overcame me when mom told me that is what she had been working on.

    She pulled out a small fabric bag and handed it to me. When I opened it pulled out a 12-inch oak wand with a tiny yellow crystal embedded on one end. It had yellow lines running across it like lightning and a handle.

    I looked at it for a second in awe. I asked if she needed the wood for that, and she said yes. She had been carving this wand for the last month and got her hands on a C-ranked Lightning Magic Crystal.

    She said that this is very valuable so never reveal its rank to anyone and this wand will boost lightning magic (which she knows is my main element) and should help me with my low mana capacity.

    I thanked her with a big hug and sat back down.

    Both of them looked at each other and Dad said that the next 2 gifts should be given together. He said that the first one mom asked him to make so that if I didn''t have my spear or wand I would always have a way to defend myself.

    He then brought out 2 items one was the spear and the other was a dagger in a leather sheath. The spearhead was wrapped in cloth so I could not see the blades of either but I knew there was an important reason why both were giving at the same time.

    Dad gave me them and asked me to uncover both. I did so and was amazed.

    Both blades were made with the same materials and design. Both blades were black with silver veins running through them with golden dots that looked like stars in the night sky.

    Both blades were beautiful to look at and I love them both. I hugged my parents and told them that these were amazing as was going to try them out right away.

    They both smiled and watched me go outside to the makeshift training ground and try out these new weapons.

    The spear was surprisingly lightweight, yet was well-balanced and strong. The blade was sharp and the shaft was polished and sturdy. The whole thing matched with me so well.

    The dagger was the same, surprisingly lightweight and easy to use yet also so beautiful most people would think it was an art piece or magic item. I strapped its sheath to the belt on my waist and practised pulling it out and defensive positions. I would need a way to defend myself if I didn''t have my spear or wand after all.

    The wand was amazing it had a large amount of Mana stored inside of it and boosted my lightning magic by almost 5 times its original power(keep in mind that my magic was worse than a beginner mage and I had been learning for a year) making me slightly better than people with the same training as me. This would allow me to cast larger spells and keep them active for longer. I still need to raise my own Mana Capacity but this wand will help.

    I decided to give them names the spear will be called Twilight. The dagger will be called, midnight. The wand will be called Storm.

    These weapons are amazing and I am very lucky to have parents who want me to succeed. I do need to keep in mind I am naturally weak but so long as I work hard I can become as powerful as them maybe even stronger.

    When I finished trying them out me and my parents decided to spend the whole day having fun.

    It was a day with so much happiness. Why did it have to end in such a tragedy?

 RUN JACK! RUN

    The day was long and fun we visited some friends, went and ate some exotic foods brought in by some merchants, went swimming in the lake, and showed off the items I got to some adventurers passing through. Overall it was a good day and it was getting close to evening so we headed home.

    Walking down the road to our house we heard a scream from a different part of the village.

    Dad said he would go and see what happened and both me and mom kept walking home.

    A few minutes later he returned home rushed in and yelled "Orc Raiders are attacking the village!"

    Mom''s face paled. She asked where they were so far and he said on the easter side of the village, we lived on the west side.

    Mom told me to grab the emergency bag and other necessities and prepare to run in case of emergency. She ran upstairs to grab her things and Dad came over to me and told me to be brave and stay safe but they had to go and help defend the village.

    I nodded and went to grab my wand, dagger and spear and pack a bag of food and blankets while Dad grabbed his gear.

    When we all got back I saw them in their best gear. Mom was wearing a red robe and holding a large Mage Staff with a red crystal on the end.

    Dad was wearing some leather armour and chainmail and holding his Greatsword and potions and smoke bombs strapped to his belt.

    I had put on a black hoodie so I blend in with the darkness better, and a satchel with some food, potions and bandages in it. My dagger was strapped to my belt, my wand was in the bag and my spear was held in my hands, shaking.

    They told me to stay in the house but I saw any orcs to hide and if they tried to enter the house to leave immediately through the other door or window.

    Before they left, they turned to each other, turned to me and both said, "We love you." Then closed the door and ran towards the chaos.

    I don''t know how long I stayed there hiding in a corner shacking but it felt like hours.

    Orc Raiders that attack villages are known to be savage and powerful fighters but they won''t attack if they think the village can win.

    I sat there for so long hearing screams and fire, explosions and fighting slowly getting closer and closer.

    Then I heard someone trying to open the locked front door. After they couldn''t open the door they tried knocking on the door and I heard a man ask if anyone was inside.

    I stayed silent not uttering a word, I didn''t recognize the voice.

    They said they were here to lead an evacuation of the village. The fighting was getting close and people were in danger.

    Hearing that I got up and walked over to the door unlocked it and opened it.

    Standing in front of me was an 8-foot-tall Orc.

    He was extremely built with arms thicker than my body. He had dark green skin reflecting orange light from the fires in the village, rust-coloured eyes, and black hair tied into a ponytail. Blood was splattered all over him but he didn''t look injured.

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    He didn''t wear much clothing, just some shorts with his upper body completely bare aside from a few pieces of leather armour on his shoulders and arms. his long black hair was tied in a strange braid with beads woven into it.

    He had tusks protruding out from his lower jaw and was holding a large wood club, clearly designed for smashing.

    He smiled seeing me open the door and I froze, he laughed and went to grab me.

    I pulled out my dagger and stabbed his hand. Thankfully, even though orcs have tough skin my dagger is strong enough. Then I turned and ran for the back door.

    He yelled out in pain and surprise then tried to give chase but due to his large size it was hard for him to get through the door.

    Thankfully I managed to unlock the back door and run. I started to run through the streets towards to forest. I saw both people and orcs dead all over the street. It seemed like the orcs came from both sides of the village. I knew several adventurers lived in the village so they must have helped with this. Thankfully I hadn''t run into any orcs yet while running.

    As I got closer to the edge of the village I saw an injured Orc leaning on the wall of a building. Its left arm and leg were cut off but when it saw me it started to hop towards me with a smile on its face.

    When I saw that I turned to run down an alley but before I did an arrow pierced through its eye and it fell over, dead.

    I looked over at where the arrow came from and saw a lizardman holding a bow. he told me to keep running and to make it to the forest and try heading downwind. I nodded and continued to run.

    Finally, I managed to get out of the village. When I did so I slowed down and started to look around. The Orcs could be scouting around the edge of the village and if they spot me I might be screwed.

    By now it had gotten dark enough that you needed a light to see clearly but still bright enough to where you could see where you were going.

    I didn''t see any so I started to slowly move toward the forest making sure that no orc would see me.

    Just before I entered the village 2 orcs stepped out from behind some large trees. Both were female and wore the same clothing as the orc from my house, this time though they had on metal brahs to protect/hide their chest. One was holding a large axe and the other was holding a flail.

    They smiled at me and started walking forward. I gripped my spear and held it out in front of me, shaking. They both laughed and continued.

    The one with the flail swung it and rapped the chain around my spear and pulled it from my hands, disarming me.

    The other swung the axe but I managed to dodge it. I did get cut on my chest but the wound wasn''t deep.

    They both swung at me again and I tried to dodge again but fell over. They both laughed and said something in Orcish to each other. Then the one with the axe lifted it again as I closed my eyes.

    Suddenly I heard a clang but didn''t feel anything. I opened my eyes and saw my father attacking the 2 Orcs with his great sword. He had a cut on his arm and it was bleeding pretty badly but he didn''t give them an opening.

    He pushed them both away, grabbed my spear threw it at me and said "RUN JACK! RUN! I will meet you at your aunt''s house!"

    I nodded grabbed my spear and ran. I looked back at Dad and saw tears in his eyes and a red glow on his sword. I didn''t know what that meant or what happened but I know that battles like this must be hard on everyone.

    I managed to get into the forest and headed downwind for a little bit, this way if the orcs had a way to track me by scent it would be harder. Then I turned right to avoid being choked by the smoke and continued towards my aunts.

    Soon I managed to find a moving river. I got in the water and followed it upstream and got out to prevent them from following my footprints. When I finally calmed down decided to take care of my wound.

    I had been using my sweater to keep the wound from bleeding too much but I needed to take care of it soon.

    I poured some water on it cleaned the wound and tied a bandage around my chest. It''s not perfect but I don''t know herbs and have no way of properly treating it. I took a small healing potion to help heal but only I felt exhausted afterwards. I could keep going but I would need to rest soon.

    I continued through the night walking slowly. The good thing is that one of the potions I had was a monster deterrent. It smells really bad and keeps most monsters away for a few hours but it isn''t perfect. Thankfully I didn''t encounter anything else that night but as I continued I felt more and more tired.

    Soon just before dawn I entered a small clearing and saw a man looking around confused. He stood there in a red librarian uniform and had brown hair and amethyst eyes.

    I knew who this was and said his name "Brakos?"

    He turned around and smiled, but when he saw the state I was in he rushed over and asked what happened. I was too out of energy to answer and just passed out. Saying just one more word.

    "Help."

 I Wont Die Again

    I could remember it all so clearly. This life, my life. Every last memory flashed through my mind. I have regrets, everyone does when they die. ''At least I managed to warn people about the attack and send help, Mom and Dad will need it.''

    ''I hoped to enjoy a longer life this time, but fate had other plans.''

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ''No, I won''t let go now. I may be dying but that doesn''t mean I can''t be saved. I will fight to my last breath and even then I will not let go so easily.''

    I was determined not to die here and held onto the remaining strands of my life.

    ''I may have given up last time because nothing could be done but this time I am stronger. I know what death is like and what didn''t work when I was fighting to live. It is scary moving to the unknown but I had seen a glimpse of it before Brakos saved me and I don''t want to go there yet.''

    ''If holding onto the strands didn''t work last time I should climb them and never give up.''

    I wouldn''t let myself die again without a fight. Brakos found me before I passed out. If anyone can help me he can.

    ~~~~~

    I have been in the dark for so long. floating in limbo, not knowing what would happen. It was scary but I persevered.

    Eventually, I could feel a burning in my eyes. I reflexively moved my hand in front of them to protect them from the light.

    Realizing what I just did and felt, I opened my eyes. I was lying down in a fancy-looking bedroom, I was on a soft bed staring up at the ceiling.

    I sat up and looked around the room. The walls were nice looking, they looked fancy yet simple at the same time. I could see a dresser in the corner opposite the bed, 2 large windows in the room from where the light came in, shelves with books and plants and a desk with stuffed animals on it.

    In a chair next to the bed I saw a young girl around 10 years old sitting in it. She has blond hair and wearing a green dress and is slumped onto the bed asleep.

    I realized I was in my cousin, Terra''s room.

    I tried to remember the last thing that happened and figure out how I got here but all I could remember was passing out after seeing Brakos.

    ''I sleep in a guest room when I visit but tend to spend more of my time in Terra''s room. They must have wanted me to wake up in a familiar place.'' I thought

    I checked my chest and noticed clean bandages tied around my chest and my arms. I did feel sore but it wasn''t bad.

    Without getting up I tried to wake up Terra. Nudged her and said her name. Soon she stared and opened her blue eyes and I could see signs of crying.

    When she looked at me and said that I was awake she jumped and tightly hugged me with tears in her eyes "Jack, you''re awake!"

    "Not if you squeeze me to death," I said hugging her back.

    "oh sorry," she said as she let go. I smiled seeing her act like that.

    Terra has always been a caring person. When we would play together she would always make sure I was safe and if I fell she would always check to see if I was hurt.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    She looked at me happily seeing I was awake and said. "I need to go get my parents. I will be back, ok?"

    "Ok," I said and watched her go.

    I sat there and tried to think about everything that happened and wondered how I got here, how long I had been out, and what happened to me and the village.

    After a few minutes, Terra came back with her parents and a lady who was dressed like a doctor. My aunt and uncle were relieved that I was awake but stood by waiting for the doctor.

    When I looked at the doctor she had long black hair, hazel eyes and dark skin. She carried a large black leather bag and placed it on the bedside table next to me.

    When she put the bag down she turned to me "Hello my name is Matilda, I''m a doctor. I am going to ask you a few questions that I need you to answer to make sure you ok. Then your aunt and uncle will answer your questions. Is that alright?"

    "Yes, that''s fine," I responded. I knew they needed to see if I had any brain damage or other problems. Mental trauma is another matter though.

    She nodded, pulled out a clipboard and asked her first question. "What is your name?"

    "Jackson Dravos," I answered

    "Do you know what day it is?" she asked

    "I''m not sure what day it is right now but the last day I remember was the 15th day of the 8th month in the Year 562 of the 3rd era, My 8th birthday," I said with a pang of sadness remembering how the day ended.

    She nodded and continued to ask a few questions about me and I answered.

    After a few minutes, we finished the questions and she turned to the others. "He has suffered no brain damage or memory loss thankfully, he is also surprisingly mature for his age but..." she looked back to me and said, "When it comes to the other matters I can''t say."

    They nodded and the doctor left the room. My aunt, Alex came over and started talking to me. "Jack, what is the last thing you remember?"

    "I remember passing out in the forest." I didn''t say anything about brakos as I don''t know what they do.

    She looked at my uncle and asked me "How did you get there? Was it from the orc attack?"

    Ever since I woke up I have felt like I was in a haze but after they asked that my mind cleared up and I started to feel emotions.

    I looked surprised "How did you know about the attack!? Did other people make it here? Did Mom and Dad make it here!?"

    She looked at me with both confusion and sadness and shook her head. "Jack, no one else has been found yet. We knew because you told us after we found you. We only just got word from the soldiers sent to the village. Sadly we didn''t reach thornbranch in time and the orcs had moved on."

    I felt sad after hearing that. "How long was I out for and how did you find me ?"

    "It''s the 19th, you have been out for 4 days, a spirit led us to you, and when we got there a lot of spirits surrounded you. You were lucky to make it here. Walking 3 days in the forest couldn''t have been easy."

    "What do you mean 3 days I passed out on the 16th, the morning after the attack."

    Erik looked confused. "Wait the attack happened on your birthday? But we only followed the spirit for like 20 minutes."

    We all looked at each other confused. Then I remembered "Some spirits have teleportation powers maybe the spirit brought you to me." is said. Thankfully they knew about my interest in spirits. "What spirit was it?"

    Erik looked at me and thought for a second. "That would make sense. It might be how they can trap people in spirit forests. Although I would not expect a Lightning Tiger to have that power, maybe it was the other one..."

    I knew who the Tiger was but... "What other one" I asked

    Terra looked over and said, "It looked like a human but was dressed in a weird red robe and had glasses on."

    ''Brakos! He must have brought them.'' I thought to myself self while nodding

    Hearing that spirits came to help me was reassuring but I did have to ask "What happened to Thornbranch?"

    Alex and Erik looked at each other and Alex said. "Terra can you please get Jack some food and water, Jack must be hungry."

    Terra looked at her mother, then me with concern but nodded and left. She didn''t need to hear what was about to be discussed.

    Both Alex and Erik then sat down on some chairs in the room, not wasting any time and risking Terra hearing what we were talking about. Then Erik asked. "Jack before we answer that can you please tell us what happened?"

    I nodded and started to explain what happened. From the distant screams to the 2 Orcs Dad was fighting to help me get away. Everything I could remember I told them. Tears ran down my face and my hands shook at times but they comforted me and reassured me that I was safe.

    When I finished I could see them with sad faces and tears in Alex''s eyes.

    Erik seeing his wife was in distress started to talk. "Jack what I am about to tell you is going to be hard to hear. I know you have probably already guessed part of this but... Thornbranch village was destroyed... and aside from you we have found no other survivors."

    I sat there shocked hearing this. Over 2000 people lived in Thornbranch and everyone was either dead or missing... "Wait Mom and Dad got out, right?" I said in a panic and tears ran down my face.

    Alex was crying at this point and Erik just looked down and shook his head. "Miranda was found surrounded by Orc bodies in the village square and a burnt body holding your father''s sword was found on the outskirts. Jack, I am sorry but... they are dead."

 Loss

    "Jack, I am sorry but... they are dead."

    At that that moment I felt my world shatter. My parents were everything I looked up to and wanted to be like, but now they are...

    I just sat there, staring into nothing, not moving. Then I curled up into a ball and started crying. I just stayed like that for several minutes bawling my heart out.

    ''Everything that happened, why did it happen? Why on that day? Why did it have to take my parent''s lives? What did the orcs want? How did they get there? What do I do now? I miss them. I didn''t get to say goodbye.'' All of these questions ran through my brain for the next little while but one stayed in my mind. ''I guess I know how they felt when I died.''

    As I was crying Terra came back and saw me crying on the bed. I couldn''t hear what they said or just didn''t want to listen to what they were saying. Soon after, they all left the room and I was left alone to grieve.

    I stayed there for who knows how long. When I got up my throat was very dry and it was getting dark outside. I looked around and saw that Terra had brought some water and food for me before they left.

    I drank some water and just sat in the room thinking and trying to process this feeling of grief and sadness. After a little bit of this, I heard a tap on one of the windows.

    I walked over to see what caused it, on the other side of the window I saw a blue and yellow tiger, sitting on the windowsill.

    Surprised I just sat there and stared, it tapped the window with its claws again and I snapped out of my trance and I opened the window.

    It hopped into the room, walked over to a chair, placed a package it had in its mouth on a chair, jumped onto the bed, laid down and stared at me with sympathetic eyes. I just looked at it confused about why it was there.

    Eventually, I walked over to the bed and sat next to it, placed my hand on its side and started to pet it. I heard a purr coming from the tiger and it moved its head and rested it on my lap.

    Sadly I couldn''t take it anymore and I started to cry again and hugged the tiger tightly. It showed no resistance and just sat there and let me cry, trying to comfort me in a way.

    We stayed like that for a while.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    Eventually, I calmed down, let go and just sat there and the tiger stayed nearby. "S-sorry about that... but thank you," I said to the tiger while wiping tears from my face.

    It let out a small chuff and licked my hand.

    Eventually, I decided to see what the tiger brought with him and I grabbed it. It was a box wrapped in paper tied with string. I held it I''m my hands and decided to open it.

    When I opened it I found 3 Books, the cover of the first book was Black, the second had a blue cover and the last one had a Leather cover.

    I knew what these were. They are the books brakos has made for me. The Black one was for my primogenitor powers, the blue one was for [Appraisal] and the notes it would take, and the Leather one was for either personal use or another function if I decide on one later.

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    I grabbed the blue book opened it and a piece of paper fell out.

    When I picked it up I saw writing on it that said.

    {I know this is not the time for this to happen but we need to talk. Simply say my name while ripping this paper and you will summon me.}

    I did so and saw the paper burn and a large magic circle appear on a nearby wall and Brakos stepped out from it. When he saw me, he sighed in relief and said in an apologetic voice. "Hey Jack, I''m...I''m sorry about what happened."

    "Thank you," I said back in a hoarse voice and we stood there in silence for a little.

    The tiger chuffed, breaking the awkward silence and Brakos sat down in a chair and said "I know you aren''t in the best of places right now but we need to talk about what happened."

    I nodded and let him continue. "Can you tell me what happened after I passed out, you have been watching me for a while I guess."

    "I have been keeping tabs on you but not directly. Anyway, after you passed out I tried giving you a healing potion but it only ate away at your energy and didn''t heal you."

    I looked confused as I knew this I should have healed

    "I will answer that later when I saw that the potion didn''t work I called out to other spirits in the area to come and help. Many did but none knew why you wouldn''t heal."

    "Eventually, he." Brakos gestures to the Tiger. "Came to me and told me he knew where your uncle lived. He knew your uncle was a healer of sorts and could bring him here but he was a few days away.

    "I told him to bring your uncle and gave him this to make travel faster" Brakos then pulled out what looked like a feather made of paper. "It''s a Wayfinder Feather. It allows people to travel quickly to places they have been before."

    "So he has been following me," I mumbled to myself. "Why not go back to Thornbranch."

    Brakos looked at the tiger and said "I didn''t know where you lived at the time and the others couldn''t risk going to a place with orcs."

    "Somehow, and I don''t know how the Orcs have been capturing us and forcing us into slavery for decades, even I can''t risk it."

    "Of course, I didn''t know about the Orcs at the time but they did."

    I nodded and let Brakos continue.

    "When your aunt, uncle and cousin arrived we worked together to save you. We discovered that you had been poisoned. It was one a certain orc tribe called the Red Hand coat their weapons in. It prevents you from healing normally and causes potions to only use up your energy."

    "Terra helped me remove the poison and we could heal you. Your family brought you here with a teleportation crystal I gave them and sent soldiers to Thornbranch to help you know the rest from there."

    We both sat in silence after Brakos finished explaining. I was thinking about what Brakes said and it made sense for the most part but one thing bugged me."why didn''t you know where I lived? I thought you were keeping an eye on me like how you appeared in front of me before I passed out."

    "That is partially my own fault," Brakos said. "I was keeping watch but I didn''t pay attention to where you were. My appearance before you was truly a coincidence, I had finished the books and decided to give them to you as a birthday present and simply teleported close to you, I missed it by a day and you had to go through... all that. So, I''m sorry."

    I sat there for a minute then said "Thank you and I can''t blame you for that you must be busy. Plus I remember you saying that time works differently in the Library, right?"

    Brakos nodded and said "It does fluctuate randomly so I don''t check on stuff often. How are you doing so far?"

    I looked down, sighed and answered "Terrible. I can''t stop thinking that I could have done something differently or stayed and helped. Why did the orcs attack in the first place and what their goal was."

    "So many questions, feelings of sadness and guilt plague my mind almost constantly... in full honesty it feels like I will never feel better and I will only feel worse."

    Brakos moved over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eyes and said "Loss is never easy, you will always remember what happened but you shouldn''t keep thinking about what could have been. Instead, you should think about the present and how you will honour their memory.

    "I will always be nearby if you need someone to talk to. You should follow the same advice you gave to your mother from your first world, don''t close yourself off from others and be there for the rest of your family."

    I looked at Brakos with tears in my eyes and hugged him "Thank you" I said and he hugged me back consoling me.

    We stayed like this for a few minutes with me crying into his shoulder as we talked about how to deal with loss and what I can do now.

    Eventually, it got dark outside and I was tired. Brakos told me to get some rest and that he would go and look into what happened around the village. The Lightning Tiger decided to stay with me for the night.

    After Brakos left I soon fell asleep exhausted from everything that happened today.

 Whats Going To Happen Now?

    Terra''s POV

    ~~~~~~~~

    When Mom asked me to go and get some stuff for Jack I left in a hurry towards the kitchen. I knew my parents didn''t want me to hear the conversation with Jack.

    When I reached the kitchen I opened the door quickly and came face to chest with one of the Maids. "Oh hello, Miss Terra. Is there a problem?"

    I stepped back and spoke, "There is no problem but Jackson has woken up I am here to get him some food and water."

    She looked at me with surprise and bent over to my eye level. "Ok, I understand. If you give me a minute I will gather some things for him and we can bring them up together. Ok?"

    I nodded and said, "Thank you."

    the maid started to make some sandwiches, grabbed an apple a pitcher of water and a glass, placed them on a tray and we started to walk back to my room where Jack was.

    On our way, we saw a man hiding around a corner looking down the hall to my room.

    He looked to be around 60 years old. He had slicked back salt and pepper hair, wore a black suit and walked with a cane but didn''t seem to need it.

    When he noticed us I saw a look of surprise that quickly turned to... disdain. He stood up straight, nodded to us and walked away.

    He looked familiar but I can''t remember who he is. I knew he wasn''t an intruder but didn''t know why he was there.

    "Who was that?" I asked the maid.

    When I saw her face she had a look of worry but she quickly hid it. "a member of a branch family Miss Terra. It''s nothing you should concern yourself with." she said with a smile.

    I knew she was lying about that last part.

    We continued and reached my room. When we got there I heard Jack wailing in sorrow, it broke my heart hearing that. He is my younger cousin should be there to help him.

    I opened the door and ran over to Jack hugged him and tried to console him but nothing worked.

    When I looked at my parents they looked down and I saw that Mom was crying too and Dad was holding back tears. I could feel tears in my eyes as I had overheard that the thorn branch was destroyed when my parents got the message.

    We all sat there for a few minutes, even and, we all calmed down, jack was quiet but still crying.

    Mom came over to me placed a hand on my shoulder and said "Let''s leave Jack alone for now. He needs some time to himself."

    I nodded let go of Jack and let him lie down.

    when we left the room I saw that the maid that came with me was still waiting in the hall holding the tray for Jack. "oh I''m sorry." I said sheepishly

    "It''s alright Miss Terra. That isn''t easy for anyone when loved ones pass on. If it''s alright may I bring this in for him."

    Dad nodded holding Mom''s hand and said "Leave it in the room, and please do not disturb Jack."

    The maid nodded and opened the door but before she entered she took a step back and closed it, turned around and said to Mom "Apologize madam but I nearly forgot to mention that your uncle is here."

    Mom looked at her with confusion but nodded to the maid "Ok. Do you know where he is?"

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "No sorry Madam. It was when I and Miss Terra were walking here when we saw him... ''standing'' around the corner of the hall down there. Miss Terra saw him and can explain more if you need." She said and pointed down the hall then at me.

    "Ok please continue and please let the other servants know that he is here and that if Jack leaves this room, either I or Erik should be notified at once and under no circumstances should Michael be allowed to speak with Jackson," Mom told the maid in a stern voice.

    The maid nodded and entered the room.

    We walked away from my room. While walking Dad asked me where we saw the man, apparently my uncle, and I showed them where he was and told them how he acted.

    when they heard my explanation we headed to the dining room

    When we reached there Mom and Dad both looked around checking if anyone was in there. Then when they didn''t see anyone, sat down on chairs and gestured for me to sit down as well.

    When I was seated Mom spoke up first. "Terra sweety. I know this is a lot for you right now but you must listen to us. Jack is not in a good place right now so can we rely on you to make sure he is ok?"

    I nodded but curiosity got the better of me "I will but what will happen to him now and who is this Michael?"

    They both looked at me and then at each other with smiles on their faces.

    "Always the caring one," Dad Said

    Mom nodded and said turning to me. "First Jack will most likely move in here as has no other family and sending him to an orphanage would be one of the worst things I could ever do to Alex''s son," I could hear a pang of sadness in her voice.

    "He is young so we will take over schooling him and I will bring in someone who can help Jack... talk about what happened," Dad said.

    "We will raise him like are doing with you. I know he has the same views on nobility as Alex doe... as Alex did but it is the best option." Mom said, almost chocking on her words

    "we will head to Thornbranch in a few days and prepare things for the village. If Jack wants to come we won''t stop him but can you keep an eye on him for us Terra?"

    "Sure," I said

    Mom sighed and looked down with annoyance on her face and Dad looked uncomfortable. Then Mom spoke. "Now as for Michael well... Michael is my father''s younger brother and my uncle, your great uncle. He is the head of one of the branch families.

    Unfortunately, he holds great resentment towards us as it was my father who became the head of the house instead of him. Then Father made me, an idiotic woman and her ''tree-hugger'' husband, to put it in Michael''s words, take over after he passed away." Mom said with anger and annoyance in her voice.

    Dad then spoke up "Michael is angry we took over the house and hates our entire side of the family, and that includes Alex, Draven and Jack. He has come over only 3 times in the past 20 years. We don''t know why he is here now but considering he was trying to hide while watching your room means that he likely knows where Jack is, and knowing him he may try and manipulate Jack and use him to hurt us."

    "Does he hate us that much?" I asked astonished at how my uncle might act.

    "Sadly yes and nothing we do will change that." Mom said

    we all sat there for a minute thinking when a question popped into my head "If he hates us so much could he have been related to the Orcs attacking Thornbranch?"

    Both of them looked at me with shock in their eyes but thought about it.

    After another minute Mom spoke up. "No, he hates us but not as much as Orcs. He thinks they all are just brutes that either don''t deserve or can''t understand talking to ''intelligent'' people."

    "Well then by that standard he should have no problem talking to them directly." Dad joked

    Mom chuckled hearing that joke and continued "Besides, he is the kind of person who truly believes that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself."

    "Ok," I responded pushing the thought out of my mind.

    We continued to talk about what would happen with Jack staying here and our plans for when we left for Thornbranch when someone barged into the dining room.

    "Alex, Miranda whichever one of you is still alive get these people off me," Michael shouted when he entered the room with several maids standing behind him. They must have been trying to keep him away.

    "Michael you haven''t been here in over 7 years. Most of them don''t know who you are or how you got in, so excuse them for trying to keep us safe until they can confirm who you are!" Mom said in a stern voice while Dad quickly walked me out not wanting me to hear the conversation.

    We waited a little bit away giving them space and avoiding getting caught in the crossfire. While waiting we could hear yelling and someone kept banging on something.

    After around an hour Michael left the room following a maid and we went back in to check on Mom.

    When we entered we saw Mom sitting on a chair leaning over onto the table in exhaustion.

    "Is everything ok? What was all the noise?" I asked

    "It is Terra, he is just infuriating to deal with. he has demanded a place to stay for the next few days. Apparently, his wife caught him cheating with a maid and kicked him out."

    "He said he would leave in a few days but knowing him, the timing, and how his wife doesn''t care so long as she isn''t told about it, that story is too suspicious. Sadly I can''t kick him out as that would look bad and he could expose secrets we don''t want others to know. to get back at us."

    She sighed "For now we will just have to endure, I have posted guards outside his room to escort him everywhere he goes. Hopefully, he won''t cause trouble."

 Confrontation

    The next day around noon I was walking back to my room the check on Jack. He hadn''t left it this morning and I was getting worried.

    While I was on my way I noticed that Michael was standing outside my room with the door open and Jack was standing in it.

    I hid trying to hear what they were saying and figure out what.

    Michael said "I know this must be hard for you but if you come and stay with me I can ensure that it will never happen again. The Orcs will be purged from this land and you will have anything you want."

    ''Mom was right this man is trying to take Jack away from us!'' I thought to myself.

    "All I ask in return is that you take one of my daughter''s hands in marriage when you are old enough and that if you become the next head of the house my family will be the ones on top." he continued with a smile and reached out his hand towards the jack.

    Jack stood there with a black expression on his face staring at this man.

    Jack exhaled slowly and said, "You are pathetic."

    I saw Michael flinch and take a step back. "W-what!?"

    Jack smiled and stared at him "You are pathetic. You came to an 8-year-old in probably one of the worst moments of their life, and tried to manipulate them into joining your faction in the hope it would give you power over the rest of the family without knowing who you are talking to."

    Both me and Michael stood there slack-jawed.

    "Wait no that''s not wh..." he tried to say

    "Save it, dumbass! You tried to manipulate me, a child you have never met or know anything about with things that you want and didn''t even think to check what I want."

    "But I am nice so I will tell you. Like Mom I hate being a noble and politics it''s all so boring. Having everything I want served to me on a silver platter is boring and worthless to me."

    "I like working hard to achieve my goals and facing strife and learning how to deal with the problem head-on, something most noble children never face."

    At this point Michael has been backed up to the opposite wall with Jack stepping forward with him, holding a finger pointing up at him.

    Other people heard Jack yelling and came over to see what was happening and the scene was shocking for everyone.

    An 8-year-old child verbally destroyed a 60-year-old man who was notorious for never losing his composure.

    "Mom told me about you and your hatred of us and want to take over the main family so I know this was not done out of concern for me, just your greed and want for power. People who think only about money and power will never have my respect"

    Michael tried to move back some more but was standing against the wall. He tried to move to the side but tripped and fell over.

    Jack grabbed his collar, pulled him in close and said. "Now let me warn you of one last thing if you give me a single reason to move against you or harm me or those I care about I will hit you back twice as hard."

    "and don''t even think about using that charm magic to try and hypnotize me, it won''t work," Jack said and let go of his collar and turned to walk away.

    "Bastard!" Michael shouted in anger, pulled a sword hidden inside of his cane and made a downward swing at Jack.

    ~~~~~~~

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    Jacks POV

    Even though I was looking the other way I could sense the sword moving towards me. I moved out of the way dodging it and let the sword hit the ground.

    Then I stepped on Michael''s hand, the one holding the sword, to keep it there. Then pulled out my dagger and placed it under his throat.

    "Nice try but an amateur can''t do anything against someone who has been training since they were little," I said, mocking him.

    I stepped away and watched him.

    "Lucky brat!" Michael said still in anger as he tried to stab me with the sword.

    I sighed and said one word "Volt."

    Suddenly a magic circle appeared on the wall next to Michael, crackling with lightning as the Lightning Tiger jumped out of the Circle and bit his arm. Not hard enough to cause Michael any physical harm but still enough for it to hurt.

    *Crackle* *Clash* Michael then went rigged as he got hit with lightning from the Tiger and passed out on the floor.

    "He isn''t dead, just unconscious," I said aloud to the servants and guards who gathered around to watch what was happening.

    "The tiger is a spirit and he is with me. Sorry for disturbing you." I finished and started to walk down the hall to find Terra as The Tiger disappeared into another magic circle that appeared.

    Some guards came over picked up Michael and brought him back to his room

    ''I have gotten this powerful already, wow!'' I thought to myself as I remembered what happened this morning.

    While I was walking I noticed Terra was standing around a corner and I quickly realized that she was watching everything that just happened.

    "Oh hi, Terra... you saw all that didn''t you?" I asked to confirm.

    "Um... yeah" She was still looking past me to where I basically just handed our great uncle''s ass to himself.

    "Um how did you do that?" she said slowly, probably not believing what she saw.

    "A pathetic man tried to manipulate a child who just lost their parents into becoming a pawn for his greedy schemes and that same child beat the crap out of him with the help of a spirit. What else is there."

    "I was raised by adventurers and learned how to fight since I was like 5. I''m not stupid or a pushover." I said with a smile knowing that what I just said was crazy.

    "Ah..." she just stood there confused.

    I put a hand on her shoulder and shook her a little bit, snapping her back to reality and saying to her "Can we go somewhere outside I need to relax." I said calmly

    now that Terra was woken up from her shock she could think properly. She nodded and we went outside. We didn''t worry about telling Terra''s parents, the servants would do it and if not we can explain what happened later.

    When we got outside we headed toward the forest. Thankfully it was still warm enough so we didn''t need any extra clothing.

    After a few minutes of walking down a familiar path, we soon found ourselves in a small clearing.

    This was a place we would go to play together when I visited with my parents or to just get away from all the fancy stuff.

    The clearing was around 20 meters wide and 30 meters long with a large Oak Tree on the northern end atop a small hill. Against the tree, you could see a fort we made from rocks and tree branches. Inside were wooden swords and shields, rope, toy wands and other things we could play with out here.

    Up in the tree, hidden in the branches was a small treehouse. Both our Dads helped make it for us a few years ago and we love it.

    When we got there I walked over to the Oak tree and lay down next to it looking up at the sky through its Branches.

    Terra walked over and sat nearby leaning against the tree.

    We both sat there for a while. I was enjoying the quiet and open feeling while Terra was worried about me but tried to relax.

    After a few minutes, I spoke up "I know Miranda and Erik want you to keep an eye on me... thank you."

    Terra was surprised by that but chuckled and said back to me "You know it''s always weird hearing you talk like a grown-up sometimes, or how you know these things that you shouldn''t. You know that right."

    I raised one of my hands to the sky and just stared at it "I am both smart and weird, I won''t deny that." I said

    "I am still a child but I tend to act 5 years older than I actually am. Besides I read a lot and Mom and Dad taught me a bunch of stuff."

    Terra laughed but turned to me and asked "Do you miss them?"

    I sat up and looked at her and thought for a second, then shook my head. "I don''t think it has fully sunken in yet that they are gone, but yes I do. It will hit me again eventually."

    Silence fell on us again, then she asked "How did the Lightning Tiger get in there and is it the same one that led us to you."

    I turned to her again. "It is the same one. I recently learned that I am a spirit summoner, so I summoned a spirit and made a contract with them." I lied

    Thankfully Terra doesn''t know much about spirits other than that some people can make contracts with them.

    "And the spirit you made a contract with was the Lightning Tiger?" she asked.

    I nodded and said, "Yes he is and when I signed the contract he told me his name was Volt."

    She seemed to accept the answer I gave her. Thankfully she knew that summoning a spirit was very taxing on the summoner, (well not I''m my case but still) so she didn''t ask for me to summon him again.

    We sat there in silence again while I thought to myself ''The last few days have been eventful. Some good and some bad but this morning was definitely one of the good ones'' and I started to remember what happened before I was confronted by Michael.

 Books

    *Flashback to this morning*

    I woke up this morning still in terras room. Looking around, I saw that I was alone other than the Lightning Tiger.

    When I got up, I saw some clean clothes left on the dresser. I decided to get changed and went over.

    As I got to the clothes I saw several different types left for me. Some dress shirts, t-shirts, sweaters, jeans, sweatpants and several other options were left on the dresser for me.

    ''For once I am happy to have nobles as my family. They seem always to have what they need ahead of time.'' I thought as I sorted through everything and picked out some jeans, a red T-shirt and a black sweater.

    After I got dressed I moved over to a chair and started to examine the books brakos gave me last night.

    I checked the Leather book first.

    This book was meant to be an extra or a journal. In my time in this world, I have thought about a good use for it but I knew I would need Brakos present to make it happen.

    As I picked it up another piece of paper fell out. On this one, it read "Rip this paper and a recorded message about the functions of the books will appear. Do it before opening the books."

    I did so and a mini holographic-like image of Brakos appeared standing on top of the books.

    It started to talk after a few seconds in an echoey-ish version of Brakos'' voice. "Hello, Jack. Before you start responding this is a recording, not a communication."

    Looking at this made it seem more sci-fi than fantasy but I listed it regardless.

    "In case you are worried about whether someone else can see or hear this message, don''t worry only the one who ripped the paper can and you are the only one who can see the writing"

    "I made this message in case circumstances prohibited me from being there in person and to explain what each book does and how it works."

    "I recommend you wait until I am done before you start to experiment and test out the books so please be patient."

    He paused and the 3 books appeared floating next to him.

    "for each book, I made them special with their powers and minor spirits."

    "The black book is the core of your powers and the seal on your powers"

    "The Bluebook contains your [Appraisal] power, and the front page has the instructions."

    "And finally, the Leather book is slightly different and added a special ability just for you."

    "For the easy one, the leather book is first. It will be your notebook. This book will be many in one. Simply put it can transform into other books."

    "For now, it is a normal book but when you give the book a name it will register it. Then you can name a second book and if you say with the intention of change, the second name while the book is closed, when you open it next it will be that other book."

    "For example, you can have the main one be [Notebook] and the second one be [Magic Circles]. When you say [Magic Circles] the book will only show what you have put into the [Magic Circles] book. It''s like you have to say a certain password to get certain information."

    "Total security and privacy for your secrets and knowledge."

    this is very useful when you need to keep multiple books when studying or all the information you have on other races. plus this means that if you fill up one book you have more afterwards

    "Though sadly right now you only have the first book. If you want more books you have to forge a contract with it and make it more powerful on your own. I can''t help sadly."

    "The second book the Blue one will contain your power of [Appraisel]."

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "After you forge a contract with it, look at something while the book is on you, you are within 50 feet of it and have a clear line of sight or physical contact and say the command word [Appraisal] with the mental intention of using it and it will activate."

    "When it ends the information will appear in the book or the last used page."

    "[Appraisel] can be used on both objects and people. It can tell you their name and abilities but it is limited. It can''t appraise something if it is at a certain level above you or they have anti-detection/appraisal magic cast on them. "

    "Some small warnings are that one of your eyes will have a white glow when using it."

    "If it is a powerful person or magic item you try to appraise, the appraisal can take time. It can take anywhere from a few seconds to several days depending on its strength and for it to continue the [Appraisal] you must remain within 50 feet of the target."

    "If you leave the area you can get back and resume where you left off unless it has drastically changed while you were gone."

    "[Appraisel] is a spell many people can use but it is an advanced spell and rare for someone to have it. Plus how people receive the information is different for everyone. You are the only person who will receive it in a book."

    "You don''t have to worry about having to transcribe everything to another book. All the books are connected so if you want to transfer information between books you can."

    "To do so on the bottom left simply right ''transfer'' and the name of the book you want it. The books will auto-sort it but if you move it to the leather book you need to specify which version it is you want."

    "The 3rd and final book is The Seal and the Core of Your Powers."

    "This book has a blood seal, only with your blood can you break the seal and when you do the book will be bound to your soul."

    "I must warn you when you break the seal your powers as a Primogenitor will fully awaken. Your physical and magical strength will increase and you will start to experience strange and dangerous events very often. It may even cause harm to those you love."

    When I heard this I thought to myself. ''I have already lost so much. If I want to protect what I have left I need to get stronger. The entire reason I am doing this is to protect others.''

    "I can''t control when you break the seal but don''t say I didn''t warn you."

    "When you do break the seal, your body will suffer immense pain as it forges a connection to the book, adjusts to your new strength and stabilizes your power. Overall it should take around an hour of immense pain at the worst and mild head ach at the best but you should expect the worst. Plus you must remain awake through the entire process."

    "A silence spell will be cast when you do break the seal allowing nobody to hear you if you can''t help but scream and the magic will dissipate quickly to prevent someone from knowing what happened."

    "As for the functions of the book it is as you asked. When you open the book you will see a quest page with a few quests and details about your current powers."

    "This book will also contain your contracts with [Etherials] and their details."

    "If you look at the first page in the contract section you will see my name and what I can do when summoned. I will let you find out for yourself"

    "I decided to also add in game-like stats for you. 20 in physical stats is considered the average for an adult human and a 10 is for children."

    "Things like Mana (magical energy) and Ki (physical energy) are different between people sorry I don''t know the average right now."

    "Keep in mind that the average stats will vary between races and could become inaccurate due to the abilities of different species."

    "You probably know this but I will say it anyway. Mana is used to cast magic spells and Ki is used to enhance your physical body."

    "Just know I didn''t add in a [HP] counter as I find that inaccurate and could cause you to panic if you aren''t seriously injured.

    If you want to add it in or change how the book displays information just simply say "system settings" while the book is on a black page and said page page will have a settings display like in video games. It works the same so feel free to customize it"

    "If someone you appraise is hurt it will not be shown but if someone is poisoned or bleeding it will be displayed and a timer will start."

    "The timer will be the expected time before they die or how long they will be affected but other factors can change that like slowing the bleeding or receiving another injury."

    "There is no levelling system for killing monsters either. Instead, your skills and abilities will have levels based on your proficiency, power level and understanding of them.

    "Your power rank will be listed like it is in the Adventurers guilds. You start at F-Rank and slowly rank up to S-Rank or higher if you work hard."

    "When you want to add an ability for your people simply write in the book what you want and after some time the book will give you options for what you need to get."

    "When you look at your stats you will see one called [Spiritual Energy] or [SP]. Your spiritual energy will have many uses when you get around to it."

    "Spiritual Energy is the strength of your soul the more you have the stronger it is. When ever you lose Spiritual Energy you are binding something to your soul or something has damaged your soul. By increasing your spiritual Energy you are causing your would to become stronger."

    "the things that would cause your Spiritual Energy to decrease are as follows. You make/pay for contracts with spirits, evolving spirits, gaining power with the books, reading books in the library, binding a magic weapon to you and several other things."

    "Baseline is critical to increase it as much as possible and don''t waste it."

    "To forge a contract with the books simply go to the first page and follow the instructions listed. When done simply let a few drops of your blood fall on the books and they will be bound to you and only you can use them."

    "There are many other things you should know, but I will leave you to discover them on your own. Good luck, and if you need me, just summon me."

    There was a pause then Brakos added "Yes, you can do so even if you haven''t broken the seal." and the recording ended.

 Contracts and Fates

    I leaned back thinking about what Brakos said in the message.

    By this time, the Lightning tiger had woken up and moved to sit next to me and watch the message. I didn''t try to hide it or keep myself from knowing, as I trusted it.

    I looked at the Tiger and asked "Has Brakos said anything about who I am?"

    It looked at me and shook its head.

    "ok I see" I replied

    "No offence but it is hard to have a conversation like this. Are you able to talk?" I asked

    He tilted his head and thought briefly, then placed his paw on the Black book and looked at me.

    I stared back trying to understand what it wanted. Then I realized and asked, "Do you want to make a contract with me?!"

    It let out a chuff and moved its paw back allowing me to pick the book up.

    "But are you sure? Do you want to get to know me first and who or... what I am before you make a decision?"

    He shook his head and let out another chuff.

    Happy but a little concerned I said "Ok if you''re sure, but don''t say I didn''t warn you."

    Thankfully I learned how to make contracts here while growing up so it wasn''t hard.

    I used some of my magic and created the contract. As we couldn''t talk right now I decided to give the tiger the contract and let him add in his price and details.

    (While the contract is being made spirits can add in stuff just by thinking).

    We continued to hand it back a forth until we agreed on it.

    It had a long list of terms but the summary was that I would be able to summon the tiger for help and use his magic and get a boost to my lightning magic which is already powerful thanks to my wand.

    A stipulation we both agreed on was that we cannot disclose information that could harm the other, even if the contract is broken. (Yes you can have a part of a contract continue its effects after the contract is broken so long as you specify that).

    As payment, it can change depending on current events but for now, he wants some of my spiritual energy when he is summoned but I am also to provide him with a place to stay when he needs it, to treat other spirits with kindness, and to give him a name.

    When I saw that he wanted a name I was surprised. I had forgotten that spirits don''t get names normally like mortal creatures do.

    When I thought about it I decided to try an experiment and give him a name related to lightning and see if that makes him stronger too.

    When I told him about my plan he let out a chuff acted happy and let me do as I wanted.

    Getting his approval I thought about a name, a name related to lightning.

    In my old world, we know that lightning is just a giant spark of electricity. Electricity was one-half of a fundamental force in the world. If he could learn the other half he could become very powerful.

    A word in the basics of electricity came to mind that means the electric potential. In other words, the potential of lightning itself.

    When I did I told him the name and what it meant, and he chuffed again.

    I laughed and said to him as we finalized the contract. "From now on your name is Volt."

    Volt let out a chuff rubbed his head on me and licked my face, it felt like sandpaper.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    When I looked into his glowing yellow eyes I noticed they were glowing slightly brighter than before and I smiled.

    Now that Volt had a name the contract disappeared and I felt a connection with Volt.

    When I tried to follow the connection with my mind, I heard a voice in my head ^Hello.^ (Telepathic Communication)

    The voice was male, high pitched and calm, yet excited and fast and had the slight sound of crackling lightning in the background.

    Surprised by hearing that I tried to talk back ^Volt?^

    ^Hello... Jack,^ Volt said back.

    This time I noticed a delay when Volt talked. Is everything ok, you are talking weirdly?^

    ^Yes...ok... hard... talk... this... way...^ he responded

    I decided to talk normally for now "Will you get better with time and practice?"

    He nodded seeing me talk normally.

    "Ok, that''s good. Is it ok if we talk for a bit? I should explain who I am." I said with a slightly nervous laugh.

    Volt nodded and I started to explain that I was a primogenitor, who I was and why I knew Brakos and who he was as Volt didn''t know, only that Brakos was a powerful spirit.

    I did get to see a look of shock and fear on Volt''s face when he heard Brakos was a Primordial but for some reason didn''t when he heard I was a Primogenitor.

    Slowly as we talked I noticed Volt talking more fluently as he got better. I was thinking it would take weeks or months but he did it in only 30 minutes.

    Thankfully while talking he explained that he knew I was powerful, had been to the library and had reincarnated because my spiritual energy was incredibly high and certain other signs that only a few spirits could recognize, Volt being one of them.

    He knew I was in the library as spirits could see souls and many of them knew about the library but not how to get there, that Brakos was its guardian or that it even had a guardian in the first place.

    He saw the knowledge I learned engraved onto my soul and realized I was in the library at some point. Thankfully he said he would train me on how to hide that.

    Volt explained that even though he is only a Mid Rank 2 spirit he has lived for centuries and has seen many people throughout the ages.

    He had seen people who had been to the library advancing kingdoms with knowledge beyond them. Warriors and mages display skills never before seen.

    He had seen Primogenitors rise and fall and said he had a good relationship with one before they passed away and now that he knew I was a Primogenitor he wanted me to live a long life I want rather than live a short life like the others.

    We continued to talk for a while and eventually, he revealed why he had been following me.

    He explained that he also has a unique ability called [Sight of Fate] It is an ability that allows him to see someone''s fate and what could befall them.

    When he looked at me he said he could not see my fate and when he looked at those around me, he saw their fates change regularly.

    An example was that an adventurer was going to be killed by a goblin the next day, instead after Jack bumped into him while walking through town he only suffered a small cut from the same goblin.

    I was shocked when he said that as Brakos never said anything about me doing this.

    After Volt realized I could change fate he became interested and started to follow me.

    Eventually, he learned that I was a spirit summoner who hadn''t awakened my powers yet and decided to help me when the time was right. Thought sadly the attack happened before he could approach me properly.

    When I asked him if he saw the fates of people after the attack he said that while watching me he started to use [Sight of Fate] less and less as I changed Fate so much that it was hard to keep track.

    But there was also the problem that someone was blocking his [Sight of Fate] from seeing the fates of people past the 15th.

    He explained that he could see nothing when usually when someone dies he could still see the fate of their body.

    I couldn''t speak for Volt but I guessed that one of the orcs prevented him from using [Sight of Fate].

    I doubted it was targeted directly at Volfs ability, instead, maybe it was a large area of effect spell that prevents all Oracle(future telling abilities) and communication-based spells from being cast as no one heard about the attack until I was found.

    Normally to counter Oracle Abilities you have to target the caster before they check the future or receive a vision but no one knows Volt had that ability. My 2 best explanations for this are as follows.

    Due to the fact that [Sight of Fate] is an ability that directly looks into the future, even though the possible cancellation ability used on the village was used after he checked their fates, he couldn''t see because 2 fates can''t contradict each other then if a fate was for the barrier to prevent [Sight of Fate] from working then it would prevent it from working even if they didn''t cast at the same time

    even if that''s not the case if the caster predicted someone with Oracle Abilities was in the village, by targeting all Oracle Abilities, in general, from seeing past thing point in time the caster would just need to hope they are stronger any potential [Oracle] in the village. And through that, they could just passively overpower Volts [Sight of Fate].

    ''it''s a terrifying thought that someone could cancel out an [Oracles] Abilities and can attack anytime without any knowledge is scary...''

    ''...Wait what am I thinking?! Abilities that can see the future are almost unique and even then only about half of them are reliable and of that even less than half of them are understandable.''

    Oracle abilities are dangerous, we have been talking as if they are common when a kingdom would go to war just to acquire one.

    The fact Volts [Sight of Fate] was blocked is a scary thought but something we will deal with later.

    For now, I should decide what I will do with the books.

 Breaking the Seal

    After talking with Volt for a while I decided to take a look at the books.

    First I picked up the leather book. It was light and flexible, the leather cover looked worn yet new and clean at the same time.

    As I flipped through the parchment pages they were almost all blank. The first page had some writing on it.

    {Please Enter Name}

    "Based on what Brakos said all I have to do is name the book and let a few drops of my blood fall on it. after I do that then I can say another name and I will change." I said to myself

    "Notebook," I said while holding the book and the part asking for a name changed to {Notebook}

    "Ok so the name is set but I need to give it some blood... maybe I should leave it until I have looked at them all," I said not wanting to cut myself multiple times, or at all.

    I was a little put off by having to give it my blood, it felt a little like I was giving it to a demon or vampire.

    Next, I picked up the Blue [Appraisel] Book. Its cover was hard, firm and smooth. Just like the leather book the pages were empty aside from the first page.

    On it were instructions on how to use the book. Thankfully I understood how to use it easily.

    All I have to do is look or touch something while the book is on me and give the command. It will then appraise the item just like the recording of Brakos said.

    I tried using it on Volt but since I hadn''t made the contract yet nothing happened.

    One thing I did realize is that I can set trigger words to activate it. So if want to be stealthy I can have some random words like Banana be the trigger word that will activate Appraisal.

    I decided to leave it for now until I decide if I will break the seal.

    I picked up the Black book. The Seal on my powers and yet also the core of them.

    I was very similar to the blue book aside from the cover colour.

    When I checked the first page instead of seeing instructions I came to... the table of contents?!

    I read through the page and learned that this book, unlike the others this one is divided up into sections or chapters.

    The first section had the word {Profile} written at the top.

    Though everything was black other than the title, it would remain like that until I gave the book my blood.

    The second had the title {Quests}. This one will hold all the quests I have or have completed.

    The third was {Ability Inquiry}. This is where I write a list of powers/ abilities I want and the book determines an equivalent exchange for what I need to do and puts it into {Quests}.

    The fourth was {Race}. This one will contain every piece of information about my people when added.

    The fifth and final was {Contracts}. This one will have a list of all the spirits I have contracts with. Of course, it is empty but when the contract is forged it will show my contract with Volt, Brakos and each of the books.

    I put the last book down and lay down on the bed thinking about what to do.

    ''it does feel weird sleeping in Terra''s room but I guess I do spend a lot of time in here when I visit and they must have wanted me to wake up in a familiar environment.'' I thought to myself trying to give my brain a rest. It has been a rough few days.

    After a while, I looked over to Volt and asked "What do you think I should do? I will use the Blue and Leather Books but should I Break the seal now or wait until later?"

    Volt chuffed and told me It is your decision. You are powerful already and can hide your magic but have gone through a traumatic experience.^

    Magic flows depending on your emotions. People won''t question if your magic acts spermatic right now, so if you Break the seal you should be able to master your power until you can hide it. I will teach you volt said offering assistance.

    Taking Volt''s words into consideration I decided to Break the seal.

    I noticed earlier that the bag I was carrying in the forest was left in the room and thankfully my dagger, spear and wand were all here and fine.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I grabbed the dagger and was about to make a slight cut on my finger when a question came to mind.

    "Wouldn''t Brakos like to see this?" I said looking at Volt who was sitting on the floor now.

    Volt shook his head and told me that those books do have spirits but they aren''t powerful enough to warrant Brakos coming back here right now.

    Thankfully by now Volt got over his fear of Brakos being a Primordial and decided to treat him normally.

    I nodded and continued to make a slight cut on my finger and let a few drops of blood fall on each book. After a few drops fell each book glowed for a second and stopped.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    "You know, I honestly thought something... cooler would happen," I said disappointed that nothing other than the books glowing for a few seconds.

    Suddenly a multi-colored smoke fell off the Black Book and moved towards me.

    "Never mind."

    I kept my guard up but didn''t try anything. Brakos said I would have to adjust to the book''s powers the moment after the Seal was broken so I will let the smoke come to me.

    As I watched the smoke it started to morph into a 10 ft tall humanoid shape almost touching the ceiling. I saw what looked like large Wings and a tail coming from its back. The head was like a dragon but smaller. The different colours part never stopped shifting places and the smoke took on a solid shape but it was detailed enough.

    The shape, I recognized it, a Dragonian, it looked like a Dragonian. It looks like what I wanted them to look like.

    I asked Volt what it looked like but Volt said it was a cloud of smoke. I realized I was the only one who could see its true form, the form of my future people.

    It moved towards me slowly and I let it continue but remained on guard.

    I told Volt to remain here and keep people out but to not leave me alone either, just in case.

    As it got closed I saw it mirror my position then it flowed into me and seeped into my skin.

    Immediately I doubled over in pain screaming. I could feel my heart pounding as it got stronger, my muscles tensed and released constantly, my blood boiling as it rushed through my body.

    I could feel power swelling up in me and my body trying to adjust to its new power

    my head hurting as my brain absorbed knowledge I didn''t have about my new powers and the limits on my body.

    I laid there for about 30 minutes when the pain started to subside and after another 10 minutes, the pain stopped.

    I just lay there trying to catch my breath.

    Volt walked over to check on me and licked my hand when he saw I was ok.

    After another 10 minutes, I tried getting up. Surprisingly I had no trouble.

    I felt slightly stronger and could feel my Mana Pool was almost 2 times larger. Even though it was small already.

    I decided to check the books and what I saw amazed me.

    The first page of the leather book says:

    {Notebook}

    {Please Enter Name}

    {to obtain the next book please consult [Quest: Book in a Book 1]}

    while the rest was Blank

    I decided to leave giving it a second name until later and checked the Blue Book next.

    The First Page said:

    {Appraisel}

    {Please Enter Activation words below}

    {Command Words: Appraisel}

    I decided to add 2 words and a safety guard

    {Command Words: Appraisal, Analise, Identify}

    {will only activate if receive mental command as well}

    finally, I checked the Black Book and the first page was Crazy

    {Profile}

    {Name:Jackson Drovas} {Age 8 Years}

    {Titles: Primogenitor, Otherworlder, One Who Entered The Library, Spirit Summoner}

    <[Otherworlder]: for successfully reincarnating into another world and awakening, you have gained a reward.>

    <[Skill:Heros will]>

    <[Primogenitor]: for attaining the rank of primogenitor you have received several rewards>

    <Double Mana Capacity and regen, [Skill: Aura Control], [Passive: Magic sense]>

    <[One Who Entered The Library]: You have entered the Library, have left alive and have permission to enter again. You have received a reward>

    <Quest: Library Card>

    <see quests for more info>

    {Class: Spirit Summoner, Spear Fighter}

    {Race: Human (Primogenitor: Unconfirmed Species)}

    {Power Ranking: D Rank}

    {Main Stats}

    {Strength:10+5} {Dexterity:15+7.5} {Endurance:10+5}

    <strength: Average Physical strength of body muscles.>

    <Dexterity: average body flexibility and skill with hands.>

    <Endurance: Average body stamina and physical defence.>

    {intelegance: 30 X 2} {Wisdom:25+12.5} {Magic:3 X 2}

    <Intelegance: thinking speed, brain capacity and average intelegance>

    <Wisdom: mental fortitude, maturity, understanding capabilities and limits, spell control>

    <Magic: body''s magical capabilities>

    {Stamina:98/115} {Mana:116/195} {Ki:209/288} {Spiritual Energy:4800}

    {Regeneration:}

    {10 Stamina/hr of rest} {10MP/Hr} {1Ki/30sec} {20SP/min}

    {no healing factor}

    {Active Skills}

    [Appraisel: LVL 1]

    [Aura Control: LVL 1]

    <you release your magic creating a visible aura surrounding your body. Your Aura can restrain and intimidate opponents on the same or lower power levels as you. Each aura is different and many can attain this skill>

    [Meditation: LVL 1]

    <you enter a trance-like state and your body slows down. Temporarily doubles all regeneration and mental abilities, possible increase in Spiritual Energy. If meditation is broken by external forces can lead to negative effects.>

    {Passive Skills}

    [Heros will: LVL 1]

    <a power that can only be obtained by otherworlds and heros>

    <You can channel the emotions of allies into your strength. The increase depends on the number of people and the quality of their emotions>

    [Duel Mind: LVL 3]

    <as you have used this skill passively for years it has reached LVL 3>

    <your mind is capable of thinking at double the speed of a normal person.>

    <Grants:2X Intelegance and 50% boost to Wisdom, possible to split minds to multitask.>

    [Magic sense: LVL 1]

    <you can sense/ see magic in the area and can even sense the emotions and intentions of people in close proximity if they are directed at you>

    {Combat Skills}

    [Spirit summoning: LVL 1]

    <the level is equal to the rank of spirits you are able to summon>

    <can summon Spirits of any Grade in Rank 1>

    [Lightning Magic: LVL 1]

    <the level of lightning spells you are able to cast. Low because of limited mana capacity>

    <5% power increase of lightning spells per LVL>

    [Spear fighting: LVL 3]

    <How proficient you are when fighting with a spear>

    <+10 Ki per LVL, +5 Stamina per level>

    [Close Quarters Fighting: LVL 2]

    <How proficient you are when fighting in close quarters with hands, daggers and so on>

    <+15 Ki per LVL, +5 Stamina per level>

    ...

    "Oh wow, This is a lot!"

 Learning About My New Powers

    "ok, this is a lot!" I said while reading everything on just the first few pages.

    "Please condense the profile down," I said hoping the book would do so.

    After I said that the writing on the pages started to move and almost everything condensed, I only saw the names and main stats when it finished.

    {Profile}

    {Name:Jackson Drovas} {Age 8 Years}

    {Titles: Primogenitor, Otherworlder, One Who Entered The Library, Spirit Summoner}

    {Class: Spirit Summoner, Spear Fighter}

    {Race: Human (Primogenitor: Unconfirmed Species)}

    {Power Ranking: D-Rank}

    {Main Stats}

    {Strength:15} {Dexterity:22.5} {Endurance:15}

    {intelegance: 60} {Wisdom:38} {Magic:6}

    {Stamina:106/115} {Mana:125/195} {Ki:211/288} {Spiritual Energy:4800}

    {Regeneration:}

    {10 Sta/hr of rest} {10MP/Hr} {1Ki/30sec} {20SP/min}

    {Active Skills}

    [Appraisel: LVL 1]

    [Aura Control: LVL 1]

    [Meditation: LVL 1]

    {Passive Skills}

    [Heros will: LVL 1]

    [Duel Mind: LVL 3]

    [Magic sense: LVL 1]

    {Combat Skills}

    [Spirit summoning: LVL 1]

    [Lightning Magic: LVL 1]

    [Spear Fighting: LVL 3]

    [Close Quarters Fighting: LVL 2]

    "Ok that''s better," I said relieved now that I didn''t have to read so much.

    I started to read everything listed here and a few things caught my eye.

    First was the titles. [Primogenitor, Spirit Summoner, One Who Entered The Library, Otherworlder]

    I didn''t realize that they counted as titles or that I could obtain titles like brakos does. It is an interesting prospect.

    However, I did realize my titles are based on what I am and what I have done rather than giving me powers.

    [Primogenitor] meant I had awakened my powers as a primogenitor and the seal was broken.

    [Spirit Summoner] was also self-explanatory. I can summon spirits, simple as that.

    Next was a weird one. [One Who Entered The Library] I knew that people who entered the library were rare but I didn''t think a title was given.

    I decided to open its description again and it read

    <[One Who Entered The Library]: You have entered the Library, have left alive and have permission to enter again. You have received a reward>

    <Quest: Library Card>

    <see quests for more info>

    I decided to leave the quests for later and continued checking my profile.

    The last title was of concern to me [Otherworlder]. This title possibly meant that I am not the only person from another world here. I quickly checked the description.

    <[Otherworlder]: for successfully reincarnating into another world and awakening your powers, you have gained a reward.>

    <[Skill:Heros will]>

    I checked the description of [Heros will]

    [Heros will: LVL 1]

    <a power that can only be obtained by otherworlds and heros>

    <You can channel the emotions of allies into your own strength. The increase depends on the number of people and the quality of their emotions>

    my heart dropped. This ability is broken and if people knew I had it I would become the focus of many mages and possibly the world, I can''t risk that.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Not to mention that if people know other worlds and heroes then I am screwed.

    I was starting to panic, this was a passive ability so it would probably always be active. If a mage noticed my power increases at certain times they might realize I have this skill.

    They could even discover I am a primogenitor and capture me to find out how I have both powers. I am not strong enough to stand up against that!

    Volt chuffed and said to me ^calm down^

    Hearing volts voice I realised I was spiraling. I took in a deep breath and exhaled.

    "I need to think calmly about this and a way to prevent that from happening," I told myself.

    I sat down and thought.

    I knew the books had spirits and they could change depending on what I wanted so I thought ''Can they answer questions?''

    "Can I remove or seal a skill?" I asked the book

    Writing appeared at the bottom of the page.

    {skills like [Heros will]are bound to the soul.}

    {you can seal a skill with the help of Brakos but you will stunt your spiritual energy gains.}

    {you could remove the skill by damaging the soul at the cost of Spiritual Energy}

    I smiled "How much energy is needed?"

    The writing faded and new writing appeared in its place

    {[Heros will] is an S-Rank skill. It costs 100,000 SP reduction to remove.}

    My eyes nearly popped out as I read that. My spiritual energy was abnormally high at 4800 but this is ridiculous. The price for removing this was more than 20 times what I had and spiritual energy was very difficult to obtain.

    Then again it said I was damaging my soul so there is that.

    [Heros will] is going to be a problem.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    "Wait," I said as a thought came to mind "I got [Heros will] from being an [Otherworlder]. If I remove the title and relinquish my status as a [Otherworlder] would I also remove [Heros will] at a reduced cost?" I asked the book

    The book did nothing at first but soon the writing slowly changed again but this time I came up with good news

    {...Giving up the [Otherworlder] Title would have that effect but in doing so you cut all ties to your past world and accept this one.}

    "What do you mean cut all ties? do I forget my memories or is it something else?" I asked

    {cutting ties means you must give up on returning to your old world and become fully acclimated to this one}

    ...

    "... um, I never had any intentions of going back and I like living here," I said confused.

    {...}

    "how much does it cost?" I asked changing the subject.

    {removing this title costs 500 Spiritual Energy reduction.}

    "Deal! How do I do it?" I said excitedly

    {Brakos is required}

    "Ok," I said, "Please run an [Appraisel] of [Heros will] but under no circumstances do you generate a skill from it."

    {command accepted [Appraisel] will take {2 hours}} and the conversation was over

    ''Well, titles are done. What noteworthy thing is next.'' I thought to myself and started to go over everything

    {Class: Spirit Summoner, Spear Fighter}

    the classes do not surprise me. I am a summoner even though I haven''t summoned a spirit and spear fighter is obvious.

    {Race: Human (Primogenitor: Unconfirmed Species)}

    I guess until I determine my race I will be considered human.

    {Power Ranking: D-Rank}

    "Does this mean I am on the same level as a D Rank Adventurer?"

    {yes} the book replied not realizing that was rhetorical.

    I ignored that and continued.

    {Strength:15} {Dexterity:22.5} {Endurance:15}

    {intelegance: 60} {Wisdom:38} {Magic:6}

    Wow, 10 is around the average for someone my age but my physical stats are the same as a teenager or young adult. But why is my intelligence and wisdom so high and my magic so low!?

    {Stamina:106/115} {Mana:125/195} {Ki:211/288} {Spiritual Energy:4800}

    why are these low? Did I use them during my awakening?

    I asked the book why and it said

    {Max Stamina, Mana and Ki were increased during your awakening. your body will refill them on its own}

    ''ok, so I should keep in mind that I don''t just get a boost when the max increases, good to know.'' I thought

    {Regeneration:}

    {10 Sta/hr of rest} {10MP/Hr} {1Ki/30sec} {20SP/min}

    This seems a little high but I won''t complain.

    Thankfully I know that my SP can be used up when summoning spirits so I have a regen but if I do something that affects my soul then the max will decrease(removing skills or titles).

    For example, it was probably at 5000 but because I made a contract with Volt and the books it was lowered. I should keep that in mind.

    Finally were the skills I read through and decided on after.

    {Active Skills}

    [Appraisel: LVL 1]

    [Aura Control: LVL 1]

    [Meditation: LVL 1]

    active stills are those I need to choose to activate like an appraisal.

    [Aura Control] is an impressive skill. It will allow me to intimidate people and restrain them and [Meditation] was something I do on occasion to rest and gain Spiritual energy anyway.

    {Passive Skills}

    [Heros Will: LVL 1]

    [Duel Mind: LVL 3]

    [Magic Sense: LVL 1]

    [Heros will] I intend to get rid of it as it will ruin my plans.

    [Magic Sense] is great as I could tell the level of magic in my opponents. Plus if I combine it with [Aura Control] I could probably sense my opponent''s attacks even if I am facing the other way

    [Duel Mind] was a weird one. When I asked about the book it said it was a skill I had in my past life.

    Suddenly things made more sense, I was incredibly smart and a quick thinker back then. Using my knowledge I managed to track down some of our family heirlooms we lost in a robbery and arranged to bring them back to my family after I died.

    This skill was a major part of me and answered so many questions everyone else asked about me.

    {Combat Skills}

    [Spirit Summoning: LVL 1]

    [Lightning Magic: LVL 1]

    [Spear Fighting: LVL 3]

    [Close Quarters Fighting: LVL 2]

    These skills are how proficient I am when fighting with these techniques.

    As I have never summoned spirits and can''t use any lightning spells above the basic level it does not surprise me.

    Though I was surprised I had a skill in hand-to-hand combat despite primarily using a spear, I did learn how to throw a punch from my parents so it is not too surprising.

    I do wonder why my classes only said [Spirit Summoner] and [Spear Fighter] and not the others, I asked the book and it said.

    {Classes are based on the primary fighting style. If you raise your [Lightning Magic] level to [LVL 3] the [Lightning Mage] class will be added. [Spirit Summoner] is an innate class you were born with and can never be removed/changed}

    {classes can be replaced with another fighting skill that surpasses one of the same type. For example if [Close Quarters] is a higher level than [Spear Fighting] your class will change to pugilist or if you learn fire magic to a level higher than lightning you will become a [Fire Mage]}

    "ok, that makes sense." I said

    as I got to the last part I closed the book, leaned back and said "I''m going to have a fun time using these"

    I sat there for a while thinking about how I will use these skills and how to make them stronger.

    I decided to leave the quests for later as I have been stuck in this room for 4 days now.

    I got up and decided to go out. I needed a breath of fresh air and get my own room.

    Knowing my circumstances I will probably come and live here. Plus I need to give this room back to Terra.

    Volt had decided to leave through the window while I was thinking so I was alone.

    I placed the Blue and leather books in my bag in the corner of the room and hid my dagger in my sweater. The Black book I kept tucked away in my sweater and pants. Hidden so no one will see it but still on me.

    I walked to the door and opened it when I did I noticed an older man with a cane standing on the other side reaching for the door and a surprised look on his face.

    He stepped back and introduced himself. "Oh... Um hello Jackson. My name is Michael."

    You know the rest.

 Michaels Plot

    I let out a small chuckle remembering how that old man fell over and was so easily defeated by a child.

    Even though I am technically as strong as a D Rank Adventurer I didn''t show any power above E- and only what I should have, he was just a bumbling fool with a sword and nothing more.

    "How did he think that was a good idea?" I said out loud

    "Whose idea?" Terra asked who was still nearby.

    "Michael''s. He asked an 8-year-old to marry one of his daughters after my parents died. He didn''t even know the kind of person I am and his daughters are probably in their 30s at least." I said exasperated.

    Terra nodded and said, " You''re not wrong. I do remember meeting some of Mom''s cousins when I was about 6, and they were all adults already except for one who was younger than me."

    "He actually had another kid at his age?" I asked surprised.

    "I could be wrong, I''m not sure. It was a few years ago and they could be from a different part of the family," she said with a shrug.

    "Huh. He is a weird old man filled with greed and spite, it shouldn''t surprise me," I said not caring anymore about that topic.

    "I do have one concern though."

    Terra looked over at me again with a questioning look.

    "He said that the Orcs would be purged. To me, it sounded like he wanted to exterminate them," I said with a cold tone.

    Terra stared back at me and remembered when Michael said that. "If he does intend to kill all the Orcs he wouldn''t have much problem finding people who hate the Orcs because of their raider tribes."

    ...

    ...

    Silence surrounded us as a question popped into Terra''s head but she hesitated to ask it.

    "Do you hate the Orcs Jack?" she asked

    I looked over at her and thought about it for a minute.

    "No, I don''t hate Orcs." I said "Only the ones who attacked Thornbranch. I can''t blame an entire race when only a small part of it is to blame."

    "There is no denying that the Orc Raiders are a problem but I have met many other Orcs who just want to live their lives in peace."

    Terra sighed in relief as I said that.

    We sat there for a little while longer.

    Eventually, Terra got up and told me "You seem to be doing fine. We should probably start going back, we have a room ready for you when you get back if you want."

    "Yes, please. I have been in your room for 4 days now, you should have it back."

    "Thank you," she said happily and got up to leave.

    "Are you coming with me?" she asked, confused about why I wasn''t getting up.

    "No, I am going to stay here for a while," I said not moving

    "Ok," she said back with slight worry. "Please be back in time for dinner. Mom and Dad need to talk to you about... what is going to happen with you."

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    "Sure thing," I said back and laid back down staying up at the sky.

    I heard her shuffle around the tree and saw her grabbing a spool of rope and bringing it with her.

    ''does she think I will...'' I thought to myself surprised but said nothing.

    When she left the area I thought to myself. ''I do feel bad for making her worry about me but I need to get this taken care of''

    I pulled out the Black book and opened it to the page on my contracts I then said "Summon Brakos"

    ~~~~~~~~

    Michaels POV

    "URGH! That brat! who does he think he is!" Micheal yells while riding in a carriage

    it has been a few hours since he tried to attack Jack and the Tiger had knocked him out.

    When Miranda and Erik heard, they ordered the guards to ''escort'' him back home and not let him come back anytime soon.

    He woke up furious inside the carriage but maintained his composure as others could see him.

    He had a reputation for being composed at all times but that brat had caught him so off guard he lost it and tried to attack.

    It wasn''t enough for a Child to break his composure but knock him out as well, it was unacceptable.

    When he arrived back at his home, a small mansion in the city. He immediately went to his study and started to yell.

    "That Brat doesn''t know how good I can make his life! He is so stupid that he would rather toil in the mud than live the life of nobility as someone with his blood should!"

    "How could he refuse my offer? We could exterminate the Orcs just like he wants if he accepted but NO HE DIDN''T ACCEPT!"

    *knock* *knock* knocking was heard at the door.

    "What do you want!" he yelled as he stormed over and opened the door.

    Standing on the other side was his daughter, Agatha.

    Agatha was a young girl with Black hair tied up in buns on her head, she had blue eyes and was a little older than Jack.

    She wore a cute white dress with pink dots at the bottom and a short blue stole around her neck tied with a red bow.

    (a stole is that scarf-like thing most people wear to graduation or what a priest wears in a catholic church)

    When Michael saw Agatha his face softened and he spoke in a kind voice... Kind voice!? "Ah Agatha sorry I didn''t mean to yell."

    She looked up to her father and said "Did things not go as planned, father?"

    "No sweetheart it didn''t." he sat down on his chair and Agatha came and sat on his lap.

    "I''m sorry I know you wanted to marry him but he refused," he said in a calm and apologetic voice.

    "Your cousin has been keeping him away from me and probably forced him to refuse my offer," he said as if Jack hadn''t just beat him up earlier today.

    Her face pouted but she quickly changed her mood and smiled "That''s fine I will just have to convince him to love me my own way."

    She got up and skipped away toward her room.

    "Such a sweet girl. I promise you Agatha I will do what I can to bring you your love." Michael said happily after she left.

    But his tone changed to anger "But first I need to find a way to eliminate that other B*tch of a niece of mine," Michael said before he started to grumble and think of a new plan.

    ~~~~~~~~

    Agatha POV

    "Oh, Jackson you sound so dreamy, when I get my hands on you I will never let you go," Agatha said as she skipped towards her room.

    When she reached it she entered and locked the door. Then she walked over, closed the curtains and opened her wardrobe.

    The wardrobe had no clothes on its racks instead it had boxes, boxes filled with drawings. Some new some a few years old.

    Each drawing was drawn expertly, always depicting 2 people. A woman who looked like an older version of Agatha with her hugging, kissing, or even getting married to a man, but each depiction of the man looked different.

    In some drawings, the man looked short with scars on his arms, in others he was tall and built. Fat, skinny, crippled, running, noble, armoured, each one depicted Agatha with a different man.

    On the back wall were even more pictures. So many you couldn''t see the back wall, but if you removed them you would realize you had 4 inches of extra room.

    The pictures on the back wall were even more varied but these had writing on them.

    Fantasies and stories about how these 2 people met and fell in love. How they met at school, how they met in the forest, how he kidnapped her. All of them depicted Agatha meeting a man and they both fell deeply in love.

    Agatha grabbed a blank piece of paper and started to write another story, about how Agatha saved a boy from an Orc attack and he fell in love with her.

    When she finished she put it up with the rest of the stories and looked at them all reading the names of the 2 people over and over. "Agatha and Jackson".

    "oh Jackson..." she said with a sigh as she caressed one of the drawings.

    "You sound so perfect, being able to summon spirits, fight, cast magic, it''s all so perfect," she said with infatuation.

    "I haven''t met you yet but I can''t wait. When I do can only imagine how you will try and win me over. I am already in love with you but that doesn''t mean I will give myself to you... or maybe I will who knows? Soulmates know their love from birth and you are the one for me." she said getting more and more excited and obsessed.

 Otherworlders and Gods

    Jacks POV

    "Summon Brakos," I said out loud.

    As I did a magic circle appeared on the side of the large Oak Tree.

    When I summoned Volt the circle looked like I was made of Lightning but this one looked to be made of paper.

    When the circle fully manifested Brakos stepped out and smiled at me seeing I was doing better, he walked over

    "Good to see you, Jack. How are you doing so far?" he asked

    "Terrible and great at the same time. I feel bad from the attack but I am distracting myself with the Books."

    He sighed "You already broke the seal, didn''t you?"

    "Yep," I said with a smirk

    he sighed again and said "Well I did warn you. anyway, what do you need?"

    "It helps with the black book. I love what you did and it works very well but one title I have is slightly concerning to me."

    Brakos tilted his head "Titles? You shouldn''t have any titles."

    "I do have a look," I said, handing him the book.

    Brakos looked at the titles I had. As he read them his eyes opened in shock.

    ''did he not know I would get these?'' I thought to myself.

    "half of these you shouldn''t have and the others I didn''t know were a thing," Brakos said in surprise.

    "Having the [Spirit Summoner] title doesn''t surprise me too much but the [One Who Entered The Library] title was one I didn''t know was a thing. I know I keep the library hidden most of the time but I guess that in doing so I made it a rare event."

    "The [Otherworlder] title I knew about but I made sure you wouldn''t have it and the [Primogenitor] one was one you would get after you made your race. Strange."

    "Can you help me remove the [Otherworlder] title? The skill it grants will become problematic for me later on."

    "Sure I ca... wait, what skill?" Brakos asked

    "Because of the [Otherworlder] I was given the passive skill [Heros will]" I said, thankful that I can talk openly with Brakos about the functions of the System.

    "Fuck you have [Heros will]! You shouldn''t have gotten it, so then why did you!?" Brakos said worried as he tried thinking of a reason.

    "For now let''s not worry about how I got it. Instead, let''s focus on how to remove it." I said trying to calm Brakos down.

    He looked at me with worry but turned and nodded his head. "S-sure. Um, how did you know you can remove it?"

    "I asked the Book and it said I could either give up 100,000 Spiritual energy to remove the skill or I can give up 500 and remove its root, the [Otherworlder] title," I said explaining what I had learned.

    "so we can remove it?"

    "Yes I can. I know how to remove certain things I just need to rewrite the spell a bit it will take time but it should work. did you happen to Appraise the skill yet?"

    "I decided to run an [Appraisel] on the skill earlier today just in case. I did so with the command that it would never generate a skill from it. To prevent the same situation from happening twice." telling Brakos about that as well.

    "Good thinking. Even the Library has limited knowledge of the skill. If you let me copy that when it is done I will reward you." Brakos said with a surprised, excited and happy smile.

    "Sure thing. It should be done in half an hour." I said "Though I do have a question. If the title [Otherworlder] exists, does that mean I am not the only person who reincarnated here?"

    Brakos looked at me with an embarrassed face. "Yeah guess I didn''t explain that too much. To put it simply yes other people from different worlds have come here before and more will continue to do so."

    "How does it happen?" I asked curious how others could get here.

    "Well like you, your soul was picked up by an entity and reincarnated here. You''re the first I have reincarnated myself but I know there are others, but I should mention that you are a special case." I was curious about that last part but let him continue.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "Overall, people can come here in many ways. Some just fall through cracks in space-time, others are brought here by Gods and others have been summoned here by mages. I have met a few of them and have only heard about others. Hell, some have even entered the Library." he said

    "And no, only [Otherworlders] that have reincarnated, been summoned or come here with the help of a God or Etherial with the intention of them becoming heroes can have [Heros will]," he added just before I was about to ask if all [Otherworlders] had the skill.

    I realized something from his explanation and asked "You said Gods, does that mean they exist too?"

    Brakos realized what he said and covered his mouth. "I wasn''t supposed to say that I''m sorry."

    "spill what should I know and what are the relations between Primogenitors and Gods?"

    "I''m sorry. I can''t say much," he said trying to avoid the topic, and failing when faced with the curious face of a young Jackson.

    He relented after a few minutes of me asking "Fine! I will say this much, the gods do exist but they can only interact with this world if they gain enough followers. Right now only the 3 gods are worshiped in this world."

    " you may think it isn''t a big deal but you should never say the name of a god. Gods know when someone does and if either of us say their names they will know and it''s not the kind of attention either of us wants."

    "as for the relationship between the gods and Primogenitors... it''s bad."

    "The 2 gods, the god of the holy empire of Luminus and the God of the Seas and their followers believe Primogenitors are evil beings that bring nothing but chaos and will always try and kill you if they find out."

    "The Dwarven God doesn''t really care as he once was a Primogenitor himself and reached the rank of god but if you prove yourself to him he may offer his protection," Brakos said and I kept it in mind.

    "If I remember correctly more gods will appear in the next era but that won''t happen for a while. Keep in mind I am immortal and very old, a while is like a thousand years for me," he said giving me a time frame.

    I don''t know if he intentionally hinted at it or really doesn''t remember how long this Era is but I will play it safe and assume more Gods will appear in the next century.

    "Ok, I... sort of understand," I said still trying to process what I heard as I never knew that gods were worshiped in this world already.

    After a few minutes, I calmed down and asked something else I meant to "Another question, earlier you said I was a special case, how so?"

    "Between dimensions, time works differently but if you go by the age of existence itself, you die several thousand years from now."

    "What?" I said almost shouting in surprise

    Brakos answered, "When you asked me to bring you here I had to manipulate time a bit and had your soul reincarnate long before you were even born."

    "the current era of this world was the safest and best time for your power to grow and the only time where I can enter Primus without risking meeting my past self."

    "ok, that makes sense." I said understanding what he said. "if I reincarnated farther in the future I could be in danger and you would risk meeting your... wait what happens if you meet your past self does it break time!?"

    "Depends on certain things, if it was a mortal being then yes but for me, I would have... backlash..."

    "Ok, that makes sense. Do you want to check the rest of the system to make sure it works properly?"

    "Oh, that is a good point. Have you gone through everything yet?"

    "After the seal has been broken, no I haven''t. Quests and contracts are ones I haven''t looked at yet."

    "ok, I will check the rest of the book then we can do them together while we wait for the [Appraisel] to finish. is that ok?" Brakos asked as he sat down.

    "Sure thing," I said and we went over the book.

    Brakos was surprised by some things but it all worked as he intended aside from the [Otherworlder] title and [Heros will] skill.

    Brakos did note my Spiritual energy and said "It''s surprising your spiritual energy is so low."

    "what do you mean it is low the average is like 100 isn''t it?"

    "no the average among people who awaken it is around 800. Your energy when you first came here was around 10,000."

    I nearly choked at that and yelled "What!?"

    Brakos looked at me with a smile and explained "Spiritual energy is rare for a mortal being to have awakened. For some reason, you did in your last life and had an abnormally large amount of it. Expressed in a number it would be around 25,000."

    I just stared at Brakos in wonder and questions ran through my brain but I let him continue.

    "When you make a contract with a spirit your Spiritual energy is reduced by 1,500 multiplied by the Rank of the spirit, grade doesn''t matter for some reason."

    "I am a rank 10 spirit so you lost 15,000. Then when you made a contract with the books that are Rank 1 you lost 4,500 and if I''m right you made a contract with the Lightning Tiger who is Rank 2 so 3000. add that all up together and you have lost 22,500."

    "then by factoring in that you read 3 Tier-1 books in the library which take 500 Spiritual Energy to so, you used up an additional 1,500 so in total you have used up around 24,000 Spiritual Energy."

    "Of course, you can regain it by meditation and by doing certain exercises that you read while in the library to regain it over time. When did you start doing that sort of thing?"

    Still in shock about what Brakos said I took a minute to snap out of it and answer. "I think I was about 4."

    Brakos nodded and continued "If you were 4 then you should have gained around 950 Spiritual Energy every year. Considering you read a book that taught yourself how to do so it became a massive boost compared to most people who have awakened it and only get a 200 increase every year."

    I sighed and put my face in my hand "I am overpowered, aren''t I?"

    "No, you''re pretty weak," He said in a calm tone.

    I turned to Brakos with a questioning look. "What do you mean weak?"

    "The only thing your Spiritual Energy has been used on that can help you in combat is the Lightning tiger. I can''t fight and the books are...well... books. You can''t turn Spiritual Energy into Mana so your spells are extremely weak. The only thing you have that is strong is the Lightning tiger, your mind and your spear skills."

    I turned to look at them and was about to say something when I stopped myself. "well... you''re not wrong."

    "Haha, yeah sorry I''m not trying to put you down but you have incredible luck and high potential, never give up Jack," Brakos reassured me.

 Contracts

    We then decided to check on my contracts.

    {Contracted Spirit:}

    {Brakos: Low Rank 10 Spirit}

    {Age: Primordial}

    {Titles: Primordial Spirit Of Time, Stories and Knowledge, Ruler of The Library, The Librarian, Teacher of ???}

    {Type:???}

    {Strength:20} {Dexterity:30} {Endurance:10}

    {intelegance: 150} {Wisdom:100} {Magic:50000}

    {Stamina:200/200} {Mana:500000/500000} {Spiritual_Energy:???}

    {Conditions to Evolve:}

    {????}

    {Active Skills}

    [Time Stop: LVL 10]

    <allows user to stop time. duration depends on Mana and skill LVL>

    [Spiritual Form: LVL 7]

    <a skill all spirits have that allows them to take on a non-physical form. Takes time to activate and can''t use magic while in this state. Max LVL is equal to Rank>

    [Spirit Gate: LVL 10]

    <a skill that allows the User to open a portal to the Spirit Plane or other outer worlds>

    [Aura Control: LVL 4]

    <the user releases their magic creating a visible aura surrounding their body. Their Aura can restrain and intimidate opponents on the same or lower power levels as you. Each aura is different and many can attain this skill>

    [Meditation: LVL 8]

    <User enters a trance-like state. Temporarily increases all regeneration and mental abilities by 50%, possibly increasing Spiritual Energy. If external forces break meditation can lead to negative effects.>

    [Domain: The Library]

    <???>

    <rest of skills cannot be listed>

    {Passive Skills}

    [Magic sense: LVL 6]

    <the user can sense/ see magic in the area and can even sense the emotions and intentions of people in close proximity if they are directed at you>

    [Eidetic Memory: LVL 7]

    <rest of skills cannot be listed>

    {Combat Skills}

    [Teleportation: LVL 3]

    [Water Magic: LVL 3]

    <rest of skills cannot be listed>

    When I finished reading Brakos'' Stats I had a few questions "ok so I am glad that other people''s Profiles will look similar but I have questions."

    "Ask away," He said.

    "ok well, question one is... YOU CAN STOP TIME!!!" I shouted.

    "Temporarily yes. I can but I must warn you that I will only use it in dire situations, I will not let you use it to do some last-minute studying or steal something with no one noticing."

    I nodded and continued "Question 2 what is with your massive amount of Magic and Mana?"

    "When your Magic reaches a certain point you will understand but I won''t say anything else until then," he said not giving me an answer.

    I looked at him annoyed but continued "Question 3 then, some of your information is hidden. Is that a ''power-level thing'' or a ''you don''t want me knowing'' thing?"

    Brakos thought for a moment and said "All of the above." with a playful smile.

    I smirked back and asked my next question "Are you limiting your power and what I can ask you to do when I summon you?"

    He shook his head "No I am actually that strong. I may be a primordial spirit and Rank 10 but I am very weak, weaker than some Rank 5 spirits I know. As you become more powerful and I use other powers you will be able to see more of my skills but for now, that is all I can let you see."

    "To be clear, that doesn''t mean you can only ask me to use what you can see. I can use my other skills, I just won''t tell you what I can do until you need them. Most spirits will not reveal everything to you right away and they will keep some powers hidden."

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Ah, I see." nodding my head,

    "Ok, next question. It says here [Domain: The Library] in Active Skills, what does that mean."

    Brakos looked at me with a weird expression and said "A [Domain] is a powerful form of magic that increases your own power. The Library is my [Domain] as it is the place I rule over."

    "I wouldn''t recommend looking into it right now, instead focus on making yourself stronger." He avoided my gaze while explaining and only one thought came to my mind. ''suspicious.'' But I decided I wouldn''t press the matter further.

    "Alright, now last main question. It says Conditions to Evolve does that mean you can still grow stronger?"

    "Yes and no. I know the conditions to evolve but I have no interest in doing so. I''m not a fighter and if I do get in a fight all I have to do is enter the library, no one can enter without my knowledge and I can remove anyone I want with just a thought. I know it is a cowardly thing to do but I don''t really care."

    "Though if you want other spirits to evolve you can feel free to do so as long as they want to as well."

    "Good to know." I said and flipped to the next page listing Volt Stats but before I started reading I remembered "Oh we should probably have Volt here with us for this."

    "Volt?" Brakos asked as he didn''t know I named Volt.

    "Yes, Volt the Lightning Tiger, he asked for a name when we made the contract," I said and proceeded to summon him not paying attention to Brakos'' shocked expression.

    "Volt," I said and the same Magic circle appeared as before crackling with lightning but this one appeared floating vertically in the air.

    "Why do summoning circles only appear vertically on walls or floating in the air and not on the ground?" I curiously asked as Volt stepped out of the circle.

    "It''s how you tell what you are summoning. Spirits circles are verticles and the spirit steps out, infernal circles are on the ground with the demon rising or climbing out from it and Celestial circles float above your head in the air with a celestial falling or descending from it," he said as we watched Volt walk over.

    ^Hello, Jackson is there a problem?^ Volt asked me giving Brakos the side eye.

    "No, there is no problem but I wanted to talk with you." I said to Volt so he didn''t worry and turned to brakos "I have explained that I am a primogenitor and an Otherworlder already"

    "not surprised. Knowing you, you wouldn''t have accepted the contract if he didn''t know" Brakos said looking at me then turned to Volt.

    He knelt down to Volt who was shaking slightly and said. "Based on how you act around me, Jack must have told you I am a primordial. You don''t have to worry about offending me or me anything, I am not like the others and have no interest in combat. Besides Jackson trusts you so I will as well."

    "All I ask is that you don''t reveal to anyone else that I am helping someone, it could cause problems. can we agree on that?" Brakos asked Volt in a kind voice, trying to not seem like a scary being who could kill Volt with a thought.

    Volt nodded and said to both of us I understand but I do have one question. Why Jack of all People and why did you give him so much?^

    Hearing this question piqued my interest as this was a question I had myself but never asked.

    Brakos smiled and said "I won''t deny that I have my own agenda but Jack isn''t a part of it. Why it was Jack... well I felt bad that he died so young and yet had so much potential that I had to help."

    "I know that isn''t much of a reason but hey, I''m old and like to see new stories be written," he said with a laugh.

    "As for why I gave him so much power... I guess I don''t really know," he said and paused thinking with both of us looking at Brakos confused.

    Brakos continued and explained "I haven''t intervened in the mortal world for a while and seeing someone like Jack made me want to help him so much more. I guess it was a little bit of pride and ego that made me want to do more than most would and help him get strong."

    Both me and volt looked at Brakos with confusion but before we could ask for more he told us "I know you have more questions but I don''t have an answer right now. Let''s continue like we were before."

    "um sure," I said after a few seconds seeing that Brakos would not answer any more questions related to that topic and diverted my attention to Volt and the books.

    I explained what we were doing and showed Volt what I had learned so far and told him that we were going to check his stats if he was ok with it.

    Volt agreed and we checked his stats.

    {Volt: Low Rank 2 Spirit}

    {Titles: none}

    {Type: Lightning Tiger}

    {Strength:34} {Dexterity:41} {Endurance:25}

    {intelegance: 25} {Wisdom:50} {Magic:240}

    {Stamina:75/75} {Mana:2450/2450} {Ki:425/425} {Spiritual_Energy:3000}

    {Conditions to Evolve}

    <3000/10000 Spiritual energy>

    <0/1 Tier 3 Lightning Core>

    <1/1 Name: Compleated>

    {Active Skills}

    [Stealth: LVL 3]

    <Allows the User to blend in with their surrounding and hide.>

    [Sight Of Fate: LVL 5]

    <allows the user to see the fate of a single target, a higher level can allow the user to see farther into the future. +10 to Wisdom>

    [Spiritual Form: LVL 2]

    <a skill all spirits have that allows them to take on a non-physical form. Takes time to activate and can''t use magic while in this state. Max LVL is equal to Rank>

    [Aura Control: LVL 1]

    <The user releases their magic creating a visible aura surrounding their body. Their Aura can restrain and intimidate opponents with much lower power than you. Each aura is different and many can attain this skill>

    {Passive Skills}

    [Magic sense: LVL 2]

    <the user can sense/ see magic in the area and can even sense the emotions and intentions of people in close proximity if they are directed at you>

    {Combat Skills}

    [Claw Slash: LVL 3]

    <+2 to Dexterity Per LVL>

    [Bite: LVL 2]

    <+2 to Strength Per LVL>

    [Lightning Magic: LVL 2]

    <Max LVL is equal to Rank>

    I read through Volts page and was surprised but one thing caught my mind right away.

    "Volt is only at the level of an E+ Rank! his stats are more than double mine, how am I higher ranked than him?" I shouted in confusion

    Brakos placed a hand on my shoulder to calm me down and said. "You are equivalent of an F+ or E- Rank Adventurer, but because you have the [Heros will] skill you are ranked higher"

    Volt Nodded with what Volt said but looked happy seeing me act confused and jealous when I realized I was ranked incorrectly because of a skill I didn''t want.

    I didn''t question much else as I expected everything else. We continued and I checked the section for the books but sadly all that was displayed was their Evolution Conditions which are as follows.

    {Leither Book}

    {Rank 1}

    {Books registered: 1/1}

    {Notebook}

    <Evolution Conditions>

    <Complete Quest: Book in a book-1>

    <Evoltion will add 1 book to the Max Registered Books>

    {Blue Book}

    {Rank 1}

    <Evolution Conditions>

    <Appraise Magic Items of Low, Medium, High, Rare, Unique and Legendary Grades>

    <Low=1XP, Medium=10XP, High=25XP ,Rare=100XP, Unique=500XP, Legendairy=1000XP>

    <0/100XP>

    <Infuse Book with 500 Spiritual Energy>

    <0/500>

    <Evolution will speed up appraisal, increase the number of objects that can be appraised at a once and increase what information will be displayed>

    {Black Book}

    {Rank 1}

    <Evolution Conditions>

    <Complete Quest: Primogenitor-1>

    <Infuse Book with 500 Spiritual Energy>

    <0/500>

    <Evolution will increase information accuracy and what is displayed. Will also allow Black Book to assist when available.>

    Every Evolution requires me to infuse Spiritual Energy into the books.

    When I asked Brakos and Volt explained that Spirits cultivate their Energy over time but an infusion from me can speed up the process.

 First Quests. A FATHER?! and Silence.

    Eventually, we decided to go over the Quests next.

    {Quests}

    {Claimable Rewards: None}

    {Quest 1: Primogenitor-1}

    {Task 1: Break the seal on your powers: Complete}

    {Task 2: Name your race: Incomplete}

    {Task 3: Create a base look for your race: Incomplete}

    {Reward 1: guidance forward}

    {Reward 2: ???}

    {Quest 2: Book in a book-1}

    {Task 1: Infuse NoteBook with 200 Spiritual Energy: 0/200: incomplete}

    {Task 2: Awaken your Powers: Complete}

    {Reward 1: Rank 2 Upgrade to the Leather Book}

    {Quest 3: Library Card}

    {Repeatable Quest}

    <Tasks listed can be repeated for additional rewards>

    {Task 1: Provide Brakos with hidden/unknown Knowledge not contained in the Library: Incomplete}

    {Reward: Permission to read 1 Tier-1 Book from the library}

    {Task 2: Complete the Quest [Primogenitor-1]: incomplete}

    {Reward: Permission to read 2 Tier-1 Books or 1 Tier-2 book from the library}

    {Task 3: ???}

    {Reward 1:???}

    {Each Book costs 500 SP per Tier}

    "Oh, this is really cool!" I said to Brakos

    "Glad you like it," Brakos said. "I made sure to add in some quests for you that will apply to your current tasks and some bonuses. When you want to add a quest simply write on a blank page in this section and a quest will generate after a few hours"

    "Understood, thank you," I said thanking him.

    "I should probably finish one quest now right?" I asked Brakos

    "If you mean the second one then I would recommend it. Your spiritual energy gains will increase over time now that you know what to do so you will get more a lot faster so losing 200 isn''t a problem."

    I nodded and tried doing so. At first, I tried telling the book to absorb my Spiritual Energy but nothing happened.

    I looked to Brakos for help but he said nothing. Clearly, he wanted me to figure it out myself self so I tried a few methods.

    I wrote in the book saying I transferred it, searching through the book for instructions, giving it some of my blood, trying (and failing) to manifest my spiritual energy outside my body but nothing happened.

    I decided to take a minute and think. After a few minutes, I realized and felt stupid for not trying that first.

    As the books are spirits and I have made contracts with them I have a telepathic connection to them. If I use that connection and send Spiritual energy through then it will work.

    I tried and it worked immediately.

    Brakos and Volt stared at me with smug expressions but I said nothing.

    When I put 200 Spiritual energy into the book it started to glow slightly and I checked the Black book.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    the quest page stated

    {Quest 2: Book in a book-1}

    {Task 1: Infuse NoteBook with 200 Spiritual Energy: 200/200: Complete}

    {Task 2: Awaken your Powers: Complete}

    {Quest Complete: Giving Rewards}

    {Reward 1: LVL 2 Upgrade to the NoteBook} {Claim}

    I said "Claim" and the book glowed even brighter than before.

    I could feel a connection from the black book and I moved to the Contract page for the Leather Book

    when I checked its contract page it said

    {Leither Book}

    {Rank 1}

    <Evolution Conditions>

    <Complete Quest: Book in a book-1: Complete>

    <Evoltion will add 1 book to the Max Registered Books>

    <Begining Evolution>

    <time until Evolution completion: 1 Minute>

    I told Brakos and Volt that and we waited to see what would happen.

    After a minute the glow dimmed and the Leather Book returned to its normal appearance. When I checked its contract page again it said

    {Leather Book}

    {Rank 1}

    {Books registered: 1/2}

    {Notebook, ???}

    <Evolution Conditions>

    <Raise Rank of Similars to equal or greater Rank: 0/2>

    <Complete Quest: Book in a book-2>

    <Evoltion will add 1 book to the Max Registered Books>

    "Similars?" I asked out loud

    I turned to Brakos but when I saw his face of confusion I could tell he didn''t know either.

    when I asked the book what it meant by ''Similars'' it responded

    {Similars are the other 2 Books}

    ''My brothers'' the book thought to itself

    "Oh, that makes sense," I said

    Brakos placed a hand on his chin and said "That''s odd it shouldn''t have a consciousness yet."

    "Maybe the Leather book is influenced by the Black one. It may not want to get too far ahead of the others," I said thinking it may understand something similar to brotherhood at the moment.

    "Possibly, like most mortal races, spirits aren''t always ''born'' with intelligence we gain it over time. Maybe the evolution sped it up and it may see the other 2 books as siblings..."

    ^Wouldn''t that make you a father?^ Volt said to Brakos.

    We turned to volt in that instant.

    "HAHAHAHA!" I burst out laughing and Volt let out a entertained *Chuff*.

    Brakos had a shocked expression and stayed frozen for a while.

    "Let''s not think-," *snickers* -think about it that much. Hahaha. When they gain consciousness we can address the matter properly," I said while chuckling to myself.

    This managed to partially snap Brakos out of his trance and we continued but Brakos was still in shock from that comment.

    As I checked out the Quest Page it said

    {Quest: Book in a book-2}

    {Task 1: Infuse NoteBook with 2500 Spiritual Energy: 0/2500: incomplete}

    {Task 2: Gain any type of Perception/Sight Skill aside from Magic Sence: 0/1}

    {Task 3: Create a list of all residents of the Village of Thornbranch and record their status: 0/2346}

    {Reward 1: Rank 3 Upgrade to the Leather Book}

    When I read the 3rd Task out loud silence fell.

    The birds stopped chirping, the wind stopped blowing and the leaves stopped rustling. Almost as if the world could feel fear and knew it shouldn''t move at that moment.

    I sat there not moving as a tear fell from my eye and a blank expression on my face.

    Brakos sat there with a scared face. ''The area froze! He isn''t letting his Aura out. How is he doing this?!'' Brakos was starting to internally panic as this was something even he couldn''t do.

    ^Jackson are you ok?^ Volt asked hesitantly.

    I turned to look at Volt and said "No I am not ok but I must do this."

    My reason why I said that was that I wanted to go and pay my respects and keep a record of everyone who died in that village, to help remind me that I want to become a protector and stop this kind of thing from happening again... or at the very least punish those responsible by showing them a hell like they have never seen.

    "Brakos I have one question to ask," I said in a cold tone

    "What is it?" He asked with a shaky voice

    "Did the Orcs attack because of me and my powers as a Primogenitor? Even if I didn''t have them, they cast a spell that stopped others with Oracle abilities like Volt from seeing the attack meaning that they know about oracles. Is it possible that they knew about me and wanted to kill me to prevent my awakening?" I asked in a serious tone.

    Brakos sighed partially in relief and partially in fear. "They don''t know. Technically me giving you the books was changing your fate so no one would have been able to see it."

    "The only way they could have known was if they travelled back in time and told the orcs. It''s more likely that they attacked like normal and it was a coincidence for all this to happen right now." Brakos explained

    I nodded hearing that as now I knew I didn''t have to feel guilty about unintentionally causing the attack.

    "Ok good to know," I said as I steeled my resolve to return to Thornbranch and pay my respects.

    As I said the world started to move again and Brakos relaxed a bit still wondering what happened while Volt didn''t pay too much attention to our surroundings.

    "Oh, I just remembered," I said in a playful voice. "Brakos, Volt has a skill that lets him see someone''s fate but when I am nearby their fate changes, is there a way to fix it?"

    Brakos was surprised by many facts from that sentence.

    One: Jack''s voice took a 180-degree turn from a few seconds ago.

    Two: Jack can change others'' Fates

    Three: Volt explained how his skill works to Jack so soon after they properly met.

    Brakos rubbed the sides of his head trying to calm the slight head each he was getting and answered. "What level is the skill?"

    "Level 5," I said

    He nodded and thought for a moment "At that level and adding that you have established a contract and have a connection, your [Sight Of Fate] should work normally as it can now adjust to Jack''s abnormal Energy. That is unless he intentionally gets involved or changes their fate but for normal people, it should be the same"

    ^Thats good i missed using it.^ Volt said

    "Yeah sorry about causing you problems about that but I didn''t even know I could do it," I said apologizing to Volt. "I knew I was abnormal and could do weird things but changing Fate was definitely one of the weirdest."

    ^Its alright. It wasn''t intentional so there is no problem.^ Volt reassured me.

    We continued to talk for a bit and I remembered the appraisal should be done. I pulled out the Blue Book and checked what was said.

    ...

 Destroying the Heros Will

    ...

    {Appraisel Complete}

    <Divine Grade Skill [Heros Will: LVL1]>

    <[Concept of Worship]: 10% Complete>

    <Notice: Blue Book Received 10000 XP from Appraisal>

    <Excess XP can be converted into Spiritual Energy>

    <Conversion Rate 100 XP = 1 SE>

    <Warning: XP will be needed for Future Evolutions>

    "HOLY SHIT!" I shouted

    This was crazy, [Heros Will] is a Divine Grade Skill and rewards this much for appraising it.

    "Uh wow." Brakos said confused "I don''t remember it being that high Grade, it should be Legendairy at most. Not to mention the [Concept of Worship], I have never heard of it before."

    "Wait how is it a Divine Grade Skill shouldn''t that only be helped by gods? and I thought Legendary was the highest Grade so why is it used for skills?" I asked Brakos

    "Not exactly." Brakos said, "The grades can be used to classify a few things: Entities, Magic Items, Skills, Spells, and many other things."

    "as you already know the Grades are Low, Medium, High, Rare, Unique and Legendary. Those are the ones that people in this world know about but above them are the World, Divine, Dimensional and Infinity Grades"

    "so I have a skill at a higher level than what is known to this world?" I asked

    "Yes." Brakos nodded

    "Doesn''t that mean it was given to me by a god?"

    Brakos shook his head "No I am the only one who interacted with your soul and the books. No god would have been able to do anything unless they had higher authority than me for what I created."

    "and before you ask no I am not a god I am considered a Legendairy Grade Entity but in Authority over books and knowledge I am the highest authority in this Era," Brakos said

    ^What does the Book say about the [Concept of Worship]?^ Volt asked

    if it was a good point and I checked but it came up as...

    {@)#%@(*>?<|\)*!}

    I couldn''t understand what it said. I tried giving it to Brakos so he could read it.

    When Brakos looked at it he almost fainted when he saw it but quickly composed himself and immediately started reading.

    Sitting there watching this brought me back to when I first entered the library and couldn''t read the books at first... it then dawned on me that maybe I wasn''t capable of reading them as it could be harmful to me.

    Seeing Brakos read it as if his life depended on it confirmed my suspicions.

    After a minute Brakos finished and was thinking to himself not paying attention to me of Volt.

    "um, Brakos?" I said

    Brakos flinched as he heard me talk.

    ''Did he forget we were here?'' both I and Volt thought

    "What did it say?" I asked

    embarrassed and slightly distracted Brakos said, "Sorry I got a bit distracted... um, as you can''t read it means it could harm you."

    ''thought so'' I smiled.

    "though I can give a brief description. It basically details how Gods gain power from the worship of their followers and how to replicate that power, even if you are mortal."

    Both me and Volt sat there shocked.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "so does that mean if I get it to 100% I will be able to use it as well?"

    he shook his head "No your body and soul can''t handle the strain it would cause. If you get to a certain level then maybe but I am not sure."

    "Fun," I said with a smile.

    "Anyway I will transfer it to the notebook and give it to you, is that ok?"

    "of course. The library doesn''t have info on that so hand it over when you can. By the way, did you Appraise the [Otherworlder] Title?"

    "Should I have? All it would have told me was stuff I already knew, wouldn''t it?"

    "True, just checking," Brakos shrugged.

    "ok well, I think I will Evolve the book later. for now, can we remove the title?" I asked hoping to get it over with.

    "sure thing, though if I am going to remove a title we need a bit more room," Brakos said as he stood up and walked into a larger clearing with both me and Volt following behind him.

    when we moved to a flat area Brakos turned around and said "Sit down here and I will set up a barrier to hide us."

    I sat down and watched as Brakos used magic and created a large barrier that surrounded us.

    "This barrier will hide our presence and prevent damage to the surrounding areas," he said

    as he turned around, he pulled out a few chalk pieces from his pocket threw them into the air and almost instantly stopped and floated in midair.

    Brakos waved his hands and the chalk started to move around me. Despite the fact it was on grass the chalk still drew like normal.

    As the chalk flew around I saw it start to make a complicated magic circle.

    "This circle will allow me to remove it with few problems but I must warn you it may hurt and if you leave the circle or move too much you will die, understood," Brakos warned

    I nodded and let him continue

    after a few minutes the circle was complete and Brakos sat down in front of me but outside of the circle.

    "When I begin you should feel energy forcefully leaving your body. Do not try and contain it, try and guide it out. if you feel like it is important move your left hand, if it feels fine move your right hand, I will be watching." Brakos instructed me.

    "Volt I need you to keep watch and warn me if anyone approaches."

    Volt nodded and started to circle us while keeping an eye on both us and the forest.

    "that should be everything let me know when you are ready and I will begin," Brakos said placing a hand on the ground barely touching the circle.

    I inhaled and exhaled slowly to calm myself and nodded.

    Brakos immediately started to chant in a language I didn''t know and the circle started to glow. At first, only the edges were glowing but the slight started to move towards me.

    As it got closer to me I could feel a warmth and chill at the same time, it was unnerving.

    Eventually, the symbols in the circle started to levitate and become 3D and started to orbit around me. Eventually, the symbols started to fluctuate in their distance from me, moving closer to me and then farther, repeating the same patterns as the ritual started to work.

    As I said this I heard Brakos say to me "Think of the Title you want to be removed and add a sight wish for [Heros Will] to be removed as well. It should help."

    I gave a slight nod and willed for the circle to remove the [Otherworlder] Title and [Heros Will]

    ~~~~~~

    (Unknown) POV

    in a world filled with scripts written on stones and dirt, what looked like Code was left behind on almost all matters here. This world was desolate and had no plant life or signs of life in general all except one.

    Sitting on a wooden chair, holding a glass of what looked like wine, was a woman. She was under a white cloak and never revealed her face but allowed the rest of her body proportions to be shown.

    Although you couldn''t see her face you could see the pale skin and red lips of a woman and although she looked human her posture and actions seemed to be more robotic and fidgety. Her voice sounded normal but devoid of emotion and was always spoken robotic-like.

    Surrounding her floating above her head were hundreds of various holographic screens, on half of the screen, was a picture of a person and a Profile of them including their Stats listed by their System. Right next to each profile was a display allowing the woman to watch the people under her control.

    The woman smiled to herself and let out a small robotic-like chuckle.

    ''These Mortals have so much fun with my Blessing, what they believe to be gifts from god. It would be nice to correct those who mistake me for a man.'' she thought, still in a Robotic way.

    She sat there watching but then a warning symbol appeared on each screen and she immediately stood up.

    "What the hell!" she shouted for the first time, even though briefly showed any emotion.

    She waved her hand and the screens flipped to one of a young boy she had managed to slip a seed of her gift into who was going into the world Primus. he was her ticket in and someone was trying to remove her, she wasn''t going to let that happen.

    She snapped her fingers and immediately a portal opened and she stepped through.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    After the woman left, you could notice something not far off. A single thing that was noticeable only after the strange woman sitting in the wasteland that was her home had left.

    A camera was positioned facing just above her head to see the screens but also caught how the woman reacted.

    After she left the camera started to fade away but before it did a line of text appeared in front of it before it completely faded away.

    [Interesting]

    ~~~~~~~

    Jacks POV

    As I sat there I could feel the energy leaving my body i let it move and leave my body. A head each had started to form a while ago bit but I continued to stay still.

    "Almost done Jack," Brakos said

    I gave a thumbs up and continued to concentrate on the energy and continued to guide it out and hold onto what I needed.

    After a few minutes, the circle glowed brighter and a burst of golden Magic burst from my body but was contained by the barrier. After the light dimmed and Brakos let out a sigh of relief. "The ritual is complete, you are no longer a [Otherworlder] Jack. Primus is now your home"

    I moved over and hugged Brakos and thanked him and he hugged me back. When we let go I decided to check the Book just to confirm but before I could...

    *BOOM*

    We heard a loud boom and turned to see Volt flying through the air toward us and a woman completely covered in a white cloak with a murderous Aura surrounding them.

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 Fighting Agaist a God

    Brakos POV

    Seeing Volt flying towards us scared us both. I saw Jack move to try and catch him. Unfortunately, his momentum continued and he was flung back with Volt and smacked into a tree.

    I looked back at him with worry but quickly turned around to the woman in the white cloak.

    "What do you want?!" I shouted while raising my hands in preparation to defend and fight.

    "Are you the one who took away my gift?" the woman asked in a monotone robotic-like voice, devoid of emotion.

    "Your gift?" I asked.

    "I chose that boy to be a hero and grant me passage. Now I learn he has forsaken the blessing of the Divine! All who do this shall face Divine Punishment!" the woman shouted but remained emotionless.

    My face dropped as I heard the woman speak.

    She was a god who could descend upon the mortal world and wanted to kill everyone here. She is also the one who gave Jack the [Hero''s Will] skill and why it was Divine Grade. She planned on using Jack as a vessel and introducing her religion into this world.

    "Why go through all this trouble? The next era will allow more Gods to enter this world and found their religions." I said trying to defuse the situation

    she tilted her head in confusion and I could feel her eyes analyzing me.

    "Brakos. Primordial Spirit. Master of Time Knowledge and holder of the [Domain: The Library]. Created the tri-book system given to the rebelling Avatar: Jackson Drovas. Cause of the de..."

    "How the hell do you know that!" I interrupted her shocked that she knew so much about me.

    "..."

    "I am the System God Metsys. You are the one who made the system for the rebelling Avatar without proper authorization. Your punishment is nullification."

    I looked at her with both confusion and fear.

    Even though Rank 10 Spirits can fight lower Gods, that only applies to those who can fight while I can''t. Plus the fact that she was the God of Systems answered how she messed with the Black book.

    Suddenly she jumped towards me and tried to attack.

    I dodged jumping to the left and created a water shield, then sent ice spikes through it trying to hit her.

    ''I may not be much of a fighter, but that doesn''t mean I don''t know how.'' I thought to myself

    She waved her hand and the ice spikes stopped moving and just hovered there. Then she snapped her fingers and the ice spikes fell to the ground and shattered.

    "huh?"

    suddenly I saw her raise her hands and send ice spikes of her own towards me.

    I made the water shield solid and the spikes shattered and the shield fell when they made contact.

    I placed my hands together and said "[paper cutter]" and pushed my hands towards her.

    When doing so a portal opened behind me and hundreds of sheets of paper flew out towards Metsys in a cyclone.

    This spell was my creation where I summoned paper I imbued with my energy to make them tougher and sharper. Then send it towards an enemy and the paper turns into a blender and shreds anything in it to nothing.

    As I watched the paper cyclone I noticed Jack and Volt were up. I was about to tell them to run when all of a sudden the paper cyclone burst into flames and Metsys burst out and stabbed me in the stomach with a spear that I didn''t see before.

    "All those who defy Divine will and those who help them will face Divine Punishment," she said still in her monotone voice.

    *chuckle* I heard a small laugh from behind me.

    I turned around and saw Jack and Volt getting up after they recovered from the initial shock from the hit.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    "Earlier you said your name was Metsys, is that correct?" Jack said

    "Yes. Why?" she responded.

    "Metsys is System backwards, kind of a dumb name don''t you think so..." Jack stopped and looked Metsys in the eyes and said, "false God who embodies the programming of all systems and scavenger of the abyss who found a divine Fragment."

    I could see her tense up and saw an opening. I punched her in the face and summoned several light blue magic circles that shot out high-pressure jets of water at her punching her away.

    Then by controlling the water I turned it to ice and imbued it with my Spiritual Energy freezing her in a block of ice, making a temporary prison for her.

    "How did you know that?!" I asked as I rushed over to Jack.

    He held up the Blue Book and said "[Appraisel]"

    ~~~~~~

    Jacks POV

    when I tried to catch Volt and was flung into the tree hurt, a lot but I fought to keep myself awake.

    When I saw Brakos fighting this woman I decided to use [Appraisel] to try and find out who she was and any weaknesses she had.

    when I did the book said

    {[Appraisel] of the God of Systems, Metsys will take [70 days]}

    ''Shit! That''s a God there is no way we can win! Why does this have to take so long!'' I thought while screaming internally.

    "do I have anything to increase the speed?" I asked the book

    {XP from past [Appraisel] can be converted to time reduction}

    <200XP = 1 day reduction>

    "that''s only 40 days, can I forgo the XP from this [Appraisel] to reduce the time to 0?" I asked panicking but having hope.

    {...}

    {Unable to do so at the current level}

    <By infusing the book with 3000 Spiritual Energy Host will be able to do so but [Appraisel] will be locked afterwards for [10 Years]>

    after reading that I looked up at Brakos and the woman fighting and saw her stab Brakos with a spear.

    "do it and transfer the primary knowledge to me!" I told the book.

    As I did so the book glowed and I could sense it evolving. Then I felt a slight head each as information was forcefully implanted into my brain and I could feel my nose bleeding.

    As I went over what I learned in my head I let out a small laugh.

    Seeing both of them turn to me I asked a question

    "Earlier you said your name was Metsys, is that correct?" I said

    "Yes. Why?" she responded. Still with the spear in Brakos'' stomach.

    "Metsys is System backwards, kind of a dumb name don''t you think so..." I said and stared into her eyes and continued. "false God who embodies the programming of all systems and scavenger of the abyss who found a divine Fragment."

    Seeing her flinch and Brakos freeze her was impressive but I could feel myself becoming tired and I could feel the urge to just lie down and sleep. I fought off that feeling and focused.

    When I showed Brakos the book I could see cracks in the Ice Prison and quickly said.

    "I will explain later, all you need to know is that she is a World Grade Entity who planted a seed in the system. We can''t kill her unless we find her [Divine Core]. My powers can''t be limited by her so long as you distract her but I don''t know what she can do when she focuses on me."

    Brakos nodded and asked, "Do you have a plan?"

    I turned and saw Volt was up and ready to help and turned back and pulled out my wand and Dagger as I didn''t have my spear.

    "How many of your abilities can you use right now?"

    "I can use any normal magic on my own but I can stop time for you for 10 seconds but only 10 seconds, I can break it up. If we can''t kill her I will have to withdraw."

    I looked over at Brakos with a questioning look but he said "Don''t get me wrong, I don''t want to abandon you but the library is more important than anything else to me."

    "If I die its guardian will be lost and the library will fall. She can''t follow me there so I may be able to bring you with me but I''m not sure."

    I sighed but nodded, understanding that some things are more important than a single person.

    "Volt I need you to help me with a spell, Brakos distract her for as long as you can, after the spell is cast, stop time for the full 10 seconds so we can all run away," I said

    Brakos looked worried but said "I hope this works. Although I can''t fight I do know how to dodge."

    As we finished planning the Ice Prison Shatered the woman burst out and came running towards Brakos and he did the same, trying to divert her from me and Volt.

    I turned to Volt "Can you channel all of your magic into a single beam and fire it at her? I have this so I can supercharge you" I said showing him my wand

    ^i can''t do it like that right now, but I can temporarily merge with the wand making it more powerful.^ He said

    I nodded and started to chant a spell as Volt became ethereal and fused with my wand.

    "Wrath Of The Storm, A Flash Of Light, Thunderous Voice, Strike Of The Sky, Heed My Call To Thee. Strike Down My Enemies, With A Bolt, A Bolt Of Lightning!" I shouted hoping that I would be able to cast the spell.

    As the words left my mouth I could feel my Mana leaving my body and becoming supercharged as it entered the wand thanks to my mother''s work and Volt boosting it even more.

    *Crackle*

    As I saw the spell I could feel such power coming from it. It was a massive bolt of Lightning shooting straight towards Metsys.

    As Brakos noticed the Spell he stopped time before Metsys could react and we all ran away.

    *BBBOOOOOOMMMMMM*

    A large explosion happened and I almost lost balance as I ran but thankfully Volt came out of the wand and supported me.

    We continued to move away even after the time stop ended and Brakos made his way over while we moved.

    "Did it work?" Brakos asked worried/

    I shook my head and said "I don''t know. Even if she is a god and the God of Systems, systems are electronic-based, the lightning should have shorted her powers temporarily. She hasn''t come at us yet so I may be right."

    "Think again" I heard a female voice in front of me and saw her standing in front of us with her spear pointing at my face,

    "Interesting tactic Jackson Drovas, but ineffective against me," she said

    we all froze in fear as we looked at her. Her clothes were slightly dirty but no real damage was visible now I could see one of her eyes. Glowing a bright golden colour as she stared right at me.

    "If you are unwilling to submit to the will of the divine you must face Diving Punishment and die," she said as she thrust her spear directly at my face and I closed my eyes waiting for death as I knew we couldn''t beat this thing.

 Break The System

    As I kept my eyes closed I could feel regret swelling up and many thoughts flashed in my mind

    ''Did I have to go through all that just to die here? To face death twice and survive just to die at the hands of a god.''

    ''I hate this, why did I have to start my new life like this? First I get attacked and lose my parents and now I will be killed by a god. this sucks''

    ''I guess having an increase in power from birth would have been good but the risk was too high. I don''t regret that decision but still why like this.''

    ''I don''t want to give up and die but what else can I do? Brakos is the strongest of us and he couldn''t do anything I just have to accept my death.''

    As these thoughts flooded my brain I waited for the strike.

    [Soul Art: Break the System]

    I felt a gust of wind blow into my face but the hit didn''t come.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    After a few seconds, I got confused. I knew the feeling of dying and what I should have felt but nothing happened, so I opened an eye and what I saw shocked me.

    Metsys was frozen standing still with her spear less than an inch from my face. Her face was contorted in... pain. Confusion? Anger? I couldn''t tell but she wasn''t happy.

    As I looked around I could see that time didn''t freeze as I first thought, Brakos and Volt were able to move and the wind still blew.

    "What is going on?" I asked,

    "What in the world?!" Brakos said while looking towards Metsys.

    I turned back and saw something I never expected.

    Code.

    Lines of Code were floating and being written in front of Metsys, almost like I was watching a computer screen.

    The code was beyond my understanding and moved so fast that I couldn''t see anything clearly but at the top, I noticed a Title or something like it, that says.

    [Break the System]

    "Are we in a simulation or something?" I had to ask

    As I looked around I could see Brakos staring at the whole scene with fascination. "Impossible [Technomancy] doesn''t exist! Not for several thousand years at least in the multiverse!"

    "<You''re right. It doesn''t>" a voice with subtitles appeared before us shocking us all.

    "<Before you all ask questions let me deal with her first. Thx>"

    As I heard the voice I could recognize it as an AI text-to-speech voice and not an actual person''s voice.

    As we stayed silent and watched we saw lines of Binary Code appear vertically and start wrapping around Metsys holding her in place as she regains (or is given back) her ability to move.

    Then she looked at the main lines of code and asked "Who are you and how are you doing this?"

    "<There is no point in telling you as you will be Banned from this Dimentoinal Branch and will be unable to remember a thing about me, this event, or Jackson. All I will say is that this is your fault. You are a god who abuses their power over others and forces innocent people into servitude.>"

    All of our mouths (aside from Metsys) hung open at the audacity(or confidence) of this person, but none of us protested in any way.

    Metsys on the other hand was furious and shouted "You may have abilities unknown to me but Mortal beings cannot stand up to divinity!"

    "<Yeah Yeah. I know you old Gods like to say that but I don''t care what you say. You are a system, a program meaning you are in my [Domain]. And even if you weren''t one I have ways to circumvent that rule.>" He said and Metsys growled in frustration.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    After building up the courage to speak Brakos asked "How are you doing..."

    "<[Origin Code]>" he replied not waiting for Brakos to finish.

    Brakos and Metsys paled when they heard those words and I could see Brakos tremble in fear.

    Hearing him say [Domain] made me think this guy was powerful but I didn''t know what the [Origin Code] was.

    But seeing both Brakos and Metsys flinch with fear washing over their faces when he said it made me understand one thing. It was dangerous.

    After he said that I saw a large spike of purple and red code start to form floating a few feet above Metsys.

    "<A mix between a Curse and a Virus. Works great on program-like beings wouldn''t you say Jackson *%^#>" he said to me.

    When I heard him say my old last name, it caught me off guard but made one thing clear, he knew who I was.

    When the spike finished forming, it quickly shot down and pierced Metsys where her heart was. The spike quickly got absorbed by Metsys and when it finished I saw a portal open and she was banished from this world.

    Once she disappeared I could see the code start to run again but this time it said:

    [Begin reconstruction]

    As it said that code flew all around us and the environment that was destroyed from our fight was slowly being repaired.

    Me, Volt and Brakos all looked around in wonder but we had questions so we turned to ask them.

    "<My Code-Name is Phantom. No, I will not tell you my real name. I am known as the Dimensional Hacker, I can hack past the barriers of time and space. Hence why I could use [Technomancy] long before its discovery. My reason for helping you is my own alongside another but I can''t reveal either.>"

    ''He anticipated most of our questions!'' both me and Brakos thought.

    "As for what the [Origin Code] is. It is an equation or factor I can incorporate into my magic that very few know about. It will empower someone''s magic to an insane degree and it is partially how I can hack past time and space. As to how I learned it Brakos, I did so on accident."

    I looked at the lines of Code (Phantom) with shock and awe. A simple magic factor can empower yourself to that insane degree "How does one learn it" I was about to ask but Brakos beat me to it.

    "What do you mean you learned it on accident, it would have killed you if you learned even a fraction of it!?" Brakos yelled

    "<I didn''t read a fraction of it, I learned different bits of knowledge and made the connection myself and gained the [Origin Code] on my own. It doesn''t kill you if you %#*!&*^.>" Phantom explained but the last part was in a language I couldn''t understand.

    Brakos stepped back and slumped onto the ground, tired from the last hour or crazy stuff but I had to ask.

    "What do you mean it would have killed him?" I asked Brakos

    He looked up at me and sighed "The [Origin Code] is a piece of knowledge not even the library can contain as anyone who learns even a fraction of it will die. The only known way to survive would be to learn it all in the same instant or I guess do what Phantom did."

    "<No, I will not tell you how to do it.>" Phantom said before I could ask.

    I pouted a bit but didn''t complain and went to check on Volt.

    He was confused but didn''t add to the pile of stuff and just focused on healing fully from Metsy''s attack. As I checked on him I said "Thank you for trying. Even if we didn''t hurt her we still did something amazing. If you are willing can we do it again" I asked

    Volt didn''t say anything but nodded, reassuring me that they still trusted me.

    As I sat down with Volt I asked Phantom "Why did she attack me and what did she want?"

    "<As the God of Systems she circumvented Brakos and gave you the [Otherworlder] and [Hero''s Will] skills. She did this to use you as a vessel and enter this world to gain more power. As [Hero''s Will] is a skill given by a god you had a connection to her and thought that she could possess your body and spread her religion.>"

    "That''s how Gods gain power?" I asked.

    "<Sort of, their power is limited by how many followers they have in the world they are in. As they have no followers in this world they gain no power but if they were in a world where she is worshiped she would be stronger.>"

    "How do you know so much about me," I asked.

    "<Like Brakos I enjoy stories and I learned of your story a long time ago. Plus I am technically from the future, I know what happens to you and what path you will take. Plus you don''t have to worry about changing the future, your power changes the most likely fate to another but not what actually happens.>" Phantom said.

    I nodded as I understood it, didn''t mean I liked people watching me like that but as they already did it can''t be helped.

    "last question. What was it that you used the the beginning, I think I heard [Soul Art: Break the System]?"

    Brakos looked over when he heard me say that and waited for an answer.

    "<A [Soul Art] is a truly unique technique that very few people have. Mine allows be to break past any defence and cause chaos in what was previously an organized and/or functional system. Every soul has their own [Soul Art] and no 2 people can have the same one.>"

    I nodded after hearing about another powerful ability I would need to look into.

    As I looked around I saw all the damage had been repaired and no signs of the fight were left. Looking at the 3 of us we all seemed to be doing fine. Volt and Brakos as spirits could heal on their own and the worst injury I got was a few bruises.

    "<My job here is done. I must log off for now. I doubt we will meet again so I will say this now. It was an honour to meet you, Ancestor. Aom mcif Dohv, Tczzck mcif Vsofh.>" Phantom said and all the code disappeared.

    I nearly fell over from hearing him call me that. ''Ancestor!? Does that make him one of my descendants? Did he come back in time to save me as we are family? Does this mean I live long enough to have descendants? What was that bit at the end, did he just slam his hands on the keyboard?!'' and hundreds of similar thoughts flooded my brain and I was freaking out.

    After a few minutes, I could feel myself growing tired and decided to lie down. Volt and Brakos were already doing so and I just joined them as we all reflected on the crazy events of the past 10 minutes.

 What Just Happened Exactly?

    As we all layed there, trying to calm our hearts and minds and understand everything that had just happened, we all thought the same thing: ''Today was insane!''

    After what felt like a few hours we all started to get up as we calmed down.

    Volt asked ^What exactly just happened?^

    Brakos and I looked at each other and I asked, "Should I or do you want to?"

    Brakos shook his head "You go ahead."

    I nodded and explained, "So from what I understand, when Brakos reincarnated me, the God of Systems Metsys, still a dumb name by the way, placed a seed of her divine power into my soul, its root being [Heros Will] and my status as an [Otherworlder]."

    "she did this to try and use me as a vessel or apostle so that she could start a religion in this world and in doing so allow her to enter this world and do who knows what."

    "When Brakos removed [Heros Will] and [Otherworlder] Metsys felt it and became enraged and to take out her anger and ''punish'' me for removing her influence from me."

    "Then and I am not sure why, a person who calls himself Phantom, who can use a type of magic that doesn''t exist yet, saved us from that God and prevented her from coming here again, and said he could use something that boosts magic powers," I said with a sigh as I finished explaining what I understood.

    Volt looked at me and said ^Ok I understand that now but I thought Gods can''t enter the Mortal worlds?^

    I stared back at Volt but didn''t have an answer. We both turned to Brakos and waited for him to explain.

    Brakos sighed and said, "Well for the most part you are right, there are some points you got wrong but I will explain."

    "First, how she was able to come here. Normally gods can''t enter mortal worlds but if they leave most of their power behind they can enter mortal worlds but that raises the risk of other gods stealing said power. What has me concerned is that the process should have taken a day at least, not 30 seconds."

    "that I can answer," I said as I pulled out the Blue Book and opened it.

    {information displayed is limited due to the high Ranking of the Entity}

    {Metsys: Lesser False God}

    {Titles: God of Systems, Scavenger of the Abyss, Holder of a Lost Divine Fragment}

    {Type:???}

    {Power Ranking: World}

    {Strength:???} {Dexterity:???} {Endurance:???}

    {intelegance: ???} {Wisdom:???} {Magic:???}

    {Stamina:???} {Mana:???} {Ki:???} {Spiritual_Energy:???}

    {Conditions to Higher Rank:}

    {????}

    {Active Skills}

    <skills cannot be listed>

    {Passive Skills}

    <skills cannot be listed>

    {Combat Skills}

    <skills cannot be listed>

    "Although most of this information is hidden, I was able to piece some things together. Even though I didn''t check what a Divine Fragment was I could guess it can make a Mortal Being a god or god equivalent being, and being a false god solidified that assumption."

    Brakos nodded and said, "You''re right on that part. Absorbing a Divine Fragment is like a lesser, cheat version of a Divine Ascension, and it would mean she left behind less power than normal."

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    I nodded and continued "As she was a scavenger of the Abyss she probably found it there... Hm, actually, what is the Abyss?" I asked

    Brakos looked at me with slight concern but relented and said, "The Abyss is like the Infernal world but darker, more chaotic, and much more dangerous. Each of its thousands of layers is like the world was just thrown, smashed, and stitched together. It is the Home to True Demons instead of the Infernals, and it is a place even Gods are cautious to enter."

    I sat there and felt a shiver run down my spine hearing Brakos describe that place and I had only one thought

    ''I don''t want to go there, ever.''

    Seeing that Brakos was done I continued "As for my plan with the [Lightning Bolt], well... it was kind of a gamble. As I saw she was the god of systems and systems are like electronic programs I hoped that the lightning would have stunned or shorted her out, though obviously, that didn''t work."

    "It was a kinda dumb idea but I didn''t have enough time to think of an alternative at the moment." I finished and lowered my head

    I felt Brakos put a hand on my shoulder and say, "It wasn''t your fault. None of us knew a god was involved. Besides, your plan for the lightning bolt was good."

    "as I was fighting her I noticed a barrier around her but it didn''t stop my attacks, but after your spell, it was gone. she probably encountered the same problem the last time she was hit with lightning and had the barrier there to counter it." He reassured me

    I nodded my head and smiled. "Thanks."

    Brakos nodded back "It''s what friends do, anyway back to my explanations." He said making a 180-degree turn from the tender moment. I let out a smile.

    "You are severally underestimating the [Origin Code]. The powers or [Origin] are the strongest in existence, it is what allowed the Primordials like myself to come into existence and how every world was created."

    Both me and Volt were slack-jawed as we heard Brakos say that.

    "Why didn''t you say that sooner?" I asked

    "Were you able to think properly at the time it came up?" he said with a raised eyebrow. I raised my finger to retort but held my tongue.

    ''He isn''t wrong.'' I thought

    Smirking at me he continued "[Origin Code] is a division of the true form of [Origins] true power. The other parts of it are [Origin Equation] and [Embodyment of Origin]."

    "[Origin Code] allows one to break past the barriers and seals of any magic or defence and shatter it. And even lets one bypass the barriers of Technology and Space-Time"

    "[Origin Equation] is for spell enhancement allowing someone to cast a 1 level spell at the rank of Gods and use up no Mana."

    "Finally [Embodyment of Origin] is the physical enhancement. It makes your body perfect and balances everything properly. It is the unobtainable goal of all warriors."

    "it is said that those who obtain all 3 will obtain the power of [Origin] and become something higher than a supreme god. A being who holds all of existence in their hands. Though so far only a handful of people have even managed to learn one and most of them died shortly after."

    "so basically... don''t try and learn it," I said

    Brakos instantly turned to me and yelled "OF COURSE NOT!"

    I offered him a smirk while holding back a laugh.

    After a few seconds, Volt decided to ask another question "Are you able to fight Brakos? No offence but aren''t Primordial spirits supposed to be strong?"

    Brakos being distracted by my previous taunt took a second to respond but when Volt asked the same thing again he responded.

    "You''re right that primordial are supposed to be strong, I am just not a fighter, I prefer to sit down a read a book. I won''t say that I am helpless, I am still able to beat Rank-5 Etherials on my own but when it comes to higher beings I am no better than a normal person facing a trained knight," he said admitting that he is very strong... well compared to higher beings. Not me, he can decimate me with the flick of his finger.

    I nodded thinking of how strong the other primordials are if Brakos is only as strong as a Rank-5 spirit.

    "What exactly is a [Soul Art]? I know Phantom said it was a unique ability but what is it?" I asked

    Brakos nodded and thought about the best way to explain it as this topic was more complicated than time magic.

    "A [Soul Art] is the unique ability tied to the soul. Each soul has one and no other soul can have the same one. Some say it is the embodiment of a person''s soul manifesting and taking a temporary shape."

    "If you ever get one yourself it will likely be tied to your personality and magic. Though I must also warn you that it will weaken you a lot at first if you use it too much."

    "Noted," I said

    "Now that I think about it how did your [Appraisel] finish so fast? It should have taken months. and how did you know that information I didn''t see you reading the book?" Brakos asked curious but also preparing himself for a bomb to be dropped onto his head.

    "for how I knew the information I gave the book the command to transfer the primary information into my mind. I figured that if I have a telepathic connection with Volt as he can''t talk normally I can do it with the books." I said

    Brakos looked at me and smiled. "Good thinking. I meant to tell you that they can do it at higher Ranks but it seems I was wrong, they can do it now."

    "hehe yeah about that..." I said shyly

    "What?"

    "Well, you''re right the [Appraisal] would have taken longer. When I saw the time I asked the book how to shorten it. Thankfully it let me sacrifice the XP from [Heros Will] and Metsys [Appraisals], plus 3000 of my Spiritual Energy and evolving the book to Rank 3... and locking it for 10 years," I explained saying the last part quietly.

    Brakos took a moment before he reacted.

    "WHAT?! You evolved it to Rank 3 and Locked it for 10 years?!" Brakos asked

    I nodded, "Yes, I know. Considering it did nothing to help us, it just feels like a massive waste, but it can''t be helped."

    *Sigh* Brakos placed his fingers on the sides of his nose and just decided to drop the matter. I was right, we can''t change what happened.

 Helping The Help

    After accepting that my plan had failed, we decided that I should head back and talk to my aunt and uncle.

    But before I left Brakos told me "Your powers are growing but you must be careful. If your mind becomes too unstable your status as a Primogenitor could be revealed."

    "I will, don''t worry. Most people know little about spirit magic, so I will blame it on that. It''s not perfect, but it will work for now." I said, hoping the plan would work.

    "Just be careful," he said back. "oh and be more conservative with your spiritual energy now that its so low you can only summon one spirit a day for half an hour at most before you exaust yourself."

    I waved thankful for his advice and watched a gust of wind start to blow and Brakos turn into a bunch of sheets of paper and get blow away.

    I was stuck in awe.

    Volt rubber his nose on my hand breaking me out of my trance.

    ^If you don''t mind, I want to properly meet your family and keep your uncle away. He doesn''t seem like the person to give up easily and he should have woken up by now^ He said

    "Are you sure?" I asked

    Volt nodded and said ^Yes^

    "All alright then let''s go," I said and we started to walk back.

    As we got near the mansion I could see 2 maids outside hanging some sheets to dry and I walked over.

    "Would you like some help?" I offered, seeing the 2 having some trouble cause of the wind.

    They both turned to me with confused expressions. The older of the 2 took a minute but recognised me and spoke first "Oh Lord Jackson, it''s good to s-"

    I interrupted her and said "Please don''t call me lord. Like my mother, I hate being called a noble, just call me Jack."

    Both looked shocked about my response but nodded. "Jack... it''s good to see you are doing well. And no we are fine here, the wind isn''t too bad today."

    Just as she said that, the wind picked up again and some of the sheets almost blew away but Volt stepped on them keeping them from getting away.

    As the maids noticed Volt they both let out a yelp of surprise. The older one jumped back but the younger one fell onto her butt.

    "Tiger?!" they both yelled at the same time not fully comprehending what just happened.

    "Half-right, this is a Lightning tiger. He is a spirit named Volt and a friend of mine." I said with a smile on my face seeing their reactions.

    "Spirit?" the older maid said.

    "Friend?" the younger maid said.

    Almost all the servants here heard about how a blue animal attacked Michael while under my command but none could confirm what the animal was.

    Noticing the wind starting to pick up again I spoke up "The wind is picking up again. If you don''t want the wind to blow away the sheets again, let me help."

    The 2 maids looked at me but nodded. They were too shocked to properly answer but knew what to do.

    We worked together for a few minutes and managed to get all the sheets on the lines and clip them on so they wouldn''t come off.

    *huff* "Thank you Jackson for the assistance and thank you volt for catching the sheets earlier, the wind is strong today," the older maid said maid thanked us.

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    "yes thank you" The younger one thanked us as well.

    "no problem," I said

    ^It was no problem but you should pay more attention^Volt said waiting for me to translate.

    "Volt says the same but also you should pay more attention," I said but then remembered my original reason for coming over to them

    "Do you know where my aunt and uncle are?" I asked

    the maids looked at each other for a second and the younger one replied "No, I''m sorry. After what happened with Lord Michael they have been busy. You might find them in the main study."

    I nodded and started to walk towards the side door.

    "Wait can he talk to the Tiger?" the 2 asked each other.

    After I entered the mansion I got a good look at it for the first time in a while.

    The tall walls painted white the fancy red carpet and curtains, the paintings and decorations on the walls.

    Personally, I didn''t like it. Putting so much into appearances instead of their people is why I hate nobles.

    Thankfully Miranda and Erik are of the few nobles who put the bare minimum into appearances and focus mainly on their people. Hence why I am fine staying here.

    As both I and Volt were walking towards the main study looking for Miranda and Erik I saw a young butler walking with a heavy box going down a flight of stairs.

    I noticed their steps were off and realized they were going to trip so I hurried over as I got confirmation from Volt.

    Just as he started to lose balance I quickly placed my hands on the other side of the box.

    "I got you," I said

    "Oh thank you," he said thankful.

    We walked down the stairs and I helped him place it down to give him a rest.

    "Thank you-" he said and looked at me and flinched "Lo-!"

    I raised a hand to stop him and said "Just call me Jack. I don''t like being called Lord"

    he nodded "apologise I didn''t realise it was you."

    "It''s no problem but if you can please let everyone else know. it saves me the trouble." I said

    "Oh of course and again thank you for the assistance."

    I smirked and helped him pick the box up again.

    Seeing him walking with no problem I turned around and continued.

    "Strange he didn''t comment on you, Volt," I said

    ^I think he was more surprised by you than me, he was present when I shocked Michael.^

    "Really? I didn''t notice him" I said

    ^Your perception is low compared to mine as you get stronger you will notice more things like that.^

    ^Also your power decreased a bit after we removed everything. Check your power rating it should be lower.^

    I did so and checked my power rating

    {Power Ranking: E Rank}

    "You''re right. I''m mid-E Rank," I said as I put the book away.

    As we continued I saw several staff members needing assistance and helped them as I walked. I wasn''t in a hurry so I had time.

    Some were startled by Volt walking with me. Thankfully some knew about him thanks to the gossip about this morning so they reasured the ones who didn''t know.

    eventually, after I took 30 minutes instead of 5 to reach the main study I knocked on the door

    *knock**knock*

    "Aunt Miranda it''s me," I said

    I heard shuffling on the other side of the door before it opened with Miranda on the other side

    "Hi Jack, come in," she said

    as I walked into the room I noticed both Erik and Terra were in the room as well, along with a dark-skinned woman with tiel eyes and short brown hair, in shiny armour I didn''t recognize.

    Once I entered, Miranda was about to close the door but the door was pushed open by my Volt who almost got locked out.

    *angry chuff*

    "oh, sorry Volt," I said apologizing.

    When I saw everyone''s faces I let out a small smirk.

    "Volt?" Erik asked confused

    "Wait it''s you?!" Miranda said recognizing Volt from a few days ago.

    "Jack, is it safe to summon him twice in a day?" Terra asked worried about me but not reacting the same as she knew we had a contract.

    "A Magical Beast!" The woman in armour shouted drawing her sword.

    I jumped between the woman and Volt and shouted "He is a spirit I have a contract with, not a Magical Beast!"

    The woman was shocked at my bravery but didn''t lower her sword instead tightened her grip and lowered herself down to look me in the eyes.

    "Regardless of whether a spirit has a contract or not, they cannot just wander around freely they are nothing more than wild animals," she said.

    ^Volt, she needs to learn a lesson. Any ideas?^ I asked, angry at her naivety, arrogance, and stupidity, considering she is in metal armour and Volt is a lightning tiger.

    ^Agreed. Touch her head and I can overload her brain.^

    I smirked and placed my hand on her forehead, confusing her before she lunged back placed a hand on her head and screamed.

    "What was thaaaaAAAAA!" she started to say but it turned into screams of pain.

    I stood there with a blank expression facing her.

    "Stop this kid or I will-Argh!" she shouted clutching her head in pain.

    "I am doing nothing. Volt is doing it and will only stop when you apologize for calling him an animal," I explained, showing no emotion.

    "Ok, ok! I am sorry!" she said

    ^Not sincere.^ Volt said in her head and increased the pain.

    I could feel her fear running through her head as she realized she couldn''t lie.

    It took another 20 seconds of mental pleading as she couldn''t speak for Volt to let her go.

    The moment he let her go she collapsed on the floor and passed out.

    "What... just happened?" Erik asked

    I looked at him and said "She was mean so Volt flooded her mind with so much information it caused physical pain. She should wake up soon but she will need time to rest before she can return to duty. Who is she anyway?"

    Miranda, still shocked by the act of brutality I had just shown, answered. "A knight from the royal guard."

    "oh shit," I said

 What Do You Want

    As a member of the royal guard, this woman had a standing that was higher than most regional nobles, like Aunt Miranda, so my attacking her like that may cause problems.

    I was scared about what would happen but seeing my distress Erik placed a hand on my shoulder.

    He said, "She insulted a spirit, their contractor, a survivor of the orc attack and the nephew of the nobles they are staying with for the night."

    "Even if spirits aren''t as respected here as they are in the elven kingdom. with spirit summoners being so rare, the king wouldn''t stand for insulting them. If he heard about this she would have been punished later if not now, possibly even executed."

    I nodded. My worry lowering but not subsiding.

    (they didn''t question the act of violence as they understood I needed a way to vent my anger and spirits can be considered higher beings by many, especially elves and half-elves like Erik)

    We quickly positioned her on a chair so she had a better place to rest and recover.

    "Why is she here?" I asked while stretching my back after getting her in a comfortable position. With all that armour she was very heavy.

    "We don''t know yet. The carriage she arrived in got here half an hour ago while you were still out. She had a royal decree to use our mansion for the night and they will head out tomorrow." Erik explained after sitting down a pouring himself a glass of water from a pitcher on the table.

    "We have no idea about why they are here." Miranda jumped in "but we have to comply because of the royal decree. Thankfully we know they aren''t bandits who killed the actual guards and put on the armour. I met 2 of the guards years ago and could recognize them, including her." she pointed to Sophia.

    I nodded

    "That''s odd. The royal guards are the personal bodyguards of the royal family, aren''t they? Doesn''t that mean one of the royal family is nearby" I said

    (yes this family knows I am smarter than I should be at my age. They find it easier to just not question it.)

    Terra''s face perked up and I could tell what went through her head ''Could a prince be with them!'' all young girls dream about marrying a prince so it was not surprising.

    Miranda shook her head "We would have been informed if that was the case. Sometimes the Royal Guards will be sent out on personal matters from the king but it''s rare. Though we should wait until Sophia wakes up before we start making assumptions"

    We all nodded and I sat down on a chair with Volt lying down next to me.

    I saw Miranda look at him but didn''t say anything.

    Erik spoke up first "Terra told us about Volt and how you are a Spirit Summoner. Is that all correct?"

    I nodded and said "If you want to talk to him you can. He can understand you, I will translate for him."

    Miranda looked at me then Volt and nodded.

    "Thank you for guiding us to Jack, You saved his life. If there is anything I can offer as thanks please let me know," she said

    Volt started to speak to me and hearing his response shocked me a bit

    ^Are you sure that is all you want? It''s a little cliche don''t you think?^ I asked him through our telepathic link.

    ^Yes. I do not need anything else.^ he responded

    ^Ok.^

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    I turned to my aunt "He says it wasn''t a problem and that he doesn''t need much but if you are offering, he asked that so long as I live here he would like fish to be prepared for him to eat."

    She looked confused "Is that all he really wants?" realizing she made a slight mistake she turned to Volt and addressed him directly. "Sorry is that all you want."

    Volt nodded his head.

    Miranda looked confused but complied "We will need to talk about that later when we don''t have..." she glanced at the still unconscious Sophia. "non-family members present."

    We both nodded.

    We continued to talk a bit about me and Volt. I gave them the fake story I told Terra earlier, just a bit more detailed.

    They did ask about Brakos but I lied saying I didn''t know him.

    After a while, I noticed Terra looking at Volt with curiosity and I smirked to myself.

    She loved animals, especially fluffy ones. Even if Volt wasn''t an actual animal, that didn''t stop him from looking like one.

    When Terra noticed me looking at her she shrunk away slightly but quickly built up the courage and asked. "Is it alright if I pet you, Volt?"

    Everyone was surprised by her question aside from Volt who looked content and nodded.

    Terra''s face lit up and she walked over and started petting Volt on the head and scratching behind his ears.

    I could tell he liked it.

    "He''s so soft!" she said excitedly.

    Both her parents had surprised expressions but seeing neither me nor Volt react they relaxed seeing that nothing bad was going to happen and even smiled seeing their daughter petting a tiger like it was a pet dog.

    While she pet volt I turned towards Miranda and Erik.

    "What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked

    Both of them turned to each other and then to the unconscious Sophia.

    "If she isn''t moving right now it means she won''t wake up for a while," I said reassuring them it was fine to talk.

    They both nodded hearing my explanation.

    Terra hearing this sat down in a chair next to me but still reached over and petted Volt who seemed to enjoy it a lot.

    Erik breathed out and spoke first.

    "We know that despite your calm personality right now you are not doing well. We''ve known you for this long, it''s not hard," he said

    "With everything that happened, we want to know if you are alright with staying here with us until you come of age. We know you don''t like being a noble, at no point will we force those kinds of things on you, we just want a place for you to grow up as if you were... well..." he said trailing off not willing to bring up the attack right now.

    I looked at him, let out a sigh and said "You''re right I am not doing great right now but finding ways to distract myself is helping. As for your offer, I am ok with it. I have no problems with staying here so long as I am not dragged into any political affairs or fancy parties."

    He let out a sigh of relief as he wasn''t sure I would accept.

    Miranda then spoke up "We have already prepared a room for you when we finish up here we will bring you over. If you need anything just let us know."

    I nodded

    Miranda smiled but her expression became slightly more serious.

    "Now as for... Thornbranch, Erik will be going with some of the Guards while I will stay here. While he is there, he will be handling matters and collecting the remains to bring them to any remaining families and look for any more survivors. Alex and Draven will be brought back here and buried as well."

    "Before we go do you know where any important things would be, some hiding places survivors might be hiding in or anything from your home you want us to collect."

    I let out a deep sigh and spoke "I do have some ideas but I want to return to Thornbranch with you."

    Everyone other than Volt looked at me with surprise.

    "Y-you want to return to Thornbranch?!" Miranda asked

    I nodded "Yes. It will be easier if I guide everyone and I have some things I need to check on. Plus I want to say goodbye to everyone before they are put to rest." I said not telling them about me creating a list of the dead.

    Miranda and Erik looked at each other but relented and said. "Ok you can come but if you don''t feel well let us know, ok."

    I nodded

    Terra moved over and gently hugged me like an older sister and said "I will go to. I can keep an eye on Jack if a problem arises."

    I rolled my eyes but didn''t say anything, I knew my mental state wasn''t great so having her there might be a good idea.

    Both her parents didn''t argue as that was a good idea as we have been close for years.

    "We will leave tomorrow around 10 AM and should arrive in 3 days. Pack up some things and be ready by then ok" Miranda said.

    We both nodded and Terra released me from her hug but didn''t move away and remained sitting next to me.

    We talked for a few more minutes when Terra asked "Is she ok? She hasn''t woken up yet" while pointing at the unconscious Sophia.

    I looked over at Sophia and noticed that she still hadn''t even moved.

    ^Did you break her?^ I spoke to Volt through our connection

    ^No... she should have woken up by now, or at the least moved... unless... her mind was weaker than normal. Try waking her up, if not then we worry.^

    I got up and walked over to Sophia noticing that she hadn''t moved an inch and tried slapping her face to wake her up

    "Hey wake up!" I said, "We aren''t going to wait forever for you!"

    she didn''t move

    ^Try pouring water on her face.^ Volt said

    I picked up the pitcher of water, noticed it was cold and poured it on her head

    her eyes bulged open and she screamed "AAAHHH! COLD!"

 The 4th Princess

    "AAAHHH! COLD!" Sophia screamed as she jumped up from her chair and tried to grab her sword which we removed earlier.

    "Calm down Sophia we did that to wake you up," I said while trying not to laugh at her reaction.

    "Wake me up? From what? And that''s Lady Sophia to yo-" she started to ask but when she saw Me and Volt, she instantly froze.

    Just before she could say anything bad about either of us Miranda jumped in.

    "The Spirit only did that because you insulted him, Sophia. If I remember correctly, insulting a summoner and/or calling a Spirit a monster is a crime in this kingdom, as the King himself declared it. So I would hold your tongue if I were you, or mine might just slip." Miranda said threatening Sophia.

    I smiled, happy that I had family who would stand up for me.

    Miranda made it very clear that if either me or Volt were insulted again she wouldn''t hesitate to report her behaviour.

    Sophia paled when she heard I was a summoner. She knew that we are rare, so rare that kingdoms have gone to war over just one of us. So me having a bad relationship with the Royal Court could be catastrophic.

    (Sophia knows this but Jack doesn''t. He knows summoners are rare but not to that extent.)

    She excused herself for a minute to collect herself. When she re-entered she seemed calm but I could sense uneasiness from her and she never made eye contact with either me or Volt.

    "I apologize for earlier, my behaviour was unacceptable. I was unaware that you had a Summoner here and mistakenly thought it was a monster," she said nealing down to Miranda and Erik.

    "Volt isn''t an it, he''s a ''he''" I said adding a bit of extra embarrassment to Sophia.

    "Right sorry. I thought ''he'' was a monster." I said correcting herself

    "I understand if you are angry but please can this remain between us?" she pleaded

    Miranda took a minute to respond causing Sophia''s anxiety to rocket every second.

    Just as she was about to break Miranda said "So long as you don''t cause any more problems for me and my family, then yes."

    Sophia let out a sigh of relief.

    "Now why are you here exactly?" Erik asked.

    Sophia stood up but looked a little uncomfortable answering but relented "I do suppose I owe you an answer."

    "My squad and I are escorting the 4th Princess, Elisebeth Rumia to the port City of Levin."

    "When the Princess heard about the attacks on nearby villages she decided we would help even though I told her we were unable to do so at the time."

    "she has a big heart but is too young to understand arriving on time or that we are limited on resources and that we can''t help everyone."

    Miranda nodded and said, "I am surprised you would disclose that information to us so easily."

    "Think of it as reparations for earlier," she said lowering her head.

    Miranda nodded and Erik spoke up "To appease the princess we are planning on heading towards a village that was attacked a few days ago. It''s on the way to Leven, maybe this will be a way to teach her she can''t do everything."

    Sophia took a moment and thought about it and nodded "It will sate her want to help. I thank you for the offer. If you give me some time I will collect the princess and we can discuss the plan properly, if that ok with you of course."

    They both nodded and Sophia got up and left the room.

    After she left, I did say to everyone else "Don''t let them know I am related to the Rondo family. If the Princess is immature she could expose a secret I don''t want out, to survivors of Thornbranch."

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    Everyone turned to me with confused expressions.

    I explained "Mom told only a few people from Thornbranch she was a noble. Most of the people there don''t like nobles and the fact a former noble was living in a village like Thornbranch as an adventurer could cause unwanted rumours and attention."

    Everyone took a moment but nodded. They knew many people didn''t like nobles as many were corrupt and greedy. The main members of the Rondo family aren''t but people live to judge and criticize rather than believe and trust.

    "Now, on to more pressing matters. Is it really ok to bring a Princess with us to Thornbranch?" I asked

    "It may not be the best idea but it will have to do," Miranda said

    "From what I have heard about the 4th Princess, she is a dreamer and idealist. She wishes for world peace and nothing bad to ever happen but doesn''t understand how difficult that is." Miranda explained,

    "She has been doted on since she was a baby so giving her a dose of reality might do her some good... or break her beyond repair," Erik said adding a joke to the end

    I nodded thinking that logic did make sense but the result depended on how coddled she was.

    While we were waiting for Sophia to return we discussed what my cover story would be so they wouldn''t know I was related to the Rondo Family.

    After a few minutes, Sophia returned and held open the door for a young girl who entered after her.

    The young girl looked to be around the age of 9 or 10, she had long golden blond hair, and green eyes, and wore a simple yet regal bright red dress.

    She looked around the room and smiled when she saw me and Terra. Volt had left at this point to take care of something he didn''t tell me about. Only saying I would learn later on.

    We had a chair set up for her opposite aunt Miranda with Erik sitting on the left, me and Terra sitting opposite him on the right and Sophia standing behind the Princess.

    Sophia took the opportunity to introduce herself.

    "Introducing the 4th Princess of the kingdom of Rumia, Elisabeth Rumia," she said in a regal but calm voice making sure she didn''t speak too loudly.

    "It is an honour to meet you, Princess," Miranda said while both she and Erik gave a slight bow.

    Terra followed her parent''s example and gave a slight bow while I gave a simple nod. (I don''t give respect to those who haven''t earned it)

    she looked confused that I didn''t bow but didn''t say anything.

    "It is very nice to meet you. I would have met you sooner but my guards didn''t let me leave the carriage," she said

    Miranda nodded and asked, "What have you been told about the Orc situation, Princess Elisabeth?"

    "Oh you can just call me Elisabeth." the Princess said waving her hand "I am not much one for formality."

    "I see. Well then Elisabeth, what do you know about the current situation?"

    She smiled "I know that orcs have attacked a number of villages. I would like to lend my assistance as a member of the royal family."

    Hearing the Princess speak filled me with concern and fascination.

    ''either this girl is a brilliant strategist who plans on being the saviour of a destroyed village and boosting her standing among the people to take the throne, or she is just a nieve girl who thinks that fairytales are the same as real life and that everything will work out if the princess comes to save the day.''

    (to be fair, some fairytales are real in this world but they aren''t as child-friendly as one might think)

    "Well, that is good to hear. Tomorrow we are sending out a group to the village of Thornbranch. It was just attacked by a wandering tribe of Orcs and needs help.

    "To assist in searching for survivors and determine if the village can be rebuilt, my husband and daughter will be leading the expedition with a few of our guards."

    "This young man here is Jackson, he is a survivor of the attack on Thronbranch. Miraculously he managed to reach us yesterday unharmed and informed us about it. He is familiar with the area surrounding the village and knows where people might go to hide so he will help with the search."

    Elisabeth looked astonished when the subject changed to me and I could feel a weird sensation when she looked at me.

    "That is good to know. we will accompany you along the way and help in any way we can no matter how long it takes!" Elisabeth said excitedly.

    Sophia looked uncomfortable and leaned over to whisper into the princess''s ear but she was still loud enough to where I could hear.

    "Um, Princess we are limited on time due to our original goal. we can only afford a 1 day''s delay then we must leave." Sophia whispered

    the princess pouted but said "2 days."

    Sophia sighed but said "Fine. 2 days."

    I saw both of them smirk, the Princess ''thinking'' she won an argument so easily and Sophia because she tricked the princess so easily.

    "It is decided then. Everyone will leave at 10 am tomorrow and will reach Thornbranch in 3 days. 2 days after you arrive you will depart to take care of your own business. During the time you are at the village, your guards will assist in the search of survivors and defend them in case of monster attacks. If you have any problems with that plan please speak now."

    No one said anything.

    "Very well then. Princess if you need a room please let us know."

    "If it isn''t a bother please," she said

    Miranda got up and guided the princess away while the rest of us remained.

    "I thought you were a member of the Rondo Family. You called Lady Miranda, Aunt Miranda, earlier, correct?" Sophia asked me confused

    I flinched, I didn''t think she could remember that.

    I sighed and answered, "My mother is Alexandra Rondo. She didn''t like being a noble so she left the Noble title behind and became an adventurer, married my father and had me."

    "Very few people know that so keep it a secret ok," I warned

    she nodded with fear in her eyes.

 The Journey Home

    The next morning me, Erik, Terra, Elisabeth, Sophia and the other Royal Guards all gathered in front of the mansion, getting ready to depart.

    I packed my spear, dagger and wand with me keeping the last 2 hidden and wore some leather armour I found in the basement under my shirt, I can''t be too careful.

    Terra was wearing similar armour and brought a wooded staff with a green crystal on the end.

    I could recognize it as a plant mage staff, a Mid Grade Magic item by the looks of it. It was slightly weaker than my wand as it had a D-ranked Plant Magic Crystal as opposed to my C-ranked Lightning Magic Crystal.

    Before we left Aunt Miranda spoke to Beth me and terra,

    "Take care of each other and stay safe. Jack if you don''t feel well let Erik or Terra know and they will help. Terra looked after him, ok." she said

    "ok" we both said.

    The whole trip takes about 2-3 days so we had a lot of time to ourselves.

    Me and Erik rode in the same carriage, I was reading some books I grabbed from the mansion''s library the night before, Erik did some wood carving with his carving knife and Terra decided to ride with the Princess.

    I wasn''t really surprised as Terra doesn''t have any girls her age to talk to. Plus what girl wouldn''t want to talk to a prince

    as it was the middle of fall we all agreed to sleep inside of the carriages as they could keep heat better and gave the 4 extras the knights came with to the guards.

    The first day wasn''t very eventful, but on the second day, things got weird.

    In the morning as I opened the book I was reading the night before I noticed the smell of perfume on the pages. I didn''t pay much attention to it and just thought someone must have gotten some on the book last time it was read.

    That night though as I got back into my carriage after having some food I found the Princess holding my spear and admiring it.

    Normally I wouldn''t have minded but sneaking in here and touching my stuff without my permission was not something I liked.

    She somehow didn''t notice me so I grabbed one end of the spear and infused my magic into it giving the Princess a shock.

    I pulled the spear out of the carriage after she dropped it and she slunk away into the shadowy corner, ashamed that she was caught.

    Whistled to one of her knights who I could see was searching for her. I pointed with my thumb back toward my carriage and walked away.

    I told Terra about it and asked her to find out what that was about and she agreed.

    The next morning I talked to Terra again and got some answers.

    Apparently, the princess saw the spear while we were leaving the mansion and was fascinated by the spearhead and wanted a better look so she snuck into the carriage to get a good look at it but I caught her.

    I doubted it, I kept the spearhead wrapped in cloth and never took it out. At no point could she have seen it without taking the wrapping off? The only way she would have noticed its odd design was if she snuck in before.

    When I asked her about it she seemed flustered but gave the same story but one slight difference. She said she saw my dagger and wanted to know if my spear was the same.

    I never told anyone I had a dagger on me! Not even Erik and Terra knew.

    She had been sneaking around and spying on me while I slept.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    I made it a point to lock the carriage doors from then on.

    The next day during the noon break we took I was watching the Royal Knights training the Rondo Guards. Turns out the guards managed to persuade the knights to train them.

    As I was watching, one of the knights noticed me and asked "Would you like to train with us, kid?"

    I looked at the man, shrugged and said "Sure, I need to try fighting against different opponents. Give me a second."

    I quickly went to grab my spear.

    The knights were surprised I had a spear like it and some asked where I got it and I told them I got it for my birthday from my dad.

    Some of them chuckled. I didn''t like that.

    I suggested a spar rather than teach me combat forms.

    One arrogant knight stepped forward and agreed.

    One of the knights, who I could tell was a spellblade, walked up and cast a non-lethality spell on the weapons to prevent us from injuring each other.

    As we got into positions I noticed Terra, Erik and the princess watching from a distance.

    I smiled and turned to my opponent.

    He wielded a Mace and Tower Shield combo and wore heavy armour. A combo that sacrifices speed for defence while maintaining damage.

    As one knight counted down we both stared into each other eyes while I suddenly placed one hand on my dagger.

    The moment the battle started I flung my dagger toward the knight''s head, catching him off guard. He raised his shield to protect his face.

    When the dagger hit he lowered it and yelled "The spell wasn''t cast on the dagger you idiot what if I didn''t- what?!"

    Once the shield of lowered, he could see I was no longer in front of him.

    *Bop*

    I hit him on the head with the spear from behind.

    "Winner! Jack!" one knight said while the other laughed.

    He was mad and demanded the reason why I threw the dagger. I explained I aimed for the shield, to confuse him.

    He demanded a rematch and I agreed.

    I picked up the dagger and let them cast the spell on it as well. This time he added in the stipulation that I can''t throw the dagger and I agreed as well.

    When the match started I threw the spear instead.

    As the spear flew at him he was surprised but noticed it wasn''t aimed at him but slightly to his right.

    As I saw that he was distracted by the spear ran up to his left, pulled out my wand and cast a lightning shock on his armour.

    Due to the conductive power of metal, I hit his entire body in one go.

    I won that match too.

    He demanded a rematch again claiming that I used magic so I cheated.

    I countered that we never said magic was against the rules but agreed, I was having fun.

    For this match, we agreed on no throwing weapons and no magic.

    When this match started I ran up and tried to poke him in the face with my spear, he raised the shield and swung at the top of my head.

    Something he didn''t realize is that the whole time I have been standing on my toes.

    When I suddenly got shorter, he panicked. He was already at a disadvantage because I was already short, but being even smaller than he thought made things even more difficult, especially since his tower shield made it difficult to see me.

    As I saw him panic I moved to his left taking advantage of his limited vision of me and stabbed him with my dagger in the kidney.

    He somehow managed to dodge the blow but tripped over my spear that I dropped to the ground to his right.

    He fell over when he stepped away and I watched as his shield trapped him underneath it. I walked over and sat on top of the shield.

    "Winner! Jack!"

    he didn''t want to accept he had lost 3 times to an 8-year-old, the knights wouldn''t let him live it down anytime soon, and tried to act for another rematch but I declined.

    He demanded a rematch and said I shouldn''t use petty tricks to win my battles.

    I turned to him and said "When fighting a dragon, do you use tricks to win against or do you stand still to win? Your tactics may work when facing other people but against monsters that are smarter and stronger than you, you will die." I left

    the other knights were shocked by my insight but the arrogant knight didn''t like that and still insisted on another rematch

    He thought I got bored of beating him and just said that as an excuse but it was actually because I was tired and didn''t have any other plans to defeat him.

    Currently, I''m not one to fight directly unless I know I can win.

    I can''t summon Volt as part of our contract is that I can''t summon him 2 days out of the week and today was one of them unless it was an emergency or we discussed an alternative beforehand.

    As I walked over to the viewing party Terra and Erik congratulated me and asked how I did all that.

    I explained that the knight was arrogant and underestimated me because of my age in the first round.

    In the second round, he realized that I knew how to throw a dagger but didn''t think I was good at hand-to-hand fighting and didn''t expect that I could use magic.

    In the last round, he knew I used tricks to win battles so he stood his ground and didn''t let me distract him. Because all his focus was on me he didn''t pay much attention to my footwork or what was on the ground.

    The trick I used to make myself look taller was something I learned from Rishik, the lizardman spear fighter adventurer who taught me how to use a spear and how to trick my opponents.

    Thanks to his teachings I can fight people so long as they either underestimate me or are so angry they don''t realize I led them into a trap.

    Through my explanation, the Princess who was nearby didn''t say anything but listen to every word I said.

    A little while afterwards to set out again.

    We continued and 2 hours before sunset we arrived at the now-destroyed village of Thornbranch.

 The Search for Survivors

    Seeing the village destroyed was a shock to many of us.

    The guards and knights seemed to be sorry for the residents but many of them had seen similar things before so it didn''t move them much.

    Terra and Erik were more shocked. Seeing the home of their family and a place they have been charged to protect, ravaged and destroyed was a sight they were dreading but could never prepare enough.

    The Princess was a close second. She never knew how much destruction and pain could be caused. It was clear that when she saw a body she would pass out.

    I was the most shocked. I knew exactly how the village looked a week ago and seeing it like this made it worse than I originally thought.

    When I ran, it was dark and the village was still in a stable condition so the damage didn''t seem so bad but this was so much worse. Buildings torn apart, walls destroyed, many houses burnt down and...blood.

    Blood was splattered everywhere, on the remaining walls on the pathways and in many other places.

    I didn''t see many bodies, according to the report we received the orcs didn''t take the bodies for food just left them. It is an odd behaviour for orc raiders, but then again the Red Hand has never been an ordinary tribe.

    As we got closer a camp on the eastern outskirts of the village was visible.

    As we approached soldiers from the Rondo family came to greet us. They were the ones sent to the village after I told Miranda and Erik about the attack.

    Erik talked to them and explained why royal knights were present and informed the ones who knew the truth about my cover story.

    As they talked I just couldn''t help but stare at the village. The village I grew up in, had so many memories, playing with friends, talking with people and so much more. It was so hard being here again but I had to do it.

    Terra came up to me and hugged me from behind. I turned and hugged her back but didn''t look away from the village.

    "We will do what we can. You are not alone" she said hugging me tighter.

    "Thank you," I said in a whisper while holding back tears.

    Eventually, we rested for the night but I couldn''t sleep. My mind kept going back to that night thinking about what I could have done differently what must have happened or what if the Orcs returned and attacked again.

    ...

    ...

    I got very little sleep.

    ...

    The next morning, everyone except for the princess who didn''t feel well, gathered at the center of camp as we ate breakfast and went over the plan.

    A soldier named Ronan, the head of the soldiers who have been here, stepped forward and explained "Today we will search the northern side of the village. Due to the damage to the village, we have been busy clearing out a path to access it safely. Hopefully, we can find some survivors and with the help of the knights it will be done faster than expected."

    "Jackson you are a resident of the village, correct?" he asked me.

    "yes I am, but I don''t know any places in the northern part of Thronbranch where people could take refuge," I answered his question before he could ask.

    "I lived on the west side and knew of places in the southwest half of the village but not the rest. Some places outside the village might have refugees as well."

    He nodded and asked, "Not a problem if we finish the northern side before 3 PM can you lead us to places you do know?"

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    I nodded.

    "good now what places outside the village do you know of."

    "There is a mine to the northeast, about a 30-minute walk from here. To the south are some old ruins some teens like to hang around about 10 minutes away. Finally, to the west there recently have been rumours of a Druid living there but I am not sure."

    "A Druid! Are you sure?" Ronan asked surprised.

    "Like I said rumours and if they are real we don''t know if they are friendly or not," I warned

    "A good point, we will search outside the village tomorrow, for today we will check inside. Do you remember the population of the village?"

    "A little over 2,300 I think," I said remembering the quest I received.

    He nodded and said "We have just under 1,300 accounted for but haven''t found any survivors hopefully with your help we can"

    He stood up announcing to everyone "We leave in 20, everyone is ready!"

    As walked closer to the village I could see several sheets laid on top of bodies and candles burning by each one.

    "What is that sweet smell?" Terra asked hesitantly, fearing the answer

    "The candles. they are enchanted to last very long and scented to ward off monsters and animals to prevent them from entering the village." Ronan said

    "Adventurers use them all the time to ward off monsters while camping in the forest or to protect the body of a fallen friend until they can bring them home while on a quest" I added.

    She nodded letting out a sigh of relief thankful that it wasn''t something gross.

    As we got closer I took out some rags, poured some water on them from my water skin and handed one to Terra "Tie this around your face to cover your mouth and nose. It will help with the smell." I said

    she took it and did so without hesitation.

    While walking through the village I could see so much more damage than I thought could be possible. Entire buildings were knocked over, carts and baskets strewn and smashed on the sides of the streets and the splatters of blood everywhere.

    "what have you done with the bodies?" I asked Rondo

    he gave me a sad look but answered "Same as what you saw before those were just the ones we found here, we used some magic to prevent them from decomposing. Hopefully, we can find some other survivors who can identify the people. Would be better than unmarked graves." he said, I could tell he didn''t mince his words.

    Eventually, we got to a part of the village with a wall of carts and stones piled up making a wall all around the northern part of the village. It does explain how they couldn''t just get around all the streets leading here were blocked so they had to clear it.

    Ronan led us to a cleared part of the blockage and we began our search.

    We started by splitting into teams and going down each street and calling out while checking wreckage and buildings when we could.

    It was hardest on me and terra as we found many bodies. Terra had a hard time as she had never seen anything like this and I did as I could recognize some of these people. I took out my notebook and started to write.

    During the days going towards the village, I wrote down the names of people I could remember but I could only remember about 200 of the 2346 population.

    I planned to find the population registry in the mayor''s office, copy it down in my notebook and cross out names when I confirmed they were dead.

    Hopefully, we can find some survivors so they can identify them rather than me guessing.

    As we pass bodies we leave a red flag when we find someone who is dead but if we find a survivor we send out a green flair into the sky and a white one if assistance is needed.

    As we got closer to the edge of the village we found no survivors just so many bodies and I was losing hope until...

    *Whistle*

    *Boom*

    *Whistle*

    *Boom*

    A green and white flair shot into the sky.

    When I saw it I felt immense relief and ran towards where the flair was sent off.

    If someone just a single person was still alive I would be so happy. It would mean that the work of my parents and the other adventurers in the village didn''t die for just one person. The more people we find, the more lives they save in their final hour.

    As we turned a corner I could see them rapping the leg of a lizardman in a bandage, a lizardman I recognized.

    "Rirki!?" I shouted with tears in my eyes recognizing him as my Spearfighting teacher and started running over to him.

    Rirki turned towards me with shock and tried to stand up but failed.

    "Jackie!" he said and opened his arms to me.

    I jumped into his arms crying, relieved seeing him alive. He was always a close friend of my parents and a person I saw as an uncle.

    We stayed there for a few minutes both of us relived seeing each other alive.

    He pulled me off him and asked "How are you alive?! How did you get away?!" Holding back tears I explained, "I was on the other side of the village when the attack started. Mom and Dad went to help, so I hid at home. But an orc got by and tried to get me, so I ran, and Dad saved me when some other orcs found me."

    "When I got out of the village I ran and ended up at the Rondo Mansion and they came to help." I finished with a constant stream of tears flowing down my face.

    "That''s good to know. So long as you alright, your parents must be worried do you know where they are?"

    I looked down and didn''t answer.

    By this time Erik and some others had arrived and he heard the question.

    "Are you a friend of his parents?" Erik asked

    Rirki nodded

    "I am sorry, we haven''t 100% confirmed it but... we are pretty sure they they didn''t make it," he said, lowering his head.

    Rirki looked at me in disbelief but hugged me again to comfort me.

 Survivors!

    After a little bit, I managed to calm down enough to listen to the conversation.

    Rirki gestured to the 2 guards that set off the flair "They explained to me that you were here looking for survivors. Are you from the Rondo House?" he asked.

    "Yes I am Erik and this is my daughter, Terra. My wife is Miranda Rondo the head of the Rondo Family."

    "When Jackson arrived at our house and informed us about the attack we sent guards immediately to assist but the Orcs were gone before they got here. we arrived with Jack yesterday to assist where we can." Erik explained

    "Now if you don''t mind me asking, who are you?"

    Rirki smiled, stood up leaning on his spear due to his injured leg, placed a closed fist on his chest and said "I am Rirki. A B Rank Adventurer and member of the Blackvine Lizardman Tribe." he said with a slight bow but almost lost his balance.

    "It is good to meet you, Rirki. Are you aware of any other survivors around here?" Erik asked

    "Yes, I have about 50 hiding in the cellar of a house not far from here. I have gathered all the survivors I could find there."

    "Some are injured and others are hungry, i was searching for food and fresh medical supplies when I bumped into them." he pointed to the guards again.

    Everyone let out a sigh of relief and I asked "Can you lead us there?"

    "Of course, follow me," he said and started to move down the streets and we left the guards to continue the search like normal.

    As we walked we made sure to grab some food and water for them, Erik already had medical supplies on him so we didn''t need to grab more.

    After a few minutes we came to one of the few still intact houses... well besides the missing front door and broken windows but still.

    Rirki led us to a hatch hidden under a carpet and knocked on it a few times.

    *Click* *Slide* the hatch opened.

    "Rirki did something happen, why are you back so soon?" someone asked

    "Good news everyone knights from the Rondo family have arrived and are here to help. We have food, water and medical supplies. it is safe now, come on out."

    we heard many sighs of relief and cheers, happy they didn''t have to hide in the cellar for much longer. We helped the people climb out of the basement into the house and to the streets.

    Thankfully no bodies were around here so it didn''t cause any problems yet.

    As we got people out Erik started to help those who were injured while Rirki, Terra and I started handing out food and water.

    As I did so I asked everyone their names and wrote them down in the book.

    When asked why I said "I am also from Thronbranch. My parents are Alex and Draven."

    Everyone in the village knew who my parents were so I wasn''t surprised when they showed shocked expressions or asked if they were ok.

    In response to the latter, I only lowered my head and they got the idea.

    "I may be young but I want to help. We need to know who survived and who didn''t so I am creating a list of everyone." I said trying to keep on a brave face but sadness was obviously there.

    They thanked me and gave me the names of other people in the village and agreed to identify others when the time came. When I finished I had 1384 names in the book and had the status of 66 of them. Counting the ones I got earlier.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    After some time more guards arrived and started to lead the survivors to the makeshift camp to get washed and rested while the rest of us continued the search.

    We sadly didn''t find any more survivors.

    I did manage to find a ledger containing the names of all the village residents.

    We finished searching the village by noon and we all gathered back at the camp to rest and plan out our next moves.

    Seeing everyone tired from searching brought back some memories about my parents when they came home from Quests completely wiped out and almost instantly passed out on the couch, on their bed or even on his bed.

    It was nice to remember simple things like that but sad about what caused it when we got back to camp it all seemed worth it when we saw the relieved and happy faces of the people we did manage to find.

    It was also nice to see the princess helping the people however she could. Bringing them food and water while also getting to talk to them and understand what happened here and how life as a commoner was.

    Sophia was very careful to stay nearby to jump in if something happened and clearly was not very ok with the princess'' lack of danger awareness. Even if this wasn''t a time to worry it was still possible that the survivors wanted the princess dead.

    After resting for a while me, Erik, Terra, Rirki, Ronan Sophia and the Princess all gathered together in a tent.

    "Things aren''t looking too bleak now that we found some people. I want to thank you for helping them." Ronan said to Rirki.

    "An adventurer''s job is to protect people from monsters and attackers. I just did what I was supposed to."

    "Well regardless it was a massive help to us. If you are willing can you assist us with the rest of the search? We can pay you if needed."

    "Helping the son of my friends is something I will never walk away from, although I won''t turn down the money if you''re offering." Rirki joked.

    I was happy Rirki didn''t reveal anything, Mom didn''t like people knowing she was a noble. Rirki was one of the very few who knew and agreed to keep it a secret. We agreed to talk about it later when we got the chance.

    "Now as we finished the village ahead of schedule we can begin searching outside the village today. Jack has told us about the Mine to the northeast, the ruins to the south and the possibility of a druid in the west. Does anyone else know of a place people would go in an emergency?"

    Rirki stepped forward and said "The ''possible Druid'' is real. I was with them before the attack."

    Everyone turned to Rirki in surprise.

    "There is a Druid in the went?" Sophia asked

    Rirki nodded

    The princess, who had never seen a lizardman before, was fascinated by Rirki and didn''t stop staring at him until she asked "What is a Druid?"

    Everyone turned to her confused. Druids aren''t some secret or lost practice, they are just rare to meet.

    "Druids are Nature mages," Ronan said,

    "Like Terra?"

    I slapped my face.

    Terra sighed and decided to explain "No I am a Plant mage, I can cause plants to grow faster and do certain things but that''s it."

    "Druids can use more advanced forms of plant magic, shapeshift into and talk to animals, use Primal Magic, forge contracts with spirits and are tasked with protecting ancient sites of magic. They are very rare and very powerful."

    The Princess''s eyes opened and said "Oh like Titania!"

    Everyone looked confused as they didn''t know that name, everyone other than me and Erik that is.

    "How the hell do you know about Titania?!" we both said at the same time.

    "Isn''t she a Queen? Shouldn''t she be known everywhere?" she said clearly not knowing what she just did.

    In Primus, Oberon and Titania are the King and Queen of the Fae [1]. Their power is comparable to fully awakened Primogenitors, being able to destroy kingdoms with ease. Despite them being noteworthy beings in the world, Titania and Oberon like to remain hidden.

    Only the Elves know about them and by extension Erik does as he is a half-elf.

    I know because the book I read in The Library about Spirits had a passage explaining their roles.

    The reason why me and Erik are freaking out is because the princess shouldn''t have known about Titania and if the Queen of the Seelie Court found out the princess revealed it like this who knows what would happen.

    Erik quickly covered the princess''s mouth and whispered into her ear. I couldn''t hear what he said but I was obviously effective in scaring the princess and she didn''t say anything again.

    Seeing Erik being serious, no one else questioned it either.

    I did wonder what she heard about Titania but I didn''t ask as it would cause problems with her that I don''t want.

    *Eh-hem* Ronan got everyone''s attention "Now back to the plan. Led by Rirki, me and my men will head to the Druid''s home. Erik you Jack and your men will go to the ruins. And finally Sohpia and Princess Elisabeth, you will head to the mine. Are we agreed?"

    Everyone nodded except for me and Rirki.

    "I think it would be best if you went else. the Druid doesn''t like..." Rirki looked Ronan up and down "Soldiers."

    Ronan raised an eyebrow.

    "It''s not to disrespect you but they don''t people who ''wear the earth, stripped from its roots'' as they put it."

    Ronan tilted his head in confusion "Huh?"

    "he means your armour will make him angry," I said

    Ronan nodded and said "I guess that does line up with their rumours.... who would you recommend bringing? I''m not going to send you by yourself."

    Rirki smiled turn and said, "Jack, Terra and Erik will you come with me?"

 Druidic Encounter

    "So why do they not know you are a member of the Rondo Family?" Rirki asked me

    We were walking in the forest heading to where the Druid was supposed to live.

    Erik and Terra were also with us. Me and Rirki were in the Front wielding spears, Terra was in the middle with her staff and Erik was in the back with his Bow drawn.

    All of us were ready in case a monster attacked thanks to the smell of blood not far behind us.

    "I am the same as mom I don''t want people to know that relation yet. Although I am going to be living with them now so I can''t hide it for long... there is also the princess..." I said

    "What about her?" Rirki asked

    "I think she has a crush on me and the only thing keeping her from marrying me is the fact that she thinks I am a commoner," I said in a hushed tone so quiet that Terra and Erik, who both had elven blood, couldn''t hear me.

    "What makes you think that? Plus why are you against it, it''s not every day that a princess takes an interest in a boy." Rirki asked and joked with a smile while also mimicking my tone of secrecy.

    I jabbed him in the leg with my elbow and said "You know I like guys not girls. Besides It could just be curiosity but she snuck into the tent when I was sleeping in and watched me sleep and/or rummaged through my things, not sure yet."

    "How do you know that?!" Rirki said forgetting to keep it quiet

    "Shh!"

    *Sigh* "She said she liked my dagger, the one dad made for me," I said and pulled it out showing Rirki "She said she wanted to see if the spear was the same. I never told anyone I had the dagger on me and the spear was wrapped up. At no point could she have known its design, or that it was cool looking, without sneaking around first."

    "Ok that is a bit weird... are you sure it isn''t just curiosity? She seems like a naive girl who doesn''t realize what she does is wrong."

    "No you''re right about that but she has also been staring at me weirdly whenever she gets the chance and she thinks I don''t notice," I said

    "The problem is that because of their innocent personality, I can''t tell if she doesn''t realize it is weird or if it is feelings for me and she doesn''t realize." I said

    *Sigh* "It''s annoying but so long as she doesn''t learn I am a noble it should be fine. She leaves tomorrow for her things so it shouldn''t be that hard." I finished

    "You may regret those words. Karma is a bi-"

    "What are you talking about?" Terra asked curiously.

    "I was just explaining how I am now a Spirit Summoner," I said covering up our previous conversation.

    Rirki was surprised by that and asked "Your a Summoner?!"

    "Yep. Only found out a few days ago and even have a contract with a spirit."

    "What kind of methods do you use to control them?" Rirki asked cautiously

    "I am a Spirit ''Summoner''. I only summon them when they are willing."

    "Forcing them to do my bidding would just make me a slave owner and I don''t like that. They are living, thinking beings. I will never force them into servitude." I said, reassuring Rirki that I would never use my power to harm spirits.

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    Lizardmen believe themselves to be the descendants of Dragons. But for some reason, through that connection, Spirits are also attracted to some lizardmen.

    Rirki is one of the few who commune with spirits but isn''t a summoner so it wasn''t a surprise when he was worried about me becoming a Spirit Slaver/Master. (same thing, different name)

    "It''s good to know. Now if you don''t mind could you sho-." Rirki started to say.

    Suddenly he noticed vines growing quickly and surrounding us.

    He held up his hand, telling us to stop. "She is nearby," he warned

    We all nodded and stopped walking and just kept an eye on our surroundings.

    "Spring! It is me Rirki! These are some friends who came here looking for any survivors of the orc attack on the nearby village. They mean no harm and only want to find them and guide them to safer places away from your Grove."

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    Nothing happened

    ...

    ...

    ...

    Until...

    "hahaha! You are so serious Rirki. It''s adorable." a woman''s voice came from behind us.

    We turned in that direction and I could a being wrapped in vines and leaves on her chest and waist, had some deer antlers tied to her waist. She had Brown eyes, and light brown fur and was holding a staff that looked like, and probably was, grown by her magic.

    Standing before us was a Female Deer Beast-Woman Druid. [1]

    I didn''t allow her young voice to deceive me. Nature magic is derived from life magic, meaning she can make herself sound young, even when she is in her 80s.

    I was surprised. It wasn''t my first time seeing a Beast-Folk but it was rare to see a Deer-Folk this far West.

    "Hello Spring. I thought I told you not to talk to me as if you were my aunt. I met you 2 weeks ago when I saved you from that Inferno Bear."

    She smiled and tilted her head "No promises. Who are they?"

    *sigh* "This is Jack, Terra and Erik. Jack is from the village and Erik and Terra are his uncle and cousin."

    I turned to him slightly angry.

    "Don''t get mad at me. Knowing her, she was probably listening to our entire conversation. Besides she can tell by looking at you that you are related. She can use high-level Nature magic so it isn''t hard for her." he said

    "I love the flattery Rirki but you don''t get brownie points." she teased

    "What are brownie points?" Rirki asked confused as he never heard the term before.

    Spring turned to him with a disappointed expression, shook her head and addressed the rest of us.

    "You are searching for the residents of the village who managed to escape, correct?"

    "Yes, we are," Erik said stepping forward.

    "Hm. Give me some time, and I will guide them to you. No offence but I don''t trust nobles" she said and turned away.

    "It''s not a problem Spring. Many human nobles are greedy and care only about making money and not the damage their actions cause. Whether it is on people, animals, spirits or the land." Erik said

    Spring stopped and turned to Erik and asked "And you do not bunch yourself with them?"

    "My wife is the head of our house and I fear her wrath more than any amount of greed could ever rule my mind."

    "A female head of the house? Are you related to Alex Rondo by chance?"

    "You know my mom?" I asked

    "Oh, you''re her son?"

    I nodded

    "That''s good to hear. I met her when she was young and just started being an adventurer, she came to investigate strange things happening in this forest, in other words, me. She told me about how her sister took over her noble house after she left."

    "She was so spirited and talkative back then. How is she doing?"

    I lower my head happy about meeting one of Mom''s friends but sad about breaking the news.

    Erik gave a weak smile *cough* "Alex is my...now late, sister-in-law"

    "Oh apologise. ...was it the attack?"

    Erik nodded

    "I see. Well young Jack if you ever need someone to talk to or hear stories about your mother when she just started adventuring come here we can talk. I will send a guide if needed."

    I nodded and waved my hand as she disappeared deeper into the forest. We stayed there for about 30 minutes when we saw people start to walk out of the forest towards us.

    We were all relieved around 200 people came out and we started to guide them back after I took down everyone''s names.

    As we walked back to the village I asked a few people what they remembered about the Grove but they couldn''t remember a thing. All they could remember was a thick fog.

    They did seem worried but I reassured them it was a harmless type of magic to protect secrets.

    I didn''t lie as I did remember both Mom and Brakos teaching me about it and some of my memories from my past life were the same. I allowed Brakos to do it to prevent me from saying something that I wasn''t supposed to or mentioning a supernatural creature that doesn''t exist yet.

    When we returned to the village and the camp we saw that our group arrived first.

    The new batch of survivors was greeted kindly by the previous group and they helped everyone get cleaned up and fed.

    As we waited for the other groups to return we all talked about what will happen now and Erik said he would explain the plan for moving forward tomorrow morning and to just take this day to rest.

    After a while, I could see the other 2 groups returning as well and both had survivors with them.

 Tomb of the Dead

    Ronan, Erik and Sophia all go together and talk about what they found.

    I helped the survivors get adjusted and continued to take down the names of the survivors.

    About 200 were found in Springs Grove, about 130 in the mines, and around 60 in the ruins.

    In total, we found around 460 survivors¡ªa large amount considering the state of the village.

    We allowed the villagers to rest, talk amongst themselves, and relax tonight. They were happy that they were safe and that some of their friends and family survived, but they were unaware that tomorrow, go through a painful ordeal.

    After I got everyone''s names and finished the list of survivors I noticed Erik had a tired expression on his face. I went over to Erik and asked him and asked: "Is everything alright?"

    He looked up at me and smiled "It''s fine, it has just been a long day." his smile was clearly to hide his exhausted expression.

    "it helps to talk about it," I said

    "Thanks for the offer but this isn''t something you worry abo-," she said

    I held my hand up to stop him from talking and pointed at my face with a smug expression.

    "Good point" he sighed and took a second before he started to explain.

    "the other 2 groups found several dead bodies of villagers, Orcs and animals on the path and some of the villagers said that it wasn''t just Orcs in the attack. Some said that beast-men were present as well."

    "Do you think it was The Unity Howl?" I asked

    The Unity Howl is a terrorist organization comprised entirely of Beast-Folk and Beast-Men. Their species has been enslaved and treated as worthless creatures by many throughout history.

    In villages like Thournbranch beast-men live alongside the other races like normal but that isn''t the case in more highly populated areas or those involved in politics. (this is partially why I don''t like politics)

    The Unity Howl used to be a protest group that demanded the freedom and equal treatment of all Beast-folk and Beast-men. But in recent years some of them have become radical and violent. They caused the death of many people both innocent and guilty to free their kin.

    Erik lowered his head and said, "Several villagers said they saw one of the beast men with a similar insignia on their cloak."

    "That''s not good," I said and thought for a minute.

    "It''s possible The Unity Howl used the Orcs to cover up their attempt to get Spring to join them," I said

    "...You''re not wrong. They could have heard of her and tried to convince her to help them. Though seeing how she gave us the villagers with no problems suggests their plan didn''t work as they wanted."

    "...Agreed. Let''s think about it tomorrow, we need sleep" I said and we both went and slept for the night.

    The next day we gathered everyone together and Ronan and Erik explained the plan for the day.

    They said that today was the last day the royal knights would be able to assist us as they had their mission to complete but wouldn''t leave until 2 pm tonight.

    Today everyone will reenter the village and start to identify the remains located all over the village.

    He explained that since I had been keeping a list of all the villagers when they confirm the identity of a body they should tell me and I will record it.

    They understood that this will be a lot for many people and some will be unwilling to help but the sooner we do this the sooner we can lay them to rest.

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    Everyone understood it was a necessary thing as there could still be missing people and getting closure is important. They all agreed but some asked what would happen to them after.

    Erik explained that his family would be happy to provide them with homes until they can get back on their feet and/or provide transportation to other villages and families. He stated that the Rondo family failed to protect them in the first place so it was the least they could do.

    He then explained that more carts would arrive in a few days to help transport the survivors and their belongings. As for the bodies we would cremate them and hold a funeral for all of them.

    He said that the villagers can also search their own homes to find and collect any valuables or important items to bring with them or leave with loved ones.

    As everyone agreed to the plan we all started to gather into groups based on where we lived and started travelling to our areas in the village. Surprisingly the part of the village the attack started from had the least amount of casualties while the other side, the side I lived on, had the most as I was the only villager in the group aside from Rirki who didn''t live here but was visiting.

    I couldn''t help but fear what I would see so I delayed as much as I could. I went around the entire village recording every confirmed death and avoiding 3 areas.

    By noon I had recorded around half of the village but stopped to take a break and eat, even though I decided not to eat anything as the day ruined my appetite and I was dreading what I would see later on.

    Eventually, the Princess and Sophia had to leave.

    The villagers were sad to see such a charismatic girl leave as she did but I could tell she was acting.

    Erik and Sophia''s plan to give her a dose of reality seemed to work as I could tell she was troubled and wasn''t doing great after seeing so much death and sadness.

    It was obvious she didn''t realise how cruel the world could be but I could sense determination in her eyes to change that. However, how she would go about that is not something I could determine.

    All I know is that depending on how things go, she could become an advocate for the people or a tyrant who will force people to join the military and kill anything that could be a threat.

    It is a terrifying thought but not something I can change.

    Eventually, I had finished with the rest of the village and had to face my fears.

    Terra, Erik and Rirki came with me as emotional support though I didn''t know if they would be much help considering who we were going to.

    We were led by Ronan to 2 different parts of the village.

    The first was the outskirts of the village where I last saw my father.

    Erik quietly asked why he hadn''t been moved and Ronan said that they were focused on finding survivors rather than tending to the dead.

    As I got closer, tears were falling down my face as I saw a body under a white sheet with my father''s greatsword, still glowing red, lying next to it. Nearby I saw the burnt remains of the 2 orcs he was fighting when I first ran along with over 30 others who seemed to come and help.

    I fell over crying my heart out. My father was one of the strongest people I ever met. I used to think that nothing could ever beat him in a fight, that he was like a superhero but now... he was dead.

    Terra and Erik both hugged me and tried to console me but didn''t do much as they were crying as well. I couldn''t think right now, I felt like I could just crawl into a corner and cry until I died as well.

    I guess a part of me was wishing that my parents could still be alive but now I know... now I know that they are dead.

    My father died fighting the Orcs who tried to go after me with a sword blessed by the dying will of a mage... the will, magic and soul of my mother, a Fire Mage, imbued into his sword.

    As I sat there crying I could feel my magic spiking out of control but I couldn''t control it. I couldn''t focus, I couldn''t think, I couldn''t feel anything other than the need to cry.

    ~~~~~~~

    Terra''s POV

    it was heartbreaking seeing my uncle and Jack''s father dead and burned up beyond recognition, but seeing Jack break down as he did was even worse.

    I always knew him to be a person who could handle anything. who could face monsters even at a young age and who never ran away. Someone who I could look up to even if he was younger than me.

    But seeing him cry like this was a reminder that those who show little emotion are those who are hiding a much weaker side.

    Aside from Ronan we all went over and hugged Jack and tried to comfort him while trying (and failing) to hold back our tears.

    I think we stayed there for a few minutes but eventually, I could feel something was wrong. Magic was starting to gather and move in weird formations.

    I looked around but noticed that the center of this abnormality was Jack. I warned everyone to back away and asked what was happening.

    "High mana fluctuations?" Dad said confused.

    "Jack is having a Magic surge! [1] His emotions are too chaotic, if he doesn''t calm down he will cause a lot of damage!" Rirki shouted.

    Erik''s face paled "I thought his Mama Pool was too low for something like this!"

    "He must be using the mana from his Spirits instead of his mana!" Rirki said

    "How do we stop him?" I shouted, starting to panic.

    "We can''t. Only Jack can." Rirki said worried.

    "We should move back. Based on the size of his fluctuating magic the explosion doesn''t seem to be very big. We need to back away and hope he either calms down or survives."

    (little does Ronan know that the smaller the fluctuation the larger the explosion.)

 One Last Goodbye.

    Jacks POV

    I stayed there crying for... I don''t know how long.

    I couldn''t think or hear anything.

    All I had was the pain I felt seeing my father dead and the knowledge that my mother used the last of her life to help him.

    Eventually, I heard shouting but ignored it.

    The shouting continued and I turned and saw Terra standing a bit away from me with a scared expression.

    It was then that I noticed what was happening around me.

    I was releasing my Primogenitor Aura and having a Magic Surge at the same time.

    I started to panic.

    If the surge blew then I would kill both me and everyone nearby and probably destroy a part of the village.

    I had to get it under control so I started to concentrate and tried to pull it back into my body.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    *Sizzel* *Zoon* *Crach*

    It didn''t work and the surge grew slightly in power.

    Panicked, I turned to Terra and shouted "RUN!"

    She saw the fear in my eyes and ran realizing I couldn''t stop it.

    I couldn''t risk using any magic or summoning Brakos to ask for help as it could set off the explosion. All I could do was wait.

    I knew I couldn''t stop it but I kept trying to contain it, At the very least I would delay the explosion for as long as I could to let everyone get away.

    As I sat there I could feel something change around me.

    I opened my eyes and saw my father''s sword glowing brighter than it was before.

    Despite the current situation, I watched it in curiosity as I got a weird feeling from it. As I saw the magic in it start to remove itself from the sword I saw a hand start to form from the magic. I was glowing orange like fire magic but looked like a woman''s hand.

    Quickly an arm formed from the hand, then a torso, then legs and the other arm, then the head and some clothes to cover themselves.

    I recognized the woman in front of me. Her long red hair, her blue eyes, her clothes undamaged, her smile peaceful yet happy.

    Floating in front of me was my mother... or at the least a ghost of my mother.

    She moved closer to me and held my face in her hands with a big smile on her face. I could feel her touch as if she had an actual body.

    She opened her mouth and her loving motherly voice was soothing to hear after all the pain I had faced.

    "Oh, my sweet boy you need to calm down. You need to calm your mind. Don''t control it, let it flow. Magic is a living being, it does not like to be controlled, It needs to be guided."

    Recovering from the shock of seeing her I followed her advice and tried to calm my mind.

    I breathed in and out with slow breaths and instead of containing the magic I guided it into the sky and surrounding area at a slow and even pace.

    As I felt the magic dissipating I could feel my heart slow down.

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    I had managed to release a large Magic surge and didn''t die. Only a few mages have done that throughout history.

    I opened my eyes again and saw my mother smiling at me again.

    I reached out to hug her with tears in my eyes but my hand passed right through her. She was a ghost and a ghost can''t remain in the mortal world.

    "I am sorry Jackie. I can''t stay for long and I will have to leave soon," she said sadly.

    I held back my tears and asked "How are you here... like this" I gestured to her body.

    She smirked "Me and your father had many secrets we kept from you. If my lab still stands I want you to keep my desk it holds many more things than just some sheets of paper."

    I looked at her confused.

    She chuckled and said, "I am sorry we hid so much from you but all you need to know is that we love you and we want you to continue in our place."

    "On my desk is a letter your father left for the 2 of us. He thinks I didn''t know but I did. It will explain so much about him to you and why he never talked about his past."

    "Reach for the sky Jackson Drovas, you have a grand life ahead of you as the bringer of the Dragonians."

    I froze hearing her say that.

    She smiled "I knew since the day you were born. That night 2 beings came, a Spirit in the form of a man came to both me and your father, you know the spirit as Brakos, The second was a Dragonian but he came to me alone while you were in my arms.

    "I have to say that I have never been more scared when they came to me in the middle of the night. They explained your situation to me, about who and what you are. How you reincarnated here and asked for your powers and what your goal was."

    "I was scared that my baby would be hunted but hearing you had a seal... it was scary but I realized you were a brilliant boy and no matter what, you would survive and become a protector to many."

    "I know it''s a shock but I trust you to do the right thing. It''s your path now and whatever you choose I will love you no matter what."

    "What about dad?" I asked

    She looked at me with a regretful smile "I never told him what I learned. You know he may act tough but is such a worrier. so much so that he would be more likely to reveal it rather than hide it, even if unintentional." she said with a laugh "But regardless he loves you and no matter what we will never abandon you. In this life, the next, or wherever we go."

    I smiled with even more tears running down my face.

    "The Dragonian you met... what were they like? What did they look like?" I asked curious

    "I can''t say much about them other than that they had a mark on their shoulder in the shape of a white wolf head with a symbol for wind on its forehead. He was very kind despite being very intimidating but also seemed nervous for some reason."

    "I do remember he said something while kneeling down to you but it was in another language so I don''t know what it is."

    "What was it?"

    "I wrote it down. I dont remember it [1] and even if I could say it, it is very long and hard to remember. Check my desk under the top left drawer."

    I nodded and wiped away my tears. It was then that I noticed that Mom was slowly starting to dissipate.

    "M-mom your..."

    She placed a finger over my mouth "I know honey, I know. No one can avoid death forever, just remember we will always be watching over you." she smiled and hugged me, a hug I could feel.

    We sat in a close embrace for a little bit when I heard footsteps behind me.

    "Jack did you get it undercontr-!" Erik started today but stopped when he saw Alex.

    "Alex?" Rirki asked

    "It''s good to see you old friend. Though sadly I don''t seem to be able to say for dinner." she joked as she gestured to her dissipating body.

    "Aunt Alex... how are you...?" Terra asked

    "It''s an old form of magic. I don''t have time to explain, Jack knows where to look though. but Terra before I go can you pass a message on to your mom." Alex asked

    Terra nodded.

    Alex smiled and gestured for Terra to come closer.

    When Terra got close enough Alex leaned over and whispered into her ear. I could see Terra show a look of surprise and then happiness.

    "She will like it," Terra said with tears running down her face.

    "I hope she does" Alex smiled and backed away.

    I was still sitting so Rirki came over and helped me up as I was still too weak to stand.

    As Mom started to fully fade away she said "Rirki I know you have your responsibilities but can you watch over Jack until he is better?"

    Rirki gave a slight bow and said "Of course Alex I won''t abandon anyone in their time of need, never again."

    Mom smiled and turned to me "Read the letter your father left for the 2 of us and please forgive him for what you will learn. It was his biggest fear you would hate him for it."

    "What did he do?" I asked worried

    "I am sorry Jack but I can''t say. You will have to learn it for yourself. But remember I will always be with you."

    She gave me one last smile and backed away.

    We all watched as in a burst of orange magic she disappeared and flew off into the sky.

    "Goodbye, Mom," I said nearly choking on my words with tears falling down my face.

    As her magic started to spread all over I could feel life flowing back into this place of death and I watched as orange flowers started to grow and bloom all around us.

    "Ember flowers?!" [2] Erik said in surprise.

    "The death of a True Fire Mage can lead to this result but never did I think I would witness such an event," Rirki said in astonishment.

    We all stayed there in awe but eventually, it got dark and we had to move on.

    As we walked back to the camp a thought did come to mind.

    ''Wait this is the second time I have heard of a Dragonian before I created them! Do we all just become time travellers who watch me as I grow up?!''

 Secrets

    The next day I was still exhausted. I had gotten very little sleep and hadn''t fully recovered from the previous day''s events.

    I had stayed up late for most of the night going over what my mother told me and making sure what I saw was in fact my mother and not something posing as her but nothing I knew of could mimic her to that extent.

    Her smile, her voice, her body language, the Ember Flowers blooming it all pointed it to be her.

    But for some reason, I couldn''t let it go. I heard of magic that lets people infuse magic into weapons but I had never heard of a spell that could keep a soul around for longer than normal other than a binding ritual, but that is a permanent thing and she only stayed temporarily.

    Eventually, I calmed myself down enough and told myself I would get my answers when I searched her desk.

    I decided to leave it for now but another thought came to mind right before I closed my eyes. ''this is the second time a possible Dragonian appeared. Can they use Time Magic and want to meet me or was it something else...''

    As I thought about it I drifted off to sleep.

    As I went about my current morning routine, getting dressed, eating breakfast, talking with some villagers and figuring out the plan for the day I did feel slightly at peace.

    I got to say goodbye to my mother. I will miss her but I know she is in a better place.

    I also remembered my family from my old world and now understand how they must have felt. It is a little odd but it made me feel slightly closer to them but also happy that no matter where I am I will remember them all, my family from both worlds.

    Eventually, Erik explained that the plan wouldn''t change from yesterday but today instead of identifying people we would bring them to the outskirts of the village and hold a funeral for them tomorrow night.

    I decided to go to my house today and search for anything important and check if my mother''s desk was still intact.

    And... maybe avoiding seeing my mother''s body.

    The way I reacted yesterday was terrifying for all of us and I don''t want to risk it again.

    Terra, Rirki and I walked to my house while Erik helped organize everything for the funeral.

    When I reached my house I was surprised that it was completely intact other than the front door being ripped off.

    I stepped into the house and looked around.

    The couch and coffee table we would play board games on, the kitchen where me and mom would cook meals, and the bookcase containing stories and history we all liked to read. It was all still here and untouched.

    Rirki and Terra started to check the main rooms while I headed to the more... private areas.

    I walked over to the door to my father''s workshop and forge and opened it. I was never allowed inside while he was working on anything but I did sneak inside on occasion when I could.

    It looked the exact same as the last time I was in here.

    The forge and anvil are set up with a barrel of tools next to it. A bench with chisels and pliers, a grinding wheel in the corner, and the chimney above to collect the smoke.

    It all looked impossibly the same and yet so different at the same time. Knowing my father would never be here again gave me an empty feeling.

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    I checked around and made note of the tools I should bring with me and left and checked the rest of the first floor.

    I started in the living room and moved to the kitchen noting every important thing I should bring with me.

    Next, I went to my room on the first floor. As I opened the door I could see several things all over the place.

    My bed was unmade, clothes lying in a pile everywhere but the hamper, some books I left on the corner, a carving knife on my desk and some pencils and paper next to it, toys and crafts I made when I was younger, it all brought back more memories every time I looked at another item.

    I started going through my things and found some things I had completely forgotten about, things I played with when I was little, old drawings, books mom read to me at night and so much more but I knew I couldn''t bring everything so placed a few items on my bed for later.

    Finally, I headed to my mother''s lab. This room I was allowed in all the time and came to watch Mom work on new spells or decipher magic texts.

    When I entered I several shelves with bottles of different powders, liquids and dried herbs she would use for potions, magical items she was identifying, jewelry with magic cast on them and even a cursed sword they found last year(I avoided it).

    Mom''s desk was built by Dad, out of Oakwood. Despite not being very good with woodworking he spent a whole year making it and managed to make it look like a professional made it.

    I walked over and saw 2 things, moms spell book opened to a page with a description of a spell and a letter enclosed in an envelope with my name on it.

    I decided to check the book first.

    Mom would transcribe spells and their description into her spell book kind of like what I do with the leather book

    When I looked at the book I saw the description was the same as what mom did.

    ''she must have only just learned it'' I thought

    I started to read the page in detail but to summarise it:

    The magic she used was an old spell that could only be cast when dying.

    It allows a person to temporarily infuse their soul into a weapon or abject, kind of like how Volt can merge with my wand.

    In the case of my father''s sword, it allowed him to engulf the blade in fire and/or cast fire spells with the sword it is an extremely powerful magic but it does have limits.

    The mage can only make the bond in 2 ways but both involve the loved ones of the mage.

    The first and cruel option involves a one-sided love of a mage towards another person. If the person kills the mage by stabbing them in the heart when they are casting a spell. Their soul will enter a state of rage and confusion and be infused with the weapon that killed them to remain in the mortal world to find out why it happened.

    This option allows for more power but less control.

    The second way involves a mutual love for someone and it''s the way my parents use it. If a mage suffers a fatal blow and is near their love they can use the last of their power and transfer a part of their soul into their weapon in the hope of the other surviving.

    The stronger the conviction and hope the mage has the stronger the power of the weapon.

    This method also allows a mage to give a message to their love.

    This method offers perfect control and can be more powerful than the first option but is harder to achieve as it requires true love and understanding of both parties.

    I let a tear fall as I read this, my parents loved each other and mom sacrificed herself in order to save both me and Dad.

    I did notice that the soul can''t manifest as it did though with this spell so it was confusing. Then I realized, that spiritual energy is soul energy, did I infuse my energy into the sword allowing her to manifest when I was about to Surge?

    It was an interesting thought I would keep in mind for later.

    After I finished reading the page I placed the book down and picked up the letter. I stared at it for a little bit but decided to hold onto it for later as I had things to do and didn''t want to break down again right now.

    Next, I checked the drawer for what the Dragonian said to me when I was a baby.

    I opened the drawer Mom told me about and searched everything inside of it but found nothing.

    I tried thinking about what she said. ''Check my desk under the top left drawer''

    ''...under?'' I checked the bottom of the drawer and found a hole In the bottom.

    A memory came to mind from my past life and I realized something. I checked the desk and found a stick of magic chalk [1] on it. I grabbed it and noted it was the same size as the hole.

    I emptied the drawer of its contents and stuck the chalk into the hole.

    The false bottom of the desk raised and I pulled it out.

    Inside I found several notes about dangerous magic items and maps to hidden treasures. At the very bottom, I found a letter with writing in another language.

    <Siol wuff nluhmwyhxm ncgy uhx mjuwy, gs fipy. Sio uly nby mnlyhanb C''py ufqusm hyyxyx uhx nby fipy C qcff ufqusm wbylcmb. C''ff vy qucncha.>

    It was short but completely gibberish.

    ''Maybe it''s some sort of code or cipher? I will have to try it later on.'' I thought

    I put the note down and noted that a fire rune was at the bottom of the drawer, the chalk from before, when pushed in moved a part of the rune out of the way breaking it.

    As I looked at it I could tell it was designed so that if someone noticed the false bottom and tried to open it any other way than I did then the rune would activate and burn everything inside.

    Smiling at Mom''s creativity and determination to hide secrets (and remembering a scene from a show I watched in my old life) I pocketed the note and started to check the rest of the lab.

 Trinkets and Letters

    As I started to check the lab for important items I found several items and noticed that mom liked to hide things in weird places.

    Eventually, I noticed a ring hidden in a box in another drawer.

    I pulled out the ring and examined it. It was a simple bronze ring with a small agate set into the metal. I remember Mom would be wearing this ring whenever she went on quests but never seemed to carry a bag.

    "I wonder..." I cut my finger with my dagger and let a few drops of blood fall on the ring [1]. I could feel a connection with the item, proceeded to pick up a pencil, marked it with a symbol and visualized it entering the ring.

    The pencil disappeared.

    I visualized it appearing in my hand again and the same pencil appeared I''m my hand.

    This ring was a storage ring. It''s a rare special magic item that functions like a magic storage. There are other types of items with similar abilities and different sizes.

    This type of item was extremely rare and valuable. So valuable that nobles would send assassins and bandits to try to kill me and take it.

    I put the ring on and tried to see if any items were in it already. I could feel some items inside but couldn''t get them out so I left it.

    Thinking about the ring I got an idea and started putting any items of value into the ring.

    I searched the room and found several more interesting items and several I could sense magic on.

    Sadly I didn''t know what they could do so I saved them in the ring and made a mental note to try them out or have them appraised another day.

    Some of the items were a hairbrush radiating magic, a cloak with magic symbols sewn into it, some rocks the size of my fists, a map, a chess set, several sheets of strange silk-like material, and a paintbrush.

    It''s an odd assortment of items I found stashed away in corners They all have magic so I will see if they are useful.

    After I finished searching most of the room I placed the entire desk and all the books in the ring along with a few other items.

    as I left the room I found Terra and Rirki standing outside the door

    "Is everything ok? you have been in there awhile." Terra asked

    "Y-yeah I''m ok. I was going through Mom''s stuff and sorting out what I should bring." I responded

    she seemed to be relieved and we walked down to the living room.

    Rikki and Terra had reached the main rooms and found some food and other items they figured I would want to bring.

    I started to sort through the items.

    After some time Terra hesitantly asked, "D-did you manage to find out how she... did that?"

    I smiled with a hit of sadness and explained it in minor detail

    "It was a spell that can only be cast when dying. It pours all your magic into the weapon of a loved one in the hope that they survive. Her soul manifested probably because of my surge yesterday as that wasn''t supposed to happen."

    they both nodded and we all smiled thinking about how much they both loved each other.

    When we finished sorting the items in the living room rirki noticed the ring on my finger.

    "Jack, did you happen to find some magic items in your mother''s lab?" he asked cautiously.

    I looked at him and subtly gestured to the ring.

    he nodded

    "I did find some but aside from this ring I don''t know what they do," I said

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "Oh? What does it do?" Terra asked curious

    I looked at Rirki and he shrugged, silently saying ''It''s your choice.''

    I sighed and said, "It''s a storage ring."

    Terra''s face lit up and shouted excitedly "Is it really?! Those are so rare I haven''t seen one before! Can you let me borrow it?"

    "Calm down," I said pushing her back a bit as she was too close.

    She realized her actions and backed off.

    I smiled and said "It is and I have already tested it and no you can''t borrow it. It requires a blood pact and I already made it."

    "Aw. No fare." she pouted

    "Haha. If you want I can show you how it works." I offered

    Her face instantly lit up and she furiously nodded.

    I laughed again and placed my hand over the items I decided to bring with me. I gave the mental command and all the items disappeared instantly.

    "Is that it?" Terra asked disappointed.

    Rirki and I looked at Terra confused.

    "What do you mean, ''Is that it?'' What were you expecting?" Rirki asked

    "I thought it would look cool instead of the items just disappearing. Like in a swirl of magic, they are sucked in or a giant shadow emerges from the ring and eats the items."

    We both looked at her with black expressions.

    "..."

    "..."

    "What?" she asked,

    "...you read too many fairytales and adventure stories," I said bluntly

    "Awe" she pouted

    "He is right you read too many stories. The only way something like that could happen was if it was an Artifact, which it is not" Rirki said

    "Artifact?" she asked, acting confused and trying to divert the conversation from us bullying her to us explaining something she already knew.

    "Weird magic items of any grade that do weird things," Rirki said not knowing her little game.

    "What kind of weird things?" she asked

    "I heard of a pitchfork that when someone is stabbed by it, it can cause your pinkie toe to fall off, grow a face, start screaming and start biting your other toes."

    Terra laughed and stared at Rirki waiting for him to laugh at his weird joke.

    It wasn''t a joke.

    "... wait... you serious?" she realised

    ""Yeah"" we both nodded.

    "...ok," she said still trying to process it and just sat back down.

    Rirki didn''t mention it but it was my dad who owned it at one point but he sold it to the mage tower for study as it was useless to him. though I cant say it wasn''t funny to watch when he tried it on a bandit.

    Rirki and I looked at each other and laughed to ourselves.

    After a few minutes, Erik arrived and we started talking.

    After even more time Rirki said, "Hey Jack, didn''t Alex say Draven left a note for you."

    "oh yeah," I said and pulled it out.

    I looked at it and felt a sliver of worry worm its way into my mind. ''what if he confesses he was a criminal or he was cheating on Mom... no wait Mom said she knew and would have killed him if he did.''

    I shook my head trying to clear it as I knew I was just being paranoid.

    I breathed in and out, opened the letter and started reading

    <dear Jack.

    If you are reading this it should be the day after your 8th birthday. If not close this letter and put it down.>

    I laughed as he knew I liked to snoop sometimes.

    <You are the greatest son I could have ever wanted. You have stood by both me and your mother when we were upset when our quests went wrong. You have been the greatest joy raising.

    Your determination to become like us is heartwarming. I won''t deny that I am a little worried about what will happen to you in our line of work, but your mother comforted me and reassured me that if we train you properly, we have less to worry about. No matter where your path leads you I will always support you.>

    I could feel tears running down my face as I read this letter remembering every time these things happened. I wiped away the tears and continued.

    <My life with you and your mother has been wonderful but I do have to admit that I have been keeping secrets from you.

    the reason you never met my family is that...>

    I continued to read the letter shocked about what we wrote.

    It talked about his past, why he left home, who he was before he met Mom and a location where he asked me to meet him in so he could teach something he wouldn''t disclose.

    Tears fell more now as I read this with a mix of emotions.

    Sadness that I couldn''t learn what he wanted to teach me, surprised at the name he used to go by, his past and how different he is now.

    ...but what caught me so off guard is a bit added at the bottom that was added recently, very recently.

    It read a message I had a million thoughts crossing my mind trying to figure out how it could be true.

    "Jack, is everything ok?" Rirki asked.

    I looked at him and asked, "What did you know about Dad before he met Mom?"

    He was caught off guard by my cold tone, but he answered.

    "Truth be told, I met him after they got together and I never really asked about his past or anything. Why?"

    I gave him the letter and let him read it.

    He was shocked just as much as I was.

    After a few minutes, he put it down and, like me, tried to understand how that was possible.

    "What is it?" Erik asked concerned. We looked at him, then at each other.

    "Did you read the whole thing?" I asked while holding my wand

    He looked at me, then the wand, the letter, then back to me and nodded

    "Do it," he said

    Before Erik or Terra could understand what was happening I pointed my wand at it and used lightning to burn the letter.

    Erik and Terra panicked and tried to put it out while we stayed there, both in agreement

    When the letter finished burning Erik asked me. "Why did you burn it?!"

    "The fewer people who know the safer we will be," Rirki said

    Erik took a moment.

    "The seriousness of that information was so dangerous you had to burn the letter?" Erik asked confused and concerned.

    "Depending on how you look at it, it could be considered an international secret. If it got out it could cause the destruction of the entire kingdom." I said

 On To New Horizons

    It has been 1 week since we arrived in Thornbranch.

    The villagers have gathered up their belongings and stored them in carts that arrived a few days before.

    I was with Terra, sitting atop a hill overlooking everyone packing up.

    I looked down on everyone as they said their goodbyes to their home put their stuff on carts and started to walk away was an interesting sight.

    As I watched I couldn''t help but reflect on everything that has happened in the past few days.

    Orcs had arrived and destroyed the village, my parents died, and I was poisoned but was saved by my cousin and her parents.

    I awakened my powers and became a Primogenitor and Spirit summoner, I met and beat up my egotistical great uncle, I fought against a god and met possibly one of my descendants, and I met a Princess and beat up 2 of her guards.

    I travelled back to my home and rescued the survivors of the attack, I reunited with a family friend, I met a BeastFolk Druid, I learned about my father''s past and a secret I can''t let anyone know.

    Now today we are leaving the village.

    Many people didn''t want to leave their homes but the village can''t support them right now so it is safer to leave for now.

    They know they can return when the village is rebuilt if they want but considering the memories many people have of the village now they may never return.

    I remember the day of the funeral was a painful one for everyone as we burned the bodies of our friends and families.

    Although some people wanted a proper funeral and bury the bodies, we didn''t have much of a choice.[1]

    Erik calmly asked me what I wanted for my parents.

    I let him choose as I couldn''t handle the thought.

    He comforted me and said they would bring them with us and bury them at the Rondo household.

    Now today everyone was packing up and getting ready to leave. It is starting to get cold as winter is starting so we are hoping it doesn''t start snowing while we are on the road. We are not fully equipped to take care of hundreds of people like this.

    As I sat on the kill I pulled out the Black book and started reading one of the quests.

    {Quest: Book in a book-2}

    {Task 1: Infuse NoteBook with 2500 Spiritual Energy: 0/2500 | incomplete}

    {Task 2: Gain any Perception/Sight Skill aside from Magic Sence: 0/1 | Incomplete}

    {Task 3: Create a list of all residents of the Village of Thornbranch and record their status: 2344/2346 | Incomplete}

    {Reward 1: Rank 3 Upgrade to the Leather Book}

    I knew I couldn''t do much of it right now but pulled out the leather book and switched it to the [Tomb of the Dead], opened it and turned to the first page.

    ...

    Jackson Dravos: Alive

    Alexandra Dravos:

    Draven Dravos:

    ...

    I sighed and wrote down their status and checked the quest again.

    {Quest: Book in a book-2}

    ...

    {Task 3: Create a list of all residents of the Village of Thornbranch and record their status: 2346/2346 | Complete}

    {Reward 1: Rank 3 Upgrade to the Leather Book}

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I closed both books, put them into the storage ring and laid back on the grass.

    "what''s wrong?" Terra asked

    "hm? Oh, just thinking." I said.

    "about?" she said while poking my arm

    I swatted her away and sighed

    "I''m worried about how the trip will go. Winter is almost here so some people may not make it."

    "We have some fire mages and your mother''s staff don''t we?"

    "Yeah..." I said and pulled out her staff from the ring.

    It does work as a heater but I can''t use it as I don''t know fire magic and I don''t feel comfortable giving it to someone else who can.

    "You know Fire Magic isn''t that different than lightning magic right," she said

    I turned to her confused "What do you mean they aren''t the same at all."

    "Yeah, it is. fire and lightning are both hot and lightning can create a fire so they are kind of the same," she said with a smile

    "Do you actually believe that or are you joking," I said still confused

    she smirked

    *hehe* I laughed "You are getting better at that."

    "Thank you," she said smugly standing in a proud position.

    "Though if you want to keep up the facade you need to work on not letting your ego and face give you away," I said bluntly

    *humph* she turned to me and punched me in the arm. "Rude"

    I laughed

    she let me continue for a bit then asked "Feel better?"

    "Yeah. Thanks." I said but kept looking down the hill

    "Was that everything you were worried about?"

    I gave her a sideways glance and said "I still haven''t told anyone we are related. I don''t know when I should or even if I should. They could blame me and Mom for the lack of protection the village had."

    "Several people have asked about where I am going but I haven''t given an answer by saying I had to go but I can''t use that excuse for long."

    She stayed quiet for a bit.

    After a while, she said "Dad was meaning to talk to you about it but was too busy. If you don''t want to let people know we can say that you are related to one of the servants at the Rondo family mansion and are moving in there."

    I turned to Heinis a surprise and said "Really? You guys have no problem with it?"

    She shook her head and said "You are family no matter what. We will take care of you even from the sidelines if needed. Besides we are nobles it''s normal for us to keep secrets."

    I couldn''t deny that last part.

    "Ok so officially I will be living with you as a servant or is there something else."

    She smiled "Officially yes you will, but in truth, you are my cousin. You will not be required to attend parties or noble events but when it is happening at our mansion you need to hide so nobles don''t start gossiping."

    "Already planning on how I will do that. Don''t worry." I said with a smile.

    "Good to see you are doing better Jack." a voice said behind me

    we both turned around and we saw Brakos walking towards us.

    "Wait... it''s you?" Terra said but I didn''t say anything

    Brakos smiled "When found you in that forest I was worried you would die. You''re lucky you have a family like this."

    I didn''t say anything but with a thankful expression, I gave a slight nod.

    "Um, if you don''t mind me asking, who are you?" Terra asked

    I shook my head slightly so Brakos knew I didn''t want her to know.

    "I am a travelling Spirit who cares for the lives of all. I could sense the impending death of our possible saviour and rushed to help him."

    I sighed knowing where brakos was going.

    "Savior?" Terra asked confused.

    "Spirits sometimes call those like me Saviors as we have the power to free them from Spirit masters," I explained.

    "Aren''t they just summoners like you?" she asked.

    Brakos shook his head and said, "The slavers, or Spirit Masters as you call them, capture Spirits and force them into slavery."

    Terra was shocked. She knew of the Spirit masters as they are very common.

    "There is a difference between us. I can use spirit magic and summon Spirits I have a contract with even if they aren''t nearby. While Masters, even if they can''t summon/attract spirits as I can, can still capture spirits and use their powers. They are more like cruel beast tamers rather than summoners." I explained

    Brakos nodded and said "We hope that a Spirit summoner like Jackson will one day come along and tear down the old ways and build up a new world where we can all live side by side. Where we don''t have to live in fear of being enslaved and can live truly free again."

    It took Terra a second to break out of her shocked state.

    "if you ever need help let me know I will help however I can!" She said determined to help

    "Thank you Terra but I need to train before I can even try to do any of that."

    "What kind of training?" she asked worriedly

    I thought about it for a second and said "I intend to join one of the academies when I turn 16, but before that, I need combat experience so when I turn 10 I will become an Adventurer and start doing quests and learn more about spirits and make more contracts."

    "I am not very powerful right now as I can only use Lightning magic and it requires too much Mana for me to fight with right now. If I can have spirits teach me other elements and how to use spirit magic then I don''t have to worry about it."

    Shocked she asked, "Are you doing all that?!"

    "Well maybe not in that order and that isn''t everything but the basic summary... yes," I said like it was normal.

    "That is already a lot don''t you think?" she said

    "I have 8 years until I can join an academy and even if I don''t do it all by then, I can do it during my time at the academy."

    "You are crazy," she said

    I turned to her and said "I am an 8-year-old who is smarter than most adults, has killed monsters, has beaten up several people 3 times my age in cold blood in the last 2 weeks and is planning to basically overthrow an entire faction of knights and Adventurers. What part of that made me sound sane."

    She raised a finger to retort but hesitated and stood down.

    "I have a long road ahead of me but I won''t let it stop me from reaching my goals and helping those who rely on me," I said just before I got up and started walking down the hill leaving the 2 others standing behind me.

    Brakos smiled and turned to leave but before he did he stopped and said Stayy by his side. He may be acting confident but he is terrified about what will await him in the future."

    Terra, breaking her stunned silence again, turned and said "You saved him once but I never got to say thank you. So thank you for saving him and don''t worry about it, I have known him this long that I can tell when he is acting."

    Brakos smiled and said "I hope you do. Good luck." he walked off and Terra followed Jack down the hill as they got ready to head home.

 Forces that be

    "It has been days! How do you not know if he is dead or not!" a skinny man hidden in a cloak shouted while sitting at a table in a dark room.

    "Calm yourself, Cancer. If he hasn''t made an appearance yet then he must be dead." a woman''s voice was heard from another cloaked person.

    "Shut it, Virgo. If I didn''t know you, I would say you caught him and are keeping him as a plaything." the man knows as Cancer said

    "Enough you 2! Fighting between ourselves will only give him a chance to attack." a tall man shouted in a deep voice from under his cloak and horns could be seen protruding from the sides of his head.

    *sigh* "If the raven is still alive, we will find him. He can''t have gone far." he continued

    Cancer and Virgo turned away from the tall man.

    "Right, sorry Taurus," Virgo said

    "Tch. This is why I told you not to use those unity howl fools of yours. They only understand how to kill normal people, not S Classes." Cancer complained

    Virgo scoffed and said "From the report, they were killed by the orcs, not the Raven. He should have been killed at the beginning of the attack thanks to the poisons and barriers we used anyway. There is no way he survived."

    "Let''s hope you are right," Cancer said annoyed.

    "Regardless we completed our missions let return to the base and report to Leo," Taurus said

    They all stood up and Virgo pulled out a crystal and smashed it on the ground and they all disappeared into mist.

    ~~~~~

    "Princess, what are you doing?" Sophia asked through the door "We only just got back to the castle and you already ran off and are doing who knows what."

    Elisabeth put down a painting she took off the wall in her bedroom, ran over to the door, opened it and said "I have something important to do I will talk to Father when I am finished."

    She then closes the door and Sophia signs and walks away thinking about what to say to the king.

    Elisabeth ran back to the painting she had taken down and opened the hidden cupboard that has hidden behind the painting.

    She pulls out a blue stone, puts everything back the way it was and sits down on her bed.

    "Miss Shade are you there?" she said while holding the stone close to her mouth.

    After a few seconds, an annoyed female voice comes from the communication stone.

    "I thought I told you not to contact me unless it was important and at night only." the woman''s voice said

    "I know Miss Shade but this is important! I need you to look into 3 people for me."

    "Do they pose a danger to you or your family?" shade asked skeptically.

    "1 is but the other 2 are just as important!" Elizabeth said exited

    "I can do the dangerous one but the other 2 are a no." shade said,

    "Awe, come on," Elisabeth whined "I will pay you double!" she said hurriedly

    Shade hesitated for a second, sighed and said, "Fine, who do you need me to investigate."

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Elisabeth smiled and said, "Count Orvian Virono, the head of the Virono house, Miranda Rondo the head of house Rondo and finally a child by the name of Jack Dravos, he used to live in the village of Thornbranch before its destruction."

    "Why them and what specifically?" shade asked

    "Some things in Orvian''s domain aren''t lining up with the reports. Miranda Rondo somehow knew about the attack on Thornbranch the day it happened so I want to know if she is involved. As for Jack I-"

    "Wait, wait, hold on. Communication stones. Couldn''t Lady Miranda receive a request for help with one of them?" Shade asked.

    Elisabeth smiled and said "I thought so too but turns out the village didn''t have any. Plus she said they were told about it by Jackson but he arrived at their mansion a few hours after the attack when it should have taken 3 days. It''s too convenient for something in the background not to be happening."

    Shade paused then said, "Understood. Continue."

    "I want you to find Jack and where he lives and keep an eye on him. I want to know where he lives, what he is doing and what his goals are. He could become a powerful asset to me in the future when I take the throne." Elisabeth said

    ''How did I forget how scary she can be?'' Shade thought to herself

    "All alright then I will see what I can do," Shade said

    "Thank you, Miss Shade, I knew the Nightshade Assassins Guild was the right choice," Elisabeth said and ended the communication before Shade could say anything else and put the stone away.

    "I wonder how strong you will get Jack. I hope you accept my proposal when we meet again. let''s just hope you don''t kill the Assassins when they are just scouting." Elisabeth said with a creepy smile.

    ~~~~~~

    (warning gore ahead)

    In a forest, an Orc standing 8 feet tall is leaning against a tree waiting for something.

    "Sorry to keep you waiting Warlord Abarok." a young human girl says as she happily skips towards the hulking Orc.

    As the orc turned to her he could see her black hair tied in a bun and wearing a white dress with pink dots at the bottom and a short blue stole around her neck tied with a red bow.

    "Did you find him?" Agatha asked

    "No. He got away." Abarok responded in a gruff voice, clearly not liking the girl.

    She huffed "I gave your chief that poison and the location of his house so you can capture him. How did you fail?! Did you forget where he lived or use the poison on something else?! Is that the reason he sent you and didn''t come himself?"

    The Orc annoyed said "The chief sent me. I found his home and almost got him but he surprised me by attacking me and running away. I tried to find him but he was too fast."

    Agatha stared at the Orc intensely. Mentally debating what she would do but instead, she squealed "Awe! I knew he was a strong fighter but to think he could beat the one of strongest Orcs in the red hand makes him even better!"

    The Orc stared at Agatha in confusion but when he heard her insult him he lashed out and grabbed her by the neck.

    "Watch it, girl! He didn''t beat me! He ran away like a coward!"

    She placed her hands on his, trying to get him to let go and wheezed "I''m sorry."

    The orc grunted and let her go coughing.

    "I''m not one to leave debts unpaid. Tell me where he is and I will find him and bring him to you," he said

    When she caught her breath she looked up and smiled

    "How will you do that when you are dead?" she said while holding up her hand revealing a needle tipped with poison.

    The Orc looked scared and immediately started panicking and tried to pull out a potion but dropped it in the panic.

    "Don''t bother. It''s already too late," she said as a gurgling sound came from his throat.

    Abarok reached around and grabbed 2 stones. A communication stone and a strange one with symbols carved into it.

    "This one is an experiment combining wyvern poison and a potion designed to explode after being shaken too much. I wonder how long you wi-"

    Abarok was ignoring Agatha as he tried to use a spell with the stones but just before he finished he said "Anna, Orin, I''m sorry." a tear fell from his face.

    Suddenly Abarok explodes in a mass of blood, bones and guts originating in the heart.

    Agatha got drenched in blood and ended up with some bone shards and muscles stuck to her face and hair.

    she shook her head in disappointment.

    *sigh* "Happens too fast for the effective fear factor. I will have to adjust the dosage range again. Oh well, I have other test subjects."

    Suddenly she realized "Oh I should also find someone else to kidnap him again. Hopefully, the next person will do better than the last few attempts. Although, having the Red Hand work for me was a good way to handle things... hm, I will have to fix it later."

    She smiled and started skipping back home still covered in blood with a crazy smile plastered on her face.

    ~~~~~~~~

    In his office, Michael is sitting opposite a man with a black face mask.

    "Can you complete the job?" Michael asked

    "So long as you have the coin, we will deliver." the man said with a smile

    "Good here is your first payment." he placed a small bag of coins on the table.

    The man opened the bag and checked the coins. When satisfied he nodded.

    "Good. Now get out and don''t come back until you find it!" Michael said as the man left.

    *sigh* "How can the brat go missing at this time? If only he could understand what I am offering like an adult. He was supposed to be smart but I guess he is just as stupid kid." Michael said as he stood up and left the room as well.

 Whispers of Defiance and Echoes of Desperation (End of Ark 1)

    Running through a forest is a small bipedal creature with blue scales. It stood at 2 feet tall, is very skinny and is carrying an orange gemstone.

    "COME OUT LITTLE KOBOLD! IF YOU DO, I WILL SPARE YOU IF YOU GIVE ME BACK WHAT''S MINE!" a loud booming voice, speaking in draconic, shouted through the forest.

    The Kobold clutched the gem closely and saw a river not far away. It waited for a bit and ran towards the river.

    As it got closer it could feel an emotion their kind hadn''t felt in a long time. Hope. The hope of escaping their Dragon Overlord and their wrathful ways.

    As the kobold got closer a boom was heard to its left as it turned and saw the dragon, standing taller than the trees. Its dark red scales, long curved horns, sharp teeth and piercing eyes.

    As the kobold stared in fear it saw fire starting to flow from its mouth.

    The dragon noticed the kobold and ran after it.

    The kobold doubled their effort to reach the river.

    "YOU WON''T GET AWAY ALIVE!" the dragon shouted as it breathed fire towards the kobold.

    ''Zek, Brother get away now'' were the kobold''s last thoughts before it was engulfed in fire.

    ~~~~~~

    A similar-looking but smaller kobold carrying a small sack was running on the other side of the mountain.

    It turned as it heard a loud roar.

    "Rin, I am sorry but thank you," It said before disappearing into the trees.

    ~~~~~~

    On the outskirts of a swamp, several animals could be seen eating throughout it. In one secluded spot, a single rabbit could be seen.

    In the brush not far a young Lizardman could be seen aiming a bow and arrow at the rabbit.

    "ARAKI! DADS BACK!" a younger voice came from behind startling the lizardman

    He then let go of the arrow, missed and the rabbit ran away.

    "Rou! I was hunting. Dad can wait a few minutes," Araki said, annoyed about losing his hunt because of his little brother.

    "Yeah but not when he gets back 2 weeks early and is injured!" Rou said

    Araki turned in shock and started running back to the village leaving his brother behind.

    As he got closer he could see his father with his leg bandaged up.

    "Dad!" Araki said as he hugged his father, Rirki.

    After a few seconds, screams could be heard from the nearby village.

    As they turned they could see a Red dragon, the dragon that promised to protect them, destroying the village.

    "No..." Rirki said.

    The dragon turned toward them and shouted "WHERE IS THAT KOBOLD!"

    ~~~~~~~

    (warning child abuse/harm ahead)

    *bam* *bam* *smack* *bam*

    Repeated punches and kicks were delivered to a small child lying down in a field with several girls of the same age.

    His golden brown hair was dirtied by blood and mud, and his skinny body was covered in old bruises that hadn''t yet healed from the last beating.

    "You''re too weak."

    "You''re skinny."

    "What made you think you could have one of us as a mate."

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Their words cut deep into the child''s mind as he suffered their abuse.

    Adults never stop this or help the young cub. They simply turn a blind eye to what the young are doing.

    When they stopped beating him and left he stayed there unmoving.

    After a few minutes, he started to slowly crawl into the tall grass hoping to hide better.

    As he did you could see a lion''s tail coming from his back and lion ears on his head.

    This 7-year-old lion Beastman has been beaten up over and over by those who see him as weak and any interaction with any female is taken as him trying to flirt with them even when he responds to them or just walks nearby. That or they just beat him up for the fun of it.

    As he lays in the tall grass he starts to cry and wishes that he could just sink into the shadows and hide.

    He stays like that late into the night and eventually cries himself to sleep.

    Little does this lion cub know something has been waiting to grant his wish, but at what cost...

    ~~~~~~~~

    In the forest, 2 people could be seen running.

    A human woman, clearly pregnant and a young boy with green skin and small tucks protruding from the lower jaw.

    "Mom, what''s wrong? Why do we have to leave? We are safe so long as dad is chief right?" the half-orc said.

    "Orin your father has been missing for days now. We have to leave. I am not sure but he might be dead." she said with a tear running down her face.

    Fear showed on his face.

    His father being a high-ranking member of the tribe meant he could keep his pregnant human wife and half-human son safe. He was the only thing keeping both of them alive.

    They had been wanting to leave for months but Orin''s father, Abarok, was the son of the chief. Even if Abarok''s father didn''t care about his son''s choices, he wouldn''t just let his son leave or disappear with his family without repercussions.

    If his father is missing the other Orcs won''t waste a second to kill them or use them as pleasure toys.

    "Ok Mom... but what if you are wrong?" Orin asked

    She let another tear fall and said "I have a meeting place set up for this situation. If he is still alive we will know in a few days."

    They continued running from the camp but just as it was about to leave their sight Orin turned back and saw the banner. A torn Black flag with a red bloody handprint at the center.

    ~~~~~~~

    (warning child abuse/harm ahead)

    on the edge of a forest, a young boy with snow-white hair is running away from a giant black wolf that is chasing after him.

    The boy is screaming for help as he sees his older siblings sitting on some logs in front of him. They don''t move and some are laughing at him and how scared and worthless he is.

    Tears fall from the boy''s face as he suddenly trips over a tree root and falls.

    He tries to get back up but the wolf catches up to him and pins him down.

    through tears, the boy meekly said "Please Father, show mercy."

    the wolf doesn''t respond but instead lowers its head to look the boy in the eyes and growls.

    Even if the boy couldn''t understand what the wolf wanted to say he got the message ''You are nothing. It would have been better if you weren''t born. You are nothing but a waste of food and space.''

    The wolf suddenly bit down on the boy''s arm and body and thrashed him around. After a few seconds, the giant wolf dropped the boy and walked off toward the boy''s siblings. Later as the boy lay on the ground he heard a voice.

    "Ark? What happened?!" an older man said as he walked over after noticing the boy lying on the ground.

    "Grand...father," Ark said holding back tears.

    Scared about the condition his grandson was in, he, despite his older appearance was still as fit as a 20-year-old, picked him up and started to carry him to his home.

    "Was it your siblings this time?" he asked

    Ark shook his head.

    "Your father?"

    Ark didn''t move, just said, "Don''t say anything, please. It only makes it worse."

    "Ark this is not ok. I did not raise your father to act like this. I will talk to him about you staying with me from now on. Is that ok?" the old man asked

    the boy looked up at his grandfather and started to cry while clutching his grandfather''s clothes. Thankful for having just one good person in his life.

    ~~~~~~~

    Second Academy of the Rumia Kingdom:

    "Well them Miss Amanda Arrow. Everything seems to be in order. I would like to welcome you as a teacher at our academy." a tall woman with short black hair said while reading a few papers.

    "Thank you, Headmaster. It is an honour working for one of Rumia''s top Academies." another woman with long red hair and tanned skin said.

    "Of course. Your first class will begin in 2 weeks I hope you will be prepared by then." the headmaster said while handing Amanda some papers.

    "Of course, I already have a few lessons planned," Amanda said with a smile of excitement.

    The headmaster smiled but her face lowered a bit "It is good to see you so energetic. Though I do have to apologize for disappointing you, but you will be teaching in classes 1-10 this year."

    "...Um, forgive me but I don''t see the problem." Amanda said

    the headmaster coughed "Yes, well class 1-10 is the lowest-ranking class we have this year. It only consists of the few commoners that somehow managed to pass the test."

    Amanda looked shocked "Um madam, forgive me for speaking my mind but the social class of the students shouldn''t affect the student''s class. From what I have heard about the other academies, ability and skill are what determine the class. Is it different here?"

    A vein on the headmaster bulged and she said "No. This academy follows the same system as the other schools. It''s just that the noble students are the only ones who show promise or talent. The commoners who attend, overestimate their own abilities."

    Realization hit Amanda "Oh I see. Please forgive me, headmaster. I wasn''t aware of that fact. My apologies."

    The headmaster waved their hand and said "It''s alright just don''t make the same mistake again. Alright?"

    Amanda nodded and said "Of course. Now if there is nothing else I will take my leave and prepare for my class."

    The headmaster waived her off and Amanda left.

    ~~~~~~~

    In the hallway, Amanda was breathing heavily.y

    "what the hell I thought those were just some rumours but this school really is based on social class," she said to herself.

    ''I have to find a way to change it back to the way it used to me'' she decided and walked off, determined to figure out how long this school has been like this and if she can reverse it.

 The Rumia Second Academy (Start of Ark 2)

    On the 10th day of the 7th month in Year 580 of the 3rd Era, a massive castle looms on the edge of a sheer cliff.

    Walls taller than most houses surrounding it, with towers atop it standing even taller. Runes of magic inlayed into the walls signifying protection and reconstruction.

    To the castle''s south is a city bustling with activity, to the west is a cliff leading down to the ocean, to the North is a forest teeming with monsters and dangerous beasts, and to the East are fields of crops being harvested for the coming winter.

    Dangers on one side and pieces on the other, a balance rarely found.

    Past the walls, you can see strange yet grand architecture. And even stranger are the smaller buildings spotted around.

    Odd designed for the roof of small buildings, pipes and steam coming out of one another, plants growing from a set of glass walls, and several towers just standing out in the open.

    Yet through the gate, a sight to remind yourself of where you are can be seen

    teenagers and young adults walking about. Some held books, others carried weapons and magic gear, and others talked about their school projects. It is all a good reminder that this isn''t a castle but a school.

    The Second Academy of the Rumia Kingdom.

    This school has stood for over 200 years. Giving rise to countless advances in magic and combat techniques. People from all over the kingdom and outside it scramble to enroll.

    Standing just before the main gate is one of these students. Ark Moonfang.

    He is about 5''8 and has light-coloured skin, brown eyes, and short white hair. He wears a simple black shirt and jeans, with old running shoes and is carrying a duffel bag on his back.

    He is clearly nervous and doesn''t seem to be able to walk in.

    "Is everything ok?" a woman''s voice asked.

    I snapped out of my worried trance and spoke nervously "Y-yeah, I''m ok."

    Seeing that I was not moving she said "You''re a new student right? Are you nervous?"

    I flinched "Y-yeah," I said embarrassed.

    She gave a slight smile "It''s nothing to worry about, this is more common than you would think. Come inside, you will feel better once you do"

    I stayed there for a few more seconds took a deep breath and stepped past the gate.

    "There you go. That wasn''t so hard now was it," she said with a slight laugh.

    I relaxed a bit realizing that I was just making myself more nervous than I should have been.

    While pointing to a badge on her uniform signifying her as a teacher she said "I am a teacher here, Amanda Arrow. What''s your name?"

    "um... I''m Ark," I said

    "Well, Ark it''s nice to meet you. Once your enrolment is done my door is always open so if you ever need help, come find me," she said with a smile

    "T-thank you," I said shyly.

    I looked around but couldn''t see anyone walking the grounds.

    "Where is everyone? I thought today was the entrance exam, shouldn''t more people be around here?" I asked

    She looked confused "Yes, today is the entrance exam. Everyone went to watch it like normal."

    "Watch it? Why would they watch us take a test?" I asked, also confused.

    She took a second and then asked "Wait us? Are you taking the Entrance Exam?"

    "Um... yes?" I responded even more confused "Shouldn''t everyone take the exam?"

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Realisation showed on her face "Oh you''re not a noble student. That makes more sense... sorry, I thought you were a noble because of your hair, it''s a similar colour to an old friend so I mistook you for someone else."

    Understanding she mistook me for someone else I sighed and asked"Um, what does me not being a noble have to do with taking the exam?"

    She flinched and coughed "Well you see nobles aren''t required to take the exam here. Most do it at home as they have the resources while commoner students take the exam at the academy."

    "Oh, that makes... more sense?" I said like a question.

    "Nobles have resources at their homes that normally can''t be transported because of possible bandit attacks or certain precautions. So an exception is made that allows nobles to take the test at home," she explained with a slight hint of annoyance.

    "Is everything ok?" I asked.

    "Hm? Oh yes sorry.*cough* just had something in my mind. The entrance exam will start soon so if you don''t mind, follow me," she said and turned around leading me through the school grounds.

    We walked in silence for a minute. When I built up the courage I said "You still haven''t answered my question."

    She turned to me "What question?"

    "Why would the other students watch us take a test?" I asked again

    "Were you not informed about what the test is?" she asked worriedly

    I shook my head.

    "Ugh. Those idiots... I am sorry but if you were thinking it would be a written test you are wrong." she said apologetically.

    Scared I asked, "W-wh-what kind of test is it?"

    "You will enter an arena and fight a monster," she said

    My face went pale.

    "W-we have to fight a m-monster?" I asked even more scared.

    She could see my fear and quickly added "You don''t have to worry about being hurt. We have healers on standby and certain precautions have been put into place to prevent injury,"

    It did help knowing I wouldn''t be hurt but I am not a good fighter.

    "I''m no fighter. Is there any way to pass if I don''t beat it?" I asked

    Amanda stopped, turned to me, placed a hand on my shoulder and calmly said "You don''t need to beat it, we don''t expect new students to beat them. This test, as barbaric as it is, is meant to find talent in students, not judge how strong you are."

    "What do you mean?" I asked worried

    she smiled and said "Just show us what you can do."

    "...what are you looking for?"

    she smiled, leaned over and whispered, "If you can use some powerful magic, if you use some special fighting technique if you have a powerful magic item and so on."

    "Show off what you can do and you should have nothing to worry about. Only the students who do nothing fail the exam." she finished explaining.

    I nodded feeling slightly better, but only slightly.

    I am not a fighter, I have tried but I can''t. One thing I can do well though is...

    *Dong* I loud bell ring a few times from a clock tower on the castle.

    Amanda turned to it and when she noticed the time she looked surprised but not worried.

    "Oh. We should hurry up, it''s 11 and applications for the entrance exam are done at 11:15."

    "What! Where is the arena?!" I asked worried about missing the test.

    "Don''t worry. It''s just around the corner and all you have to do is give your name and, if you have joined already, give your Adventurer Guild Ranking."

    "Guild ranking?" I asked

    "You know, the ranking for adventurers to help determine how strong they are," she said

    "Oh right, that..." I said embarrassed, I never really learned about the adventurers'' guild before so I didn''t know.

    As we rounded the corner I could see the arena.

    It was a few stories tall made of stone and had several flags on it. Each one depicts something else, animals, beasts, plants, magic, and many more things.

    The edges of the arena were built in a C shape allowing those standing at the open end to watch even if not seated.

    Many people could be seen sitting in the bleachers waiting for the test to start and talking among themselves.

    I let my ears pick up some of what they were saying and fear gripped him hard.

    "Do you think someone will die this year?"

    "I don''t see why you brought me out here to watch a bunch of commoners fight something. It''s not like they have any potential."

    "I love this test. It is their first dose of reality. That lower-class scum like them is nothing compared to us."

    I hated hearing their words.

    ''It''s just like back home but at least here, people can''t hurt me like ''they'' did.'' I thought back to bitter memories.

    Not noticing my reaction, Amanda guided me to an office and sent me in with some words of encouragement.

    "You will do great, Ark. Just trust in yourself. I look forward to having you in my class. Good luck," she said and walked off.

    I stayed out there for a minute, but knowing I was limited on time I entered the room.

    It took a few minutes but I managed to get fully registered for the entrance exam along with over 50 other people.

    Looking around the room I could see a few races I knew of and ones I didn''t recognise. But a few of the people caught my eye.

    A large man with greenish skill and tusks, wearing leather armour and wielding a greatsword.

    A lizardman with green scales holding a bow.

    A person wearing black clothes and a face mask, hiding in a dark corner of the room.

    A short lizard-like creature with blue scales, wearing a red and blue cloak and holding a staff with 2 different coloured gems on each end.

    But the oddest one of all was a human male with brown hair, sitting on the ground against a wall reading a book with a spear lying on the ground next to him. He let off a strange yet familiar aura that, as it seemed, only I could sense.

    Compared to them I feel like I don''t have a chance.

    At 11:30 we were all standing in the middle of the Arena.

    The headmaster, a tall woman with short black hair came out to a stand and announced the start of the entrance exams.

    As she neared the end of her speech, one thing made almost every applicant nervous.

    "Now I know we normally don''t put a limit on accepted students but due to certain issues this year, we will only be accepting 15 students this year," she said with no change of emotion.

 The Entrance Exam 1

    "We will only be accepting 15 students this year."

    as we all heard that, all of us examinees'' faces paled.

    "Only 15! Why so few!" the green-skinned man shouted.

    She turned and said "I assure you. It isn''t intentional but due to certain circumstances that is all that the academy can allow this year."

    I caught a hint of disgust in her voice but she hid it well.

    She turned and started listing off the details and rules of the exam.

    "knowing the rumours about her she probably did this to break our spirits." I heard another examinee, the lizardman with the bow, whisper to the human who was reading a book earlier. They were clearly friends as they seemed to be of similar minds.

    "The academy probably accepted more noble students than normal. We will know when we get to our first class and see 5 nobles in the class." the human whispered back.

    "True but I would like it if she could hide her dislike for Orcs better." the lizardman responded secretly gesturing to the green skinned man.

    The human nodded but didn''t say anything else.

    ''What rumours? How many nobles attend this school? Is that green-skinned man an Orc?'' a lot of questions ran through my head.

    Returning my attention to the headmaster I learned what would happen for the test.

    "An applicant will be chosen at random and will enter the Arena 1 at a time. Each test will last for 5 minutes. When you enter a random monster will be released."

    "Each monster will be equivalent to an F+ rank monster or lower, but if an applicant is an adventurer they can fight a monster at higher ranks equal to their own rank or below."

    She pulled out a crystal tied with a string into a necklace.

    "Protection talismans are provided to each student that will protect them from serious injury but not pain."

    "This test doesn''t require you to kill the monster. We are looking for talent and potential, not strength. Show us your potential and you will pass."

    "Each applicant will be given a score out of 100 and the top 15 students will be enrolled. Other factors could affect the grade given so do your best."

    "If your talisman breaks before the time limit is reached you fail. If you give up you fail. If you show no potential you fail."

    We all felt very tense hearing how strict the rules were. However, a few people didn''t seem all that worried.

    After some more unneeded details, we were led to a viewing area and the tests began.

    i stayed in my own area avoiding people as I didn''t know how to act but everyone else seemed to be talking amongst themselves.

    I watched a few fights but none seemed very impressive, it was mainly humans with one dwarf, each wielding weapons and swinging at the monsters.

    All of them got a score of 50 or less.

    I tried to figure out what the other students could do but whenever I looked at the human with a strange aura I could feel a strange feeling in my chest, a feeling I was unfamiliar with.

    He seemed to be friends with the lizardman as they talked and both seemed confident that they would get in while I wasn''t sure I could get in considering my abilities.

    I couldn''t help but stare at him. The aura he gave off was comforting in a way but also showed he was strong, way stronger than me.

    Sometimes he would look over and almost catch me staring at him. I don''t know if he knew I was watching him but if he did he didn''t say anything.

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    Eventually, the short reptile I saw earlier walked into the arena. Based on his clothes he seemed to be a mage but I couldn''t tell what kind.

    All that I could give a hint was his staff that had a light blue crystal on one end and an orange one on the other.

    When he entered the arena, the announcer introduced him as Zek a kobold mage and soon after a gate opened on the other side, and 5 black-furred, red-eyed wolves walked out.

    "A single kobold against a pack of Dark Dolves. How do you think this will go?" the lizardman asked his friend.

    The human stayed quiet for a second then said "I think it''s better if you watch."

    Then he leaned over "Including us, in total I can see 6 people with high potential among the applicants and he is one. Let''s just hope this school can realize that." he whispered but I could hear him.

    the lizardman, shocked, asked "Only 6?"

    the human nodded and they both turned back to the arena.

    The kobold stood in place, gripping his staff tightly. He didn''t move, just watched the wolves circling him.

    Four of the wolves growled and charged toward him.

    The kobold placed the blue crystal-tipped end of his staff on the ground.

    [Frozen Floor]

    A sheet of ice spread outward, coating the ground beneath the wolves. Caught off guard, they slipped and fell, making startled yelps as they skidded into each other.

    The kobold then raised the staff, pointing the orange crystal toward the fallen wolves.

    [Ring of Fire]

    Flames burst forth, forming a ring of fire that encircled the wolves, trapping them. The crowd stirred with excitement.

    "He can use opposing elements!" someone exclaimed in astonishment.

    But the enthusiasm was short-lived.

    "A kobold using two kinds of magic? Yeah, right. It must be using a magic item, probably the staff" an arrogant man said. Others around him nodded in agreement.

    The kobold ignored the crowd. His focus shifted to the one wolf that hadn''t charged, the Alpha. Seeing its pack trapped and sensing danger from the kobold, it turned and tried to escape.

    The kobold pointed the blue end of his staff at the wolf.

    [Ice Spear]

    A sharp shard of ice shot through the air, striking the wolf in the side. It yelped and collapsed, wounded but alive.

    The kobold lowered his staff and stood silently as the fight ended. The crowd buzzed with a mix of awe and skepticism, but the kobold remained unmoved.

    He won the fight and received the highest score yet, a score of 82.

    Another student went up next but his fight wasn''t great and he lost just before the 5-minute time limit.

    I did notice the kobold seemed very smug and I couldn''t blame him.

    I don''t know much about magic but I do know that naturally having 2 elemental affinities is very rare and Fire and Ice magic are complete opposites. Normally a mage can have only one of the 2 but this kobold has both.

    Eventually, it was my turn and I nervously walked down towards the arena.

    What I wasn''t expecting was that the headmaster would be waiting for me.

    "You are Ark Moonfang correct?" she said in a businesswoman''s voice.

    "Um, y-yes," I said nervous and confused.

    "I just want to remind you that because of your Grandfathers... ''donations'' to the academy to get you in. I will be lenient and raise your score by 20 points, but keep in mind this academy is prestigious, it will be the first time one of... your kind attend this school" she said with a hint of disgust at the end.

    "But I will warn you that you can still fail this if you are unworthy of attending this academy. Is that understood?"

    Scared I nodded. "Yes ma''am it is."

    "Good. Now if you will excuse me I have other matters to attend to," she said and walked off.

    I placed a hand over my beating heart, taking a moment to steady myself.

    ''Grandfather. I know you meant well by helping me get in here, by giving her that, but I''m not sure I''ll be able to make it.'' I thought to myself with worry,

    "They''re waiting for you." A voice called from behind.

    I jumped and tried to move away, but my feet tangled, and I tripped.

    Thankfully, the person caught my hand and stopped me from hitting the ground.

    He helped me up, and I turned to thank him, but my words caught in my throat.

    Standing before me was the man with the strange aura, the one who had been quietly watching me.

    It was nice to see him again, but my emotions were everywhere, and I couldn''t think straight. I quickly turned away, unable to meet his gaze.

    "Nervous and doubting yourself?" he asked, his voice calm.

    I couldn''t speak, only nodded with my head down.

    He smiled gently and said, "Don''t doubt yourself. You may not think so but I can see great potential in you. Even if you think you aren''t special or worthy, think of the people who support you and gave you a reason to come here, even if it''s only one person."

    "Do you want to let them down and throw their belief in you into the mud, or will you trust in their faith and accomplish greater things than you could ever imagine?"

    I stood there, trying to process his words. I felt both comforted and overwhelmed by them.

    He seemed to notice my hesitation and gave me a reassuring nod. "Just remember, it''s not about being perfect. It''s about doing your best, and that''s enough."

    "oh and don''t mind that woman, she clearly doesn''t like you, so stick it to her and show that you have potential and aren''t someone who will roll over and die."

    I finally dared to look up at him, my mouth opening to say something, out of shock, anger, confusion, anything but I couldn''t find the words.

    He gave me one last smile and said "Good luck. You''ll do great." and turned to head back to the viewing area.

    Before he left, he glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, I almost forgot, my name''s Jack. You''ll probably see me around."

    I barely had time to process the information before Jack walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

    For a moment, I just stood there, his words echoing in my mind. I took a deep breath, feeling a little more ready, a little more sure of myself.

 The Entrance Exam 2

    Trying not to pass out from the pressure and anxiety from this whole ordeal was very difficult but thanks to those words of encouragement from Jack I felt a little better about this whole thing.

    I thought about my grandfather, what he taught me, what he did to give me a chance here and the promise I made him.

    I held it I''m my mind and steeled my resolve as I thought of a plan.

    Even if I wasn''t the best I would at least try my best.

    I can''t fight, there is no saying otherwise but I can dodge and avoid the monster''s attacks. I also have good senses so if I can find a weakness I can exploit it against the monster.

    When I entered the arena the announcer said my name "Ark MoonFang" but didn''t say anything else.

    When I looked over to the gate I could see a young yet large bear with bright red fur walking out.

    I knew this monster, it was an inferno bear, but this one was an adolescent.

    A fully grown one stands at about 5 feet tall when on all fours but this one was only 3.5 feet tall. But what makes these things known, even the younger ones, is their fire breath.

    This one is weaker than adult inferno bears but still can kill me if I am not careful.

    Thankfully my grandfather showed me their attack patterns and how to avoid them.

    The bear sniffed the air and it caught my scent, the scent of a wolf.

    The adolescent inferno bear let out a roar and a few sparks of flame left its mouth.

    I clenched my fists but kept my head down.

    ''I can''t let fear get to me now. I can''t let their faith in me go to waste.'' I thought as I pictured my grandfather''s face, then jacks for some reason.

    The bear didn''t wait for me to make the first move though. It charged, flames flaring at its nose.

    When it got closer it swiped its claws at me. I dodged to the side avoiding its attack.

    Sand kicked up as the bear missed, its claws hitting the ground where I was just standing.

    I stay light on my feet as I dodge its attacks, moving behind it to hide, sliding between its legs, and jumping over its attacks.

    I was doing pretty well until

    I was so focused on the bear I wasn''t watching my footing and I tripped over an uneven rock and stumbled.

    The bear noticing an opening swung its claws at me again.

    I felt a gust of wind blow and I followed it. I pushed off the ground and managed to get out of the way before its attack hit me but I did get a scratch on my face.

    ~~~~~~~~

    Jacks POV

    "Did you see that! he dodged its swing without touching the ground! Was it a kind of magic!?" Araki shouted shaking me and smacking his tail against the ground in excitement as we watched Arks fight.

    "[Wind Run], It''s a wind-type spell that lets you run on air, or in this case, use it to jump away even if you aren''t on solid ground," I said impressed by Ark.

    Astonished Araki said "Really? It''s a good thing he uses it for that then... wait if he can use wind magic why not use it for attacking."

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    I thought about it as Araki did have a point.

    "Considering he isn''t using any other magic I don''t think he realized he can use magic. He could be doing it on instinct." I said

    "Really?! I didn''t think that was possible," he said back staring at Ark in wonder.

    I smirked and said "Of course it''s possible. How do you think sorcerers use magic? Unlike us who have to study, they can use it with no training. Though it does lead to more bad than good if they aren''t trained properly."

    Araki scratched his head, his expression a mix of confusion and realization. "Why didn''t I think of that sooner?"

    I smiled. "Because you focus too much on the wrong things, Araki. One day you''ll learn to keep up with me."

    "Hey! I don''t focus on the wrong things!" Araki shot back, glaring at me.

    I chuckled. "Of course not. That''s why you needed me to explain it."

    I smiled as I returned focus to the fight but one thought did occur to me

    ''an inferno bear, even if young, isn''t an F rank beast... did they make a mistake or did he ask for this one.'' I thought

    ~~~~~~

    Arks POV

    I heard a few sounds of surprise from the crowd but I didn''t pay attention to them, only to the opponent in front of me.

    I realized my mistake, I was so focused on the bear I didn''t catch the ground that had become unstable because of its attacks.

    I glanced around to check the ground around me. Claw marks were all around me on the ground and some rocks were spotted around the arena and several bits of rubble had started making the ground uneven.

    ''I have to be more careful and watch where I am stepping''. I thought

    I continued to dodge the bear''s attacks for some more time and it got more and more frustrated.

    As I dodged it I moved back as I could sense a change in the bear''s movements. I watched it closely as it leaned back and took a large breath.

    I knew what this meant and prepared to dodge.

    With a roar the bear opened its mouth and a large stream of fire gushed out towards me.

    Normally an inferno bear''s fire breath is condensed into a line for better range and heat, but this one''s lack of control and knowledge created a large cone instead.

    Instead, its breath was a large cone.

    ''it''s too big to dodge! I have to run.'' I thought and turned to run away from the bear and put some distance between us.

    Normally running from a bear is a fatal mistake as most people can''t outrun them, but when fighting an inferno bear and it uses its fire breath, they can''t run properly.

    So long as you turn around when its breath is done, you don''t have to worry about it catching up to you with your back turned.

    When the fire breath stopped I turned back and saw the bear look even more furious and it charged at me again.

    I prepared to dodge again but heard a bell ring.

    Suddenly a collar around the bear''s neck that I hadn''t seen before, glowed and slammed its head into the ground preventing the bear from moving.

    The announcer came out and announced my score "Ark Moonfang passes the test with 70 points!"

    I looked happy that I passed with such a high score but remembered that the headmaster said my score would increase by 20 points.

    ''50 isn''t great, overall I am on the same level as the other fighters here.'' I thought with disappointment.

    The crowd was silent for a moment before murmurs spread, but the announcer quickly continued. ''Apologies. There was a mix-up... Ark Moonfang: 90 points!''"

    A look of astonishment showed on my face along with the other applicants.

    ''wait I scored 70 points on my own! how did I get that high!'' I thought to myself trying to understand what just happened.

    I tried to understand why I got such a high score but nothing came to mind.

    I walked back to the viewing area confused and noticed a lot of faces staring at me. A mix of envy, anger, admiration, suspicion and confusion, but 2 faces were of joy and pride.

    Jack and his friend. They were smiling. Jack''s expression held a hint of pride, while his friend looked confused.

    They didn''t approach me and let me relax from the stress of the fight and went back to talking so I listened to their conversation worried about what they thought.

    "Why was his score raised by 20 exactly? It''s a little suspicious. Do you think he bribed someone?" the lizardman asked.

    Jack shook his head "No. Only the Headmaster has the authority to effect the ratings like that and she wouldn''t have accepted a bribe. She is only interested in rare resources and doing experiments on said resources. Besides, no offence to him but Ark doesn''t seem like he could go through with ribbing someone."

    "Then why was it raised?" he asked confused and looking over at me.

    I turned away not meeting their gaze.

    "Not sure but it isn''t something we should worry about right now, You''re up next," Jack said

    the lizardman turned and noticed his name was next on the board and hurriedly moved towards the arena.

    After he was gone I glanced over towards Jack but he was looking back at me.

    He clearly knew my grandfather did something to get me in there so I looked away and didn''t meet his gaze for more than a second.

    I''m not really sure why I fear him disliking me or anything like that but I know it isn''t a thing I want to happen ever.

    I sat there in silence worrying about how other people would look at me when I sensed a presence next to me.

    I glanced up and froze. Jack had taken the seat next to me, his presence steady and calming like a cool breeze.

    He didn''t say anything at first, just looked ahead, but his nearness made my face burn. ''Why did he always have this effect on me?''

 The Entrance Exam 3

    I became very nervous again. with Jack sitting right next to me and I still didn''t know why I was like that.

    "Congratulations on your fight," Jack said, breaking the silence. His tone was kind and and made my chest tighten. "You did well out there."

    "Um, t-thanks," I said

    he smirked and said "No need to be so tense. You earned that score, Ark."

    I nodded sheepishly but didn''t make eye contact. he wasn''t wrong about me getting a score of 70, that was good but the 20 extra points made it hard to be happy.

    "What''s got you so nervous?" he asked.

    I didn''t respond. He turned to the arena and asked something that made my face pale. "is it about what your grandfather did?"

    I turned to home in fear and worry but I could see his face, it was calm and caring.

    "I don''t know what you mean," I said quickly, but Jack didn''t believe me and waited.

    I turned away and breathed, relenting to his gaze "he only donated some rare resources to the academy. He did it on his own without my knowledge in order to make it easier for me to get in."

    It wasn''t the entire truth but it wasn''t a lie either.

    He listened to my response and nodded. "I won''t pry into your family dynamics or past. Just know I am always available to talk if you need it."

    He then stood up and turned the arena.

    "oh and don''t push yourself to talk if you aren''t ready. We just met, after all, so it''s understandable," he said calmly and walked away to watch his friend.

    I stared back at him and placed my face in my hands ''Why does he do this to me!'' I shouted internally.

    After another minute I heard the announcer say "Araki of the Blackvine Tribe!"

    At the other gate, a massive creature lumbered into the arena, I could only stare in shock. I''d never seen anything like it before.

    Its main body was a massive boulder, Instead of a head, a glowing runic design was carved into the front of the boulder, glowing with blue light.

    Its limbs were smaller stones and rocks, held together by glowing strands of magic. The arms were long and ended in hammer-like fists, while its legs were thick, supporting its size.

    None of the rocks were touching each other instead they were all floating a little bit apart from each other.

    "What is that?" I heard several people ask confused

    "It''s a Stone Golem!" the Orc person I saw earlier shouted in surprise.

    I turned to Jack but he wasn''t paying attention to what the others were saying, instead he was watching Araki closely with a look of worry on his face.

    I hadn''t seen him worried once this entire time so it was a shock.

    I turned back to the fight and noticed what Araki was holding. It was then that I realized why Jack was worried.

    Araki was holding a bow and quiver of arrows.

    ''Arrows against a walking pile of boulders! How is he supposed to pass?!'' I thought to myself

    the golem started to move towards Araki but thankfully it was slow so Araki had some extra time.

    He pulled back an arrow and aimed for the main body.

    *clink*

    the arrow hit and bounced off the hard stone.

    He pulled back another arrow and aimed for the points.

    *clink*

    the same thing happened and the golem didn''t slow down. It seemed to be moving faster.

    Araki started to move around and keep his distance and the golem followed.

    The golem seeing it couldn''t get closer punched the ground pulled out a large boulder and threw it at Araki.

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    The boulder moved fast but thankfully he dodged it in time but was shocked by its precision.

    "it shouldn''t have known to do that." I heard Jack mumble to himself and I became even more worried.

    ''could someone be controlling it or making it smarter?'' I thought.

    Araki and the golem continued like this for a while but Araki was picking up dust in the hope of blinding it and shooting arrows at the golem as well. Thought because he was running he missed several arrows and they just stuck into the ground.

    Eventually, Araki made a full circle around the golem and was back where he started.

    "Wait... no he isn''t!" Jack exclaimed in surprise and astonishment.

    Everyone around him turned in confusion but seeing him excited drew all our attention back to the fight.

    Araki then ran towards the golem which surprised us all.

    I watched as the golem swung at him but Araki slowed down just before he came in striking distance and jumped on top of the golem''s arm

    he pulled out an arrow and tried to stab the golem in the arm with it he managed to get the arrow stuck in a crack but nothing more.

    He then jumped off its arm and ran away in another direction.

    It was then that I noticed a circle with a diameter of 20 feet drawn into the ground surrounding the golem.

    ''how did that get there?'' I thought in confusion then realised ''Wait! Isn''t that where he was running earlier?''

    I turned back to Araki and noticed one thing he was dragging his tail on the ground. No lizardman ever did that when running so I knew it was suspicious.

    As I watched he made a sharp turn back toward the golem and fired some more arrows at the golem, they all missed but he didn''t stop running.

    "Is he suicidal?!" one person said.

    Araki then made a wide turn before he reached the golem still dragging his tail on the ground.

    ''what is he drawing something'' I thought

    we continued to watch as Araki ran around dragging his tail on the ground and avoiding the golem.

    When Araki finally stopped running he was standing on the outside of the circle and the golem was walking towards him and moving closer to the center of the circle.

    The drawing he did was unknown to me but several people had looks of astonishment. Including the kobold mage, Zek.

    "Impossible! A circle that big requires too much mana for him to have. Unless..." Zek said confused but then realized Araki''s plan.

    I was still in the dark though and could only watch.

    When the golem got close enough to the center of the circle, araki pulled out a small crystal and placed it on the edge of the circle.

    Suddenly, from all the arrows he missed that landed inside the circle, lines of orange magic appeared and connected them in a specific pattern.

    I noticed the lines matched whatArakii had drawn into the ground and realized it was a magic circle, though what it did I couldn''t tell.

    He backed away and said a spell I couldn''t hear.

    I noticed the arrow Araki stuck into the golem glowed a blue light instead of orange and a blue line of magic between the golem and a small crystal was formed.

    Then the magic circle pulsed and then a massive column of flames erupted from the circle

    I could feel the intense heat from where I was sitting and no one said a word and just stared at the absurdity of what was happening in front of us. All of us except for Jack who had a crazed and excited look

    the golem was caught in the middle and couldn''t bear the heat. It turned orange and some of the smaller stones began to melt or crumble from the intense heat.

    After a full minute, araki leaned over, panting as the fire died down and we could see the golem.

    Its limbs had all crumbled or melted and the boulder it had for a body had cracked in half.

    Araki had killed the golem.

    No sound could be heard, everyone was silent, too shocked to say anything.

    Only after a full 2 minutes could a sound be heard

    The announcer, hesitating a bit, said "A-Araki 92 points."

    nothing happened and Araki after catching his breath bowed and walked back to the viewing area.

    My mind was racing, trying to process what I''d just seen.

    When Araki got back he walked over and sat next to Jack, ignoring everyone else.

    When he sat down Jack placed a hand on his back and congratulated him "You did great Araki. I can''t believe you thought of that!"

    He sighed, clearly tired "Yeah but I only won by using its core as the power source and even then it was a gamble but thankfully it worked."

    "Well, regardless it was awesome!" Jack said

    "glad you liked it. now if you don''t mind I am going to sleep." Araki said and laid down on the bench and instantly fell asleep.

    "Attention all students and applicants. We are going to take a 20-minute break to repair the damage to the arena. "

    "And to the other applicants please take this time to rest and get ready for your exam." the announcer said to everyone in the arena.

    I didn''t hear any responses just people getting up and walking away. Probably still in shock from what Araki did.

    A few of the other applicants who built up the courage went up and asked Jack what Araki did while I listened from a bit farther away.

    Jack then proceeded to explain how he did it.

    "Araki used his tail to draw a magic circle into the ground."

    "Araki uses a special type of magic passed down by his family that gives him a mental connection to all his arrows for a few minutes after being shot."

    "Thanks to this ability, all the arrows he shot into the ground would act as magical conduits."

    "He used the design he drew out on the ground as a guide for the magic and created a giant magic circle with it."

    "Think of it as making a mold for casting metal. His tail made the mold and the magic was the metal."

    They were satisfied with that answer and were about to walk away when Zek, the kobold, asked in a rough yet slightly high-pitched voice, "He used the golem''s core for the power, didn''t he?"

    Jack looked down at the kobold and nodded "Good eye. The arrow he stuck into the golem acted as an improvised conduit to transfer the magic in its core to the circle to act as the power source."

    "What core?" one applicant asked.

    Jack pointed to the golem''s remains. "look inside its main body you can see a large crystal. That was its core and power source. Without it, the golem would just be a bunch of rocks."

    "Overall you could say the golem powered the magic that killed it."

    Zek stared at Jack then at the sleeping Araki "And because of all the calculations and mental strain that required. It caused him to pass out."

    "Pretty much," Jack said with a laugh

    "You Zek right? You know a lot about Magic." Jack said to the kobold

    "I have been studying under my master for years. Of course, I know a lot," he said smugly.

    "Well, I hope to see you around," Jack said

    Zek looked doubtful but interested "You haven''t taken your test yet. How do you know you will pass?" he asked.

    Jack smiled "Because I am stronger than Araki." he said with a smirk.

    Everyone looked confused but quickly started imagining what Jack could be capable of.

 The Entrance Exam 4

    After the break, everyone was sitting back in their seats. Some of the people who already finished had removed their gear and were sitting in more comfortable clothes. I decided to stay away from everyone else.

    Araki had woken up at some point and seemed to be doing fine but still looked tired.

    I could see Jack motion for me to join him and Araki but I shook my head, I didn''t feel comfortable doing something like that right now.

    Looking into the arena I could see it was fully repaired. Before it was rubble and gashed and burn marks all over the place but now it was back to how it was before. A barren patch of land with no grass or plants, just dirt.

    I watched other applicants and their fights but my focus was on another thought.

    My score was 70 without the bonus. Compared to the other people who scored high and those who scored 50 it didn''t add up to me.

    ''All I did was dodge the attacks, could I have shown talent or something? Was I because most people would have run away from the bear? I didn''t run as I couldn''t let them down, I was terrified! Was it because I could anticipate its attacks?'' so many reasons passed through my head but I couldn''t figure it out.

    I couldn''t understand why I was giving such a high score and continued to rack my brain but nothing did come to mind.

    As I was trapped in my own head around 20 applicants took the test 14 failed and the rest passed with 60s and one 20. The person with 20 cried and ran away.

    One thing I did notice was that mages were very rare. Out of the 50 applicants only 8 of them seemed to be mages, including Zek and only 10 of the others seemed to be able to use magic. The rest, like me, are all ordinary.

    After some time I noticed Jack waved to me to get my attention. When I turned to him he pointed to the arena.

    In the arena was the Orc person I saw earlier.

    "Up next, Orin Woodwork." the announcer said

    I could hear murmurs from the students

    "Why would the academy allow a Half-Orc here?"

    "letting the low-born Commoners join the academy is bad enough, but now they are letting hybrids join, and an Orc at that!"

    Hearing all this hatred was suffocating and brought back bad memories. It was comparable to my childhood but this seems to be directed to an entire race rather than a single person.

    Hearing the word hybrid also added to my anger. That term was used to refer to people who have parents of 2 different races and are treated horribly by many people. My grandfather told me about them and I had experience as people mistook me for a hybrid as well.

    "Calm down everyone! Just because one birth parent wasn''t the same race doesn''t mean that they are all bad or are you forgetting I am also a hybrid." a woman said.

    Hearing a voice of reason in the crowd of negativity and hatred was reassuring.

    I turned to her to get a good look.

    She wasn''t sitting there before and probably sat there after the break but hadn''t said anything until now.

    She stood at about 5''10, had long curly blond hair, blue eyes, light-coloured skin, a green dress with a plant-like design at the bottom and a purple flower tucked behind her ear.

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    She was pretty, but I couldn''t see any signs of why she referred to herself as a hybrid.

    "Lady terra! We meant no disrespect! I-it was just said in the heat of the moment!" they said in a panic.

    An arrogant man with short blond hair stood angrily and said "You are all cowards!"

    "With respect, Lady Terra, you''re part elf, but that-" he pointed to Orin "is an Orc. Elves are considered one of the civilized races while Orcs are nothing but barbarians."

    Terra stared at the man and said "That may be true for some Orcs but not all Mr. Orander. I figured that someone of your family''s reputation would have a different view on Orcs."

    "What do you mean my family''s reputation?!" he said angrily while covering up his worry.

    "Now please correct me if I am wrong but doesn''t your father have a Half-Orc as his right-hand man and advisor? I wonder what they would think if they heard what you just said?" she said with a straight face.

    The man, embarrassed and angry stared at her furiously but didn''t say anything and sat back down.

    I stifled down a laugh seeing his face and stayed silent.

    "Now that we agree can we please watch the fights? I like that it shows that your prejudice against common-born people saying that they are weak has already been proven wrong. We have already seen 3 people of great talent that have scored higher than most of you on the same test and I suspect there will be a few more."

    Hearing her praise us was an unexpected result and I wasn''t sure how to take it but I was happy to see the infuriated faces of the noble students who could say she was wrong.

    A few more grumbles were let out by them but no one said them out loud and we started to watch the fight.

    While not being distracted by the nobles being humbled by Terra I could focus on Orin and what he looked like.

    He is very tall standing at about 6''5 and very built, he has palish-green skin and 2 small tusks coming from his lower jaw, he has black hair he pushed back, a short beard growing in, bright yellow eyes and an amulet tied around his neck.

    He wore leather armour around his torso, arms and legs but didn''t wear a helmet. He held a Greatsword with strange markings carved into the blade.

    I looked over at Jack and I saw him leaning over interested in this fight.

    ''Could Orin be one of the people with high potential?'' I thought to myself and paid attention to the fight.

    On the other side of the arena, the gate opened and 3 Giant Rats crawled out.

    I had chased after rats before because of my father. While they aren''t as fast they are more sporadic and random in their movements they are vicious when forced to. They go for the weak points and exposed areas.

    The rats noticing Orin started to run towards him but were jumping back and forth between each other. When the first rat got within striking distance Orin let out a loud Roar swung his sword with surprising speed and cleaved the Rat in half.

    Noticing their companion was dead the other rats started to run away but Orin didn''t let them.

    He stepped on one rat''s tail and stabbed his sword into its back causing it to scream in pain while also pining it to the ground.

    Orin turned to the other rat but surprisingly the final rat decided to attack and tried to bite his head.

    Orin raised his arm and let the rat bite his armour. He then proceeded to punch it several times in the stomach trying to get it off.

    The rat retaliated by swinging its claws at Orin trying to hit him but only nicked a strap on his chest plate.

    Seeing nothing was working Orin decided to unstrap his arm bracer the rat was biting and swung his arm around shaking the bracer and rat off and dazing it for a second.

    With the rat no longer attached to him, he ran over and grabbed a large rock on the ground nearby ran back to the rat and smashed its head in.

    This fight wasn''t as exciting as the others but it definitely showed he was stronger than most other people. He won the fight in less than a minute while most others who fight like him would require around 3 or 4 minutes.

    "Orin Woodwork. Passes with 68 points!" the announcer said

    I stared at the scene in front of me and noticed it was a little gorey. Orin didn''t seem bothered by it at all and seemed proud of his victory.

    I turned to Jack to see his reaction but when I saw his face I saw an expression I wasn''t expecting, fear and worry.

    I turned back to Orin to see what could be the cause thinking it could just be because he wasn''t bothered by the mess. Though some other applicants did cause some messy scenes already but he never reacted like this.

    It was then that I noticed a red mark on his chest. I could only see a small part of it that was revealed thanks to the rat nicking his armour earlier.

    "It can''t be!" I heard Terra say to herself in surprise and worry.

    I looked around but no one else seemed to notice the mark and those who did didn''t know what it meant.

    I decided to ask Jack later when we weren''t in such a popular area.

    Orin grabbed his sword, pulled it out from the now-dead rat and left the Arena.

    As he left I noticed he realised his chestplate was messed up and quickly fixed it in a panic hiding the mark again.

    ''Does the mark mean something and he is trying to hide it?'' I thought to myself

 The Entrance Exam 5

    Letting the thought rest for now I decided to watch the next match though none of them seemed very good.

    Even more, applicants failed, and those who passed only got 50s or low 60s.

    Seeing several people''s faces fall as they realized they were below the top 15 was sad to see and several just walked away crestfallen.

    I noticed a man standing near the exit hiding and speaking to them.

    He explained that saw scouting students who failed this test and told them the 4th academy, of which he works, would be happy to have them. When questioned he did admit that it was suspicious for him to talk to them like this but he technically wasn''t supposed to be there so he was hiding.

    He said that they heard that only a few commoner applicants would be accepted here, so he offered a second option as the 4th academy was mainly common-born people.

    Most of them said they would think about it but several refused and some accepted immediately.

    I was glad to hear that they could attend an academy. These places are great at teaching their students about magic, alchemy, blacksmithing, fighting and many other skills that can''t be learned on your own.

    The fights took a long time and it started to get close to sundown. By now a large part of the arena was covered in shadows.

    After some time we got to the last 2 fighters and all of us in the top 13 relaxed as there was no way for us to not get in but the other 2 were very tense. I was still in shock at how I technically am the second best.

    Jack and the strange man in a black cloak remained silent the entire time hiding in the back.

    It is kind of scary, if my scenes weren''t as strong as they are, I would have forgotten and never remembered that he was there.

    I couldn''t tell what his race was as his face was covered but it was obvious he was male and had dark purplish hair.

    The next match was the man in the cloak and Jack would be the last person to take the test.

    "Up next Aaron Goldmane!"

    I watched as Jack once again focused on this match. I quickly realized that this man was the final person Jack took an interest in.

    Aside from me, it was Zek the kobold mage, Orin the Half-Orc Fighter, Araki the lizardman Archer, Aaron who seemed to be a rouge/assassin and finally Jack himself who seemed to be a spear fighter considering he had a spear with him.

    In total 6 people were above the rest of the applicants though I still couldn''t figure out why I was one of them.

    I watched as the gate opened and some boars came rushing out and almost impatiently charged towards Aaron.

    Aaron didn''t seem to move and let them approach.

    The boars ran towards and tried to charge into him but they instead crashed into each other and Aaron was nowhere to be seen.

    I stood up in surprise and tried to find Aaron. I didn''t see him move, only the boars ran at him and collided with each other a few seconds later.

    Suddenly from the ground, I noticed what should have been a boar shadow was a shadow in the form of a man. It was hidden by the shade of the arena but I could see a darker spot.

    It was a strange thing to see especially as the side the shadow was on was pointing towards the sun and not away like normal.

    I watched closely as the boars looked around trying to find Aaron but couldn''t find anything.

    Getting angry they started stomping around and spreading out to find him.

    The shadow of Aaron followed the boar as it was attached.

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    When the single boar was away from the group an arm sprouted from the shadow holding a dagger and slit its throat instantly. The boar died instantly and the arm retreated into the shadows.

    I watched the shadow as it left the boar and turned into what looked like a dark puddle, a lot more noticeable than before but still hidden and quick enough that the boars didn''t notice it.

    One thing I did notice was that the puddle never left the shadows made by the arena and always chose boars that it could reach.

    If none were available Aaron would emerge and cause the boars to charge at him and retreat back into the shadows.

    The puddle attacked itself to another boar and the process repeated itself until all boars were dead.

    "Aaron passes with 84 points!" the announcer shouted.

    He seemed happy with the score, nodded and walked back.

    Though the person who was now in 16th place sat back down and cried slightly but was comforted by one of his friends who failed earlier on.

    Amazed by his magic I watched as he walked back to the viewing area and didn''t say anything. he pulled out one of his daggers and started to clean it with a cloth.

    Curious about Jack''s opinion of Aaron and his preparing for his match I turned over to him but I noticed he was staring at Aaron with a look of worry and caution.

    ''Does Jack know something about his magic?'' I thought as it was the only thing I noticed that could cause his reaction.

    I noticed Jack mumble a few things to himself and turn away but still kept an eye on Aaron.

    I glanced at Aaron and he either hadn''t noticed Jack''s reactions to him or just didn''t care.

    Either way, I was nervous.

    Of the 6 people with high potential Jack mentioned, there are 2 I am worried about and the rest seemed so friendly I couldn''t see myself interested in them aside from Jack any time soon.

    I decided to try and see anything strange about Aaron that Jack noticed but I missed. I couldn''t see anything strange but an odd scent was present on him I could tell what it was, though strangely it made me think of Jack for some reason.

    But the oddest thing was what I heard.

    Aaron was talking to himself in a hushed voice but it seemed more like a conversation with someone else that only he could hear rather than simply talking to yourself.

    "I know you are hungry. I will take care of it later" he whispered.

    ...

    "I will find you one, calm down."

    ...

    *sigh* Once we leave the arena I will ok?" he said exasperated

    ...

    "good now behave. The next fight is going to start." he finished his conversation after that.

    It was then I decided that until I knew if he was crazy or talking to something I would avoid him at all costs, though how well that would go when classes started was something I couldn''t guess.

    I put the matter aside for now but kept my scenes up and watched as Jack got up and walked to the arena with his spear in hand along with a book with a black cover.

    ...

    ''wait- a book? why would he have a book with him?'' I thought to myself in confusion.

    "up next Jackson Dravos. Due to him being an adventurer, he will fight a higher-ranked monster."

    I was surprised Jack was the first person who was an adventurer.

    "Isn''t he going to say his ranking?" one person asked confused

    "They probably didn''t for privacy reasons." another said

    Confused I decided to steel my nerves and nervously asked "Um sorry to ask but I don''t know much about adventurers. What is the ranking system?"

    They both stared at me in confusion

    "How do you not know the guild ranking?" one asked

    Embarrassed I said, "I live in a small village that got very few visitors so I never learned much about them."

    They took a second and just stared at me like I was some weird creature with 2 heads.

    Seeing my distress Araki, though still tired, walked over and answered, while holding a sheet of paper and a pencil that he got from who knows where, and proceeded to draw everything to make explaining easier.

    "The adventurer guild ranking is pretty simple and before I start Rank and class are used interchangeably so if I say one or the other it''s the same."

    I nodded and let him continue.

    "The lowest ranking is F Class which is equivalent to normal people and those who just became adventurers. Most of the applicants here are the same as an F Rank."

    "Then it goes up by one letter all the way to A Rank though most people can only achieve B rank."

    "Why is that?" I asked curious.

    Araki smiled and said "B Rank is the strongest you can get with training alone. A rank requires there to be something special about you."

    "Among each rank is also unofficial sub-divisions. They are just how adventurers judge who is stronger even if you are at the same rank."

    "If you are on the weaker side of D ranks you are considered D- but if you are on the stronger side you are D+, and just D if you are in the middle. Most people don''t try the rank-up exams unless you are a +."

    "You forgot about S Ranks," one person said

    "Oh right. S Classes or Super Ranks are the highest rank someone can get. There are leagues above A ranks to the point that the presence of just one can stop an army from marching to attack a city."

    I stared in shock as I tried to imagine how strong that could be. Only my grandfather came to mind as he was the strongest person I knew.

    "Though, I should mention it isn''t to the point that they would kill the entire army. They were just strong enough that they could damage the army so much that they wouldn''t be able to continue and would have to retreat so the attack just wouldn''t be worth it."

    Araki clarified showing me they weren''t as strong as I first thought.

    "Yeah, but that only speaks about the weaker ones. What about the S+ rankers." one person said.

    Araki tilted his head and nodded. "That is true but they are monsters on their own and way beyond what we could handle."

    ''Nevermind! S Ranks are stronger than anything I could have imagined!''

 The Entrance Exam 6

    "Ok that is a lot to digest but for now, do you know Jack''s ranking?" I asked

    Araki turned to me and shook his head. "No sorry we may be good friends but I am not an adventurer like him as I made a promise to my father to not become one until I turned 16."

    "Though now that I think about it, I don''t think his ranking ever really came up in conversation until now."

    I stared at Araki, confused and dumbfounded by his lack of knowledge of his own friend. He should have known that about his friend even if he wasn''t an adventurer.

    Araki didn''t say anything else and turned to watch Jack fight and I did the same.

    As Jack stood there, I could see him holding his spear. It had an odd design. The spearhead was a purplish black with gold flecks and silver lines running through it.

    It looked kind of like the night sky with a bolt of lightning. It was an odd sight but interesting as well.

    He stood with a strange calmness I haven''t seen. So far he always seemed happy and calm aside from a few times, but now he showed no emotion and remained calm.

    As the gate opened a presence was released that I could recognize anywhere and filled me with fear.

    "No i-it can''t be! Why is he here?!" I said quietly.

    I watched as a large wolf standing at 7 feet tall walked out. Its pitch-black fur and bright red eyes put fear into many people but all I felt was slight relief.

    I exhaled in relief "It''s just a Direwolf. it''s not hi-" I paused as realization took my mind "WAIT A DIREWOLF!" I said in a panic

    Dire wolves are monsters everyone knows of in my village. They are wild wolves mutated by magic and become ferocious monsters unless certain measures are taken.

    They don''t have magic but are incredibly fast and strong and their hide is so tough most weapons can''t pierce it. Not to mention their jaws can crush steel with ease.

    Other than possibly the teachers there was no way anyone here could beat it without dying themselves.

    "Get him out of there there is no way he can fight a Direwolf!" I shouted in a panic but I was too late. The Direwolf charged at Jack and I looked away not wanting to see Jack hurt.

    *ARWOO!*

    *Whoosh*

    *Fwump*

    *Thud*

    *Shing*

    hearing a strange noise I looked back and saw something I couldn''t believe.

    The Direwolf was lying on the ground and had a cut on its leg and Jack was standing behind it with blood on his spear.

    "what what just happened?" I said confused

    I watch the dire wolf get back up and lunge at Jack. Jackk moved out of its way so fast I almost couldn''t see it and stabbed the wolf with his spear.

    I was dumbfounded again as I watched him do that. Direwolf hides it extremely tough to the point that unless weapons are enchanted you can''t pierce it.

    I continued to watch Jack do the same thing over and over.

    He dodged at the last moment with minimal movement and counterattacked at every chance he got.

    What surprised me even more was that he didn''t just use spear-fighting techniques.

    I had been watching other applicants and several used different techniques with different weapons but they all used the same one for their weapons.

    Spear attacks typically involve stabbing motions, whereas a glaive, which is a polearm with a single-edged sword at the end, is designed for slashing motions.

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    A quarterstaff, on the other hand, is a versatile weapon that can be swung around to strike opponents in various ways dealing blunt damage.

    But Jack wasn''t sticking to one style he was using all of them and others I hadn''t seen before.

    I heard someone ask if he copied them but another person said that his skill level was clearly higher than theirs so there is no way he copied their movements.

    It was amazing. I had never seen someone so skilled at fighting other than my grandfather.

    After some time the Direwolf was covered in wounds while Jack stood calmly with no visible injuries at all.

    The Direwolf growled and I noticed a red aura envelope it.

    I remembered something my grandfather told me a long time ago

    "When a wolf of any species becomes angry enough it can enter a blood rage. When they do they see everything around them as an enemy, even their own children and loved ones."

    "They become much stronger but lose the ability to think properly and attack wildly and when they leave that state they are never the same and that anger stays until the day they die."

    "You can tell when one gets like that as all wolves can sense it on our own."

    "If you ever encounter one, don''t run or try to calm it down. Do everything you can to avoid its attention and slowly back away."

    "but also remember it doesn''t always come with anger. Sadness, fear and other negative emotions, if strong enough can cause a blood rage. Always be careful and make sure the others never enter one... please"

    remembering what he said made me panic and I tried to move to warn Jakc but I couldn''t.

    I was frozen in fear and I wasn''t the only one. Several other people couldn''t move either probably as the pressure released by the Dire wolf increased.

    I looked to Jack but amazingly he didn''t seem bothered.

    He took a stance with his spear pointed at the Direwolf and did something everyone in the audience couldn''t believe.

    He ran towards the Direwolf!

    I watched as the Direwolf in its rage ran towards Jack and tried to bite him.

    He ducked and slid along the ground while also slicing the Direwolfs chest and stomach from below in a single slice.

    The Direwolf was bleeding badly now but didn''t stop.

    It swung its paws at Jack and he somehow smacked them away with the blunt end of his spear showing that it had to be enchanted so it wouldn''t break.

    When the direwolfs paws were away I noticed stab wounds on them that weren''t there before.

    I looked over and saw Jack holding a dagger with the same design as the spearhead.

    ''Did he stab its paws when he blocked the attacks?!'' I thought in amazement

    the Direwolf tried over and over increasing its attack frequency yet somehow not landing a single hit.

    The Direwolf then jumped into the air and tried to fall on top of Jack but he managed to jump and roll away in time.

    I sawJackk move farther away and I noticed him say something but I couldn''t tell what.

    He then pulled a wand from his sleeve and pointed it at the Direwolf.

    ''Wait is he a mage too?'' I thought and looked closely at the wand. It had a yellow crystal on the handle and yellow lines running all over it.

    Then all of a sudden in a flash of blue lightning it changed and became blue with yellow lines instead.

    ''What was that?'' I thought

    The Direwolf turned towards Jack and bent down to make another charge but Jack cast his spell before it could.

    [Tri-fold Lightning Bolt]

    He cast a spell and 3 large bolts of lightning shot out from his wand and each struck the Direwolf. The Direwolf staggered and paused for a moment, then it fell over, dead.

    The entire arena was silent but cheers rang out from a few people

    Araki, Terra, several of the other applicants, and a few people around the arena.

    After them, several more people joined in as this was the best fight so far.

    Looking around I was a bit overwhelmed but decided to join in and cheered for Jack as well.

    Jack waved around but mostly waited for it to end, though he did ask a teacher who was sitting near the edge of the field if he could keep the pelt.

    I did find that odd but realized as an adventurer he could use it for himself or even sell it.

    I couldn''t hear the response and Jack didn''t seem to react to it either.

    When the cheering died down and Jack was waiting the announcer spoke

    "Winner Jackson Drav-" the announcer began to say but stopped mid-sentence.

    A strange aura was terminating from the Direwolf''s corpse.

    Everyone became on guard. It was confirmed the Direwolf was dead so whatever this was wasn''t normal.

    I noticed as Jack moved even farther away and got into a battle-ready position.

    Several people in the audience and even the teachers around did the same.

    I turned around and saw Araki, Zek, Orin and Aaron all ready for battle and defending the other applicants who probably could not do much.

    I backed away but kept my eye on the Direwolf.

    People had started to evacuate the arena already but those who could fight stayed.

    I thought about leaving but fear and a sense of unease kept me from leaving.

    After a minute or two, the corpse twitched and most of us watched in horror as it got back up and its wound sealed on its own. Its fur changed to a dark red, the white of its eyes turned black, its chest started to glow orange as if a fire was inside of it and a red crystal sprouted from its chest.

    "A hellhound!" someone shouted and panic engulfed everyone present.

    People learn of hell hounds when they are young. Hellhounds are demons that roam in packs and just one of them requires a small army to deploy.

    It let out a loud howl and after a few seconds, 10 more hellhounds broke through the gate and entered the arena.

    These were smaller though and stood at about the same height as normal wolves

    ."It-it can''t be!" Zek said in disbelief.

    "What is it?" Orin asked

    "Some of those are the wolves I fought in my match!" zek shouted.

    All our faces are pale as we realize the situation.

 Hounds In The Arena

    Jack''s POV

    ''What the hell?! What happened to them?'' I thought to myself as I watched the 11 Hellhounds in front of me gather together.

    ''I didn''t think this was possible but somehow, someone managed to bring dead wolves back as infernals. did they feed the wolves infernal cores and set an enchantment to go off when they die?''

    ^Jack we don''t have time! I am setting up a barrier. Get out of there now!^ Brakos said to me through our telepathic link.

    ^i know but I don''t think the teachers can handle this situation. It might be best for me to intervene.^ I said back

    ^Are you crazy?!^ Brakos shouted

    ^...^ I didn''t respond

    ^Ok, fair.^ he said and sighed.

    ^I don''t disagree but I can''t do much. The big one is a Rank 4 Infernals while the rest are Ranks 1 and 2. You will need help.^ he finished

    ^Don''t worry, I wasn''t planning on hiding them.^ I said back with a slight smile and pulled out the Black Book.

    I opened the book and a blue light flew out and a giant barrier surrounded the field of the Arena trapping both me and the Hellhounds inside.

    The Hellhounds seemed to be on guard when I did this.

    They could probably sense the Primordial Spirit magic on it and, thankfully, while looking at the teachers outside it was clear they couldn''t.

    I pulled a bag from my pocket and reached inside.

    "Jack what are you doing?!" Araki shouted while banging on the barrier trying to get in.

    I turned towards him and shouted back "The teachers aren''t able to handle this right now. I''m the only one who can kill them."

    "What do you mean? Only holy magic can kill demons and you can''t use it!" he shouted confused, frustrated and scared.

    I noticed Ark, who still hadn''t left, looking terrified and I said "Holy Magic isn''t the only way."

    "What?!" he shouted and backed away from the barrier.

    ~~~~~~

    Ark''s POV

    I was terrified seeing Jack trapped inside the barrier with some Hellhounds.

    Demons aren''t common but all children learn about them. Demons are monsters from the underworld that prey on the people of the world and Hellhounds, though on the rare side, are some of the more commonly known ones.

    Hellhounds are faster and stronger than the wolves that fought before. They are stronger, faster, smarter and one of the ones in front of Jack was a Direwolf that turned into one, now likely an Alpha Hellhound.

    No one had ever heard of Wolf corpses turning into Hellhounds before, a zombie maybe but not a demon unless it was possession and this was clearly not possession.

    I turned to the others nearby and watched them and looked for guidance in this situation.

    Araki had backed away from the barrier and turned to Zek who raised his staff and they both tried using magic to get in but several small vines grabbed both their hands, stopping them.

    "Don''t bother you won''t get in and even if you could, it would let the hounds out," Terra said as she ran over with her staff in hand.

    "Who are you?" Araki said angrily.

    "I am Terra Rondo. I am an old friend of both Jack and your father," she said to him.

    Araki showed a sign of recognition as he realized who she was.

    "Infernals can be killed by Holy, Domonic or ''Spirit'' magic," Terra said emphasizing the last type.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Yeah? So?" Zek said angrily as he wanted to help me as well.

    "Why does that matter?" Araki said also angry

    She turned to Araki and asked, "Did he never tell you?"

    confused he asked, "Tell me what?"

    Zek turned back to me and gasped "You''ve got to be kidding..."

    They all turned and gasped as well.

    ~~~~~~

    jacks POV

    (a few seconds earlier)

    I turned towards the hell hounds and watched them and waited for them to move but for some reason, they wouldn''t do anything but stand and watch me.

    I moved around and gave a few openings but they didn''t move.

    They seemed to be planning or awaiting orders.

    I reached into a small bag on my belt pulled out some seeds and held onto them.

    I opened the book and then proceeded to summon my spirits

    "Summon Volt, Willow."

    A circle of lightning appeared floating in the air and a small green one with leaves above my hand.

    Volt jumped out from the first one, he had grown in the 10 years I had known him. It wasn''t surprising as he was now a High Rank 2 Spirit and on the brink of Evolving.

    He was about 3/4 the size of a normal tiger now, but blue fur was still soft and smooth but seemed to take on a more electrifying feel.

    From the green circle, a tiny girl with pointed ears and butterfly-like wings sitting on a flower appeared.

    She stood at about 4 inches tall and wore a small dress made from leaves and small red berries I can''t even tell you where she got them from. She had long brown hair, tanned skin and emerald green eyes.

    This was Willow, a Nature Fairy I met a few years ago when in the woods with Terra. She is the same rank as Volt and is slightly weaker but doesn''t like to admit it.

    she is strong but does have some-

    "HHHHIIIIIIIIII Jackieeee! How are you doing!" she said excitedly

    -Quirks.

    "Not now Willow, we have a problem," I said and pointed to the hellhounds.

    "Oh?" she turned.

    "Oh some bad doggies came to play?" she said and an evil presence could be felt from her.

    I gave a light chop to the back of her head,

    "Ouch! Why did you do that?!" she shouted angrily.

    "We don''t have time for your-" I started to say but was pushed away by Volt as one of the Hellhounds had snuck up on me while I was distracted by Willow.

    I swung my spear and stabbed it in the eye but it moved away only suffering a small wound.

    I glanced over at the viewing area for the applicants and saw everyone was watching in awe of my spirits.

    "We can deal with this later we have a job to do," I said and we all got to work.

    I threw the seeds in my hand around the arena and started to run away from the single hound but not away from the group who still hadn''t moved.

    Volt ran beside me while Willow sat on my shoulder.

    "How long?" I asked

    "80 seconds," Willow responded seriously

    I continued to run and watched as the single Hellhound ran after me.

    I then noticed its eye was completely healed from my attack.

    ''Shit! They have a high healing factor. I can''t make halfhearted attacks and glancing blows.'' I thought quickly and formulated a plan.

    The hound got closer to me but Volt jumped onto it and attacked. They both scratched at each other but since this one was a rank 1 and Volt was almost Rank 3, it was heavenly outmatched and Volt won with no injuries.

    Volt bit its neck and pulled out its throat. I quickly moved around and stabbed the crystal in its chest.

    It shattered and the hound was dead.

    I turned to the others and noticed another hound had removed itself from the group and the same thing happened.

    I ran and when it got close enough volt attacked and I broke its crystal.

    I didn''t use magic as I was still limited on Mana like when I was a child so using magic unless necessary was a no-go.

    When the second hound died I turned and saw that 3 hounds came and attacked.

    This time I stayed my ground and held my spear calmly.

    I didn''t show fear or hesitation as I knew demons would use it to their advantage. The hounds came rushing, volt tackled one and fought it while the other 2 tried to get to me.

    They were faster than normal wolves but were slower than the Direwolf so I could manage easily again 2, though I wasn''t sure about more.

    One pounced and tried to bite my neck, I moved my spear in the way and blocked its attack.

    It bit down on the wood trying to break it or pull it from my grip but I wasn''t letting go.

    The third tried to take advantage but I saw it and dropped to the ground.

    I was on my back with one Hellhound on top of me and another turning around to attack again.

    I used my legs and kicked the hound on top of me where it hurt and thankfully it went down in pain.

    ''it''s a good thing they are technically alive or that wouldn''t have worked.'' I thought to myself.

    I turned to the other hound just in time to see it jump. While it was in mid-air I raised my spear and stabbed it in the head.

    I knew it wasn''t dead as its core was still glowing so I pulled out my dagger infused Spiritual energy into it and stabbed its heart, when its core went dark I did the same to the one curled up in pain.

    ''if I survive this I hope I keep the cores'' I thought as Infernal Cores sell for a lot of money.

    I grabbed my spear again and walked over to Volt.

    For some reason, the main group wouldn''t send more until all previous attackers were dead, kind of like some old video game.

    I killedVoltss with the core intact and watched what the last 5 Normal hounds and Alpha would do.

    I watched as the 5 hounds started to move and attack.

    ''ok magic will be needed'' I thought as they got closer.

    Then I saw the Alpha start to move towards me and I realized this wasn''t going to be an easy fight.

    ''Ok I can handle the 5 hounds but not the Alpha. Think Jack, think!'' I thought as I tried to come up with a plan while I waited on Willow.

    Thankfully I did not have to wait very long.

    "I''m ready," Willow said

    I nodded, thankful for the timing.

    Fighting 5 Hellhounds was difficult as it is, but with the Alpha entering the fight things seemed to get even worse.

    Thankfully time was on my side today and I was ready to win this fight.

 Spirits Pandemonium

    I raised my hand with a smile.

    "You''ve had your fun," I said, my voice steady despite the chaos around me. "Now, it''s my turn to show you what real power looks like."

    Ten giant vines shot out of the ground all around the arena, and the tiny Willow flew right above my head, sitting atop a flower floating in the air.

    As a nature Fairy, she could control certain plants however she wished so long as she had enough energy, which, with my help, she never did.

    I couldn''t use it at first as the seeds I threw earlier had to be planted in the ground before Willow could control them. They grew so fast because Willow used magic to cause the seeds to plant faster.

    A great tactic to use in a battle if you have prep time or can delay a bit. The vines shot out toward the Hellhounds and scattered them. They started to run away as they tried to understand what was happening.

    The Alpha stopped its approach and just watched.

    A vine lashed out at the Alpha, but it sidestepped with ease. Its jaws clamped onto the thick tendril, ripping a chunk away with a savage growl.

    *humph* "He has no respect for nature." she said and I could feel her getting mad.

    "Willow, don''t do that yet. Infernals like these get power from their subordinates. If we kill the others, it will weaken the Alpha," I told her, trying to prevent her from focusing only on the Alpha.

    She turned to me and said "he hasn''t gotten weaker when you killed the others, you know that. Besides this isn''t a normal case remember?" she said dismissing my concerns.

    A hound got past the vines and tried to get to me but the middle of a vine that was close by moved and snared it up.

    The vine constricted, and the Hellhound exploded in a mass of blood and guts after a few seconds.

    "Don''t worry about me. I can focus on more than one thing," she said with confidence.

    I stared at her with a quizzical look but didn''t press the matter.

    "Later, for right now, I have a plan. Willow give us a shield."

    "Right." she raised her hands above her head and all the vines stopped their attacks and converged on us creating a dome of vines and allowing us to talk without interruption.

    I quickly explained my plan and when we all knew what to do Willow had the vined burst apart, allowing us to move out with no interruptions, and the vines retreated into the ground.

    As I moved I noticed a scary thing.

    The 3 hellhounds I killed but didn''t break the cores of had gotten back up completely healed.

    As the fallen hounds stirred and rose again, my heart sank. Their glowing cores pulsed with a deep crimson light, a reminder of how close we were to losing control of the fight.

    ^This is bad! If they can come back after being killed with no ritual we have an even bigger problem.^ Volt said

    "I know but it doesn''t change the plan. By the looks of it, if we break the cores they can''t come back but a catalyst must be involved somehow. For now, our first priority is killing the Alpha and its underlings." I responded as I dodged a hound''s attack.

    I ran towards the wall allowing the hounds to follow me.

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    When I had gotten far enough and several hounds were after me I shouted "NOW!"

    Suddenly all the vines shot out from the ground creating a wall between the hounds and us.

    The vines curved over the hounds and back into the ground.

    They tightened and the vines fastened the hounds to the ground, trapped.

    I ran over and using my spear I managed to slice the heads of 3 off before the others managed to come to the rescue.

    i moved away and watch them release the rest of the traped hounds.

    We were back down to 5 hounds and the alpha but I had to watch for them coming back to life again.

    Willow extended the vines again, weaving five together into a single, massive tendril. As it thickened beneath me, I leapt onto the sturdy surface. The vine shifted slightly under my weight, but I steadied myself, sprinting along its length toward the Alpha.

    My heart raced as I sprinted along the vine, the roar of the Alpha echoing in my ears. Volt leapt to meet me, his body merging with my spear turning the shaft blue and yellow.

    ^Are you ready?^ I asked volt

    ^Of course! Show this mutt what we are made of!^ Volt shouted in excitement.

    The vines turned towards the Alpha and I started to cast a spell.

    "A flicker, a flash, a fleeting spark,

    Bound to this lance, it finds its mark.

    Touch the ground, though faint you be,

    Guide the path, and carry thee."

    lightning surged from my spear and power started to build inside it.

    I threw the spear toward the Alpha.

    It moved its head and dodged the spell.

    I smiled.

    Where the spear landed Volt appeared and bit the alpha''s leg and sent lightning crashing throughout its body.

    The Alpha let out a loud, angry and pained yelp and tried to shake Volt off but he wouldn''t let go.

    while still running on the vines I started to chant another spell

    "Spirits of storms, through bonds entwine,"

    the hell hound howled and a demonic presence burst from it.

    "Let crackling wrath and power combine."

    2 hellhounds managed to get past the vines.

    "Through the sky, your fury flows,"

    the 2 hounds jumped towards me and one bit my arm while the other got my leg.

    "Strike the foe where the thunder goes!"

    I finished the spell and a giant bolt of lightning came crashing down from the sky centered on Volt.

    It struck Volt, who clung to the Alpha''s leg, sending a cascade of crackling energy rippling across the Alpha''s body and the surrounding area.

    ~~~~~~~~

    Arks POV

    we all watched as Jack fought the hounds with surprising ease.

    We could see a blue and yellow animal and a small green light floating around Jack''s head but no one could anything else as we were too far away.

    It was amazing seeing them fight side by side.

    The blue creature moved and defended Jack as he dealt with the hounds that got past, the giant vines that shot out from the ground and moved wherever Jack seemed to need them and even his spells were impressive.

    I never guessed Jack was a mage or had a beast like that nearby.

    I noticed Araki staring in shock when he noticed the blue creature and watched in shock as Jack fought the Hellhounds and cast spells like that.

    Everyone else still present was similarly amazed other than Terra who seemed to know how strong Jack was, or at least had an idea of how strong he was.

    We all watched in amazement as Jack ran on top of the vines and threw his spear crackling with lightning.

    My heart fell as the spear flew past the Alpha''s head.

    Was it over? But then I saw a flash of blue and yellow biting into the Alpha''s leg, a surge of lightning coursing through its massive frame.

    I was relieved as I watched Jack turn the tide again and outsmart his opponents.

    Then it let out a yelp and a surge of lightning burst from one of its back legs and I noticed the blue creature had bitten its leg.

    I turned to Jack and noticed 2 hounds had gotten past his defences and had bitten him.

    But I could see Jack wasn''t done and in a burst of magic, a giant lightning bolt came crashing down from the sky and hit the Alpha in its back.

    From the sidelines, we all watched in stunned awe as Jack stood watching the swaying Alpha. The blue and yellow creature at his side pulsed with energy, and the faint glow of magic surrounded him.

    We all let out cheers as the Alpha fell.

    I noticed the remaining hounds had flinched when it went down and backed off while the ones who bit Jack had let go and backed away as well. We watched as Jack limped over to the alpha and I watched him pull out a dagger and plunge it into the chest of the Alpha.

    *Crack*

    he lifted the dagger again and plunged it down.

    *Crack*

    and once again.

    *Crash*

    I heard the sound of glass breaking and noticed the shield surrounding the arena started to dissipate.

    Everyone let out a sigh as we could feel the tension in the air dissipate as the dangers posed by the Alpha were now gone.

    Araki and Terra quickly started running to meet up with Jack and check on him while also helping with the remaining hellhounds.

    The others followed and I went after them.

    As we got closer teachers and staff members had already entered the arena and were going after the remaining Hellhounds.

    Jack staggered, his legs buckling beneath him. Before anyone could reach him, he crumpled to the ground. The cheers died instantly, replaced by a deafening silence. Victory had come, but at what cost?"

 Waking Up In A Hospital... Again

    I have a massive headache.

    ''It has been a while since I felt like this'' I thought

    I could feel sunlight on my face and opened my eyes.

    Looking around I could see wood walls with some paintings hung on them. Scalpels, potions and bandages are stored in cupboards and on trays around. Large windows showed the sun''s rays. A clock on the wall showed it was 12:34, just after noon.

    I checked myself and found my injuries stitched up and bandaged.

    I was dressed in a cloak similar to a hospital gown from my old world.

    My clothes were on a table nearby and they seemed to be repaired and cleaned with magic.

    I noticed a handle sticking from the wall with a sign below it

    was all it said.

    I pulled it and heard a ring come from outside the room.

    "You''re awake," a soothing voice said as a nurse, a middle-aged man with kind brown eyes and a steady demeanour, walked in.

    "What¡­ happened?" my voice was hoarse from my dry throat.

    "You passed out after the fight for an entire day. From severe mana deficiency and overexertion by the looks of it." the nurse explained while handing me a glass of water and placing a hand on my forehead. "It was very brave of you to do that but also very foolish."

    I thought about the fight and remembered the Hellhounds, my spirits, the barrier and how badly I was injured.

    I shook my head "I am an adventurer. Being reckless is part of the job. Besides, I know for a fact that no one here can use the kind of magic that could kill those things."

    She tilted her head and asked, What makes you think that?"

    "Hellhounds are demons. You can kill them but they will come back unless the core is destroyed which is harder than said. Though the ones I fought could because something was reviving them."

    "the only way to kill demons without breaking the core is by using Etherial magic," I explained.

    "Etherial Magic?" the nurse asked

    "Holy, Infernal or Spirit magic," I said while raising a finger for each

    "Oh." she exclaimed but asked, Waitt, how did you know we don''t have people who could use those?"

    I smiled "My injuries were stitched and bandaged, if a holy magic user were here they would have healed me."

    "I would have seen a Spirit magic user and if there were an Infernal magic user the school would have gotten a warning about the Hellhounds before the attack as that kind of ritual requires time and if the school does have someone they are the one who caused everything."

    She stared at me in amazement and said "ok that is impressive. Did you figure that out on your own?"

    smiling I said "Not everything but yes."

    my thoughts began to wander and I asked "What about everyone else, was anyone else hurt?"

    "Everyone survived," the nurse reassured him. "And no one was hurt other than you."

    I let out a sigh of relief, closing my eyes briefly.

    We continued to talk for a bit about a few unimportant things when the door suddenly opened and the nurse jumped in surprise as the headmaster walked in.

    "Could you please leave us alone Roran." the Headmaster ordered while masking it as a question.

    The nurse, Roran, quickly composed himself realizing who it was, nodded and left the room.

    We waited a few seconds in silence until the Headmaster Broke it and said "I want to thank you for your help with the situation yesterday."

    I nodded "It''s no problem, I did what I had to. I''m just glad they were weaker."

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    She raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean weaker?"

    "The large Hellhound was a Rank 4 Demon. Those are equivalent to a party of A Rank Adventurers at least," I explained.

    "I am nowhere near the level of a single A Ranker even with my Spirits. Besides the Hounds were probably in a weakened state because of their... creation, but if left alone they would have grown stronger if given enough time."

    I decided to leave out the concern of someone controlling them as it could be problematic for me later and I wasn''t sure if the headmaster was involved or not.

    She nodded, tapped her fingers against her thigh and said. "I see. So the only reason you won was they were in a weakened state." and took a moment to think.

    After some time she looked at me again and asked "You said Spirits. Are you referring to the creatures you summoned?"

    "Yes, I am a Spirit summoner and those 2 are the spirits I have contracts with," I said

    I originally wanted to hide that fact from the faculty but circumstances didn''t allow that.

    The headmaster nodded her head hiding her excitement and asked "What do you remember about the fight against the Direwolf? It could lead us to the cause of its evolution."

    I could sense her treating me nicer than a moment ago and it didn''t feel right.

    I recounted the fight and then said what I remembered from the fight against the Hellhounds.

    When I was finished she asked, "what do you know of the barrier that surrounded the Arena?"

    Realizing it could be dangerous to answer I gave a confused expression and lied "Barrier?... I did notice a barrier around the Arena but I thought that was the staff. Are you saying someone else caused it?"

    The headmaster didn''t respond but she seemed to buy the lie I told her.

    I wasn''t going to say it was because of the Primordial Spirit I have a contract with, they are considered equivalent to Gods by some people.

    We sat in silence for a bit when curious, I asked "Do you know how they evolved? There had never been a case of wolves turning into Hellhounds like that outside of a ritual."

    The Headmaster''s expression darkened slightly, but he didn''t answer immediately. "That is¡­ a matter of investigation. For now, focus on your recovery. We have postponed the welcoming ceremony due to the investigation. It will take place in 5 days when things have calmed down."

    "Rest. You''ve earned it," the Headmaster said and turned to leave the room.

    Before the headmaster left she turned back and added "Please come find me before the ceremony. I want to speak with you about your enrolment." then she turned and left.

    I decided to get changed into my normal clothes as this gown was uncomfortable and I wanted to make sure I had all my stuff.

    When finished changing and making sure I had everything I sat back down in the bed.

    I laid back and stared at the ceiling, frustration and curiosity gnawing at my brain as many questions flashed through it.

    ''What had caused the Hellhounds to evolve? Was the headmaster involved? What does she want to talk to me about? Does she want to silence me?''

    I lay there and contemplated everything that had happened.

    ~~~~~~~

    Terras POV

    it was been 3 years since I enrolled in the second academy. The school isn''t perfect and Heavenly leans towards nobles rather than the common people, worries more about reputation than ability and does nothing to stop bullying.

    I have taken it upon myself to care for the lower students and prevent them from being bullied.

    I have done my best to change things but no matter what there is always someone doing something bad.

    This year I was looking forward to Jack joining the academy and helping me change this school for the better.

    He should have joined last year but was delayed because of circumstances he didn''t tell me about and missed the Entrance Exam.

    He was here now and scored the highest in the Exam with a score of 100 but passed out before he heard it after fighting monsters that could have destroyed the entire school.

    He was rushed to the infirmary while the faculty handled the remaining Hellhounds.

    Strangely the smaller ones stopped moving and just fell over when the Alpha did. It was almost like the Alpha was the thing keeping the Hounds alive.

    I know Jack''s personality and how salty he can get when he does work but doesn''t get paid so I managed to get some resources from the bodies

    the hide, claws, teeth, a few bones, blood and most importantly the intact cores, of 4 of the hellhounds plus the Alpha''s. All of these resources were extremely valuable so getting them was a hassle.

    Normally the academy would harvest the resources themselves and reward the students who killed it with half, but the academy wanted to keep it all for themselves so it was a difficult task but I managed.

    RightNow I am on my way to check on Jack with some of his friends.

    Araki a lizardman and the eldest son of an old friend, Rirki, and a young man named Ark who Jack seemed to befriend during the exam.

    Araki was very proud of Jack and was amazed by his power and skill, while Ark was behind us, walking quietly and looking pretty nervous.

    "Are you sure it''s ok for me to come with you?" he asked

    I turned back and said of course. Even if you haven''t known him for long you care about him and that speaks a lot about how your relationship will go."

    "W-What do you mean by that?" he quickly said, flustered.

    I gave a knowing smile and turned back to Araki who was so focused on gushing about Jack that he didn''t notice me talking to Ark.

    When we got to the infirmary office I noticed the nurse Roran sitting at the desk.

    He noticed us and said "Hello Terra. Is someone injured or are you visiting Jackson?"

    Araki surprised asked, How do you know we are visiting Jack?"

    Roran smiled "he is the only person here right now no it''s a simple process of elimination. I''m am guessing you friends of his."

    Araki nodded

    I let out a smile and asked "How is he doing?"

    "your lucky he just woke up and is doing fine. He is talking to the headmaster right now but you can go in when she leaves," he said and gestured to some chairs.

    We all sat down but Ark sat a bit away, clearly nervous and a little uncomfortable.

    I didn''t pressure him but gave him a warm smile.

    ''I wonder how things will go between them.'' I thought to myself with a smile.

    It didn''t take long as the headmaster walked through the hallway a few minutes later.

    She either didn''t notice us or just ignored us but that didn''t matter.

    We all got up and Roran led us to Jack''s room and let us in.

 New Friends

    I was sitting on my bed thinking about the fight. I was able to move the way I wanted but my strength and speed were too low.

    I flexed my arm. I am not very muscular, but I''m not weak either. My style of fighting doesn''t require much strength but dexterity and speed.

    ''I need to get stronger if I am going to fight stronger opponents.'' I thought to myself.

    The door to my room opened breaking me from my train of thought as I saw Terra Araki and Ark walk inside.

    Ark seemed hesitant, his hands fidgeting at his sides, while Araki sauntered in with his usual grin.

    Terra was acting normal with a slight sense of reality mixed in but was acting like a friend should, happy I was alive and she came over and hugged me.

    "Hey," Terra said while hugging me "how are you doing so far? The fight yesterday was intense!"

    I nodded as I sat up straighter. "I''m fine. Just... thinking about the fight... and maybe a little tired."

    Araki plopped down on a chair near the bed, his grin widening. "Thinking about how you took down an entire pack of Hellhounds and their Alpha by yourself? That was insane!"

    I laughed at his antics and said. "Not exactly. More about how close it was. If I''d been any slower or missed a single step well... I don''t really need to say much more, do I?."

    Everyone understood what I was saying. The fight was too close and if anyone else tried it they would have died.

    Ark shifted nervously and shyly said. "But you didn''t. You moved so fast and managed to kill them. It was like you''d been fighting monsters for years."

    I glanced at him and let out a small chuckle.

    "Your not wrong. I have been an Adventurer for about 5 years now but even with all that time and experience it almost wasn''t enough."

    Everyone was silent for a second and I added "Don''t misunderstand me. I know my limits and I know what I did was foolish. It was a gamble that worked but no matter how much experience you have there is always the possibility for failure."

    "I am saying all this to remind you that even someone who could slay dragons and Devils can always fall to a goblin arrow or spider bite. We are not immortal and death is always a threat."

    I paused, letting the quiet moment settle. But then I looked at everyone, Terra, Araki, and Ark.

    "You know," I said, smiling faintly, "It''s not just about how strong you are. It''s about learning from the times you almost fail, so next time, you won''t."

    Terra grinned and punched my arm lightly. "Sounds like a lesson you''re still working on, huh?"

    I laughed, feeling the weight of the conversation lightened. "Yeah, well, who said I was perfect?"

    I gave a smug smile as Terra elbowed me in the side.

    We all laughed as the tension in the room dissipated.

    Then Araki broke the silence, his curiosity bubbling over. "Jack, I''ve been meaning to ask, how do you and Terra know each other? You act like childhood friends."

    "You''re not wrong. My aunt works at her estate," Jack said, keeping his tone light. "After my parents were... killed, I went to live there and her family gave me a place to stay. We grew up together and have known each other ever since. I owe them a lot."

    "oh is see." he said then hesitated and added, "S-sorry for bringing that up."

    I gave a dismissing wave and said "It''s fine. They passed a long time ago. I keep them in my heart and will always thank them for the life I live."

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    I noticed Ark standing a little away and spoke to him "Are you going to join us or are you just going to stand there?"

    Caught off guard by my question he hesitated.

    "Sorry, it''s just... I''m... not used to this kind of situation," he said while rubbing his arm.

    He was clearly nervous so I said "Don''t feel pressured to join us if you don''t want to."

    "N-no, I want to its just..." he said

    Araki finally noticing Ark''s awkwardness pulled up a chair and forcefully pulled Ark and had him sit.

    "There now you don''t have to worry about feeling nervous waking over!" Araki said and turned to me and Terra for approval but we both gave him black stares.

    We all started to introduce ourselves as apparently none of us had done so yet for some reason.

    Terra introduced herself as the daughter of Lady Miranda Rondo, The current head of the Rondo Family. She is a plant mage and has been attending the academy for 3 years. She also boasted that she is also known around the academy as one of the strongest mages of her year.

    She did warn us all that the nobles and commoner students have a large gap between standing here but she is one of the major supporters of the Academies equality group but sadly they haven''t done much as of yet as it was formed last year.

    Araki introduced himself as the eldest son of the Adventurer Rirki, A B+ Rank Spearman Adventurer.

    He explained that he comes from the Blackvine Lizardman tribe that lives near a mountain range a few weeks away from here. He said he was attending the academy to learn more about archery and how to cast magic for himself rather than using magic circles.

    I know the third reason for him coming here but kept it to myself, it wasn''t my secret to tell.

    Ark did ask how we knew each other and he told him that our parents were close friends and Rirki was my spear fighting teacher when I was young. We met when Araki came along with his father when coming to visit me after moving to the Rondo Estate.

    Ark went next and said he came from a small village in another kingdom. He was raised by his grandfather.

    His grandfather was the one who suggested attending the academy as Ark wasn''t very social and also needed to know how to fight and defend himself.

    He did hesitantly reveal it was because his grandfather bribed the headmaster that his score was increased it was.

    He also doesn''t understand how his score was higher than most people who did better than him.

    The rest of us all gave each other a look as we all knew the reason and silently agreed to talk about it another time as this wasn''t the time.

    I was the last and introduced myself explaining who my parents were and showing the spear and wand they made me before they died.

    I did explain to Ark that they died in an Orc attack 10 years ago.

    I said I was attending the academy to learn more about magic and cast stronger spells, get better at fighting, hopefully, find more spirits, hopefully, find a party I can join for quests at the guild and possibly learn alchemy.

    Araki and Ark stared at me surprised by my long list while Terra smirked and said "It''s longer than the last time I heard it."

    Ark and Araki turned to her in a surprise and I said "What? Potions are useful when on quests but are expensive. If I can make my own it cuts costs by half."

    She nodded and we talked a little bit more about our pasts, making sure to include the still-shy Ark.

    Thankfully Ark was opening up quickly and getting comfortable with us. It was nice to see him like that and not hide away from us.

    After some time Ark asked, "Um, Jack I have been meaning to ask... what was that blue creature from the arena?"

    Araki, hearing the question, stared at me wanting an answer.

    I let out a chuckle and said "I was planning on hiding it for now but I guess it is out. I am a Spirit summoner and the Blue creature you saw was Volt, a Spirit known as a Lightning Tiger."

    Araki excited by my response shouted "You''re a summoner!? Why did you never tell me?!"

    I gave a small shrug. "You never asked."

    he gave me a blank stare as Terra laughed.

    "You serious?" he asked

    "yep," I responded

    Terra rolled her eyes but smiled. "To be fair, spirits aren''t exactly the kind of thing you bring up in casual conversation."

    "True," we both said after a few seconds

    "Anyway, how many do you have and what can they do?" Araki quickly asked

    I turned to Terra and she nodded interested.

    I turned to Ark who was nervous but I hint of curiosity was visible in his eyes.

    I sighed, got up moved to the center of the room, pulled out the black book and placed a hand on top of it.

    Summoning for me was extremely easy as all I had to do was say their name, but when with other people I always put on the act of it taking time unless in combat. (they never seem to question when it doesn''t take time in combat)

    I mumbled a few words under my breath making it seem like I was performing a ritual.

    "Summon, Spirit of the skies wrath! Volt!" I said extending the summoning chant to make it sound cooler.

    The circle appeared floating in the air and lightning crackled around it just like it did in the arena.

    Ark and Araki wanted in amazement at the spectacle before them.

    Just as the circle appeared, voices echoed down the hall, growing louder. Moments later, Orin and Zek stepped into the room, both stopping short at the sight in front of them.

    "What''s going on here?" Orin asked, he said in surprise.

    Zek''s wide eyes darted around the room and finally landed on me standing in the middle of the room. "Is that a summoning circle?"

    I nodded and smirked. "You just in time. You can meet an old friend of mine."

    Orin grinned, stepping closer. "Awesome!"

 More New Friends

    Everyone watched closely as the circle completely formed and Volt jumped out.

    I had informed him of what was happening before I summoned him so he remained calm when he saw so many people.

    Everyone including Terra, who had met him before, was awestruck by his appearance.

    A few sparks of lighting surrounded him as he left the circle. His blue and yellow fur looked soft and shiny, but beep yellow eyes had a hint of wisdom and a strong presence as we observed everyone here.

    Araki stared, wide-eyed, as if he couldn''t believe what they were seeing.

    "Whoa," he whispered, leaning forward slightly to get a better look. "That''s... incredible."

    Orin and Zek, who had entered just moments earlier, froze mid-step. Orin''s eyes narrowed in cautious curiosity, while Zek''s jaw dropped, revealing sharp kobold teeth.

    Volt turned his gaze to me and said <This is an interesting group, Jack. Each carries the weight of past trials and hardships. But their fates are laced with pain and misfortune. Be wary of them as the paths will lead them down trails not meant for them to tread.>.

    I stiffened slightly at his words but kept my composure. I had heard enough of Volt''s cryptic prophecies to know it was something that could change or even save their lives if I did the right(or wrong) thing.

    "Everyone," I said, gesturing to Volt, "This is Volt, A lightning Tiger Spirit I made a contract with a long time ago."

    Volt stepped forward, his form almost gliding. He gave a subtle nod, acknowledging the group without arrogance.

    "Hi, Volt!" Araki said with a wide grin, though his tone held a mix of excitement and nervousness. "You''re... uh... amazing. How does it feel being, you know, a spirit and all?"

    Volt''s glowing eyes fixed on Araki, and though he didn''t respond aloud, I caught his telepathic reply meant solely for me.

    <The fire in those eyes burns bright enough to burn the sky, but he shouldn''t fly too close to the sun or he will burn to ash.>

    <Noted.> I responded

    "Volt doesn''t talk out loud," I explained, trying to soften Araki''s sudden look of confusion. "He communicates with me through telepathy. And to answer your question, he''d probably say it''s just who he is. Spirits don''t think about their existence the way we do."

    "Oh, right," Araki said, scratching the back of his neck.

    Terra stepped forward, her smile warm and familiar. "It''s been a long time, Volt."

    Volt gave a slight bow toward her. It had been a long time since they had seen each other so it was nice to see their friendship was as strong as ever. Though I said nothing about it.

    "You two know each other?" Ark asked, his voice quieter than usual.

    Terra nodded. "Volt has been with Jack ever since he became a summoner."

    I smiled at her "Are you not going to tell them?" I teased

    She gave me a death glare while the others looked at me in curiosity.

    "Don''t you dare!" she growled

    I dared.

    "Volt liked to stay with me when I was young after I moved to the Rondo Estate."

    "Terra would sometimes sneak into my room while I was asleep and try to bring Volt to her room. She failed every time so instead, she just slept next to him in my room." I said as I fended off attacks from an embarrassed and angry Terra.

    Everyone laughed hearing that but quickly shut up when she glared at them.

    After a few seconds of silence, Zek asked. "Sorry but did I hear you say ''moved to the Rondo Estate,'' Isn''t that a noble house?"

    I nodded and we all proceeded to introduce ourselves again.

    Ark was a little more comfortable this time but was still shy with Orin and Zek here as they were new people.

    I noticed Zek flinched when he heard Araki mention the dragon that protected his village. I figured it was because he was a Kobold and Dragons are known to use Kobolds as slaves and don''t treat them well.

    After Ark introduced himself Volt''s stared at him holding it for a while longer than anyone else. The room grew noticeably quieter as Ark fidgeted under the weight of the spirit''s attention.

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    I could feel Volt tense while seeing Ark''s fate and I was getting a little worried.

    <Jack... this one has a fate of pain, misery and abandonment. The winds around him grow weaker with time. One day they will no longer carry him and he will fall.>

    <What do you mean?> I asked worried.

    Volt turned to me and said <He walks to the horizon of his own choice, one that no one should cross, one that will have him end his story if it is written alone.>

    <You don''t mean he will...> I glanced at Ark with a worried expression.

    <Only time will tell. Though a word of warning, make sure he avoids aconite.>

    <Aconite? What is that?>

    Volt didn''t respond.

    Seeing he wouldn''t continue I coughed breaking the tense situation and said "Sorry about that. Volt just sensed something strange about you Ark. He was starting to figure out what it was."

    "Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

    I shook my head "No, it''s perfectly fine. We went over it and agreed it won''t be a problem for a long time and don''t worry it''s an easy fix. I can finish in a few weeks if need be. We can talk about it another time. We could also be wrong and it could make you stronger, we will figure it out."

    I partially lied trying to keep everyone from panicking while also letting Ark know I was there to help him.

    I had an idea what Volt was hinting at and I wasn''t happy about it but did my best to hide my mood.

    We all stayed silent for a bit. Some people were curious but understood that it wasn''t something that should be talked about in public.

    "Okay," Orin said, breaking the silence with a clap of his hands. "Back to the conversation before introductions. I''ve gotta ask, how does summoning a spirit like that even work? I mean, I''ve heard stories, but seeing it in person? That''s something else."

    I smiled "Well what you have heard is usually Spirit slavery not summoning."

    Zek, Ark and Orin were all surprised by my answer while Terra and Araki already knew about it. Terra from me telling her years ago and Araki from his father who knew about it and was of the same opinion as me.

    "What do you mean slavery?" Zek asked

    "True Spirit summoners can summon, or in other words, teleport spirits they have contracts with to their location while slavers have to bring the spirits with them."

    "Mages like Zek could try and summon a Spirit with a Ritual with a 10% success rate that takes an entire month and requires specific resources to be used or it won''t work and the spirit you summon will be completely random."

    "I can do the same ritual with a 90% success rate in an hour with very few resources and I can select what kind of spirit I get."

    Everyone stared at me in amazement hearing about my power compared to others.

    "Why call them ''Slavers'' though?" Ark asked worried about the answer.

    I sighed. "Those that call themselves Spirit Masters are those who imprison Spitits, force them into contracts and trap them in objects and cages. They force the spirits to fight and it isn''t uncommon for several spirits to die while under a Spirit Masters''s control."

    I leaned back and finished with "When I graduate I intend to break down this system and build up one where spirits can be free once again."

    "That''s... a lot... Sounds intense." Orin said, nodding thoughtfully.

    He gestured to Volt and said, "Still, pretty impressive though."

    I chuckled and they asked a few more questions about how summoners work. After some time Terra decided to ask. "So, what about you two? We introduced ourselves earlier but you didn''t talk about yourselves. What are your stories?"

    Orin rubbed the back of his neck, clearly caught off guard. "Well... where do I start?"

    "How about with why you came to the academy?" Araki suggested, leaning forward eagerly.

    Orin chuckled, though he sounded a little bitter. "Fair enough. I came here to get stronger. My mom and I ran from the orc tribe I grew up in about... ten years ago, after my father, who was the chief, disappeared. He left on some mission, and we never saw him again."

    The room fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in.

    "I don''t know what happened to him," Orin continued, his tone steady but distant. "But I''m hoping that if I can grow stronger, maybe I can go and find out. Maybe I can even find him."

    Terra nodded sympathetically. "That''s a noble goal. I hope you find the answers you''re looking for."

    "Thanks," Orin said, managing a small smile.

    Volt continues to give me cryptic prophecies and never makes them easy to understand.

    <The road Orin treads is paved with questions, at its end lies answers but also agony, not from knowledge, from the hidden venom of a mad swan>

    I was confused by this one and asked <mad as in angry or crazy?>

    He didn''t respond

    "What about you, Zek?" I asked, shifting the focus of the group and bringing me back to reality.

    Zek''s tail twitched, and he looked down for a moment before speaking. "I came from a Kobold colony that served a red dragon. It was... not an easy life."

    We all paused and let him continue as we all know how Dragons treat Kobolds, well everyone except Ark who had never heard of a Kobold before but got the point.

    He paused, his claws gripping his arms tightly. "When the dragon got angry, it would take it out on us. My older brother... he gave his life to help me escape and I ran away."

    Ark''s eyes widened, and even Araki looked sombre.

    "I wandered for a while," Zek continued, his voice quiet. "Eventually, a powerful mage found me. They took me in as their apprentice and taught me magic. He gave me a place to belong, but... they disappeared last year. No warning, no explanation, just gone."

    "I came here hoping to learn more about magic, to get stronger, find links to their past as they came here, and maybe find them again."

    The room grew heavy with unspoken understanding.

    Orin spoke up first. "well little buddy we-"

    "Don''t call me little!" Zek shouted while punching Orin in the leg, scaring everyone Orin

    Araki and I tried to hold back our laughter.

    After a few seconds, Orin managed to compose himself and tried again "Sorry..."

    *ahem* "Well Zek, we have similar goals, to find someone that went missing. Working with people with the same goals can help in training so if you ever need a sparing partner or help testing spells feel free to ask me." he offered

    Zek nodded

    "We''ve all got our reasons for being here," Terra spoke up, her gaze sweeping over the group.

    "Training always works better in a group, if you all work together I don''t know if any group in the school would beat you."

    We all nodded and agreed.

    "You''re not wrong. Working as a group and helping each other with our goals can help us grow as people and help us each get stronger." I said remembering how adventurers grow thanks to their parties.

    Our words hung in the air, a quiet promise between newfound friends.

 Academy Tour

    "Well," Terra said, grinning, breaking the tension. "Enough of the heavy stuff. Let''s talk about getting around the school. I''m guessing none of you know your way around yet."

    We all nodded.

    "We have all been to our dorm rooms and the main hall but don''t know much about the rest of the school." Orin said then looked at me. "well other than Jack I guess"

    I smiled and asked, "Would any of you like to show me around? I still have to unpack and handle some other things."

    Ark shook his head and said, "I have some things to do, so I won''t be joining you."

    Knowing his personality I doubted what Ark said but didn''t push it.

    I glanced at Terra, who shook her head. "I''m in another year so classes start tomorrow for me so I have to get ready for that."

    Zek also shook his head "Sorry me neither. I was planning on heading to the library after this."

    I nodded but a thought came to mind and I asked everyone. "Weird question but does anyone know what Aconite is?"

    Everyone took a moment and thought but gave no answers.

    I did notice Ark flinch slightly, he might know what it is.

    Zek was the only person who gave me a lead "No sorry I don''t. I do recognize the name but don''t remember what it is. I think it might be a type of plant but I could be wrong."

    I nodded and made a note to ask Willow later.

    Orin turned to me. "Me and Araki are free, want us to give you a tour?"

    "Sounds good," I said, standing up and stretching. "Let''s see what this place has to offer."

    "How does everyone feel about meeting up later today?" Araki asked before everyone left

    We all agreed to meet in the cafeteria at 6. Terra refused saying that she figured it was best for us to interact with people in our own year rather than hanging around an Upper Class-women.

    It was agreed and we all got up and started to leave. I spoke to the nurse and said I was leaving. He reminded me to take it easy and if I feel something is wrong to come to him as fast as possible.

    I nodded and we all split up and left the infirmary.

    Volt decided to leave as well but before he left he decided to tell me another cryptic prophecy, this time it was for Zek

    <The stars align under the 5th lion''s mane, forging bonds of blood and steel. The mentor''s hand''s craft not salvation but servitude, as kin becomes captor and the frost-fire soul risks the same chains that bind its shadow.>

    ''...What the fuck?'' I thought as we left the room.

    ~~~

    As I walked through the school with Araki and Orin they showed me a few places.

    The cafeteria where we will go later, the main entrance so I know how to leave the building, the main office where students go for help and new students retrieve maps of the school of which I grabbed one and the library where I saw Zek sitting alone reading a book.

    I thought about talking to him but I decided not to as he was clearly engrossed in what he was reading.

    Curious I said "Glare" and summoned another spirit.

    I felt an itch on my hand and eyes and subtly turned my hand and pointed it towards Zek.

    My vision distorted and it changed to a zoomed-in vision of Zek allowing me to read the title of his book.

    [Harmony of Opposites: A Study in Dual Elemental Magic]

    ''so he wished to learn how to use his affinities better. Interesting'' I thought as I dismissed the spirit and continued walking.

    As we went around the academy I saw a lot of noble students glaring at us. a Lizardman, a Half-Orc and a human who fought against a pack of Hellhounds. Their looks were full of disgust and disdain they didn''t like us. It was a disappointing scene for me.

    The Rumia kingdom, where we live, under the current king has become known to show equal treatment to all races and has been working hard to abolish the current treatment of certain races and mimic how some other kingdoms act.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    I admire the king for doing this but I also know how this will affect the kingdom in the future and I fear for the nobles inciting a revolution.

    Focusing back on where I was walking Araki and Orin led me to the door to the main hall where all new students would gather for the entrance ceremony in a few days.

    The door was closed and locked tight and nobody was able to enter, probably for some preparation or last-minute renovations.

    We walked away and I could hear yelling on the other side of the door but could not make out what it was about.

    I pulled out a seed from my pocket, flicked it into a potted plant nearby and walked away.

    "Willow, watch and report," I said quietly and summoned her inside the seed I threw.

    After showing me some other places we eventually ended up at the men''s dorms.

    Orin knocked on a door with the label [Dorm Superviser] and a young man walked out.

    He looked to be in his early 20s and had short brown hair, darker skin, and blue eyes.

    I noticed he was in a student uniform and figured he was a student in charge of the dorms as a staff member couldn''t do it.

    He took a second before a sign of recognition showed on his face "Orin, right?"

    Orin nodded "Yep. I''m here to help a friend find his room and get settled in." he said as he pointed at me.

    I waved my hand and said "Hi, I''m Jackson. I was in the infirmary last night after I fought the hellhounds yesterday in the arena so I haven''t gotten to handle this part yet."

    Shocked the man took a second before he said "Wait, there really was a Hellhound attack yesterday, and you''re the one who fought them?!"

    I nodded "Yep. Though they were in a weakened state thankfully or I would have fought them."

    The man took a second before saying "Well Jackson. I''m Nathan but feel free to call me Nate. Although I am still a student, I am in charge of the men''s commoner Dorms. If you ever need help with something please come talk to me." he said and put his hand out.

    o shook his hand and said, "Thanks I will and you can call me Jack."

    he nodded walked back into his room and came back with a clipboard and some keys.

    "Here are your room keys. I just need you to sign here., he said as he handed me the clipboard and a pan.

    I put my name down and gave him back the clipboard.

    He checked the board and was about to give me the keys but hesitated for a second.

    "Dravos. Your family name is Dravos?" he asked excitedly

    confused I answered, "Yes? Is there a problem?"

    "N-no it''s not that, it''s just... my mother came here when she was our age and told me about a man named Draven Dravos. he was an expert swordsman and blacksmith and was rumoured to be taught personally by the previous headmaster before he retired."

    "He was the most powerful and popular student at the time and was rumoured to be a possible S Class Adventurer in a few years."

    We all stared in shock

    *chough* "Yeah, that was my dad, but he never told me about that."

    Nate stared at me in shock and asked "Where is he now? I doubt he would have hidden something like that if he knew you were attending here."

    I sighed and said "Both my parents died 10 years ago. I had just turned 8 at the time."

    Everyone was silent after hearing that.

    "oh, I''m... I''m sorry to hear that." Nate said

    it''s alright it happened a long time ago and so long as I hold what they taught me in my heart I will honour their memory." I said with a sombre smile.

    Everyone relaxed but some tension was still present.

    "I am happy to learn more about my parents while here so if we could meet up another time I would like to hear more of what you know. If you don''t mind of course."

    He nodded "Of course. I will write to my mother and ask her about some stories she has about him. Is it alright if I tell her who you are?"

    "It''s fine. Just leave out the hellhound part. she might freak out and try to pull you out." I joked and we parted ways.

    I checked my key, saw my room number and we walked to it.

    When I found it I opened the door, walked in and turned on the lights.

    I looked around the room and liked what I saw.

    There were 2 beds, desks, dressers and chairs on each side of the room.

    I noticed a bag and some black clothes on one bed and realized I had a roommate who wasn''t there.

    Orin and Araki walked in and we talked for a bit when Orin added

    So, you do have a roommate. I wonder who is alone."

    "What do you mean alone?" Araki said

    Orin turned back and said "Only 15 of us got in, right? I doubt nobles would allow themselves to sleep anywhere near us commoners so they won''t share rooms with us and upper classmen won''t share rooms with us either. Our rooms have 2 beds and only 8 rooms are being used by us."

    "8 times 2 is 16, and 16 minus 15 is 1 so one bed is empty so someone has a room all to themselves." he just spouted out those numbers and reasoning.

    "good math. You are right one person will be alone. I wonder who it is."

    ~~~~~~~

    (Arks POV)

    I sat alone in my room lying on my bed.

    I had come back here after the infirmary as I was too mentally and emotionally exhausted.

    I am not used to much social interaction so today was a bit much even if it was only for an hour or so.

    And to add to that I didn''t get much sleep last night as I was worried about Jack. He wasn''t severely injured after his fight but something made me worry about him more than anything else.

    I locked myself in my room thankful I wasn''t sharing it but quickly remembered everyone else was sharing their rooms with someone else.

    I started to panic slightly as I realized Jack hadn''t gotten his room and I realized I might be sharing with him.

    I felt my heart beat like crazy and I couldn''t think properly. I breathed slowly trying to calm myself down and managed it a bit but was for the most part unsuccessful. It didn''t take long before I heard the footsteps of 3 people walking by and I heard Orin, Araki and Jack talking.

    I stayed silent and didn''t move as I heard them pass my door.

    I let out a sigh of relief as I heard them stop at another door.

    I walked over to the door and cracked it open slightly so I could see where Jack''s room was. It was a few doors down on the other side of the hall.

    When we all got our rooms I made note of everyone next to me and where Orin, Araki, Zek and Aaron had their rooms as Jack seemed to have an interest in them.

    When I saw the room Jack had I was slightly worried. Remembering how he reacted to its occupant after their fight in the exam.

    I walked back to my bed and tried to fall asleep as this was too much excitement for me right now.

 My Roommate

    I sat down on a chair and started to unpack my things as Orin and Araki lounged on another chair and my bed. We engaged in casual conversation.

    I pulled my items out of my storage ring and placed them on the desk and in the dresser.

    Orin and Araki watched in shock as the items appeared out of nowhere. Smirking, I said, "Storage ring. It works like a backpack on my finger and can store a lot of items inside."

    Orin was amazed, and Araki asked curiously, "How much can you store inside?"

    I thought for a moment and said, "About as much as I can fit in a room this size. I''ve never actually measured it, but it should be around this big." I gestured to the 12-foot by 20-foot room.

    We had been talking about our views on the school: how so many nobles were here and how few races other than humans and elves were present. Even dwarves, who were given equal treatment even by nobles, were barely represented. Only a handful had been seen so far.

    I reminded them that there weren''t any dwarf cities nearby, so they probably attended other academies. Those that are here got in, like us, through the entrance exam.

    They didn''t argue, slowly coming to realize the classist view this academy holds.

    "So," Orin began, changing the subject, "any guesses who your roommate is?"

    I shook my head. "No clue. Who do you guys have?"

    "Surprisingly, I am bunking with Zek. That''s why we were together when we came to visit you," Orin said.

    Araki sighed. "I am with some random person named Nex."

    I thought for a moment, then remembered that name and laughed.

    Araki and Orin stared at me. "What?" Araki said.

    Through my laughter, I managed, "I remember him. He was the second person to take the exam and surprisingly ended up in seventh place, but the funny thing is his name."

    Intrigued, they leaned in.

    "What''s his name?" Orin asked.

    "His name is Nex Tup. Next up," I said, snickering.

    We all burst out laughing, and Araki said, "Oh, I am going to have fun this year."

    Still laughing, I composed myself slightly and warned, "Don''t bully him or spread that around. Although it''s funny, I don''t want to see a friend become a bully."

    Araki waved me off. "Don''t worry. I''d only bug him in our room. I know exactly how bullying can affect people¡ªtake Ark, for example."

    I nodded, but Orin looked confused. "What do you mean about Ark?"

    We both shifted slightly.

    I started to explain. "It''s Ark''s personality. You notice how nervous he is and how he leaves as soon as possible. It shows he was bullied relentlessly as a child, and he gets very nervous around a lot of people. Considering he was raised by his grandfather and holds him in high regard, it''s safe to bet his parents and siblings, if any, are the ones to blame."

    Orin stared at me in shock, then turned to Araki, who nodded, confirming what I said.

    Orin sat quietly for a moment before saying, "How could I not notice something like that?"

    I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ark has been dealing with this for a long time and has learned how to cover up his trauma. I noticed because I was also traumatized after my parents were killed, and I''ve been dealing with it ever since. Plus, I''ve seen many adventurers deal with similar things."

    Araki nodded. "I travelled with my dad when I was younger and found a child beaten senseless, but they just shrugged it off, saying they were used to it. I tried to help, but I only made things worse for them. I learned a very important lesson that day: ''People raised in trauma will believe it is normal and rarely leave. Those who do escape will forever be scarred.''"

    Orin stared at Araki, amazed by his serious demeanour compared to his playful personality.

    I smirked, knowing that when Araki got serious, he became like this.

    "The best thing we can do for Ark is be there and slowly help him adjust to people. As time goes on, he will open up, and when he does, that will be his first big step toward recovery," I said.

    We all sat in silence before deciding to return to the roommate situation.

    "Anyway, I have my roommate, Orin and Zek are together, so who now?" Araki said.

    I smirked and explained, "It''s simple. The academy paired commoner students based on their exam scores."

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "Orin and Zek scored the closest and are opposites, so it allows growth and broadening their fields if they work together, or they''ll kill each other because they can''t get along. Depends on whether the ones who handle dorm assignments want us to grow or leave.

    "Although you scored second, we are already friends, and because of Ark''s¡­ interesting score, they didn''t want to pair you with him. Instead, they wanted you to branch out your friendships, so they would have put you with someone else, like the seventh-place person.

    "Overall, the people who scored high are rooming together. Which means I have one of the two people left: Ark or Aaron."

    Orin and Araki stared at me in disbelief when suddenly the door creaked open.

    A figure stepped into the room, draped in dark clothing with a face mask and hood that concealed most of his features. His sharp, alert eyes scanned the room before narrowing slightly at the sight of the trio.

    "Hey," Orin greeted casually, his usual friendliness on display.

    The newcomer said nothing. He gave a brief nod, then turned around and walked out without a word.

    After a moment of silence, Araki said in annoyance, "Well, he''s¡­ sociable."

    I frowned, watching the door close behind the figure. "Guess I got Aaron."

    Orin scratched his chin. "Guess he''s not too keen on introductions."

    Araki huffed. "You sure you''ll be okay sharing a room with him?"

    Jack shrugged, though his gaze lingered on the door. "I''ll figure it out."

    We talked for a bit more when Araki leaned forward, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "What about your spirits, Jack? Volt seemed¡­ intense. Do you have more like him?"

    I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Volt''s not the only one, but he''s the one I''ve known the longest. They''re¡­ complicated. Each spirit has its personality, wants, desires, availability, powers, and so much more. You don''t just summon them¡ªyou have to understand them and work with them. Not to mention paying them."

    Orin nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Sounds like a lot of responsibility."

    "What do you mean by pay them?" Araki asked, curious.

    "Spirits don''t work for free. Take Volt, for example. All he asks for is a home¡ªsomething he lost when his last contractor passed away. It''s simple but meaningful to him. Then, for another, I have to plant trees everywhere I go. It''s not hard, but people can make it difficult."

    "Sorry, you have to house a spirit and plant trees?" Orin asked, confused.

    "Volt had a home once, but it was destroyed when his last contractor died. He misses that time, but it makes him feel better to have a home again, so I don''t mind," I explained as I pulled out a large cat bed for Volt from my storage ring and placed it on the floor by my desk.

    "As for the trees, I have a Nature spirit as well, but she''s a bit... quirky. I don''t summon her unless it''s necessary."

    They both nodded in understanding. We talked for a bit, but eventually, Orin and Araki rose from their seats. Orin stretched, rolling his shoulders. "We should let you finish unpacking and settle in. Araki and I''ll head out. We''ll meet you at the cafeteria tonight."

    I nodded and waved. "Thanks."

    The two left, leaving the room quiet and still.

    I finished unpacking my things, carefully placing them in the drawers and shelves provided. The silence stretched on, but I could sense a presence nearby.

    As I closed the dresser, I said, "How long are you going to watch me? It''s creepy when I can''t sense anything other than your magic."

    I got no response.

    I pulled out my dagger, turned, and threw it at a shadow.

    The shadow moved, dodging the dagger as it stuck into the wall.

    The shadow grew to the size of a person, and Aaron stepped out.

    "How long did you¡ª?" he started to ask.

    "The moment you closed the door, you came back into the room and watched our entire conversation. I don''t blame you, though. As a rogue, information can be as valuable as gold," I said as I sat down in my chair.

    Aaron sighed and walked over to his bed, removing his mask and hood to reveal his true appearance¡ªa Lion Beastfolk with a dark purple mane that fell around his face like shadows.

    "You''re good at hiding, but bad at hiding your magic," I said calmly.

    The lion''s golden eyes glinted with a hint of amusement, but he stayed silent as he sat down and leaned against the back wall.

    "You''re Aaron, right?" Jack asked, sitting on his bed.

    Aaron didn''t respond, simply closing his eyes as if ignoring Jack''s presence.

    I sighed. "You know, we''re going to be stuck together, so we might as well get along. I''m Jack, by the way."

    I got no response.

    I smirked and started to talk to him about various things I''d noticed about the academy and some quests I''d been on.

    Seeing him annoyed, I smiled and said, "I don''t plan on stopping until you introduce yourself."

    Aaron''s ear twitched, but he remained silent.

    I continued to talk his ear off for another minute before Aaron finally opened his eyes and let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. I''m Aaron."

    I grinned, satisfied. "See? That wasn''t so hard."

    Aaron muttered something under his breath but didn''t seem hostile.

    "Now that we''ve broken the ice," Jack said, leaning forward slightly, "how about we make a deal? We''re roommates, so we should at least be friendly. Agreed?"

    Aaron regarded him for a long moment before nodding. "Fine. But no bringing girls over."

    Jack burst out laughing. "Noted. Don''t worry, that''s not my thing."

    Aaron smirked faintly¡ªthe first real expression I''d gotten from him.

    We talked a bit, and I learned he was a member of the Leonin [1] tribes in the Beast Kingdom but didn''t give much more information than what I could figure out.

    I did ask how he became a rogue when Leonin were known to be warriors, but Aaron gave no response and just stared at me. He didn''t want to talk about it, so I dropped the subject.

    The entire time we were talking, I was asking questions about his magic and how he came to learn it.

    Slowly, my suspicions about him were confirmed and broken at the same time.

    I knew his magic was Spirit Magic and that a spirit was inside his body, which meant he was either possessed and didn''t realize it or had made a power contract and paid with his body.

    ''I wish I had the [Appraised] book right now, but it''s still sealed for another two months,'' I thought to myself with worry but came to my conclusion.

    Overall, Aaron seemed aware of the magic he wielded, but his calm demeanour suggested he didn''t fully understand the spirit''s darker intentions. I decided to tread carefully, not wanting to tip Aaron off just yet. He was just a normal person with a contract but wasn''t a summoner like me.

    I was worried for him, as the Shadow spirit inside his body was slowly corrupting and feeding off him¡ªhence his dark-coloured mane rather than the normal golden one. (No, it is not dye.)

    After talking for some time, Aaron revealed he planned on joining the adventurers guild.

    "You should join us later," I said casually. "Me, Ark, Orin, Araki, and Zek are meeting up and probably going to have a party. Could be a good chance to get to know everyone."

    Aaron raised an eyebrow. "I''ll think about it."

    "Good enough for me. We''re meeting at the cafeteria at 6. Don''t be late," I said as I lay on the bed and relaxed.

    I decided to pull out the [Black Book] and give it a read, as I hadn''t done so in a long time.

 10 Years

    It has been 10 years since the fight with Metsys, (still a stupid name) the God of Systems.

    When the Blue Book was sealed I didn''t realise how much it affected the other books.

    {Profile}

    {Name:Jackson Drovas} {Age 8 Years}

    {Titles: Primogenitor, One Who Entered The Library, Spirit Summoner}

    {Class: Spirit Summoner, Spear Fighter}

    {Race: Human (Primogenitor: Unconfirmed Species)}

    {Power Ranking: D-Rank}

    {Main Stats}

    {Strength:15} {Dexterity:22.5} {Endurance:15}

    {intelegance: 60} {Wisdom:37.5} {Magic:6}

    {Stamina:85/85} {Mana:120/120} {Ki:270/270} {Spiritual_Energy:???}

    {Regeneration:}

    {10 Stamina/hr of rest} {10MP/Hr} {1Ki/30sec} {20SP/min}

    {no healing factor}

    {Active Skills}

    [Appraisel: LVL 1]

    [Aura Control: LVL 1]

    [Meditation: LVL 1]

    {Passive Skills}

    [Duel Mind: LVL 3]

    [Magic sense: LVL 1]

    {Combat Skills}

    [Spirit summoning: LVL 1]

    [Lightning Magic: LVL 1]

    [Spear fighting: LVL 3]

    [close quarters fighting: LVL 2]

    Because [Appraisal] isn''t working apparently, my stats, quests, contracts and everything else in the books won''t update either and are just frozen.

    Brakos didn''t think to add a precaution for this situation, and I can''t change it now, so I have to live with the consequences of my actions.

    Thankfully, the seal will break in two months, so I don''t have to wait much longer.

    I have spent the last few years gathering resources around the kingdom, and hopefully, [Appraisal] will accept them and allow me to acquire some of my Primogeniter powers.

    As I wallowed in my regrets Aaron''s gaze flicked toward me, in curiosity. "What''s that?" he asked, his voice neutral but edged with interest.

    I glanced up, debating how much to share. "It''s... a book of sorts. Something personal. Let''s just say it helps me understand a few things."

    Aaron raised an eyebrow but didn''t press further. Instead, he leaned back on his bed, closing his eyes again.

    For a while, the room was quiet, save for the faint rustle of pages as I read and contemplated my plans.

    "Do you always read stuff like that?" Aaron asked suddenly, his voice breaking the silence.

    I looked up, slightly startled. "Pretty much. I''ve always had a thing for books. They''re full of knowledge, and knowledge can be just as powerful as any sword or spell."

    Aaron snorted softly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "That''s one way to look at it."

    "What about you?" I countered, closing the book for a moment. "You strike me as the practical type. Not much for reading, huh?"

    He shrugged. "Depends. I''ll read if it''s useful, like maps, contracts, or anything about tactics. But sitting down with a book for fun? Not really my thing."

    I chuckled. "Fair enough. Everyone has their way of learning."

    Aaron didn''t respond immediately, but I could sense a slight shift in his posture. It was subtle, but it felt like he was beginning to lower his guard, even if just a little.

    "By the way," I said, breaking the brief silence, "I noticed your shadow magic. It''s impressive. Not many people can control it so well."

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Aaron''s eyes opened, narrowing slightly as he studied me. "You noticed, huh?"

    I nodded. "It''s hard not to. Shadow magic isn''t exactly common, and the way you use it is very refined. Like you''ve been practicing for years."

    He didn''t deny it, but his expression darkened slightly. "Yeah, you could say that. Let''s just say it''s¡­ complicated."

    I didn''t push further, sensing that the topic was a sensitive one. Instead, I offered a small smile. "Well, if you ever want to spar or practice, let me know. I''m always up for learning something new."

    Aaron regarded me for a moment before nodding. "I''ll keep that in mind."

    Despite Aaron''s reserved nature, I felt like I''d made some progress in breaking through his walls. It wasn''t much, but it was a start.

    Aaron soon fell quiet, likely drifting off to rest. I finished reading, for the time being, placing the [Black Book] in a hidden pocket in my sweater.

    I lay there thinking when I noticed the time

    [5:24 pm]

    I got up and walked to the door.

    "I am going to meet up with the others. I recommend you come along, or at the very least watch us with shadow magic. I won''t say anything but Zek might. We are meeting at the cafeteria" I said as I closed the door and walked away.

    ~~~~~~

    When I got to the cafeteria I noticed a lot of students both young and old gathering and getting something to eat.

    I checked the clock up on the wall.

    [5:39 pm]

    I decided to wait for a bit for someone else to arrive. It didn''t take long as Zek and Orin arrived and for some reason, I never thought about what they wore until now.

    Seeing a kobold with clothes was slightly weird as most of them only wore a loin-cloth at most but Zek had clothes on.

    Zek was dressed in some dark pants with a hole in the back for his tail and had on a small orange and blue vest showing off his surprisingly muscular chest.

    It was an odd sight as kobolds are skinny and almost never have visible muscles and mages are also known for not having muscles so it was even more surprising.

    Orin was in a white tank top and red work shorts, his medium-length black hair was tied in a tight braid and was well-kept.

    As he got closer it became very obvious he was working out before this as he smelt like sweat, thankfully it wasn''t bad.

    "Hey, guys. Orin the school has showers, why didn''t you shower!" I said as they arrived and I could smell him.

    "I''m sorry! I was working out in one of the gyms,s lost track of time and rushed to get one but someone messed with the showers and no water was coming out. I tried every single one but nothing," he explained.

    "How do you know someone messed with the showers?" I asked

    Zek spoke up "I was looking for him when I saw someone running away from the showers. I checked and they turned the water off."

    Orin nodded and said, "Yeah and by the time we got the water back on we had to leave and get here."

    I sighed and said "I saw some showers down the hall. Go take a quick shower there and come back, we will wait for you." and gave him a towel from my storage ring.

    He nodded, grabbed the towel and thanked me before rushing off towards the shower.

    Zek turned to me and said "I appreciate it. Being at this height makes it very easy to smell... certain scents. It''s just that he is so kind it makes it hard to force him to do things or tell him he is doing something like that. You handled that better than I would have."

    I smiled and said "It''s no problem. Everyone in the group would have been uncomfortable with that smell, especially those of us with heightened scenes."

    He nodded as we waited for everyone else to arrive.

    We didn''t wait long as Araki came walking up. He was wearing some brown pants that he was clearly uncomfortable in and a brown belt similar to Zek but bigger and I noticed him carrying a leather bag and had his bow on him.

    He quietly shuffled over to me and whispered "Can you store this for me? I got into old habits and... shot something."

    Curious I grabbed the bag and opened it.

    I saw a dead rabbit in the bag and quickly stored it away.

    "What was it?" Zek asked, curious

    Araki tried to say "Nothing-"

    "He shot a rabbit and brought it here in a leather bag hoping I would hide it," I said

    Zek raised one of his ''eyebrows'' and said "Ok. Was it wild or someone''s pet."

    Araki was scared and looking around hoping no one would notice.

    "First rule of hiding a Crime: don''t look like you committed a crime." a voice said from the shadows causing Araki to jump in fear.

    We all turned and I saw Aaron step out from a shadow. He was still dressed in black but was in more comfortable clothes, a black T-shirt and sweatpants but also had his mask off.

    "Good to see you join us, Aaron. Wasn''t sure you would come." I said smiling

    "Wait, Aaron?!" Araki almost shouted in surprise. "That''s what you look like? You''re a Leonin?" he continued surprised Aaron was a Leonin and tried to examine him closer but was pushed away.

    He nodded and leaned against a wall "If you are worried about if you broke a rule or law don''t look like you broke one. It only makes you look suspicious and draws attention to you."

    "If you act normal like them," he pointed to me and Zek "People will ignore what you say so long as you avoid certain words when others walk by," Aaron explained the basic rule of committing a crime, of which I and Zek already knew or didn''t care what Araki did.

    When Aaron was finished I spoke next "Anyway to answer your question, Zek, it looks wild. You can use it to make a stew or harvest it for materials. It''s your kill so it''s your choice, Araki."

    He nodded and turned to Aaron "Why are you here? you didn''t seem social and left almost immediately when you first walked in on us?" Araki asked Aaron.

    "He never actually left. He was hiding in the shadows with his magic." I said surprising both Araki and Zek.

    "He was always there! How much did he hear?" Araki said

    I turned to Aaron and let him answer

    "Everything after I closed the door. I walked away as I wasn''t sure the kind of people you are and I listened in, but after hearing your concern for your friend Ark I guess I can trust you," he said calmly.

    As he finished explaining I saw Orin walking back.

    "I appreciate it, Jack, thanks for waiting for me," he said and handed me the towel back and I threw it back in the storage ring.

    He noticed Aaron and asked "Who are you? I don''t think I have seen you before."

    I snickered and watched as Aaron introduced himself. "Aaron. I''m Jack''s roommate."

    Orins went wide eyes as he realized and did the same thing as Araki.

    "Um hi, guys." I heard Ark say shyly from behind us.

    We turned and greeted him.

    "H-hi, Ark. How are you doing so far?" Orin asked pushing us to get to him and acting really friendly, clearly still concerned about what I told him earlier about Ark.

    Ark was hesitant because of Orin''s actions.

    I Put a hand on Orin''s shoulder and said. "Let''s all get our food and sit down first then let''s talk."

    Everyone agreed and began to walk off.

    I held Orin back a bit and silently told him "I know you want to help Ark but remember we need to take things slow. He isn''t confident in a relationship with any of us yet so being too pushy can chase him off"

    "Let''s build up a friendship first and let him get comfortable with us before we ask personal questions or approach him excitedly as you did." I finished

    Orin looked downcast and said "Sorry I wasn''t thinking. I just hate knowing about things I can change but doing nothing"

    I shook my head and said "It''s fine. Everyone has something they can''t stand but we are doing something, we are helping him adjust and open up. We have done a lot already and he looks like he wants to make friends, he just doesn''t know how."

    "So long as we are with him and help him we are doing something." I reassured him

    Orin nodded and we went to join the others.

 Talks Over Dinner

    As we all got in line to get some food, we started talking about a few things, including what classes we were taking.

    As we got to the end of the line I saw the menus.

    They had several basic foods and drinks paid for by the school and better-tasting, higher-quality foods that you could pay for.

    I was surprised to see several food items I remembered from my past life that I had never seen here before. These included burgers, soups, chilli, wings, pastries, and many more similar foods from my old world.

    Of course, there were some differences, like different names and ingredients, but the descriptions were the same.

    The others had never seen any of these items before and were curious as to what they tasted like.

    Sadly those items you have to pay for and the free items are simply foods you can buy at stalls in town like bread, skewers and stew.

    The cheapest item I could see was a tomato soup worth 50 copper. A loaf of bread is 2 copper at most so this was a bit much.

    I noticed the noble students each handing over coins to the cafeteria staff and just buying food casually as the commoner students had to get the basic foods.

    One student was extremely happy as they saved up and ordered some better food.

    It was good to see they didn''t skimp on nutrition for these meals, just have better meals you have to buy.

    When we each got to the front everyone was interested in trying the new foods but all their gazes fell when they realized you had to pay and none of them had money to spare as we each had to pay for tuition on our own.

    "Those noble brats must love living in luxury, not having to pay for food and tuition like us." I heard Aaron mumble to himself.

    Seeing everyone''s downcast faces I decided to pay.

    I walked up pulled out some silver coins and gave them to the cafeteria staff "I will pay for the six of us." I said.

    Everyone turned to me curious.

    "What? I have been an adventurer for a few years now I have saved up a lot. Just know I am not making a habit of this." I said and let them all order.

    Everyone was happy and one by one we all ordered.

    Rirki, Orin and I decided to get some cheeseburgers, Ark ordered some chilli, Aaron got some chicken wings and Zek got a steak, which was comically the same size as his torso.

    I didn''t question it as I knew Kobolds could eat a lot.

    When we got our food and I got my change I noticed the staff pocket some coins.

    Annoyed by them stealing from me I said "You are missing some coins." I said as I showed them they were short.

    They denied it at first but when I quickly listed the cost of every item and subtracted it from what I gave them they handed me the coins they took and I went to join the others.

    "What was that about?" Ark asked as I walked over

    "They took some of my coins. Probably figured since I was a commoner I couldn''t do the math so they tried to take some of my money. But what they are too stupid to realize is that most commoners can do basic math as we deal with merchants and buy supplies a lot," I explained as we sat down.

    They all agreed and asked Ark why he didn''t know that as we sat down and started eating.

    Ark sunk down a bit and said "I have never really dealt with coins before. I''m not from this kingdom so I didn''t realize he took some, we don''t use them where I live."

    We all gave him a quizzical look.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "Coins are used in most kingdoms though. What kingdom are you from?" Zek asked

    "I''m from Bestia," Ark says shyly while glancing at Aaron who is also from there.

    We all stare at him, wide-eyed and mouths open, even Aaron.

    "You''re from Bestia? The Beast Kingdom, Bestia?" Orin asks in shock

    Ark slunked down a bit and nodded.

    We all took a moment to process what we just heard when Aaron asked "Where do you live in Bestia?"

    Ark stammered for a bit and answered shyly "I''m from the Northern Wolf Forests."

    Aaron stared at him and asked worried, "The Northern wolf forests are home to wolf Beastfolk. Are you related to them?"

    Ark flinched and lowered his head, gave a slight nod and said nothing.

    Aaron leaned back and Orin asked "What is it? What is so important about that and why aren''t you saying anything, Ark?"

    Aaron sighed and said, "I''ve never met them before but from what I have heard, The Northern Wolf pack is a tribe of hunters who primarily focus on strength and power, but rumours about the current alpha say he is obsessed with the purity of blood and has killed any Wolf Beastmen he finds."

    We all sat in silence when Ark spoke up shaking and almost crying "The rumours of him are partially true. He does value Wolven blood but doesn''t kill Beastmen as he is a Beastman as well. Instead, he believes his bloodline is the strongest and any weaklings are those with no wolf blood are unworthy of his pack."

    Ark was very remorseful and was shedding a few tears now "he believes his children are above all and trains his children mercilessly. Most are strong and gain his approval but if they don''t meet his expectations he tortures them both physically and mentally."

    "... I... I was only able to escape thanks to his father, my grandfather who took me in." He trailed off, staring at the table as if the memories were too heavy to meet anyone''s gaze.

    We all sat there in silence and contemplated his story and only I realized Ark was the son of the Alpha.

    "Ark... I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to bring up bad memories" Aaron said remorsefully.

    "I get it, Ark," Aaron said, his voice unusually soft. "Back in Bestia, I wasn''t strong enough for them either. It''s like... people only see what they expect to see from us. But you''re not alone in this anymore."

    "I walked away from home to better myself, but you are a different story. Even if your grandfather sent you here, you went out and walked away from your old life and are building a new one. whatever your path is, know I will walk with you." Aaron said with clear emotion in his voice.

    Ark wiped a few tears away and said "Thanks"

    we all sat there in silence for a bit as things were a bit awkward.

    We all started eating a bit after as our food was getting cold and no one wanted to miss out on this new food.

    Even Zek who was somehow eating the massive steak despite his small size

    everyone loved it and I was happy, it had been so long since I ate food like this that I was just planning on making my own when I got the ingredients.

    As we ate we all decided to properly introduce ourselves to Aaron and he did the same saying he was attending the Academy to learn more about his magic and how to sneak up on opponents.

    When everyone was finished Araki said "Wow this food is amazing! How did they come up with it?"

    "No idea but I do agree it is good," Orin said

    *Burp* Zek burped as I saw his stomach bulging from all the food.

    "I haven''t eaten like this in years... wow Deja vu," Zek said,

    What do you mean?" Ark asked.

    "kobolds don''t need much food to live and when I was serving the dragon I only got food around once a week, if any. when I first met my master he gave me more food than I had ever seen, but that wasn''t much compared to this." Zek said gesturing to the table.

    I laughed as I watched everyone react.

    Aaron spoke up next "It''s kind of sad we can''t eat like this every day. It all so expensive that only nobles could eat like this on the regular."

    "Not true. Adventurers can afford this every day if they do quests and save properly. I can buy meals every day and buy equipment with some coins to spare." I said planting the idea.

    Everyone froze for a second and thought about what I just said.

    "Are you asking us to become Adventurers?" Orin asked

    I smirked and shrugged "I only gave an option, but I won''t be against showing you all the ropes."

    everyone looked at me

    Orin said. "can you please?"

    Zek and Araki gave similar answers.s

    I laughed and joked "So you three are becoming Adventurers to afford good food?"

    they didn''t deny this but we all understood the hidden joke between us all.

    Aaron rolled his eyes and said "You are a sneaky one but sure. it might be fun."

    we all turned to Ark who was staring at his empty bowl and thinking.

    "You don''t have to force yourself if you don''t want to Ark," I said

    he looked up at me with some slight fear in his eyes "I''m not a fighter. I don''t think I am cut out to being an Adventurer."

    Zek stood on his chair (keep in mind Zek is like 2 or 3 ft tall) and said "Nonsense. Your magic in the arena was a clear sign you could fight. Besides growing stronger can make it easier to face your past if it ever comes for you."

    Ark''s eyes widened, and for a moment, he froze. "D-did you say magic? What do you mean Magic?"

    Zek also stared in confusion so I interjected "This is a matter that can wait for tomorrow. We can explain it later, for tonight Let''s all get our things prepared for tomorrow."

    I turned to Ark and said "Ark we won''t force you to come but why don''t you join us and watch on the sidelines? That way you can see what Adventuring is like and if you are ok with it."

    Ark took a moment to think and nodded "ok I will come."

    everyone smiled hearing that and we all talked about when we would go.

    "Thanks to the hellhound investigation, Nothing will happen for a few days, so we have plenty of time. Let''s meet at the city''s front gate tomorrow morning at 10."

    "Bring any potions, weapons, armour, tools, and rations you want or think you might need. I can store them in my storage ring for later use, but only bring the essentials."

 Things Are Getting Interesting

    When we finished making a plan we all got up and went on our way.

    Araki, Orin and Zek all went to gather anything they wanted for tomorrow, Aaron disappeared to who knows where and Ark decided to walk with me on our way back to the dorms.

    "What did you guys mean by magic earlier?" he asked

    I chuckled and said "I''m not sure how you never noticed but you are a wind sorcerer. Me Araki and Zek noticed it during your exam."

    "When?" he asked confused

    I smiled "At one point you jumped away from the bear''s attack when you weren''t touching the ground. It was a spell called [Wind Run], as the name suggests it allows you to run, or jump, while mid-air."

    Are looked at me in shock then raised a hand and stared at it thinking.

    "I can use magic..." he whispered in wonder.

    I smiled seeing his look of wonder but warned him. "you can but being a sorcerer can be dangerous if you don''t control your powers."Turned to me confused

    I sighed and said, It isn''t uncommon for Sorcerers to discover their magic by burning down their house and sadly a large amount of them become orphans because of it."

    Ark was visibly shaken hearing that and I could tell he was starting to fear his powers.

    "Don''t fear your magic. Sorcerers need to understand and accept it if they want to control it. if you start fearing your magic then you will lose control." I comforted him.

    He nodded and we stayed silent as we continued to walk.

    When we arrived at the dorms Ark went to open his door and I noticed only one bed was being used.

    ''so it was Ark who has the single'' I thought.

    "I may not be a sorcerer but me and Zek can help train you if you ever want. all you have to do is ask." I said as he entered his room

    T-thankss" he said shyly as he closed his door.

    I went to my room and entered Aaron wasn''t there and I used magic to check if he was in the shadows. Seeing as he wasn''t there sighed and sat down on my bed.

    I pulled out a flower pot from my ring along with some dirt and a water skin.

    I put the dirt in the pot with some water, pulled out a seed from the pouch on my belt and planted it.

    I put it on the nightstand and infused some Spiritual Energy into the seed.

    It quickly grew into a small daisy in bloom and I spoke a single word. "Willow"

    the flower closed its petals, shook slightly, for a few seconds then stopped and opened again.

    Willow was inside the petals and flew out instantly when she could.

    "hi, Jackie. How was your day? I hope it wasn''t as boring as listening in to a conversation for an hour and being stuck in a flower pot the rest of the day" she asked while flying around my head, hiding her anger with a smile.

    I raised an eyebrow and asked, Why didn''t you just leave when the conversation was done?"

    She froze and slyly said, "I forgot?"

    I placed a hand on my face and thought '' I feel like I am raising a child.''

    "What did you learn? was it important?" I asked not wanting to continue her games

    she smirked and did a flip while flailing her arms trying to make it sound bigger "The headmaster was arguing with a teacher about the Hellhounds."

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "The teacher didn''t think it was random and was instead planned. They reported it to the headmaster but she dismissed their claims." she finished with a bow.

    I thought for a second and asked "What was the teacher''s name?"

    she took a moment to remember and said Her name was Amanda Arrow. I did some checking and she is the teacher for classes 1-10."

    "so she will be my teacher... I will have to talk to her." I said while thinking

    worried she also added "Um Jack you should know... the headmaster was also talking about moving you to another class."

    I turned to her and asked, "Are you sure?"

    she nodded "Yeah I''m sure"

    "Did she say what class?" I asked

    she shook her head "No only telling the teacher you were being moved to another class. She tried to fight the headmaster but had to back down when the headmaster threatened to fire them."

    I leaned back and said "Thanks for the report, Willow. I am going on a quest tomorrow so I may summon you again."

    She smiled and landed on my nose.e

    "sure thing cutie but you don''t need to warn me just call me when eve-" she was saying but was interrupted when a grabder her by the wings and pulled her off my face.

    "don''t do that again please," I said exasperated.

    Willow knows I don''t like girls and she has no interest in me that way, she just does this to bug meShehe smirked, and blew a kiss at me.

    I let her go and asked "By the way do you know what Aconite is? Volt mentioned that in one of his visions"

    she thought for a second and said "I haven''t heard of Aconite in a long time but it is a type of poisonous purple flower. It is also called Devils Helmet, Monks Hood, Wolfsbane, or Leopard''s Bane,

    surprised to hear one of those names I went into deep thought Wolfsbane? Volt mentioned it for Ark and he is a Wolf-beastman, or at least that is what he told us... could he be...''

    *Creek*

    Willow interrupted my train of thought by opening the very squeaky window, somewhat scaring me with the sound.

    She flinched but I waved her off and flew out the window after saying goodbye, leaving me alone.

    I was still in shock about this revelation but decided to think about it later

    I shook my hand and contacted Volt.

    ^Do you want to sleep here tonight?^ I asked

    ^No. I have a place for tonight.^ he responded

    ^Are you with Terra?^ I asked smiling

    he didn''t respond.

    I smirked and cut the contact.

    I went around the room and made sure I had some clothes for tomorrow along with some spares just in case.

    I grabbed by spear, dagger and wand and also grabbed by Guild card.

    I put them all in my ring and laid down to sleep.

    At some point, I was woken up as I heard shuffling in the room.

    I grabbed my dagger just in case and slowly turned to get a look.

    I relaxed as I saw it was Aaron walking in and lying down on the bed.

    I smiled but also put up a barrier of Spiritual Energy just in case the being inside of Aaron decided to have a midnight snack.

    I drifted off to sleep and had dreams of going on adventures with the group and spending time with Ark.

    ~~~~~~~

    The next day I was waiting at the front gate of the Academy admiring the architecture as I waited for everyone to arrive.

    I didn''t have to wait long as Araki, Ark, Orin, Zek and Aaron all arrived at the same time.

    "I hope you are all ready," I said as they all arrived and they handed me some things I stored in my ring.

    Everyone nodded and I went over what everyone had and it was clear they were wearing the same stuff from the exam.

    Araki had his bow and was wearing some leather armour protecting his joints and vitals while allowing free movement.

    Ark was wearing some simple clothes but also had on some leather armour as well and had some cloth wrapped around his hands. ''he probably fights best with his hands, interesting''

    Orin was hearing some chainmail and leather on top of that. He wore no helmet and had his large Greatsword strapped to his back.

    Zek was wearing his blue and red mage robe and I noticed his staff was actually split in half. It was kind of like wands, on his left hip was half the staff with the ice crystal and on his right was the fire crystal.

    I had never seen something like that so I was very interested.

    Aaron was in leather Armour dyed black and had his hood on but not the mask allowing me to see his face. Interestingly I couldn''t see any of his daggers, he was clearly good at hiding them.

    I thought about my gear. My leather armour, dagger, spear and wand, the potions I had for emergencies, contraptions I made with my knowledge from my old world and some other items that could become useful.

    Overall we had 1 tank: Orin, 1 scout: Araki, 1 Spellblade/summoner: Me, 1 wizard: Zek, one rogue: Aaron and I am not sure what Ark can do yet.

    The party has a variety of skills but we have no healer and only one front-line fighter.

    This was a problem we will have to solve over time but if Ark can get over his timid nature we should be fine as Volt can join in the front line.

    I decided to put the matter away for now as they haven''t even become adventurers yet.

    "Ok let''s head out. Follow me I know where to go," I said as we all left the school and walked towards the city.

    ~~~~~~

    unknown POV 1

    is a tower overlooking the Academy courtyard was a figure hidden in the shadows

    "Tch... how did the brat survive." the figure said annoyed and they turned away and walked down the tower

    ~~~~~~

    Random POV

    a random female student entered a bathroom and froze when they heard heavy breathing.

    she turned to leave not wanting to know but heard someone inside whispering to themself

    "why hasn''t he come to find me... why hasn''t my jack come to find me... WHY!!!!" the voice escalated as she heard a smashing sound from the stall and quickly ran away scared.

 Signing Up at the Guild

    We all walked towards the city excited for the day. Even Aaron, who was always quiet and calm, had some excitement in his steps.

    We headed south to Raventhorn, the City south of the Academy, and saw several other students walking there as well, curious about the nearby city.

    We all talked and more than once Orin and Araki asked me the same questions about how to sign up at the guild but I told them we would do it there.

    As we got closer to the walls of the city I noticed a mage was watching over us. He was wearing a brown robe and was holding a wand with a gray crystal, an earth mage by the looks of it.

    Not paying them much mind we entered the gate and everyone was excited. Several shops were lined up at the gate and many different food stalls and merchants were selling their wares to the noble students from the academy.

    We walked past them while also having a look at some and I could feel the want from Orin and Zek for some good food.

    "If we complete a quest today we can get something good later," I said and I could see their motivation boost.

    As we walked I was happy to see several other races around the city. Beastmen, a few lizardfolk, and even an entire party of Half-orc adventurers walking to the gate. It was very different compared to the academy.

    We continued down the streets and looked at shops when we came to a grand building.

    It had 3 stories and was bigger than 2 houses put together. I saw a sign hanging above the door saying <Raventhorn Adventurers Guild>.

    I looked at everyone else, smiled and pushed the door open.

    Inside I saw several tables with adventurers sitting around. The wooden walls were polished and decorated with paintings and weapons with a few torches with fire magic hanging on the walls.

    On the wall, I saw a few boards with papers posted with quests.

    A bar was in the far corner and was serving a few adventurers who seemed to be partying some beer.

    Several doors led to private rooms so that private matters could be discussed.

    I looked up and saw the balcony and some more rooms adventurers could rent instead of an inn.

    I turned to the reception counter and thankfully it was currently empty.

    We walked over and the receptionist waved and introduced herself "Hello, my name is Ella. What can I do for you all today?"

    "they would like to sign up as adventurers., I said while pointing to the other.

    She nodded but asked, Aree you already registered, sir?"

    I nodded and handed her my guild card "Yes I am. If you don''t mind could you also record me as a returning adventure here? I will be staying here for a while."

    "understood please wait a moment for me to get the paperwork., she said and walked to the back

    when she returned she handed out some documents to each of us and handed me back my guild card.

    "do any of you need help with your information?" she asked

    I turned to the others and they all shook their head

    nodding I turned back and said "No thank Ella. I can handle it from here."

    she smiled "Of course. please bring those back to me when you are done and I will give you your guild cards."

    we thanked her and all sat down at a table but some things came as confusing to them.

    Everyone filled out their basic information.

    Ark was hesitant to sign this so I told him he didn''t have to but he did participate in the conversations.

    "What does it mean by class?" Orin asked

    "Classes are your area of fighting. Depending on how you fight or what you can do you list different options."

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    Fighter: Someone who skillfully fights with melee weapons, typically swords or axes. like Orin

    Barbarian/Berserker: similar to a fighter but relies more on brute strength and sheer stubbornness to win fights rather than skill.

    Archer: someone who fights with a bow. like Araki

    Wizard: a mage who studies magic like Ark and Jack

    Sorcerer: someone who is born with magic or got it from a bloodline but is known for having trouble controlling it at a young age. like Ark

    Warlock: someone who made a contract with another being who grants them magic power. (no Jack is not a Warlock. He is more like a beast tamer while a warlock got magic from someone else.) ''kind of like Aaron'' Jack thinks to himself

    Cleric/Healer: typically a priest who follows a gd and can use holy magic to heal injuries or harm demons and undead.

    SpellBlade: a fighter who casts spells and uses weapons. like Jack

    Arcane Archer: similar to an Archer but can infuse magic into their arrows or even use magic in place of arrows.

    Paladin: similar to a Spellblade but uses Holy magic to harm undead and Demons instead of normal magic.

    Monk: a hand-to-hand fighter who uses their opponent''s movements against them and makes it hard to be hit. Like Ark

    Pugilist: a fist fighter like a monk but uses more brute force and takes punches rather than dodging and diverting attacks.

    Druid: mages who live among nature and communicate with animals and plants. They are very powerful and act more like forces of nature.

    A misconception about druids is that they will never hard a forest. It is wrong as Druids act like nature itself and are ok with a forest fire every once in a while.

    Rogue: a person who specializes in stealth and light hands. Great for infiltrating or taking people down quietly.

    Beast Master: someone who trains beasts and has them fight. (similar to Jack and his spirits. The difference is that Jack''s spirits can come back if killed in battle after some time.)

    as I finished explaining everyone was staring at me

    "...what?" I said

    After a second Zek asked "Jack how do you know so much? I have met a lot of people before and none of them can do or know as much as you do. It''s getting kinda creepy at times."

    I laughed a bit and said "I can''t deny that. Sorry, but I can''t go into details but one of my contracts granted me knowledge I shouldn''t have. Forbidden knowledge depending on who you ask. So on occasion, I may say something that won''t make any sense or is something I said long before its time in the world."

    I half lied. The weird knowledge I would have is just the scientific knowledge I have from my past life or what I read in [The Library].

    Thanks to my weird brain and a higher level of education from there compared to here I accidently became considered a genius several times over the years.

    Returning my attention to the group I noticed they all were confused so I elaborated a bit more.

    "I have a contract where a spirit tells me things about magic and the world that I shouldn''t know and I remember all of it allowing me to specialize in many things with no decline in strength."

    Everyone just stared but all collectively decided it wasn''t worth asking and continued to fill out the papers.

    "What does it mean by Elemental Affinity?" Ark asked

    Zek decided to take this one "Elemental Affinities are what kinds of magic you can use. There are 8 core elements Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Lightning, Light, Shodow and Arcane. Most people only have one core affinity but rarely they can have 2 like me."

    "I do know there are other Affinities but I don''t know what they are and I doubt the guild has a way to check from some of the more rare ones."

    "It is possible for mages to gain an affinity with other elements but that is very difficult and rare."

    "the 8 core elements also have divisions and merged affinities as well. My ice affinity is a division of water as ice is just frozen water."

    "Merged affinities are rare but are what happens if you combine 2 core elements like Lava. Lava is created by taking rocks with earth magic and heating them with fire to the point it melts."

    "Everyone has an affinity with at least 1 core element and usually a few divisions, but only have merges if they have both cores that make it. As for the other types of affinities, I don''t know"

    Zek sat back down and let Ark absorb that information.

    "You forgot about the limit of affinities," I said absentmindedly as I was thinking about my affinities too.

    "What limit?" Zek asked confused

    Still not fully paying attention, I responded, "Humans are the only race who can learn every core element and its divisions and merges. All other races can learn a maximum of four or five core elements, other than Arcane that is, as that one is just mana manipulation."

    Shocked Zek said "I have never heard of that! How do you know that?"

    "An old scripture written by the goddess of magi-" I covered my mouth finally realizing what I was saying was the knowledge that I wasn''t supposed to share.

    Everyone stared in shock after hearing me say, ''Goddess''.

    I looked around the room and thankfully no one else heard me.

    I sighed and leaned back worried.

    Zek hesitantly said, "I take it that was knowledge you got from your contract?"

    I nodded as that wasn''t a lie, I learned that from Brakos before my reincarnation.

    "Yeah don''t spread that around, please. If the church found out I know that kind of stuff I am a dead man." I asked the group

    everyone was silent as they contemplated my plea.

    After some thinking, Zek said "Before we agree to anything you need to answer one question. What did you mean by the goddess of magic?"

    I sighed and, using my spiritual energy, created a soundproof barrier to the astonishment of the others, and began to explain.

    "As you know, here in Primus, there are the 3 gods. Dwargo the Dwarf god who ascended from a primogenitor, Sol the Diving god worshiped by the church and Poisidon the god of the sea."

    "What most people don''t know is that there are more gods out there but are rarely seen or don''t make their presence public."

    Everyone stared in disbelief.

    I realized I was saying more than I should have, but sharing this with others felt a lot better than keeping it a secret.

    "I can''t say more on the matter without putting us all at risk so please don''t bring it up again," I said and lowered the barrier.

    Everyone stared in shock and took a moment to think.

    I did notice one of Aaron''s eyes turn completely black, and I could feel the spirit inside him react to what I had just said.

    I made a mental note of that and slowly managed to get everyone to forget the topic for now and focus on the guild sign-up sheet.

 Affinities

    Everyone was silent as they all processed what I just told them but thankfully none of them were willing to comment on it and all silently agreed to try and forget it ever happened.

    He got back to filling out the forms Ark asked "It''s asking for my affinity. Do I just put downwind?"

    As Zek was about to talk Araki jumped in instead "As you can use wind magic then yes."

    Zek was a little annoyed about this but didn''t comment.

    Ark nodded and went to write it down when he paused

    "What does it mean my main and sub affinities?" he asked confused

    Zek managed to explain this one.

    "It isn''t uncommon for mages to have multiple affinities. your main affinity is the element you are the strongest with or use the most while your sub-affinities are the rest of them, even if you don''t use them." Zek finished while giving a slightly petty look to the oblivious Araki.

    "The guild has a way to check affinities. if you want I can grab it." Ella the receptionist from earlier said as she walked over to check on us.

    Ark nodded hesitantly and shyly said "Yes... please. T-thank you."

    Ella nodded and went to the back and came out a minute later with a large crystal ball around eight inches in diameter. She wasn''t touching the crystal and was holding it with a velvet cloth.

    "This is an Affinity Detection Crystal. When you place your hand on it and infuse it with some mana the inside with change color and depending on the color it will show your affinities," she explained

    everyone, other than me and Zek who have seen these before, was staring at it wonder at the crystal.

    I smirked seeing their child-like wonder.

    "If you place your hand on the crystal we can determine your affinity," she said and gestured to Ark.

    Ark was hesitant to try but slowly reached his hand out and touched the crystal with his palm.

    Nothing happened which confused Ella.

    Before she could say anything I spoke.

    "You need to infuse mana into it. do you know how?" I asked

    he shook his head.

    Calmly I gave him instructions "Take a deep breath and imagine an energy flowing through your body. From your breath to your lungs, to your heart, through your blood, through your arms and legs and back to the heart."

    I watched his breath and I could feel his mana circulating.

    "Good, now imagine it coming from your heart through your arm and into the crystal," I said and watched.

    It took a bit but Ark managed to control his mana and injure it to the crystal.

    The crystal filled with a light green smoke and I could see some teal and slight silver smoke as well.

    Ella was amazed and said Good job! Turns out you have 3 affinities. A high wind affinity usually found in sorcerers, ice magic and moon magic."

    Ark fliched hearing moon magic but we all were confused, even me.

    "what is moon magic?" I asked shocking the others at the table

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    Ella sighed and said "I am sorry I don''t know. I know what each colour is but not what it does. You are all students at the academy correct?" she asked

    we all nodded

    "I recommend researching it there. As far as I know moon magic is extremely rare. Hopefully, you can find something." she said

    I wanted to know what that was and I was thinking of asking Brakos about it but left it for later.

    ''could she be related to Ark in some way'' I thought to myself as I remembered someone Brakos told me about years ago.

    "Does anyone else want to check their affinities?"

    Orin, and Araki both smiled and went for the crystal at the same time but Orin got to it first.

    The crystal didn''t do anything at first and I wasn''t surprised.

    From what I saw Orin was a pure fighter, he only had access to Ki and no mana so he was having a harder time compared to Ark.

    I continued to watch as I knew he could do it. Even if he isn''t a mage everyone can control minor amounts of mana to use in everyday life but most people didn''t know that outside of Adventurers and mages.

    After a minute the crystal got a brownish gray smoke.

    "Congrats Orin. You have an earth affinity," I said as I patted him on the back.

    He smiled and gestured for Araki to go next

    When Araki did so he only took a second.

    Like me he has very low mana but high control hence why he uses magic circles rather than casting spells.

    The crystal turned a deep blue and slightly white which interested me.

    "Water and Light affinities... that is surprising," I said

    He gave a smug smile.

    "Would any of you like to try?" Ella asked the rest of us

    I shook my head but Zek and Aaron nodded, Zek saying it could be fun.

    Zek got an even split of orange and light blue smoke and nothing else.

    Ella was surprised and said, "You have an ice and fire affinity?! That is extremely rare!"

    Zek being smug said "I know" and puffed out his tiny chest which was weirdly adorable, like watching a child do it.

    I was curious about Aaron though. When he went to tough it, I noticed a slight hesitation and his eyes squirmed slightly.

    I stayed silent and just watched the crystal.

    It turned completely black as the smoke filled it up but I found it suspicious.

    ''he didn''t even touch the crystal when the smoke appeared. That spirit must be stronger than I thought.'' I thought to myself

    When Aaron took his hand away everyone, even Ella, was staring at me.

    I sighed, knowing what they wanted said "This doesn''t work for me as you think."

    Everyone was confused and I reached my hand out.

    The crystal started to shake and different colors of smoke appeared and disappeared.

    I pulled my hand away and said "I use spirit magic which messes with Affinity crystals. I am working on an alternative but if I touch that one it will shatter."

    Everyone was curious but also knew I had more experience so they didn''t comment.

    Clapping her hands together, Ella said "Well you all know your affinities. Please come to me when you are done." she then picked up the crystal and went to put it away.

    After another 10 minutes of helping everyone finish their forms, we walked up to Ella at the counter and handed them to her.

    She nodded and put the forms into a machine that looked kind of like a printer from my old world.

    She pushed a button and placed each form separately.

    After a few minutes, she opened a drawer pulled out 5 copper cards and came back over.

    Se handed them out to everyone and said "Here are your guild IDs. Please keep them on you at all times so we can ID you if anything happens. They also act as a way to prove who you are."

    "We have precautions against ID theft and have been using a blood-bound method so that they will not work for other people. All you have to do is put a few drops of blood on the card when you are ready but I would recommend doing it now. We have a finger pricker I needed."

    Almost everyone quickly proceeded to do so instantly as they knew what blood-bound items were but Ark was hesitating.

    I walked over and calmly helped him.

    He was nervous but I also never forced him to. When he was calm I cut his finger slightly with my dagger and let the blood drop on the card.

    I then pulled out a bandaid from my ring and put it on his finger. he was very flustered but I remained calm.

    Turning around, Ella gave me a knowing look but I decided not to say anything.

    I smiled knowing what she was thinking but kept it to myself.

    When everyone was done Orin said "Hold on. I remember your card wasn''t made of copper. Why are ours?"

    I nodded and pulled out my ID.

    "Mine is made of iron as I am a D-rank adventurer with a higher ranking than you. As your guild ranking increases so will the quality of your cards."

    I pointed to a board nearby showing what metals are used for each card.

    F Rank - Copper

    E Rank - Bronze

    D Rank - Iron

    C Rank - Steel

    B Rank - Silver

    A Rank - Gold

    S Rank - Platinum

    Everyone was shocked but Ella also added "Make sure not to lose your IDs. If you do you have to buy new ones, the replacements are at a higher cost than selling the raw materials."

    Everyone turned to her in shock at the ridiculous price for higher-rank ID replacements and I just laughed seeing her innocent smile.

    "We had a problem a few years ago of people at B rank melting and selling their silver cards and getting new ones at a profit," she explained with a smile

 Taking The First Guild Quests

    After getting that warning one gave a nervous laugh when Ella directed us to the quest boards.

    "As adventurers, you can take quests equal to or below your rank, but as F ranks you can only take F rank quests. You are allowed to take one rank above yours if you are in a party, but I recommend taking F Rank Quests to ensure you can handle harder quests."

    "When you complete 10 quests in a row you can move up to the next rank but when you are moving to D rank you must take the Rank-up Exam."

    "Rank up Exam?" Aaron asked curious

    Ella continued "The rank-up exam is when you will spar with a higher-ranking adventurer. They will observe your power and technique and approve the rank up if they deem you fit."

    "There is no limit on how many times you can take the exam. I should note that taking higher ranking quests doesn''t count differently for the promotion exam but taking a quest that is lower than your rank does not count towards your promotion."

    "All the information related to your quests will be stored on your guild ID cards so even if you are at another guild they can register the quest for you."

    Aaron nodded and we all went and looked at the quests leaving Ella to continue her other work.

    The boards were simple bulletin boards with each ranking letter at the top. Several sheets of paper on the board with the quest name, type, reward and details listed clearly.

    "I thought there was an S rank, why does it only go up to an A rank?" Ark asked while looking at the top of the boards.

    He wasn''t wrong, there are only 6 boards with the highest saying A rank.

    I proceeded to explain.

    "S rank adventurers and quests are pretty rare, plus any quest that is S rank is given directly to the adventurer rather than put on the board."

    Everyone turned to me so I elaborated.

    "S rank quests are very dangerous so rather than risking an A rank party from taking the quest they give it directly to the S rank. Plus the S ranks aren''t able to do everything so the guild will analyze the quest and send it to the appropriate S Rank."

    "For example, an S Rank known for being a dragon slayer would have priority for Dragon Slaying Quests rather than Vampire Slaying Quests. I''m not saying an S rank will only get quests for what they are known for but they are more likely to than others."

    "Quests like this are typically called ''specialist quests''. They are quests that require a specific skill set or knowledge. Like to stop a forest fire they will ask for water mages to put out the fire or fire sorcerers to control the flames and stop them from spreading. if you become known for a specific skill set or have a rare ability you may be approached with quests directly from the guild." I finished explaining

    everyone nodded and became very interested as we looked over the listed quests.

    I decided to take some F-rank quests so they wouldn''t feel left out. I can''t take D rank quest right now anyway so it doesn''t hurt to make some money.

    Several basic quests were listed, mainly physical labour or helping with harvesting crops. These types of quests aren''t uncommon for lower ranks and it is harvest season so I am not surprised.

    I made sure to point out some hunting and gathering quests.

    <Guild Hunting Quest>

    <Hunt 10 slimes and provide cores as proof of completion>

    <5 copper for broken core | 20 copper for intact core>

    at the bottom of the paper were 10 tabs of paper but most had been ripped off, and only 3 remained.

    <Hunting Quest>

    <Hunt 2 wild dogs near a farm in the west and provide a pelt or body as proof of completion>

    <10 copper for pelt | 50 copper for body>

    <Guild Gathering Quest>

    <gather batches of mint and bring it to the guild. do not gather more than 10 batches>

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    <10 copper per batch>

    5 of the 25 tabs remained

    <Gathering Quest>

    <go to the mine south of the city and gather iron ore and deliver it to the Blue Horse Smithy for payment>

    <20 copper per 1 kg>

    I read several other quests but none seemed interesting other than these 3.

    I smiled as I remembered I had some iron ore stored in the ring from a long time ago thatIi forgot about.

    I looked to the others and said "Do any of these catch your interest?"

    everyone was looking but Orin asked "Why are there so many physical labor quests? Arent adventures supposed to fight monsters?"

    I smiled and said, We do fight monsters but monsters aren''t always available or the monster-slaying quests have already been taken s the guild allows adventurers to help other people for payment."

    "it works out as you don''t have to worry about not getting hired and can take a break from fighting while still earning some coin."

    "besides most quests are from other people asking the guild for help and asking for help finishing the harvest or clearing a destroyed building is just a part of it and can be done by anyone as they are almost always F Rank quests."

    Orin nodded and looked back, paying more attention to the physical labour quests.

    Why do some of these say guild quests or have tabs on the bottom but others don''t?" Ark asked

    "Guild Quests are those put up directly by the guild. For example, the slime quest was put up by the guild for F ranks as slimes are mostly harmless. The guild also has the tabs at the bottom to show how many more people can take the quest."

    Before anyone could ask I continued "The guild has limits on some quests to help balance nature. If everyone went and hunted slimes we would drain their population in a day or 2 and the guild would have to stop putting out that quest so they limit how many you are allowed to kill per day."

    "The guild monitors monster populations and dungeons all over and will put out quests based on what is available."

    "Araki and Aaron, as scouting and stealth-based adventurers you can apply to the guild and get paid for monitoring the monsters. You would have to go out and count how many monsters there are and if any odditives are spotted you report it to the guild. You don''t need to fight them just scout and report."

    "It should function like specialist quests so feel free to do so when you get the chance."

    Araki and Aaron smiled as they heard that and both looked at more quests.

    They did ask a few more minor questions but nothing major for the rest of our time.

    When we finished looking over them we agreed to take the slime and mint quests but I also had them accept the iron gathering quest as well.

    They were confused but I said I would explain later.

    "Have you decided on what quests you will all take?" Ella asked as we walked over to her.

    Everyone nodded and handed her the quest papers.

    She went over them and counted.

    "Ok, we have 3 slime quests for Orin, Aaron and Araki, a mint and iron gathering for everyone, and a wild dog hunt for Zek. Is that everything?" she said as she submitted everyone''s quests.

    Everyone nodded their heads.

    Ella smiled and said "You are all lucky to have an upperclassman teaching you about being adventurers, especially one who doesn''t care about race compared to the other nobles. I can''t tell you how many nobles have gotten beat up here because they insulted a higher-ranking adventurer." she laughed.

    Everyone gave quizzical looks as they noticed something wrong with what she said.

    "what made you think Jack is an upperclassman?" Zek asked

    "What made you think Jack is a noble?" Orin asked at the same time as Zek

    Ella was confused and turned to me.

    I nodded and calmly said "We are in the same year and I am a commoner. What made you think I was?"

    *cough* "Sorry I didn''t mean to assume... I just saw your age on your ID and noticed your clothes are made from demon spider silk. so I assumed you were a noble upperclassman, I''m sorry." she explained.

    Zek was wide-eyed as he looked at my clothes while everyone else was staring at my face.

    I waved my hand and said "It''s not a problem. I can understand your confusion. I was supposed to join the academy last year but certain circumstances made me miss the entrance exam so I had to wait a year."

    She nodded and I noticed everyone was not staring at my clothes

    Zek burst out asking. "How do you have clothes made from de-?!"

    I quickly closed his mouth and motioned to the other adventurers around the room.

    "I did a quest for a mage a few years ago and they paid me handsomely with these clothes. They clean themselves and grow to fit me as get older," I explained quietly and let go of Zek now that he calmed down.

    "speaking of my clothes," I turned back to Ella and calmly asked, "How did you know these were made from demon spider silk?"

    She sunk a bit and said "M-my mother is a seamstress and has been working hard on a dress made from the same stuff so after some time I began to recognize it with a glace. I thought you were a noble as I only ever see them wearing clothes made from demon spider silk."

    I nodded as I could understand that.

    while I was talking with Ella I noticed Orin bringing down to Zek

    "What exactly is demon spider silk?" Orin asked

    Zek turned and whispered "A type of silk from a special type of spider that is infused with magic. It is extremely strong and can act as a way to transfer mana allowing you to cast spells from it."

    Orin was wide eyes and the others were also paying attention to him.

    "If Jack is wearing clothes completely made from demon spider silk then he is wearing armour stronger than unenchanted steel, can absorb magic attacks and can boost self-enhancement spells."

    Everyone stared wide-eyed and both me and Ella and I became a little worried.

    It wasn''t uncommon for adventurers to kill each other if the other had better equipment and I can''t blame them. My clothes are very strong and are worth several gold coins and could go for a lot more if they went to auction.

    I sighed and quickly said "Before any of you get the idea of stealing them, I also made sure the mage put a blood seal on it. The silk will lose its effects if worn by anyone other than me."

    Saying that made them more interested but also reassured me that if they wanted to take them they would have to ask me how the blood seal was made.

    The interesting thing was that I lied about the blood seal so no matter how long they checked they couldn''t find something that wasn''tthereI

    ''I hope I don''t have to leave this party because of this again. I want to rank up but if they try and steal from me, I am screwed.'' I thought to myself as we all got ready for the quest.

 Their First Quest 1

    Once we had registered the quests with Ella she took our ID and put them in a machine.

    "Here are your IDs back. You can complete the quest and return here or go to another guild. Just provide your ID, and you''ll be good." She smiled and waved as we left.

    As we walked towards the east gate we saw a few shops and stores selling delicious smelling food and various items from jewelry to clothing, armour to weapons, everything you could but was seen being sold all around the city.

    When we reached the gate, we showed our IDs, and the guards let us out but warned us that the gates close at 8.

    It was around 11 am right now so we had plenty of time.

    I had gotten the locations for our quests from Ella earlier and led everyone.

    We walked along the road seeing farmers harvest their crops and bringing them into the city.

    It didn''t take long before we got to the southeast end of the Forest and I spotted a river not far off as well.

    I turned around and spoke to the group.

    "Ok so as a party it is good to maintain equality. So we will take a vote when we have different opinions or plans but everyone will voice their plans first. Right now we should figure out what quests we will do first."

    Everyone nodded but Orin asked "I forgot to ask until now but why did we accept the iron mining quest? The mine is in the woods isn''t it?"

    I smiled and reached out my hand. Suddenly a lump of iron ore appeared in my hand shocking everyone.

    I smirked "Luckily I have some iron left over from a while ago. To be honest I completely forgot about it until earlier when I saw the quest. It is quick and easy money if you guys accept."

    Everyone stared at me but Aaron was sceptical.

    "Why are you being so nice? It''s a little suspicious," he said and I noticed him move a hand to the end of his sleeve.

    *sigh* I lowered my head as I sighed, then I looked up and explained.

    "In truth, I want to get a higher ranking. I have been stuck at D rank for around 4 years now and have only taken like 6 D rank quests in total."

    Everyone was confused and Aaron asked "I thought D rank quests are pretty common. Why have you only gotten 6 of them in 4 years?"

    I sighed again and said "Because D rank quests and above almost always require a party of at least 3-4 members minimum. Nobody wants a kid or someone with so many various skills in their party as it can throw them off."

    "the 6 D rank quests I have completed are those I did will 6 different parties. in the end they either died or none of them were willing to continue with me. no, I was not the cause of the deaths, it was them going down a different path in a cave system."

    "Anyway some decided to move away, one tried to steal my gear, one was a cult and tried to sacrifice me, another kicked me out, one died when they went without me and one was poisoned because of a past job."

    "I hope that if you guys can reach D rank and we are in a party I can finally advance beyond D rank."

    Everyone was shocked by my honest and nonchalant way of talking about dead adventurers it put some of them off a bit.

    "S-sorry for asking I was just being cautious." Aaron apologised

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    "It''s not a problem. I can''t deny I wasn''t being careful of you guys as well."

    Aaron gave me a quizzical look.

    "I was worried someone would try and steal my stuff while I slept or something," I said as I shrugged my shoulders.

    "Why would we do that?" Orin asked confused

    "Because it isn''t unheard of for jealous adventurers to kill each other for better gear or to stop them from taking the better quests. It isn''t common but it does happen," I said

    everyone nodded and understood what I was saying.

    I smiled and said, "Why don''t we get back to the quest."

    Everyone nodded and we started talking. We decided to do the wild dog hunting quest right now and do the slime and mint quest on the way.

    I pulled out the address I had written down and we started walking.

    After around 10 minutes we came to a farmhouse and knocked on the door.

    An older woman came out and we said we were there to handle the wild dogs and she was very relieved it was so many people coming to help her.

    She pointed us toward the forest and gave us descriptions of the dogs. They have been raiding the chicken coops and she hasn''t gotten eggs in a few days and they are attracted to the smell of chicken blood.

    I asked if she had some chicken blood anywhere that we could use as bait and she said yes and went to grab it.

    Once we knew what to do we walked away and came up with a plan.

    Araki would climb a tree and watch from above and Aaron would scout on the ground in the shadows.

    Both of them would try and find the dogs on their own but if they can''t we will draw them out. To draw them out I will pour the bucket of chicken blood from the woman onto the ground and the dogs should be attracted to the smell.

    Ark will stand guard around the chicken coop and try to keep the dogs away if they get close.

    Zek and Orin will face the dogs directly with Orin fighting them and Zek using ice magic.

    Zekk can''t use fire magic as the coop is near the haybales and he could start a fire.

    We agreed that I would keep watch and intervene if needed. Everyone understood I could handle this entire thing myself but they wanted to do it themselves.

    We waited around 30 minutes for Araki and Aaron to return.

    When we heard 4 whistles from the forest I knew we had to be quick.

    I spoke to Araki earlier and told him to whistle once if the dogs are dead, twice if he can''t find them, 3 times if the plan failed and 4 times if the dogs are coming already.

    I warned everyone and we watched as one dog came running out of the forest.

    Its matted and muddy fur along with its bloody mouth and loud barks and grouws showed it was angry and going for the attack.

    Orin moved around and got ready to hit it with his sword while Zek got a spell ready.

    I raised a hand signaling to wait and after a second a dagger shot out from the forest and hit the dog in the hind legs causing it to fall over.

    I motioned for them to go and watched as Orin ran up and swung his sword down decapitating the dog''s head instantly.

    We were all waiting for the second dog when 2 whistles were heard and we all relaxed.

    Araki and Aaron walked over from the forest and explained that they had killed the other dog earlier and this one managed to get away and run here.

    Orin congratulated Aaron on his shot and Aaron shrugged and said it wasn''t anything special.

    I smiled and asked her where the other dog was while I went over and put the corpse of the first one in my ring.

    They led us over to it and I could see an Aaron sticking out of its neck. It appears Araki hunted this thing like he normally hints at rabbits for food back home.

    I smiled and put this one in the ring too.

    We went back the the farmhouse and told the woman we handled the wild dogs and she should have eggs in a few days.

    She thanked us and gave us each some muffins as an extra thanks.

    We accepted and ate them while walking to the lake for the next quest.

    As we walked past the forest I said "Everyone grabs some branches. We are going to need them."

    They gave me quizzical looks and Orin asked "Are we starting a fire?"

    I shook my head and said "We are hunting slimes next. They aren''t dangerous so long as you don''t touch them. They are comprised almost entirely of acid so it isn''t good if we tough them directly."

    "Slimes aren''t a difficult monster to fight or kill, a child can do it with a stick. The problem is that because of their acid, any weapon you kill a slime with will melt and become useless, so using tree branches or rocks is best."

    "Oh, that makes sense." Orin nodded and we all grabbed a few branches.

    I led everyone over to a pond and we could see a few blue slimes around.

    "Slimes are very slow and like to live near bodies of water which works in our favor. Slime acid dissolves in water, so if you get acid on you wash it off in the pond or if you can''t kill the slime, try throwing it in the pond. Either option works."

    "Our goal is a blue stone in the center of the slime. That is its core and what we hand into the guild."

    I turned around and said "We need 30 slime cores in total today so we will do 10 here and 20 at another pond that has a higher slime population. It''s a good thing slimes are fast to reproduce."

    "Zek, one use ice magic to freeze the slimes if needed. your magic could damage the cores and lower our rewards." I warned and Zek nodded

    I turned back and we came up with a plan.

 Their First Quest 2

    We stood by the pond''s edge, branches and rocks in hand, ready to deal with the blue slimes wobbling around the area.

    They were sluggish and mostly rolling, but I warned the group again, "Stay more than ten feet away until you''re ready to attack. If they feel threatened, they''ll start jumping toward you."

    Everyone nodded,

    "I will stay back so I can watch and see what everyone can do when fighting with other people. if we are going to work together we need to know each others weaknesses and strengths." I said

    "Good thinking and we can point out any flaws we see with you." Araki said while smiling at me.

    i shook my head and checked on everyone else.

    Araki pulled out a sling, something he''d apparently kept hidden for emergencies. He loaded it with a smooth rock and aimed the closest slime.

    Zek and Ark each held long branches, testing their range with a few experimental swings.

    Orin crouched down, hefting a handful of stones, ready to launch them at any slime that got close.

    Aaron, ever resourceful, had sharpened the tip of a stick into a crude spear and twirled it in his hands.

    I nodded back, said "Let''s get started," and gestured toward the cluster of slimes.

    Spreading out as they began to approach the slimes.

    Araki went first, his sling letting loose a rock that hit the nearest slime dead center. The creature quivered before its gelatinous form collapsed, leaving a light blue pearl-like core behind.

    "That''s one down!" I called out, keeping my eyes on the other slimes as they began to react.

    Orin smashed one with his branch, cracking its gelatinous body open and exposing the light blue core in the center.

    The core tumbled out onto the grass, but some slime residue clung to it. Orin quickly washed his hands in the pond, grimacing. "This stuff stings like hell."

    "Better than letting it sit on your skin," I said. "Good work, though. Keep going and make sure not to crack the cores, we need them,"

    Zek swung his branch like a bat, smashing one slime into pieces, though a bit of acid splashed onto his foot. He quickly ran to the pond and washed it off, gritting his teeth at the sting.

    Aaron worked more cautiously, darting around the edge of the group and targeting smaller slimes that lagged behind the rest.

    "These things are annoying, but at least they''re slow," he muttered.

    Ark stabbed a slime with his branch, keeping it at bay until Orin hurled a stone, shattering it with a loud splat causing Ark to jump back to avoid the acid that splashed.

    "Sorry Ark!" Orin apologized.

    The slimes started to notice the threat, rolling faster and trying to close the gap between themselves and the group.

    One particularly bold slime jumped toward Ark when he got too close. He yelped and stumbled back, but Orin was quick to smash it mid-air with a well-aimed throw.

    "Careful! Don''t let them jump you," I called out, motioning for Ark to keep his distance.

    The rest of the group moved in, spreading out to avoid being too close to the slimes.

    "Watch out! Three of them are grouping together to your left!" I shouted

    Sure enough, a trio of slimes began wobbling toward them, slowly closing the distance.

    When they were about ten feet away, they began hopping.

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    One jumped in Orin''s direction, but he stepped to the side and brought a branch down, splattering its body into the ground.

    "They really are bad jumpers," Orin laughed, wiping sweat off his brow.

    I smiled and was happy to see they could handle these things.

    I noticed a slime was slowly making its way towards me hiding behind the grass.

    I didn''t move and just waved my hand. Instantly the slime exploded into a blue mist and I turned my attention to the others who didn''t notice a thing.

    They worked well together, each sticking to their roles. Araki''s sling proved invaluable, taking out slimes from a distance, while Aaron and Zek handled the ones that got too close.

    By the time the last slime collapsed into a puddle, the group was sweating but grinning at their success.

    "Seems like you all enjoyed yourselves," I said as I walked over to check on everyone.

    They all nodded and Orin said grinning "Compared to the entrance exam these are nothing, but they do offer an interesting challenge since we can''t use our normal gear."

    Everyone nodded and even Zek said "You right there Orin. It has been a while since I haven''t used magic for a fight so I forgot how it felt."

    I smiled hearing their responses.

    I crouched by the pond and began flicking the cores into the water with a slick to clean them, the light blue pearls making tiny splashes as they hit the surface.

    I went over and picked them back up now that the acid had dissolved.

    "That''s ten down," I said, "Let''s move on to the next pond. Ella mentioned one nearby with a bigger slime population. We''ll handle the rest there."

    They all nodded and we went to the next area after resupplying on branches and rocks.

    Once we reached the next pond I saw the slimes instantly but unlike the first area, these slimes were clustered together, making them a bit more challenging to handle.

    "Zek, use a little magic to freeze some and slow them down. Just be careful not to damage the cores," I instructed.

    Zek nodded raised his staff and cast the spell.

    [Frost Floor]

    it was a toned-down version from the one he used during he entrance exam.

    A thin layer of frost began to spread across the ground, freezing the slimes closest to the group and slowing down the others.

    Araki took advantage of the frozen slimes, using his sling to shatter them before the frost melted. The rest of the group followed up, breaking apart the remaining slimes with their makeshift weapons.

    It didn''t take long for the group to finish off the slimes and I cleaned them again.

    Unfortunately, a few cores ended up damaged in the process. I counted 8 broken and 22 intact.

    "Not bad," I said, pocketing the cores. "Let''s get moving to the next part of the quest."

    This time, Araki took the lead. "Mint grows near my home," he said. "I know where to look if everyone is alright with that."

    No one objected and we let Araki talk the lead.

    He explained to the group (I already knew this) that mint liked to grow on the edge of swamps and stream banks so we followed a stream leading to one of the earlier ponds from the fields nearby.

    We followed him as he scanned the ground for patches of wild mint. It didn''t take long for him to find the first cluster, and everyone got to work harvesting the mint, careful not to damage the roots.

    I showed everyone how big a batch was and we started gathering mint.

    (the guild has a standard batch size to make sure amounts are paid for properly so that one person doesn''t bring in one plant and another brings in 10 and they get paid the same.)

    While we were doing this Ark got curious and asked "By the way, why does the guild want all this mint? What could they use it for?"

    I smiled and said, "Mint is a common ingredient in Alchemy, beverage production and cooking so the guild will buy it from us and sell it on the market or use it to make potions."

    Ark nodded and asked, "Is alchemy very useful ?"

    Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him dumbfounded.

    "How do you not know about alchemy?" Araki asked

    Ark realized he said something weird and hesitated but got out "I-I don''t get out much! I never learned about things like it."

    We all felt bad for Ark as we realized how isolated he was growing up and how little common sense he had for this world and its standards of knowledge. (Even if my knowledge is beyond what the mage tower knows.)

    I sighed and explained "Alchemy is primarily used to make potions. In truth, it is one of the most lucrative and well-paying jobs in the entire kingdom that anyone can have regardless of where you were born."

    "In truth, you get paid more for selling potions than you do for being a B-rank adventurer and taking quests. You can buy the ingredients for 5 silver and sell them for 50 silver for a massive profit or even grow your ingredients for free. You can make a lot of money from it."

    Orin nodded and said "There are a lot of different options and adventurers use them all the time. Healing potions can heal serious wounds in a few minutes, stamina potions help you stay awake and not get tired, mana potions recharge a mage''s mana and so on."

    Next Zek said "There are potions that can boost different types of magic too or even make you immune to certain types of magic. There are many choices but annoyingly potions are also pretty expensive, low-grade ones are 50 silver each."

    "Zek is right. I have some healing potions just in case but I only have 2. Potions are very expensive, especially for low-ranked adventurers."

    Ark was wide-eyed as he took in my words.

    I noticed curiosity well inside of him as he said "What is alchemy exactly? Is it similar to cooking?"

    Zek nodded and said "Kind of... to make a potion you need to add certain ingredients in a specific order and filler precise steps and if you get it wrong on any step the potion fails. The Academy offers some Alchemy classes so if you want to try, you can."

    Ark nodded and continued to think as we finished gathering the mint.