《Myth of a Dragon》 1 Another world? [Hello, Human. Am I using the right language? Can you understand me?] ''What?'' Zeke heard a voice in his head. After being awoken minutes earlier, he still can''t see what''s happening. ''What the hell is happening? Am I in drugs?'' This is a very uncomfortable feeling for him. Having his vision stripped off him, while also hearing a voice in his head, such things were only heard from drug addicts in his world. [I don''t understand, Human. But fret not, you are safe and unharmed.] ''Safe? I can''t even see anything besides white, how am I safe? Besides, who the hell are you and how are you doing this?'' Zeke thought. He was a bit angry ever since his vision went white. Adding to the fact that he hears a voice in his head, if it were any normal adult, he/she would lose his sanity. But for Zeke, he only felt uneasy. He even felt a bit excited as he thought about it. ''Well, at least today''s not THAT boring. Maybe I''m just dreaming. Oh well, I''ll just go with the flow, who knows.'' [This is just your soul getting transferred from your world to ours. Don''t worry, it''ll be done in a few seconds.] ''What? did you just say MY world? then where are we right now?'' [Right now, your soul is traversing the void towards our world. Right now, your vision should be all white, as I encased your souls in a cocoon to prevent damaging it.] ''souls? you mean it''s not just me?'' [Of course. Otherwise, the ritual will go to waste. I managed to get five of you back there. In fact, the ritual is only made for four people. I''m also initially surprised there''s five of you. Maybe someone entered the activating magic circle?] Zeke remembered when he went in the classroom. It just suddenly filled his vision with white. ''I''m guessing I''m the fifth and unexpected one? While thinking about it, an idea suddenly formed in his mind. ''I''m sure this summoning is related to the summoner''s problems. Maybe it''s just like any other isekai manga that I''ve read in my world? Anyways, I''m sure it''s troublesome. Since only four were needed, maybe I can request to be transferred to another place? ''Hey, I think I''m the fifth one. Can I request something, mister voice?'' suddenly a chuckle is heard. [Hah, what did you just call me brat? a voice? Also, how brave of you to ask something! Interesting! HAHA] ''well, you didn''t give me your name, what else can i call you except for the fact that I can only hear your voice?'' Zeke snickered. What can he expect me to call him? [You''ll know soon enough, brat.] Suddenly my vision went from white to a simple room. It is made of wood and it also looked old. If it were anyone, they would probably mistake this as a makeshift house by some old man. The room only had two old, dilapidated chairs facing each other. An old man is sitting on one of the chairs currently facing me. He seemed to be in his 70s or 80s, and his looks are common enough that people won''t even bat a second glance on him if he''s in a crowd. The only thing that differs this old man from others is the feeling he exudes. His aura seems to make people at ease, while also carrying a lofty and noble aura. He seemed to be too aloof for worldly matters, as if he''s a god. ''Wait. Someone who can snatch souls from other worlds, isn''t this old guy too powerful? Is he the god of this world?'' As Zeke was sizing up the old man, the old man is also looking at him. Right now, his soul took the form of Zeke in his world, except there''s no actual flesh but purely soul only. Silence ensues as both the boy and the old man look at each other. Suddenly, the old man broke the silence. [Greetings, human brat. Welcome to this old man''s humble abode.] The old man actually spoke, unlike when Zeke''s vision was white, where he can only hear it in his mind. The old man smiled amicably, but Zeke, with his discerning abilities, could see that this old man, although amicable, can also be merciless and cold. This ability was how Zeke judges people. Since he is a genius in Earth, people naturally fawned over him. With this ability, Zeke could discern what kind of person he is dealing with. His intuition right now told him that the old man he''s currently facing is different from others. He seems righteous, but also evil, friendly, but also cold and indifferent. He can''t discern what exactly is the old man''s true behavior. One thing he could discern is that this old man doesn''t have bad intentions, at least for now. ''Hello, old man. I''m Zeke. Are you the voice that I''ve been hearing ever since my vision went white?'' [That''s right brat. I''m indeed the one who transferred your soul from your world to ours.] ''Since you can do that, I''m assuming you''re a big shot in this world, right? I don''t think people with low status can conduct a ritual that can literally snatch a soul from another world. Who are you, old man?'' [I''m but an entity brat. Your question is a bit vague, but in essence, yes, I''m indeed in a high position in this world, or in your words, ''big shot''. Hah, the language of your world is a bit unclear to me.] ''You speak the same language as me though, how''d you do that?'' [Wrong, brat. I''m not the one who changed languages. It''s you. I applied a specific magic that makes it so your language will subconsciously be changed into the language of the one you''re talking to. Consider it as a gift from me.] Zeke as shocked. He thought he''s speaking English, but for some reason, it''s only english in his mind. It seems his mouth spoke his thoughts in a language that fits the person he''s talking to. ''Magic? Are you kidding me old man? really? I''m not a dumb kid who easily believes things, you know. But besides that, what can I call you? I''m assuming since you can summon us from another world, are you a high priest or something like that?'' Hearing what Zeke said, the old man couldn''t help but let out a chuckle. [Your guess is wrong, brat. I don''t have a name. You can just call me by what you like. To put it simply, I''m a guardian deity of this world.] 2 Another world? II Hearing the old man''s words, Zeke froze for a moment. After a moment, he quickly understood his situation. He and 4 others are dragged in this world due to a ''ritual'' made by a resident of this world. However, the ritual itself didn''t have the capability to do the deed but it instead evoked a deity of this world to do it. In fact, Zeke knew the misunderstanding all stemmed from his line of thought. He assumed that the people who made the ''ritual'' are powerful enough to do this deed, but after mulling over it, it would indeed be absurd if people can just snatch souls from others easily. Zeke wanted to know more, so he steeled himself and asked the ''deity'' ''I see. I''m sorry for assuming your identity as a mortal. If possible, can I inquire how the residents of this world do the rituals?'' [Humhum, interesting. No offense taken, brat. I am actually surprised you asked about that. The other four didn''t bother about it and only asked about magic.] ''Of course, I am also interested in that. But before that, I wanted to know how exactly they did it. Although I still can''t believe about magic, it seems to be the only explanation for all of this. I''m curious though, how does this all work?'' [HAHAHA, What a curious little brat you are, I like your attitude. You''re level-headed and it seems you don''t feel any nervousness even when knowing you''re facing a deity. Humhum, you''re indeed a good crop. Very well, I''ll entertain your questions. To conduct a ritual like this, a lot of preparation is needed. First, an equal transaction. We deities can''t just snatch souls without paying tribute to your world''s gods. There is a saying from your world, ''An eye for an eye''. In this case, a soul for a soul. I don''t mind telling you this, but your summoners are actually from the Human Continent. They sacrificed four souls and an enormous amount of mana just to activate the array. This array is something akin to teleportation magic, except the scale is out of the mortal''s limits, thus requiring our help. There are also some treasures that are included, but it''s unrelated to the actual spell. It''s a tribute to me, the deity they requested help with. These treasures aren''t particularly important to us, but it shows how the mortals pay respects to us.] Hearing the deity''s explanation, Zeke''s mind was quickly absorbing what he heard. It seems that the explanation only gave birth to many more questions in his head. Human Continent? Mana? Array? Teleportation Magic? Zeke seems to forget that the deity in front of him is capable of reading his thoughts right now. [That''s all you need to know for know, brat. About magic, all I can tell you is that it exists in this world. Just because it didn''t in your world doesn''t mean all worlds don''t have it too. Think outside the box brat.] The deity then chuckled. Even though the deity''s words seem like an insult to Zeke, he seems to not have any plans arguing about it. On the contrary, he silently cursed himself for basing his opinions on his world. ''It seems this world goes outside the logic of my own world'' ''Interesting. I gained a lot from this talk. I more or less understand the situation as well as this new world now. I''ve always felt like something''s missing even when I do things that are exciting to other people. Hopefully, this new world doesn''t disappoint me.'' Instead of feeling sad, Zeke felt excited with a hint of joy. His parents died when he was only 5, and since then he''s been living with his family''s neighbor. Of course, the neighbor only accepted him because he promised to do any chores that the neighbor''s family gave him, just like a maid. While staying in their house, besides doing chores, Zeke usually reads educational books, making him knowledgable to the point of genius at a young age of 14. He also didn''t know any of his parent''s relatives, so he didn''t feel anything towards them. He didn''t have any lingering attachments to his world. This is considered to be Zeke''s new start in the world. He''s thrilled to have a new and exciting life alongside his summoners in the ''Human Continent'' he heard. Not even a minute have passed when the Deity poured cold water on his dreams. [Brat, are you thinking of a comfortable life with those humans? Hah, you jest. Also, I don''t plan on transferring you to them. They only asked for four souls, anyway.] The deity grinned. 3 Choice Zeke was confused. Not included? As he tried to look for possible outcomes, he shivered. What if the deity sent him back to his damned world? What if he keeps me here with him? wouldn''t his life become boring again? Soon after that, the deity interrupted his line of thought. [All of your thoughts are highly unlikely. As for transporting you back, that''s next to impossible. Not only would it cost more mana since you''re a foreign soul, but your soul might be damaged too. The teleportation is only one-way, after all. As for you staying here, I wouldn''t mind since I need a helper anyways, but do YOU want it?] Hearing the deity mention all the bad scenarios as ''highly unlikely'', Zeke heaved a sigh of relief, but immediately after that, confusion hit him again. ''What are you saying? Then where will I go? Don''t tell me you''re just going to throw me to someplace?'' [That''s quite possible too. If you were impatient and a bit dumb, then I will really consider that. But, as I have read your thoughts, you seem to be pretty clever, quite rare in this world, and maybe even your world too.] The Deity was slightly impressed by how the young boy in front of him thinks. His thoughts were one step ahead, no, maybe even two steps ahead from his peers. He asked about the cause of his transfer here while the other four only thought of this as a ''game'', where they only aim to be stronger. Their first question was similar to the lines of ''Can I be powerful in here?'' or ''If I go here, can I be strong and intelligent too?''. They can''t be blamed though, as they are still only teenagers that dreamt of being a superhero. For them, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to be one. Due to their excitement, they did not seem to understand their situation fully. They forgot about their life in their previous world, and they also seemed to forget about their relatives. Unlike the boy in front of them, they only cared to look forward, not even looking back to where they started. In other words, the other four were quite ''narrow-minded''. The deity thought for a while before a bulb flicked in his head. He suddenly had an idea he thought of as ''ingenious'' and ''killing two birds with a stone''. [I am quite intrigued by how you think, boy. Because of that, I have decided to give you a choice.] Choice? Zeke''s eyes lit up. He''d rather pick his destiny himself rather than this old man. Now that he''d gotten his pick, he would certainly weigh the options and pick what''s most optimal or beneficial for his life. Zeke wanted to have a good and comfortable life, compared to his hellish life in Earth. He was not like the other four, who only sought power and enjoyment. He preferred to take it slow and decide which course of action he''s going to take after he figured out the world. He thought of the other four as naive people, who make decisions on a whim and regret later. He prefers to understand the situation first before knowing what to do. Even if he''s going to regret later, he knows that it''ll completely be his fault for his future actions. [First is the choice that should''ve happened. I can allow you to go with the other four to the Human Continent but the power that I''ll give you will be a bit weaker than the four. This is because the power that I gave them takes mana from the ritual. Their ritual is only for four people, so for you, I can only give a power that''s equivalent to the remnant mana. I don''t suggest picking this but I can''t stop you if you want to be with them. After all, they''re the only acquaintances you have in this world.] The first choice, for Zeke, has its own ups and downs. If he is to go with them to the Human Continent, although a bit weaker, he''ll still get a power that''s almost equivalent to the other four. This also means that they were given power by the summoners which only means one thing: the summoners needed help. He doesn''t want to get ordered by people whom he didn''t know, and he also doesn''t want to start out too strong, as he will only get burdened by responsibilities as soon as he landed. He didn''t care about whether he''ll be with the other four. After all, Zeke didn''t know much of his classmates as they did him. [The second one is your suggestion. You thought of me throwing you to some part of the world, right? I can happily oblige to that. But you must know that I am a virtuous and principle deity. I wouldn''t even do something that immoral unless you want me to. Sigh, if you want this old man to lose some face to the other deities, then go ahead and pick this. I promise I won''t bear a grudge.] The deity puffed his chest. He looked like he was ready to throw his dignity if Zeke indeed picked this. Zeke was speechless, but he quickly saw through it. The deity''s guilt-tripping him into not picking this. He thought this old man was a serious and upright man. He didn''t think this old man to say shameless things. Zeke also wondered, ''are this even equal choices?'' The deity then spoke in a very righteous tone, like a friend of a hero in a story that was to be sacrificed for the greater good. [Third and your last choice, freedom! If you pick this choice, I will even agree to some of your conditions as long as I can fulfill it!] [Now, young man, choose your entrance to this world!] 4 Conditions Instead of being thrilled, Zeke''s expression is that of confusion. ''What the hell? What kind of choices are these? even idiots can pick the best choice here!'' Anyone with a working brain could figure out which of the three gives the most amount of benefits. Unless Zeke values his classmates, he''d pick the third. Unless Zeke wants to have a random life, he''d still pick the third. Unless Zeke doesn''t want a guaranteed good life until he figures out the nature of this world, then he''d pick the third. Although Zeke wants a not-so-boring life, he wouldn''t dare risk his entire life just to have some fun, which is still unclear as he might be transported to his future graveyard. He didn''t hesitate anymore and picked the third. ''Old Deity, I don''t know if you''re serious about these choices, but even a normal person knows what choice to pick here. Let''s not trouble ourselves further, please tell me more about the third choice. I''m not acquainted enough to care about my classmates, and I''m sure as hell not interested in having a difficult situation as soon as I land. I haven''t learned substantial information yet, who knows what kind of world there is. Going in a random place right now would mean suicide for me even if I have a strong power.'' The deity seem to have expected this. He purposely gave and described each choices ''meticulously'' to corner Zeke to choose the decision that would yield both of them benefits. [Very well, what a splendid choice, young brat! I like your decisiveness. I''ll explain your chosen circumstance now, and only ask questions after I finish my explanation. The choice you picked is actually me being generous for you. ''Freedom'' is the word that best described this so I decided to summarize it all in one word. Basically, you get to pick where you want to be born. Seems a pretty good deal, am I right? but unfortunately, it has its disadvantage, and that is to start over. Keep in mind that this choice will transfer you into an infant, unlike your classmates who get bodies that matched the age of their soul. This basically means you''ll be reliving your childhood life and start as an infant here, with only your memories intact. Besides that, I can also guarantee your conditions as long as it isn''t excessive or too troublesome. You only need to agree to one condition of mine and this offer is all yours.] Zeke didn''t express joy or excitement towards the temptation of the deity as he clearly heard the last sentence. He didn''t feel wronged about it since he was the one getting all the benefits anyway, and he only needed to fulfill one condition. The problem is, a deity''s condition can''t be compared to a normal one made by mortals. One must know that deities see things in a different way than mortals. A simple condition from them can be considered as a double-edged blade for mortals. Although the rewards are great, they will basically be shackled by the condition, hence limiting their freedom, in a sense. Zeke wanted to hear the condition first before celebrating his ''splendid'' choice. ''I''m very satisfied with the choice I made. However, can you tell me first about your condition?'' The deity''s eyes lit up. This deal he''s making can be considered half-done, and he only needed to pick his words carefully so as to not scare the victim. He pondered for a while then said. [Sure, it doesn''t feel right to have you accept first before knowing what it is, right? I''m impressed, young brat. You''re indeed capable enough for my favor. You see, this old man found a soul wandering near my plane. I couldn''t help but pity this soul. It seems to be slumbering when I saw it. I can''t take care of it, so I''m handing it to you. All you need to do is to take care of it and nourish it, that''s all.] Zeke was a bit baffled. Just that? all those good conditions just in exchange for this? Zeke thought about it. All he needed was to basically look after it. It shouldn''t be that hard, right? As Zeke pondered for a while more, he thought it was only the deity''s way of saving face. He thought the deity gave him a condition was because he also wanted those conditions. It wouldn''t be fair if the deity only gave without receiving anything. His negative impression of the deity disappeared, and it got replaced by respect. ''This deity just doesn''t want to lose face, is he? Well, I thought he was a cold schemer.'' The deity read his thoughts, and he barely managed to hold back the urge to laugh. The kid seem to misunderstand his intentions. But he preferred the boy''s assumption rather than knowing the truth as it made him look righteous to the kid. ''Hah, this kid doesn''t know anything at all. He seems to have underestimated my condition. In the end, you still can''t outwit me, kid. HAHA'' The deity sneered inwardly. He felt good one-upping this mortal who seems to be on guard against everything. It was a very satisfying feeling for him. ''Alright. I accept your conditions, Mr. Deity. Can I state mine now?'' [Alright, young brat. State what you want and I''ll try to fulfill it to the best of my ability.] 5 Champion Zeke heaved a sigh of relief after concluding the other party''s condition. He certainly didn''t expect such an ''easy'' task in exchange for any amount of his conditions. If he could word his conditions well, then maybe he could get a lot of headstart in this world. Knowing that he will start his life here as an infant, he preferred to have advantages over others and start his adventure at a young age. His formulated plan is to get information and get stronger so he could have a foothold in this new world. Before all that, Zeke wanted to fulfill his own childish conditions. When he was on earth, he was just an ordinary-looking teenager. He always dreamt of having a face that was above average. When he saw some of his handsome schoolmates walk around, as mature as he is, Zeke always felt a little jealous inside. Zeke insisted that it was only an ''inner demon'' and not really his. Now that he''d have a chance to have it, he''ll definitely do it just for the sake of satisfying his desire. Before saying it, he pondered on toning his wish down a bit so he would have a higher chance of acquiring the deity''s approval. ''Since it''s like that, then I suppose I won''t be stingy. You see Mr. Deity, we humans have always desired beauty. Ever since then, people want to have a pleasing appearance, and even I''m tempted to have it too. My first wish is for me to have a slightly-higher-than-average appearance. It doesn''t need to be that beautiful, I only wish to be a bit higher-than-average in terms of my appearance.'' The deity felt like laughing at such a ridiculous condition. Normally, he as a deity didn''t care about physical appearances as he, like other deities, felt it was a worldly thing that only mortals desire. However, after thinking about it, the soul in front of him is a mortal after all, so it''s normal for him to desire such a thing. The deity then nodded after a bit of thought. Unbeknownst to Zeke, the perceptions of deities compared to a mortal like him are like heaven and earth. As a deity, they have seen things that mortals don''t, so their perception and view towards things differ greatly than someone like Zeke. The term ''slightly-higher-than-average'' Zeke pertained to meant that he only wanted to be slightly more handsome and pleasing to the eye than common folk, but the deity thought of other things. The ''average'' for the deity in front of him is worlds apart compared to the common folk. The ''average'' face for the deity can be compared to the most handsome and pleasing faces of mortals in this world. One can only imagine how Zeke would look like when he turns into an adult. After having his first wish fulfilled, Zeke planned on moving on to the more serious conditions. He then wanted to have his own power. He didn''t want to have a very overpowered ability the moment he was born. This would make him stand out an awful lot and people would then have high expectations for him. He imagined being only 3 years old and having tons of things to do because he''s ''too powerful''. One must commend Zeke for overthinking a lot in this situation. After a bit of pondering, He preferred to take it slow and start weak from the start, then slowly but surely rise in power. He wanted a power that can evolve and improve in the long run or a powerful but low-key ability. ''Alright, now that my future appearance is settled, I''ll talk about the power I''ll have. But first, can you let me know about how the people of this world manage mana and how can they improve? Even if it''s just a little bit of information, I''d like to hear it.'' The deity seem to ponder about what to tell Zeke and after a minute, he spoke. [This is common knowledge in this world, so I don''t think I''m restricted to tell you right now. The world here is very different in your world. Here, we have what you people call ''magic''. To be precise, the mystical essence here is called mana. Mana is everywhere, and the people in this world absorb mana from the environment to their bodies. This absorbed mana will then be refined and utilized by the absorber. As for your question regarding improving strength, there are countless different ways, but they follow the same principle, and it''s that the mana inside their body becomes purer and their body could absorb more mana. This can then ''strengthen'' them in a sense that they have a larger pool of mana, and purer mana is easier to solidify and much harder than their previous degree. That''s all I can say for now, try to learn the other things yourself. I''m sure you''ll have lots of time since you''re going back to a kid.] The deity let out a chuckle. Zeke managed to absorb all the info quickly since it''s similar to the magic of some novels he read back on Earth. There seem to be tiers and quality, but he will need to verify it all first before making conjectures. ''I see. Well, for my condition, I want a power that scales. I don''t need something that can break this world''s scale as I assume you''ll decline it, so I just want a power that can grow with me. I don''t necessarily want to be strong from the start, all I need is to control how strong I am. I''m looking for the right word to describe this..... ah, I think it''s called an auxiliary power? Yes, kind of like that. I can work hard and also teach myself about magic, but I think I need something that can support me in the long run. Do you understand what I mean?'' The deity was surprised. What the hell is this brat thinking? Does he want to suffer? I thought he wanted to have a good life here? Why the hell is he looking for a support power? Countless thoughts invade the deity''s head as he felt extremely baffled by Zeke''s thinking. Honestly, the deity thought he knew Zeke like the back of his hand. He knew Zeke was an extremely calculating and scheming individual, but never did he imagine this scenario. He expected Zeke to ask for a very overpowered ability so he could live a good life here, but instead, he wanted a power that scales? The deity was very confused. After almost 5 minutes of silence, with Zeke and the old man looking at each other, the old man''s eyes suddenly lit up as if a light bulb lit up in his head. He thought he understood Zeke''s plan. He thought Zeke manipulated his speech to make it seem like what he wants is a normal power. But after thinking about it, he realized the nature of a scaling power. It was a power that''s not limited in growth! Zeke actually wanted an overpowered ability but covered it off to make it seem like an underpowered one! ''What a cunning dude. I was almost fooled by his eloquent and manipulating tongue! But still, why did he feel the need to downplay his desire? Did he manipulate it so that he would have a higher chance of me accepting it? BAH! Why am I thinking too much? I should just give him what he wants! It''s not like its a very absurd wish. The deity nodded and then disappeared from the room. Zeke was both surprised and confused by the deity''s sudden actions. However, he understood it quickly. Maybe the deity accepted his condition and went off himself to find a suitable skill? The more Zeke thought, the more he got excited. ''What kind of spell would I get? Please be an awesome power!'' On the other hand, while looking at a pile of books in a library-styled room, the deity seemed to have thought of a bright idea. (D.) ''Hmmm. Something that''s both strong and weak, and it can only support him. Should I give him that? It''s supposed to be for my champion, but since it would take a long time to find my champion in this world, why not him? hah! Why am I so smart? I actually dealt with three of my troubles in one fell swoop! HAHAHAHAHA what a fortune!'' The deity seemed to have an ego that matched his status. His ego was as big as his status as a deity! Soon after that, the old man reappeared in front of Zeke, as if he never left. He then smirked and looked at Zeke. [I have decided, young brat. I can''t seem to find a power that suits your demand other than this, but you first have to agree with me. This power is something that''s limited to one person only, and I chose you. This means this power only exists in you, and nobody knows of it except for you and me. If you agree with all this, then I, the great old Pandora, ask you right here and now.] [Would you like to be my champion in this world?] 6 Birth of a Champion Champion? At this point, Zeke felt confused but not surprised. He got used to being clueless ever since he started talking to ''Pandora''. Even so, using a strong word like ''Champion'' meant it was something very powerful if it''s an ability, or very high in terms of status. Like usual, Zeke asked what it''s about before agreeing. [Us deities have no offspring. We just live here and manage the affairs and worldly matters of the mortal world. We give things to mortals who support us and sometimes offered our help whenever they want to do something big, kind of like what happened to you and your classmates. But there is one thing that we can''t do, and that is dealing with mortals directly. You see, even though we''re almighty and powerful and yadda yadda yadda, we are still bound by the rules of this world. We are never to interfere directly on mortal affairs. We can only support the mortals and let them do it themselves on behalf of us. There are mortals that are chosen by deities to do their bidding, to an extent. These mortals are what we call ''Champions'' here. Our champions have a deal with us and the relationship is like that of master and disciple. The Deities guide their champions, while in turn, the champions can do the deities'' bidding if they have. However, don''t worry, I assure you that I will never limit your freedom! My biddings will only be suggestions that you may or may not follow, although I suggest you do.] The deity smiled. Hearing this, Zeke was unworried. He didn''t sense any malicious intent. Also, if this old man wanted to hurt him, he would''ve done so long ago. It turns out the soul the deity wanted Zeke to take care of is very important to the point where he could give the title of his champion to the caretaker if needed, and right now seems to be the case. As usual, the deity inwardly laughs at how Zeke misunderstood things. It wasn''t just Zeke who''s getting the benefits here, it''s actually quite the opposite. Old Deity Pandora wanted to get rid of three of his problems in one go and he was actually the one getting the most out of it. First, he wanted to get rid of the soul. It''s not that he''s a heartless deity, it''s that he doesn''t know how to raise it. Thus, he sealed the soul in a cocoon of thick mana and stored it there. The second was to have his own champion. Normally, it was easy to find a champion as a deity. The deity can just pick a believer of his and that would have been it. Unfortunately for Pandora, his name wasn''t quite well known in this world... yet. He was actually a new deity, unlike the others who have been here since from time immemorial. ''Do I really need to be your champion so I could get the ability?'' Pandora slightly puffed his chest out. [Yes! This ability is reserved for my champion. However, since your preferences actually fit my ability, then you need to become my champion to inherit it! What are you waiting for? just accept it! You should know that it''s usually very hard for mortals to become champions, yet you can actually become one the moment you were born. This is a rare opportunity not....] Before the deity could even finish his sentence, Zeke interrupted him. ''Yes, yes, I know, Mr. Pandora. I figured it out myself. However, are you really sure about picking me? I''m clueless about this world, you know.'' [Is that so? I thought you were really planning on refusing it. Turns out you''re just worried about my decision? HAHAHAHA I have never expected that a mortal can doubt a deity''s words! Don''t worry brat, as long as you can take care of the soul I''ll give you, who cares about my champion title! Besides, I already deemed you as worth ever since I knew how you think. That brain of yours is something alright. Your train of thought is very different than both your world and this world''s inhabitants. That alone compliments my element. Hehe] Pandora chuckled for a bit. He seemed really happy about finding his own champion. Zeke just shrugged. He never considered himself a genius, but he knew that he was much more cautious than any of his classmates were. Perhaps it''s just his instincts that are different from others. ''Alright, champion it is!'' [By the way, what continent do you want to be born in? Just so you know, there are three known continents in this world. The Human Continent, which mostly contains humans and is the biggest continent out of the three, the Demon Continent, which is home to countless intelligent monsters and demons themselves, and the Dragon Continent, which is home to real dragons and half-dragons and the smallest out of the three. Where do you want?] Zeke pondered. If he reincarnated in the Human Continent, he''d have a chance to have a life almost similar to his previous world, with the exception of getting stronger and the mana part. But when he thought how the reason they were summoned here, he furrowed his brows. ''It seems the Human Continent is in a crisis. They wouldn''t dare sacrifice 4 souls and enormous amounts of mana to summon some souls from our world just for some small reason, right?'' Thus, Zeke inferred that the Human Continent or a major power in there is having some major troubles. He didn''t want to live as an infant on a continent where his safety wasn''t guaranteed. ''As for the Demon Continent, it''s an even more forbidden place than the Human Continent for him. After hearing from Pandora that real demons and intelligent monsters reside there, he didn''t dare start there since he lacks information and the safety of his infant self is also not guaranteed, as he thought of demons as something negative. According to what Zeke read back when he was on Earth, Demons are evil incarnate. They follow their desires and act upon their feelings. They are also much brutal and merciless, as well as being ugly and hideous. He shivered at the thought of having demons all around him. It was a very very deep misunderstanding ''I''m afraid I''d faint the moment I see my parents.'' In reality, demons don''t actually look all the same. The demons in Zeke''s head are more evil and hideous as if it''s evil itself. Most demons are actually docile and they, like humans, also have families and nobilities. They also don''t have ugly and hideous faces. They also looked a lot like humans except for some body parts that they innately have that humans naturally don''t. A good example of this would be the nobilities, as they look a lot like a human with only a bit of their body parts different, such as horns and fangs. Except, all these were not known by Zeke, as he blindly judged the demons as a whole as evil. It was all Zeke''s fault for using the logic of his world to judge this. Zeke thought about the Dragon Continent. For him, it''s the most favorable environment right now to start. Human Continent is in turmoil, Demon Continent is a ''no-no'', while the Dragon Continent is the most ''normal'' continent for Zeke. Besides, even as a child, Zeke wanted to see dragons. He is also a big fan of fantasies so seeing dragons and possibly being born as one of them is one of Zeke''s childhood dreams. It was also the smallest continent, which means there are fewer powers there than the two continents. In his mind, the more powers there are in an area, the more fierce the struggle for power and land will be. By being in a small continent, the competition would be a bit less fierce, plus the fact that it is one of Zeke''s childhood dreams, Zeke finally decided to be born on Dragon Continent. Pandora nodded and was slightly amused by his way of thinking. ''This brat thinks too much. I''m sure it''s good that this child is wary of anything, but I hope he tones it down sometimes'' The deity sighed inwardly. He then stood from his seat then touched Zeke''s forehead. After chanting an incomprehensible incantation, his finger that was touching Zeke suddenly glowed with a golden color. It was so bright and sudden that Zeke closed his eyes instinctively. Just as he was about to open his eyes, a large amount of incomprehensible language surged on his mind and along with it was something egg-shaped that glowed with faint white color. Seeing the incomprehensible words, Zeke suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his brain. He then realized that the texts in his memory disappeared slowly like it''s melting. While he was holding his head with both hands, his soul form suddenly started disintegrating starting from his feet. He panicked and looked at Pandora, who was smiling at him. While disintegrating, he heard Pandora''s words. [Oh right! I forgot you wished to have a good life here. I''ll make sure of it! I''ll throw in some bonus just because you entertained me even for a bit. As for the soul, its currently within you and you''ll know it when the time comes.] Pandora smiled. [Once again, otherworlder named Zeke, I wish you the best life in your new world!] Those were the last words Zeke heard before he lost his vision and his consciousness followed shortly after that. 7 Ezekiel When Zeke regained his consciousness, he found himself quite powerless. His eyelids felt heavy and he can''t control his whole body. Zeke hated this kind of feeling. After slowly and painfully opening his eyes, he somewhat concluded that he was in a room. From what he can see, the walls are painted dirty white and there are some plants, a table, and a wooden door. He saw a variety of colors and it took a bit of time before his eyes got used to it. After looking around for a bit, he gazed at the person holding him. It was an old man with a long white beard and sharp chin. His face was average, and his slightly slanted eyes radiate an ancient feeling, as if he''s withstood the passage of time. Zeke wasn''t interested in all that, as he was very amused by a small horn protruding in the middle of his forehead. The old man, after seeing me, smiled faintly. Zeke guessed that he was the doctor. Who else could hold the baby first besides the doctor? Still, Zeke was a bit confused as the ''doctor'' clearly isn''t dressed like one. The man only wore a tunic and he didn''t even have gloves or anything of the sort. "It''s a boy." "Really?! Can I hold him now?" "Sure, just be careful. He''s just born, and his bones are very soft." "Yes, I''ll take very good care of him!" "Alright, since the matter is settled, I''ll go back first. I''ll return tomorrow evening to check on your wife. It seems she fainted. Don''t worry though, she just fainted from exhaustion. She''ll wake up after a couple of minutes, 1 hour tops. Congratulations, Mr. Flamehaven." Zeke heard voices from the one holding him and another low voice. The other voice sounded a bit ecstatic and excited while talking to the ''doctor''. The ''doctor'' then handed me over to a tall figure beside me. He didn''t see the figure a while ago since he still can''t roam his eyes freely, and he could only tilt by a few degrees. When he saw the smiling face of the man, Zeke can''t help but remember his father back then. His father was also very doting on him when he was young. The man in his sight seems to have the same look as his father had back then. ''So this is my father.'' The middle-aged man in front of him is very handsome. It could be inferred that he was a stunning beauty in his youthful days. His face looked like it was carved, with his sharp eyebrows that resemble a sword and sharp red eyes. This man, like the doctor, also has horns. His has two and was a bit longer than a centimeter and is placed on the uppermost left and right of his forehead. The man''s smile seems to reach from ear to ear as he was holding Zeke''s infant body. His happy face seems out of place as his entire body exuded a serious vibe. Zeke concluded that his father is a stern and serious man, and he was only smiling and happy right now because of his newborn son. Any father would soften up when seeing their newborn child, and this man is a great example of it. Minutes of silence passed by, and a shout could be heard. Zeke''s body was then turned a bit towards the right. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a beautiful woman lying there looking at him with a mix of shock, joy, and love. Zeke instantly knew she was her mom. His mom looks to be the same age as her father, except her beauty is comparable to those young women. Her skin is smooth, and her face is slightly oval. She is of average height with light skin, blonde hair and brown eyes. Like his father, she also has two horns protruding in her upper left and right forehead. ''I gotta admit, I have very beautiful and handsome parents. I wonder if this is because of my wish?'' Zeke wondered. His wish meant he''s getting a ''slightly-higher-than-average'' face, and after seeing his parents, he felt his wish is going to come true. There''s no way that he will come out ugly seeing his parents'' genes. All of a sudden, a screen popped out in his sight, and it was only centimeters away from his face. Zeke was shocked, and he looked at his parents to see any reactions. To his surprise, no sudden change in their reaction was seen. ''Turns out only I can see this, huh. Interesting, it looks like those interfaces I saw from my games back on Earth.'' Zeke was surprised and with a slight bit of nostalgia. He then wondered what the hell is it doing there and suddenly recalled his second wish. He was, once again, surprised, although only on the inside as he still doesn''t have control over his body except for his eyes. ''So this is that old man''s ability that''s supposed to be for his champion? Wow, what an ability. Is this even called ability? I might as well call it a cheat!'' Zeke cursed Pandora in his mind. He clearly asked for a power that''s not overpowered, yet Pandora gave this? This is even more broken than overpowered abilities! This allows Zeke to improve endlessly! However, after calming down his excitement, he realized that his view is very different from the gods. For Pandora, this ability might be normal but for him, who has his memories of his previous world, he knew this was not at all a normal ability. He also can''t blame Pandora as this indeed fit with what he wanted, except he hadn''t expected Pandora to have this kind of power. He only thought of some spells that will evolve with him, but he didn''t expect a fully decked system as a power in here. At the moment, it was only a box there with a gold outline and a transparent background. After a few seconds of looking, Zeke noticed that the box shined brightly for a second before dimming again. When he opened his eyes, he saw a question written inside the box. Zeke was surprised that he understood it, but he didn''t bother anymore. He read it in his mind. [SYSTEM: Please choose your name.] Zeke was puzzled but soon realized the situation. He was a newborn now, not the old Zeke. He needs to have a new name now, and the system asked his right after he was born. Zeke wondered how the hell can he choose when parents usually choose the name of their son. ''If it''s possible, can I just have my old name?'' [SYSTEM: Are you sure about it?] ''Yes, I''m sure.'' DING! A sudden sound jolted Zeke''s mind awake. Another bright light blinded Zeke and as he was opening his eyes, the interface was nowhere to be found. He now looked at his father, who was also looking at him and saw golden letters hovering above him. It seems his father''s name is Charles. He then looked at the woman lying on the bed and saw a golden ''Catherine''. Zeke now knows his parent''s names. After a short silence, Zeke''s father spoke. "Cath, what do you think should be the name of our son?" "Oh right! I nearly forgot about that. Charles, since it''s a boy, you should think of a cool and valiant name for him!" "Hmm.." Charles looked at Zeke and then locked gazes with him. After a short while, Charles spoke a bit loud. "I have thought of a name. From now on, you shall henceforth be called as Ezekiel! Bearing the same name as the god of strength, I hope this boy grows to be a strong man capable of shouldering this family and his future one." "Ezekiel! What a good name! Very fitting for our child!" Zeke was surprised. His name was actually Ezekiel and not Zeke! ''Why the hell did the system even asked for my name? It just made me raise my hopes up, damn.'' As he was thinking, another interface appeared near his face. It was a bit small, and there''s only one word inside along with several question marks. It was the name he registered in the system a while ago. |------------------------------| Zeke ??? ??? ??? |------------------------------| Note: --Flamehaven Family-- Charles Flamehaven - Father Catherine Flamehaven - Mother Ezekiel Flamehaven - Son 8 Ques Zeke was a bit startled. He was still not used to having a floating screen in his vision. That, along with a slightly blurry environment, made Zeke feel like he was in a dream. He soon regained his composure and looked at the interface. He was a bit confused about the question mark but soon set it aside. He was just born minutes ago, and he''ll have all the time in this world when gets to control his body. As he was thinking all these, Zeke suddenly felt crying. He couldn''t even stop it as it was like an iron law in his mind. Not long after, Zeke''s eyes teared up. His tears were accompanied with wails that people normally expect from babies. As Zeke felt ashamed, his parents felt the opposite. They thought their baby was cute when he was crying. ''*Sigh* I literally don''t have control over my body fight now. Heck, I can''t even stop myself from crying. If I knew about this earlier, I''d have asked Pandora to time skip this! Fuck!'' Once again, the infant cried. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª1 WEEK LATER¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ''I still can''t control my full body, but at least I can move my arms and legs for a bit now. Also, my vision is getting clearer and clearer now. I can manage to see a few meters in my vision now. Still, it''s a shame I still can''t stop crying. Damn, I don''t understand why people love babies, they just cause trouble every time!'' Zeke was getting a bit angry and ashamed now. He wasn''t accustomed to being taken care of, and he also hate it when he just cries in the middle of the night. Even when feeling a slight surge of emotion, his body tend to cry and wail a lot, causing his parents to wake up and calm him down. He felt so ashamed that he was causing the, trouble but he really can''t help it. What he doesn''t realize is that he is still a newborn baby right now. His parents didn''t mind his troubles one bit, as they knew how newborn babies act. It was also because of their parental love that they not only didn''t mind it, but they also felt pleasure taking care of their baby. As Zeke was thinking about his bothersome situation, a floating 2d box suddenly appeared in his view. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ::Optional Quest:: Learn how to walk before reaching 6 months old. Condition: -Before reaching 6 months old and System lvl. 1 Difficulty: C Reward: 10 xp Physical: Enhanced Five Senses ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zeke was surprised by the sudden interface, but he was also excited to finally have his first goal in his new life here. However, thinking about it, isn''t it a bit too hard for him to stand by the young age of less than half a year? What the hell kind of quest was this? After ranting inwardly for a bit, he realized the situation. It wasn''t really all that unfair, considering his memories are already that of a teenager, so he should atleast remember the motion of his former body. The only problem for him right now is taking control over his body. He guessed that half a year is enough time for him to get quite used to it. Not long after that, he cried. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª3 1/2 months later¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª In the living room, Charles and Catherine are sitting on a sofa watching Zeke on the floor in front of them. Zeke was trying hard these past few months trying to stand up, but he couldn''t quite do it. He guessed that his bones weren''t strong enough to support him so he just took it step by step. Now, he was again trying to see if he could do it now. This past month, both parents were dumbfounded when they saw their son crawling inside the crib. It was out of their expectation that this son of them, who wasn''t even half a year old, can now crawl and is now trying to stand. What''s more surprising for them is Zeke''s progress. He was already capable of supporting himself for a few seconds before falling down butt first. Normally, babies on their place would crawl at 4 to 5 months, and stand at 7 to 8 months. If a baby could crawl at 4 and stand at 6 or 7, he was already considered a genius with a good potential later on. This is because the younger they are capable of doing it, the faster their rate of learning. Since babies can only mimic what their parents do, their progress is a bit slow since they are only looking at it without knowing the principle behind walking. Zeke, on the other hand, is already a teenager in terms of soul age and already knows the principle and concept behind walking. The only thing hindering him was the strength of his bones and if that is achieved, standing would become easy. Right now, he can stand still for a few seconds before falling down again. Zeke guessed that pushing for more seconds would only damage his bones and halt his progress. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªHALF A MONTH LATER¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zeke can finally stand for almost a minute now. He was trying to walk but he found out it was not that easy. Although he knew how to do it, executing it is much harder as his legs are still unfamiliar to the movement. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-HALF A MONTH LATER¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Zeke can now finally walk for a few steps. As he was indulging in his success, a DING sound was heard along with an interface ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Quest Complete! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª 9 Half a year old ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Quest Complete! Rewards: 10xp Enhanced Five Senses ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''Sweet!'' All of a sudden, Zeke felt a subtle change in his senses. His vision became sharper, his hearing got a bit more sensitive, his sense of smell seems to have improved, and although he hadn''t felt it, he guessed that his sense of taste should have also improved. He felt interested in this ability that could actually improve his physical body. Just what is the limit of this? As Zeke was thinking, he suddenly lost strength in his legs. He fell down with his butt first and he felt a slight pain over there. His parents seem to not mind it much, as they just sat there smiling while slowly clapping. "Amazing! Who would''ve thought that we''ll give birth to a super genius! It seems he inherited my intellect, hun." "Yes, I am quite surprised too. Normally, it would take more than 6 months before a baby could walk, but our son actually did it while only 4 months old! Also, aren''t you being haughty now? I''m also a genius back then, so he might have gotten most of his talent from me!" "Hmph! I was also talented when I was a kid! I always beat you whenever we have a spar, it''s obvious that I got the brains and you only have brawns!" "If I''m only brawns, then why would Father let me inherit his seat? Don''t you think it''s because of my brains too?" "Hmph! Nevermind all that, I''m more talented than you, and that''s final! I''m going to cook our lunch now, accompany our son for a bit" Catherine let our her tongue for a bit before going to the kitchen. The serious Charles let out a long sigh, and he looked like a defeated general in a war. There was also a trace of helplessness on his face, as if he can''t refute his wife''s words. Zeke never thought he would see his stern father look like this. It seems family really is a kryptonite for even the greatest men. Zeke soon shifted his focus to the quest. He felt his senses improved, but he didn''t know where the xp went. The interface also disappeared for a minute after it showed and he didn''t know how to make it show up, making him feel a bit helpless. How can he use it if he didn''t know how to see it? As if the system knew his thoughts, an interface appeared. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progression Quest "System Upgrade" Before turning half a year old, have full control over the body and bodily functions. Hint: -To control bodily functions, you must first have full control of the body. After taking control of it, bodily functions should also be in control. Condition: -Before reaching 6 months old and System lvl. 1 Difficulty: D Reward: 5xp System Manual Access to quest "System Upgrade II" ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''What the fuck kind of ability is this? I don''t even know how this works and I even need to do a quest just to learn how this system works?'' Zeke grumbled inwardly. He was slowly seeing the system as something foreign, an ability or power that''s not his. Who would even want a power that they themselves don''t even know how to use it? However, as much as Zeke hated it, it was still something he wished, and he can''t blame anyone but himself for wanting a ''progressive skill''. Besides, it gave Zeke something to work hard on. Life as an infant would be boring if the system didn''t give challenges to Zeke and for him, having a goal in his mind would make his infant life more bearable. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-1 MONTH LATER¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progressive Quest "System Upgrade" Complete! Rewards: 5xp System Manual Access to quest "System Upgrade II" ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zeke, now a week away from being half a year old baby, had just completed his second quest. 10 System Zeke was somewhat excited about the rewards. He didn''t care much about xp, but he couldn''t wait to know how he could operate the system. It was weird for him to have floating boxes appear in his vision especially if does not have control over it. Zeke thought there would be an interface showing him how to do it, but he didn''t expect the ''manual'' to be in a form of information memory. He suddenly felt a headache, as if his head is going to explode. Zeke gritted his teeth, finding the experience somewhat tolerable but troublesome. The headache faded after a few seconds like it never existed. Zeke decided not to bother with it anymore and focused himself on the new memories. According to the memories he got, he only needs to utter "status" in his mind and his stats would come up. He could also check other people''s stats by looking over them and uttering "check status". As for other features, he''ll know when it unlocks in the future. Apparently, he will automatically get the Lvl 1 System when he turns half a year old, and to upgrade it, quests would need to be completed. The System right now is only lvl 0, and it can only show people''s names and stats. He didn''t know why he can''t see the stats before, but he just brushed it off. The manual also specifically noted that the numbers are the close estimation of their power and not the exact since they don''t possess a system themselves, thus there''s no way to accurately get the exact stat numbers. There will be a ''shop'' in the lvl 1 System, albeit not the full complete version of the System''s shop. Only a handful would be sold and according to the manual, it''s all Pandora''s worldly belongings that he didn''t need, and it also heavily emphasized Pandora''s innocence, saying he didn''t steal any of it and it was instead rightfully earned. To access the whole shop, he would need to upgrade the system to an unknown level. Zeke guessed that it was also for his own safety, as he might get too greedy and buy an item that''s out of his level. Zeke was overjoyed. Although his system felt a bit restricted as of now, he felt that this opened up new possibilities for his future path. He already vaguely mapped out the direction of his life, and he planned to follow it unless something came up. He planned to train a bit first, then go to a prestigious school to widen his view and strengthen himself. One had to say that Zeke''s plan is very grand and seems to be smooth. If someone were to hear that from a nearly half a year old infant, they would drop their jaws. This infant''s mind clearly doesn''t match his physical body. He already thought of his path and he seems to find it easy enough as he didn''t mention any roadblocks. Of course, Zeke knew that his path would not be as easy as it is, but he steeled himself to face it all using all the cards in his sleeve. He then tried to use his power on his father, Charles, who was sitting in their sofa looking defeated. As he was uttering the phrase in his mind, a floating interface appeared in his view. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Charles Flamehaven Male; 37 years old Dragonborn CP: 4500 S: 3010 A: 2500 E: 2000 I: 2000 ??? ??? ??? |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| This time, There are additional texts in the box besides the name. Zeke subconsciously knew the stats from his memories. The CP stands for Combat Power, which estimates the person''s combat prowess. Zeke knew that stats alone doesn''t mean a person is good at combat. Tactics and other outside tools needed to be considered too, such as how a person utilizes his techniques. Even though Zeke knew his father''s CP, he didn''t have anyone to compare it off, but he sensed that this number is quite high. Zeke made sure to check his mother later on. S stands for strength. This is how powerful a person''s physical body is. Strength referred to how much power the body is capable of exerting for a long amount of time. A stands for Agility. This referred to how fast his father could move during combat. E stands for endurance, which refers to how long his father could fight. I stands for Intelligence, which refers to how much mana his Father had. Besides being amazed, Zeke didn''t have anyone to compare it from, so he didn''t know the extent of his father''s prowess. Zeke also knew that the system''s level is low, hence he could only see four stats right now. According to the manual, those four are the summarized power of the individual. As his system levels up, he might see new stats aside from the four. ''O, I forgot about myself.'' Zeke wondered if his brain is actually that of an old man. While his mother is still away, he forgot that he still had his own stats to compare to his father. Of course, Zeke wasn''t expecting much since he knew his body is still that of an infant. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; less than a year old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon S: 1 A: 1 E: 1 I: 0 CP: 1 ??? |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| ''.... Fuck.'' Zeke was surprised. He expected it to be so low, but he never thought he only had 1. However, after thinking about it, he didn''t mind it much anymore as he still had a long way to go. There''s still 36 or so years before he could catch up to his father''s age. Perhaps he could surpass his father before reaching that age? Zeke hadn''t acknowledged the fact that his father didn''t have a system to help him. His stats are all based on pure training, unlike Zeke''s future training, which would include the system''s help. Zeke could be considered to be born with a silver spoon in his mouth in terms of potential. It was truly a good combination to have Zeke''s Intelligence partnered with the System''s training and help. Who knows how Zeke will end up in the future? A shout was heard from the kitchen. "Hun! Prepare the table!" "Got it!" Charles stood up and left. ''Mother seems to be done preparing our meal. I''ll check her stats later. Hmm, where''s the other reward? I recall it''s a quest, right?'' Zeke expected a floating box to appear, but there were no pop-ups this time. He shrugged and didn''t bother about it anymore. When he turns half a year old next week, he planned to find it in his Lvl 1 System. Soon after, Charles came back and picked up Zeke. He was then placed in a pretty secure chair that''s high enough for him. His seat is positioned beside his mother as she''s the one spoonfeeding him. His father didn''t want to do it, and Zeke guessed that his father isn''t a fan of taking care of babies. Zeke understood and sympathized with Charles as he, too, isn''t fond of them. Catherine went out of the kitchen and sat in her seat opposite to Charles. She then started spoonfeeding Zeke while also eating her fill. Zeke looked at her mother and checked her stats. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Catherine Flamehaven Female; 36 years old Dragonborn CP: 4700 S: 1150 A: 5000 E: 2050 I: 2300 ??? ??? ??? |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| 11 Eavesdropping ''Her Combat prowess is slightly higher than dad, huh.'' Zeke didn''t mind it much. After all, CP is still just a number, It still depends on the situation if both combatants have almost the same CP. The person who utilized outside or external help would probably win even if he/she has a bit less CP. Zeke was a bit confused as to how his mother is stronger in terms of CP, but he figured he still has lots to learn about this world before having a general outline. "Oh, I forgot. Can you manage the house for a bit? I was called back for a small meeting. I''ll be back before midnight, hopefully." "Sure hun, take care on your way!" Zeke noticed these slight dialogues and figured that his parents must have a bit of authority in their area. He often heard either his mother or father talk about going out for a bit due to some sort of meetings, but he still couldn''t figure out the whole situation. He only had guesses, but he really didn''t mind it much. In fact, the higher the authority of his parents, the better his life would be. Curiosity took over his mind, so he decided to stay up all night and try to see if he would hear bits of information when his father come back. Even though his body is that of an infant, he could now at least suppress his body''s desire for a bit. He decided to stay up for only this day since he didn''t want his body to have undesired effects from lacking sleep. Sure enough, he heard a sound in the living room that night. He sneakily climbed his crib and tried to eavesdrop. "Welcome back, Hun! What''s up with your gloomy face? What''s the matter?" Charles seems to ponder over something before replying. "Cath, the situation''s getting serious." Hearing this, her mother, who he thought was just a happy-go-lucky mother, suddenly became serious. "Hm, what did they say?" "It''s about the war. It''s affecting our borderlands. Demons and Humans alike started trying to cross over to our shores. The council didn''t know the reason behind it, but they concluded that whatever the reason, it still is unfavorable for our Kingdom. What do you think?" Catherine frowned. "According to what you say, both races want a piece of our land? Hmmm, maybe our land can give them an advantage?.... Right! I have a hunch, but I''m pretty sure the reason they want our lands is for their strategic advantage. We''re near the middle of both continents, right? By having either force take camp here, they could force the other side in a two-pronged attack! Well, it''s just my hunch, but I''m pretty sure I''m right." "Hmmm, now that you brought it up, our location indeed is a special one. But they really had the guts to attack us huh? HMPH! I don''t care about their senseless war, and I only want them not to involve our Continent, but they don''t seem to respect us enough to hear our words. I''ll relay your theory to the council tomorrow. Hopefully, they won''t just sit still. I''ve also been itching for battle, you see! HAHAHA!" Charles'' eyes seem to exude ruthlessness and excitement. "Quit your warmonger ideals! If the elders don''t handle this carefully, we might end up getting pulled on their war as well! Well, we''re not really in a position to interfere with their decisions, are we? Let''s just forget about it. They better not involve us in the war! We only just started our peaceful life here, I don''t want it to disappear just because of another continent''s war." "About that.." Charles seems to think about the right words to say to her slightly angry wife. "They cut our time to four years. After that, we must return to our positions." Charles heaved out a long sigh, his face showing a hint of sadness. "Four years? Why are we needed already anyway? Are we preparing for some war or something?" Catherine didn''t show it in her face, but she was also inwardly displeased by how little time they were given. "No. Apparently, public order is starting to deteriorate and they expect us to return as early as possible to calm the masses." Zeke''s body felt sleepiness, but his mind right now is quickly absorbing what he just heard. He felt lucky that his guesses were right. The Human Continent indeed has some kind of problem right now, and if he decided to be born there, his life might not be easy. Good thing he chose the neutral continent in the midst of the war, or else his future might have become bleak. He also felt more curious about his parent''s position now. Why did that council want them back as quickly as possible? Are they some sort of influential figures? or are they highly skilled in warfare? Zeke wanted to ask them right there and then but refrained himself due to his circumstances. What would happen if they knew their son is eavesdropping at a young age of not even a year old? Before going back, he heard his parents talk about something. "Oh, I met with my old friend in the meeting. He said he and his wife want to meet you and Ezekiel. Apparently, his wife also gave birth to their daughter quite a few months ago. Our son is just a month older than theirs." "Oh, a daughter." Catherine let out a chuckle, but to Zeke, it seemed like there was something being made in her mind. "Yes. He said he wanted to meet you as well as Zeke. Maybe he thought the same too? What do you think?" Charles seem to know what Catherine was thinking, and he chuckled too. "Well then. If he thinks the same as us, then why not? Also, who''s that friend of yours?" "You''ll see. You also know her, and he''s also my childhood friend. You could say we''re as close as blood brothers!" "Hmmm, when you say childhood friend, do you mean one of those three hopeless romantics? Wow, I''m surprised one of them even got married! I''d like to meet that friend of yours and see if he''s a capable father then." "Alright. He''ll surely be happy to see you next week. HAHAHAHA" Charles'' laugh sounded kinda.... evil? Zeke didn''t understand his dad''s evil face, but all he wanted to do now was sleep. 12 Misunderstanding ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª A WEEK LATER ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zeke heard a ding sound just as he woke up. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª System upgraded to LVL 1 New Features: -Lvl 1 Shop -Inventory -XP system For your convenience, Would you like to have an overall interface? Y/N ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zeke agreed. Having to memorize and utter multiple words in his head is troublesome, so he''d rather have one word for all of it. DING! Zeke knew the system finished compiling it all. He now only needed to remember two, ''System'' and ''Check Stats'' for checking others. While Zeke was thinking all these, Charles and Catherine were preparing to leave for the town plaza. Today was the day they were supposed to meet with Charles'' old friend. While the couple is heading towards the plaza, Zeke, who was carried by his mother, is still focused on his System ability. As he planned before, he checked the stats of the people he saw on the streets. Their CP is only around a thousand, with the highest being 1050 and the lowest being a hundred. The one with a hundred CP is an old woman selling some cooked food for a copper. Zeke was amazed by how powerful his parents are compared to the common folk. He found out that most of the people here have only less than 500 CPs and the people who are above 800 could be counted with his fingers. His parents had more than 4000 and is also nearing 5000, which means that his parents are 4x stronger than common folk at the very least. This then further sparked his curiosity about his parents'' identities. He swore to find out whenever the time is right. After checking people''s stats, Zeke tried to open the System Interface. Soon enough, a floating interface appeared in his peripheral view. He had four options to pick with his Lvl 1 system, and those are his Profile, his Quests, his Inventory, and the shop. He first checked his Profile and found out that it was still the same except there''s another row of text on the side of his name, which says, (XP: 15/100) He guessed that the xp he got from the two quests he finished amounted to 15 and it only showed after upgrading the system. He was a bit irritated that it takes a lot of xp for him to level up. Even after half a year of effort, he didn''t even have half or even a quarter of his xp to level up. He could only hope for easier quests in the future. Speaking of quests, Zeke also checked his Quests tab. He remembered that he received a quest as a reward for the previous quest. It didn''t appear in his view so he guessed that it was just sitting on his quests. Sure enough, he saw one quest there. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progression Quest "System Upgrade II" Form your Mana Core. Hint: -Read books about mana and how it''s absorbed and refined. For the full comprehensive guide, use the system generated book. Condition: -Complete before reaching 3 years old Difficulty: C Reward: 10xp System Upgrade (New Feature/s available) Access to quest "System Upgrade III" Skill Tome ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Mana Core? Zeke didn''t know what a mana core means. All he knew was that its related to mana and a crucial part of his path to power. He was also a bit grateful for having a time period of 2 and a half year before the deadline, however he immediately felt suspicious. Why did it need 2 and a half years? Is this hard? ''Nevermind. I''ll look into it when I get back home. Hopefully, my parents have books regarding this.'' He felt slightly sad after reading the quest, but that did not stop Zeke from opening the highlight of the system. He was saving it for the finale, but since the quest disappointed him for a bit, he just prayed that this shop better be worthwhile. He then chose the shop and opened it. He was welcomed with a list of categories which are Books, Skills, Weapons, and Items. Zeke was excited. He opened the book section and saw a plethora of books to his liking. It had all kinds of topics, from the ancient monsters up to the medicinal plants. Zeke''s eyes glowed by the suddenly high amount of information that he could have after reading all this. This was exactly what Zeke needed ever since he was born in this world. What made him more ecstatic was the price of the books are free! It was all for his choosing! The only limitation was the buying limit, which was only 1 per day. Still, with hundreds of books here, it was already enough for Zeke for a few years. He then shifted to the Skills section, only to be dismayed. Although the skills in the shop were suitable for newbies, it needed either a mana core, a weapon, or xp to buy and learn it. He couldn''t have it for now, but he expected to make use of it in the future. In the Weapons section, the situation was almost the same. However, it only needed xp as payment with a few weapons only suitable for those with mana cores. He guessed that it needs mana to function normally hence the mana core requirement. He was also a bit dismayed, but he regained his composure after comforting himself that he will soon have access to all this. In the Items section, Zeke felt a bit intrigued. The items listed only had names. He guessed that he could only see the effects if he had enough xp to buy it. He didn''t know anything about what he''s missing out of, so he didn''t feel that bad about it. After seeing all the items the shop had to offer, Zeke felt that he was too young to take advantage of it. He then tried to comfort himself by repeatedly saying that he still earned a plethora of books to read. While Zeke is comforting himself, he and his parents had arrived in the plaza. Charles scanned the surroundings and found the back of his old friend. He then walked up to them along with Catherine and Zeke and nudged his friend. His friend looked around and when he saw the one who nudged him, his face beamed into a smile. "Hey, Charles! Long time no see, brother! How are you faring? Does vacation feel fun with your demons?" The middle-aged man seemed like he knew Charles for a long time as he even dared to throw a light insult to Catherine. "Oh? I didn''t expect the great young master of Hydrofrost clan back then to be married! I''m truly surprised!" A low voice was heard from behind Charles, then a woman holding a baby appeared from behind and stood beside Charles. "Long time no see, YOUNG master." Catherine seemed to emphasize the word young too much. Hearing the voice and seeing the person beside Charles, the middle-aged man slightly trembled. He then slightly sweated and looked at Catherine slowly, his expression a bit complicated "L-long time no see, Cath. P-please, don''t call me that anymore. I''m embarrassed." The middle-aged man stuttered for a bit before scratching his head. Catherine just smirked, as if finding the man''s expression a bit funny. "Still the same, huh." "I''ve changed." He lightly chuckled. "But I guess old habits die hard, hehe" The man then turned to Charles and whispered. "Goddamn you! I didn''t know you''d bring your demoness here. You should''ve said it to me in advance so I can prepare myself mentally!" Charles just chuckled. The man then turned to both of them and invited the family to the table where his wife and daughter were sitting. Upon nearing the table, out of everyone''s expectations, the infant helped by Catherine, Zeke, lightly chuckled. Charles, Catherine and even the Hydrofrost couple looked at Zeke, surprise evident in their eyes. Why did this baby suddenly become happy? After thinking for a bit, the four came to a hasty conclusion. The Flamehaven family was very near the table when the baby, who was silent the whole time, suddenly laughed. It only became happy when they neared the table, which means something, or rather, ????????????????????????????, at the table made the baby happy. They then turned to the infant being held by the man''s wife. The four adults couldn''t help but smile. Zeke''s sudden laugh just gave birth to a very big misunderstanding. 13 Brothers Zeke didn''t know that he had laughed loudly. He was still immersed in his fantasies. After consoling himself for a while, his mind couldn''t help but imagine himself in the future. He saw himself clad in a dazzling armor surrounded by his subordinates and allies. Most of the people by his side are women, and Zeke wondered if he was really that unrestrained. He stopped bothering about it and continued to indulge in his fantasy. Unbeknownst to him, he actually laughed on the outside. He didn''t bother much about it, but the adults around him seem to misunderstand his laugh. ''He just laughed after getting close to us. Is it because of my daughter?'' ''Is he already conscious enough to feel feelings toward the opposite sex? But he''s only a month older than my daughter, how come he''s already that aware while my daughter''s still not conscious enough?'' ''I knew it. This son of mine will have a very good future in terms of relationships. Just this young and he already knows how to feel towards their daughter. I wonder how much of a playboy will he become in the future?'' Catherine seems proud that her son is already showing signs of interest towards the opposite sex. ''Sigh. My dear son, please don''t be like us when we were young. We acted like young masters but we met my wife back then. I pray that my son won''t meet someone like Catherine in her prime.'' Charles seems to see his teenage self in Zeke when he grows up. Back then, Catherine was stronger than them and she beat them up miserably after they tried hitting on her. It was truly a traumatizing experience for Charles in his friends. Zeke, the perpetrator of the misunderstanding, just got out of his fantasy and looked at the people in front of him. The middle-aged man brought them to a large room with a rectangular table filled with all kinds of foods at the center. He guessed that this establishment should be near the center of the plaza where they headed. There was already a beautiful woman sitting there holding an infant. Since he had the system, he already knew the name of them. The middle-aged man''s name is Alcazar while the beautiful woman sitting is Mediula. The infant Mediula''s holding is named Rosaline, and Zeke assumed that the infant is a girl. The three have the surname Hydrofrost. Zeke guessed that since the father is a close friend of his father, then the two families might have equal statuses for them to be able to dine in a place like this. He also checked their CPs and noticed that their CPs are a bit lower than his parents. Alcazar and Mediula have 4400 and 4300 CP respectively. "Oh, you guys arrived a bit early. The feast is still an hour away, you know. Nice to meet you both, I''m Alcazar''s wife, Mediula. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Mediula lightly bowed. Zeke could really see how refined the woman is just based on her etiquette. She radiated an aura that only nobles have; refined and high above the masses. Gazing at her eyes makes one''s heart serene and peaceful as if a calm sea. The man and the infant also had it, but theirs were a bit unrefined than Mediula. "Feast? I thought we''re the only ones?" "Ah, my apologies. I forgot to tell you Charles, I invited all four of us today to have a big feast... and talk about something." Alcazar scratched his head. Zeke''s first impression of this guy is that he''s a bit clumsy and klutz, but seeing as he had a graceful wife, he guessed that Alcazar only acts like this with his close friends and aides, and he might have another side when talking business. When Charles heard this, he felt surprised, as well as joy. It was a long time since they all bonded together. He wanted to meet with them all those years ago, but he knew they all have their own matters to take care of, so he didn''t have any time to invite them all out. "Really? Are those two really coming too?!" "Haha, yes Charles. They accepted the invitation since they, too, are in a vacation like us. You see, Grad''s wife gave birth a year ago while Fritz''s gave birth not long ago too. In fact, we all had our infants not exceeding half a year ago. Fritz''s baby seems to be the youngest, followed by my baby girl, then Charles'', and lastly, Grad''s." Alcazar said with a smile. "Really? They both married?" Charles was very surprised. He knew his two friends, and although they liked to fool around back then, they straightened up and focused on training after a few years. He never thought his brothers would have any interest in family matters, but after he thought about their status, he instantly understood. It''s not that they wanted, but even if they don''t want to, they were required to bear at least one child to continue the bloodline. "Yes! although they didn''t invite us, it''s understandable since the distance from their place to ours will take several days and it seems their marriage was conducted in private. Still, I''m quite disappointed they didn''t inform us." "Sigh. Ever since those damn fools from the two continents started, our continent seems to have no peace. They always harassed us and wanted refuge near our shores. Hmph! I long for the day when I can vent my frustrations on those damn lowlives. They cause us to miss our brothers'' weddings!" "Don''t worry, brother. There will come a day where we''ll slaughter our way to their capital! But before that, let''s just enjoy this big feast with them. Let''s all catch up! I have a lot to tell about my journey to the wildlands..." Just as Alcazar started his story, a gust of wind blew in their direction. "HEYYYAAAAA fellows! Am I late? there were a lot of people so I had to use my power to avoid collisions. Oh? it seems someone''s still not here? Oh, and who might you beautiful women be? It''s my pleasure to meet such beauties here!" A slightly handsome man appeared near their table and extended his hand towards Catherine and Mediula. Both girls didn''t seem to mind it at all, as if they already expected it, and they only smiled without reaching back. "You already have a daughter. Why are you still flirting?!" The man received a slap on the back of his face as a slightly tall woman came in carrying an infant. She then smiled towards the two women. The two women then smiled back, as if they''re communicating telepathically. "Good morning, friends. I am Auretta, a pleasure to make your acquaintances. I deeply apologize for my husband''s behavior. He''s always like that when he meets a woman friend. I swear he just can''t be stopped." The woman smiled then coldly gazed at his husband. The man shivered and avoided eye contact. "Hum hum, I see you''re still as goofy as ever, Fritz. These two women you flirted with are our wives, she''s Catherine and this is my wife, Mediula. Are you still not satisfied? You already have a beautiful wife beside you, why are you still flirting with others?" Even though the statement looks like it''s mocking the handsome man, his tone was friendly. "No no Alc, you''re misunderstanding me. I already knew they''re you guys'' wives, and I greeted them not only because of that but because they''re top-notch beauties. Do you know what they taught us back then? It''s to appreciate and admire beauty. It''s what I did, and I''m only upholding the teachings! Besides, I already have my wife here, and believe me, even if I wanted to, I''m afraid I can''t handle more wives!" The handsome man smiled and shook his head helplessly. Zeke thought this guy''s the most shameless guy he''s seen ever since being born. His tongue was just so glib that one couldn''t help but be annoyed, but Charles and Alcazar seem to feel the opposite. Instead of being annoyed, they felt joy by reuniting with their sworn brother. Zeke checked the man''s name and he was surprised that his name wasn''t Fritz, but Cypriz. He guessed that his Father and friends must have coined him the nickname ''Fritz''. What''s more surprising is that his CP is higher than the Hydrofrost couple, with a CP of 4500, equal to his father and only slightly less than his mother. His wife has a whopping 4400 CP, also surpassing the other couple. Zeke felt that Fritz''s childish behavior didn''t match his high combat prowess. The three fathers went into a corner and started talking about their own adventures. The wives also grouped up and talked about their own things. Zeke could see both infants and figured that Fritz''s baby should be a female considering her name, Aura Viola. This family has the surname Featherflight, and Zeke assumed that the family had a high affinity for wind based from the spell they cast. Half an hour before the feast starts, a big burly man along with a woman holding a baby arrived. The burly man exuded a solid aura as if he''s as steady as Mount Tai. The woman, on the other hand, exuded an aura of a noble, quite same with Mediula''s. Seeing the three men in a corner, The burly man''s aura disappeared completely and his face formed a warm smile. "I''m nearly late for the party. Hello, big brothers!" "Yo, if it isn''t Grad! You sure work hard, huh! I see your muscles man. Do remember not to punch me or even flick me man, I feel like you can snap my bones with just a flick." "Hahahaha, you jest again, Fritz, just like the good ol'' days. I can''t help it, my training automatically hardens my muscles, so even if I don''t want to, it''ll still grow and grow while I''m training. Man, you don''t know how brutal training is for this element. It''s literally you beating yourself! If I had at least one more element I''m well versed in, I''d surely drop this!" The burly man grumbled. He seems dissatisfied with how the training in his element is. "This is not the time for your grumblings, Grad! Come introduce us to your wife and..?" "It''s a daughter, Charles. My wife, Meryl, gave birth a year ago. The earth even quaked a bit when she was born. Sigh, I already pity my daughter''s future training. I hope she can endure it in the long run!" "Oh for sure! I think your daughter will be twice as brave and headstrong as you Grad! Even though you have all these big muscles, you''re still the most docile in our group! Cmon man, show your ferocity! Don''t just use your ferocious aura for intimidation, embody it!" "You jest, Brother Alc. I hone my aura for the sake of negotiations since I don''t want unnecessary fights. Trust me, it''s very useful!" Thus, the group of men and women continued to chat until the time of the feast. 14 Flir The four fathers sat on one side while the mothers carrying their children are on the other side. Most of the talk consisted of the four fathers reminiscing their youthful days and their encounters. They also talked about improvements in their skills with occasional boasting. It soon then led to them having a small competition. "Fair ladies, would you please excuse us four for a moment? We seem to have reached a misunderstanding regarding our combat skills. We decided to spar for a bit to clear the misunderstandings. Would you like to watch?" Fritz stood up and asked the wives. "What''s up with you men? You got your pride hurt so you decided to deal with fists?" His wife, Auretta, sneered. Fritz scratched his head. "You jest, my fair lady. By sparring, we could also call it part of our training. You see, it''s hard to find opponents nowadays who could equal us. Us four met today, don''t you think it''s a good chance to spar today? We''re absolutely not sparring just because our pride got hurt, not that it did anyway. It''s just our tradition as sworn brothers, to always..." Before Fritz could finish, Auretta interrupted him. "I got it, I got it. It''s totally for training and not for boasting. I''m fine with this, and I''m sure they are too. It''s also a good chance for me to befriend fellow beauties, so I won''t watch. Just make sure not to soil the food." The other women seem to have the same thoughts as Auretta as they too nodded. "That''s for sure. We''re going to a nearby arena here. Alc already paid the place, so we could play around for some time there. Could you ladies wait here? We promise we''ll be back before you know it." "I got it already. Go on!" The four fathers went out and soon the four wives were left with their babies. The four of them chattered about girly things while Zeke sat there feeling sleepy. He didn''t have any interest in their topic. The only good information he heard was that the town they were in was called Clearsky Village. He also heard that they were going to be transferred to a place where the four families would be close. He didn''t hear any specific details about it but Grad''s wife, Meryl, said that the transfer would likely be next month or so and that the four families would then be together. The women also talked about their experience giving birth. An hour has passed and the four husbands came back. They all looked haggard but with a smile on their faces. It seemed like they settled their ''misunderstandings''. "Well, I''m sorry but we need to go back home now. The trip back home would probably take us a few days, and I want to take a rest first in our room before setting out tomorrow morning. Fritz, you wanna travel together? We both head in the same direction, so it''s better to stick together so the trip won''t be boring." Gradavar smiled and stood up and so is his wife. "We''re going too. Let''s see each other in the next month, then?" Auretta said and dragged his husband back with him. As the two families started to leave, a pendant fell off and made a thud sound. Meryl looked behind and saw the pendant her daughter wore in the ground. As her daughter, Gaia, left her embrace and tried to walk to pick up the pendant, the mother and daughter saw Zeke go down from Catherine and picked up the pendant. He then clumsily walked towards Gaia and gave it back, before clumsily going back to Catherine. All of them were surprised. They were surprised because the half a year old son of Charles can already walk, and what''s most surprising is his action. He seemed to have the mindset of someone older than his age that he picked up a pendant and gave it back. It almost seems like Zeke was... flirting? ''Shit. Why did my body act up?'' Zeke was also a bit surprised. He only thought about it but unexpectedly, his body started doing what he thought. Gaia, who stood there dumbstruck, looked at Zeke. She didn''t know how the boy who was even months younger than her can walk to that extent. She learned how to walk when she was 7 months, and after endlessly trying for the past 3 months, she could only barely do what Zeke did. "Wow. Charles my friend, you didn''t tell us that your son is a super genius. To think he could walk at that age? If I didn''t see it with my own two eyes, I won''t even believe it." Alcazar seemed very impressed by Zeke''s action. Even his daughter, Rosaline, still can''t walk and could only balance herself for a couple of seconds before falling down, but the son of his friend, who was almost the same as Rosaline''s age, could walk already! Charles knew his son could walk, but he didn''t expect his son to do something like that. He realized that his son might really be following the steps he and his friends made back then. At a young age of half a year old, his son could already flirt with women! ''Did he inherit it from me? If that''s so, then I''m proud of you son! Catch them all!'' even though he was also secretly worried that his son might meet his ''Catherine'' later on, Charles still supported Zeke''s flirting attitude. He also found it unbelievable, how could someone this young be this conscious? But then, he didn''t bother about it too much as he knew his son and he already vaguely realized that his son seem more mature than his age. He learned how to walk without his or his wife''s help, and that alone proves his theory. "I forgot to say. After all, he only learned how to walk a couple of steps last week, and I didn''t expect him to be capable of what he did today. I didn''t even teach him how to, he just suddenly tried standing on his own. Even I''m impressed by my son''s progress." "L-last week?! He only practiced for a week to be able to do that? Jesus, how talented is this kid? And you said you didn''t teach him? Maybe your wife did?" "No, I didn''t either. Ezekiel just suddenly tried to stand and we didn''t even need to tell him step by step. We just gave him some tips he did all that." Catherine replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "So you''re telling us that your son is self-taught? Wow, I don''t even know what to say anymore. Grad, your daughter could walk, right? What do you think about Zeke?" "Isn''t it obvious? Of course I''m also impressed! my daughter started walking 3 months ago and since then, she''s trying everyday. Yet, Charles'' son, who only started walking a week ago, could walk to the same extent as my daughter. Isn''t that enough proof that Charles'' son is a bona fide genius? No, calling it genius is an understatement. My daughter was already deemed a genius when she started walking 3 months ago, but the two aren''t on the same level of genius. If you only place Ezekiel in the genius category, then I''m afraid all other infants are trash!" "I agree. We''ve also taught Viola how to walk just recently, and I''m afraid it would take at least 2 to 3 more months before she could start walking. She could also be called a genius by that. Charles'' son is just on a whole new level." Charles and Catherine had prideful look on their faces. It''s as if they''re saying, ''Yes we made this guy'' "Alright alright, let''s not talk about this any longer. Let''s stop undervaluing your children, alright? We all have genius sons and daughters here, let''s not place them on different levels of pedestals!" Charles said in a humbling tone, but the three fathers seemed to take it as shameless boasting. Fritz snapped. "Huh? We''re not undervaluing our daughters here, it''s just your son who''s too good! Also, don''t get smug this early, who knows, maybe our daughters will excel more in the long run! Maybe, maybe your son.." "Alright alright stop talking now, hun. We''re going to be late, am I right, Meryl?" Auretta and the 3 other wives seem to have gotten close with each other, almost like sisters. "Yes. We should take a rest early so we could set off early. Cmon, Grad!" "*Sigh* Yes, yes I''m going. Hey Fritz, stop whining and go on now. Charles'' accomplishments are as much as ours, no need to have a competition." "That I know, my good dude! But we all know that friendly competitions spark the challenger within people, right? Ouch.." "Stop talking and let''s go. Or do you want me to drag you?" Fritz didn''t rebut but instead left quietly. He seemed determined to guide his daughter even more to catch up to Zeke. After the two families left, Mediula, who was sitting silently, stood up and gestured at Alcazar. "We''re also going now. Charles, I gotta admit, you gave us all a big surprise today. I hope to see you guys next month!" Alcazar also stood up and left with Mediula. They also left shortly after the three families. "What did Alc mean when he said next month?" On the way back, Charles asked Catherine. "Oh? Didn''t your friends tell you? We''re going to get transferred to another place. Us four families will start to live in the same place from next month on." Catherine said softly. "Really? That''s great! I''ll need to guide Zeke in forming his mana core now. I''ll let all of them know of my son''s potential!" Charles'' eyes blazed with determination. He seemed determined to win Fritz''s little competition. ''Is father really a parent? Why does he and his friends act like young masters? They''re so childish when they''re together!'' Zeke felt interested in his father and his friends'' backgrounds. For all of their families to be transferred, it seems like their status are equal and also a very high one. Also, after hearing about what his father said, he got excited. It''s finally time for him to start doing his quest. 15 Mana Core The family got home early since they were the closest to the plaza. Catherine didn''t cook as they already had eaten from the feast. Charles called Catherine to the living room to discuss what to do about Zeke. Zeke sat on the floor looking at his parents. "Cath, I''ve decided. I''ll start to guide Zeke in forming his mana core tomorrow morning." "What? Are you sure about that? Can our son even understand your directions?" "I''m sure." Charles then looked at Zeke "Son, I know you understand us right now. To further prove to your mother, can you nod to show her that you really understand us?" Zeke wanted to start training right away, so he nodded faintly. Looking at the slightly shocked Catherine, Charles explained his reasoning. "You saw what happened back there, right? Our son clearly acted on his own. This means that he''s conscious enough to understand us. That alone is enough for him to start condensing his mana core. The earlier, the better. Since he can understand us now, don''t you think it''s better to start now?" Charles looked at the doubtful face of his wife, then looked again at Zeke. "Son, you understand me, right? I also want to know your opinion about this. Although you''re too young right now, you can already understand us and have your own decisions regarding things. I''m still impressed by how you decisively helped Grad''s daughter. I can already see myself in the future you, son. But I need to remind you that training and improving one''s strength is the priority rather than getting girls. Do you agree?" Zeke was baffled and nodded absentmindedly. He wondered why his father was saying this to him. ''Why did father remind me of that? I haven''t even started flirting with people, yet he already warned me? Damn. What a strict father.'' Zeke still didn''t understand his parents'' misunderstanding. He didn''t see his actions earlier as close to flirting since he himself didn''t intend to do that. Besides, the girl in that situation is a one-year-old girl, and Zeke''s teenage mind couldn''t stomach flirting with a girl that age. Not once did he think about flirting at his age. He''d rather wait and train than bother with women this early in his life. "Alright. Since Ezekiel wants to, then I can only agree to it, but on one condition. I''ll also teach him. I may have different comprehensions than you so with my comprehension added with yours, maybe he''ll advance faster. Also, I haven''t seen anyone like our son before. How come he can think independently despite only being half a year old?" "I also don''t know, but maybe he just has a strong soul. I''ve heard that people who have strengthened their souls tend to have a different mindset and thinking than others. Maybe Zeke''s soul is stronger than his peers that he could already think independently?" "Well, I don''t know the exact detail, but that''s the only plausible explanation. Maybe he was born with an enhanced soul? Normally speaking, children can make decisions themselves when they reach 11 months or a year old. The only explanation for our son is that he is born with a soul stronger than people of his age. I am not clear about this but I''m sure it''s very beneficial for his future path." Catherine smiled. Catherine was fully convinced of Charles'' assumption. Since Zeke could already think independently at this age, then instead of hindering his progress, she''d rather take part in teaching his son. She won''t let the opportunity of having a strong soul go to waste. The family concluded that Zeke will start condensing his mana core tomorrow morning. Zeke could barely contain his excitement. Evening passed. "Wake up, son! Rise and Shine!" Charles barged in Zeke''s room and lightly nudged Zeke. Zeke woke up looking at his father and the events last night beamed on him. Today, he''s going to take the first step in becoming a magician. Charles brought Zeke into the front yard after breakfast and explained the concept of mana. "Zeke, to become a full-fledged magician, a person must first condense a mana core. What is mana core, you say? It''s something inside your body that can store mana. Mana is something that you can''t see with your bare eyes but is present everywhere, son. As I''m talking right now, mana particles hover in the air and a person must be capable of absorbing these mana particles to be able to cast spells." Zeke nodded. He already understood the concept of mana from the novels and manga he read form Earth, but he still needed to know specific things here as the one he knows might not be applicable here. "When we sometimes take you to a stroll, do you sometimes see people with a weapon on their back? A swordsman, or even magicians, perhaps? Most of those people are magicians. You see, magicians are people who are capable of manipulating mana. The application of mana is very diverse so that lesson will be for next time. The only thing you need to know right now is how to absorb mana, anything else like combat styles or weapons are for later. Alright, I want you to sit in a comfortable position, one that won''t disrupt your focus when we start this." Zeke fixed his posture. "Now that you''re comfortable enough, close your eyes and try to feel the mana particles. In your vision, you should only see black, but after focusing and trying to sense the environment without the use of your eyes, you''ll start to see different bits of colors. It''s a bit hard to detect it first, but if you focus enough, you''ll see bits and pieces in your view. These mana particles look like broken glass shards, and they come in different colors. What you need to do is to will the white ones to go towards you. Alright, start now and I''ll see if you can do it." Zeke closed his eyes. He removed any unnecessary thoughts in his mind and focused on his environment. He tried to use his hearing but he heard nothing. He then tried to sniff it, but that didn''t work too. He relied on his knowledge from Earth, and just tried to sense using his brain. His thought right now is only to sense his surroundings without using the five senses. Zeke knew that what he was using right now is his ''sixth sense'' to find the mana particles. After a minute, Zeke saw a myriad of colors slowly entering his view. All of these colors are in the form of small glowing balls that when examining carefully, it is actually like a glass shard that emits different colors of light, making it look like a ball. Zeke didn''t dare get distracted as he didn''t want to know what''ll happen if he did. He then searched for a small white light. It turned out to be hard, as he saw different colors in every direction he tried to look. A few minutes later, Zeke found a lone white light and he then tried to will it to come. Right now, he''s uttering orders in his mind to the white light to come to him. Slowly but surely, the white light went near him. Zeke couldn''t contain his emotion and suddenly got excited. The moment he did, all the light in his view disappeared, replaced by pitch black. He was confused but he guessed that he failed to concentrate and got distracted by his excitement. He opened his eyes and saw his Father looking at him seriously. Noticing his son open his eyes, Charles quickly asked. "Are you successful, son?" 16 Mana Core II Zeke lightly shook his head. Charles seems to have expected this result. "It''s alright to fail in your first try, son. I know you''re still too young for this, but with that concentration of yours, perhaps you could see the mana particles in a month." Charles smiled. Even though his son failed, he discovered that his son is good at focusing since he could last in that state for a long time. "By the way, how long do you think you spent concentrating?" Zeke was confused. Wasn''t it just a few minutes since he started? "If you think you''ve been there for a few minutes, then I''m sorry to disappoint you. You''re in there for almost half an hour now. Do you understand? The concept of time isn''t present when you try to absorb mana. It might seem like a few hours, but it may already be days or even weeks in the real world!" Zeke nodded faintly, albeit very shocked inwardly. He thought he was there just for a few minutes, but it turned out false. He shuddered at the thought of other people spending hours inside of that. "Of course, excessively absorbing mana will take a toll on your mental strength. You must know that you are using the strength of your mind and will to rope the mana particles in. Too much consumption of your mental strength is bad as unlike physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion is much harder to recover from. It can make a person go crazy, and it might even cause death if a person pushed his mind to the limits! I''m saying this to you for your own safety. I once knew a person who tried to overdo his mind. The result is... unpleasant. Son, make sure not to exceed half an hour over there! Exceeding it might damage your brain and it will just cause you inconvenience in the long run. Still, if only we could limitlessly absorb the mana, we could maybe transcend our limits. *Sigh*" Zeke agreed. Although he didn''t feel exhaustion, he knew he got a bit tired after that. It was hard for him to explain, but his body didn''t feel it, only his mind did. "Remember, only half an hour tops. You''re still too young, your mind can only handle that long. Alright, you can try for a few more times before we end today''s session." Zeke tried again, but everytime he''s trying to rope in the white mana, he always lost his focus. He concluded that his mind always gets impatient thus resulting to him losing his focus on the mana particle. After a few more tries, Zeke decided to reflect for a bit first before trying it again. He opened his eyes and saw his father sitting in front him, presumably absorbing mana too. Zeke also noticed that the sun is already up. It seems his few tries took more or less 4 hours. "Are you finished, son?" Charles suddenly opened his eyes and asked. Zeke only nodded lightly. "Good, keep it up and maybe you''ll see the particles in a month. I''m proud of you, son!" "Oh, I forgot to tell you about this. This way of forming the mana core is pretty much the standard of the three continents. Humans, Demons, us Dragons, and even the lesser beings form mana core by absorbing the mana in their surroundings. It''s the general concept but the actual ways are a bit different. What we''re doing is heavily similar to how humans form their mana core. As for our own method, I''m afraid you can''t start with it at your current state." Zeke felt a bit displeased. It seems the way dragons form their core is different from humans, snd Zeke''s current form isn''t suitable for it. He wondered how dragons and demons form theirs. Zeke''s schedule only consisted of training and reading. After meditating, Charles would bring Zeke to the study room and let him pick a book to read. This will then go on for hours until Catherine fetches him for dinner. A week passed. Zeke could now barely absorb a mana particle. He noticed that the mana particle he absorbed laid dormant on his abdomen. He theorized that the mana core would be formed in the abdomen, since that''s where the mana particles stays. If there are enough amounts of mana particles gathered there, the mana core might be formed. Besides meditating, Zeke also read books from their study room. He read anything about mana and theories related to it. He still haven''t started reading the books he had in his system since his parents might be weirded out if they see their son reading a foreign book that''s clearly not from their study room. He decided to wait for a few more months and ask his father about getting a separate room for him. Since they''re going to live in a new place starting next month, he decided to wait for a bit and see the situation there before making his move. Of course, whenever he''s alone in his crib, he pulls out a book from the shop and when he sensed his parents are going to check him, he stores it in his inventory. Apparently, he can store items in his invisible inventory with just a thought. It''s kind of like spatial rings he read back on Earth where the items are stored in another pocket dimension, except he didn''t know where his items go, as it only just disappears after he thought to store it. A few more weeks later, Zeke woke up and saw his father packing up things. He then guessed that today''s the day they will be transferred to their new residence. As he expected, they really are going this time. His parents rented a caravan with several adventurers to guard them throughout the journey. Although his parents were strong enough, they decided to take adventurers with them. Zeke and even Catherine were baffled by Charles'' decisin. "Orders from the elders." Charles could only offer this as the reason. Throughout the way, his parents only stayed with Zeke inside the carriage. They were very vigilant throughout the day, and when the group sleeps at night, one of them will stay along with some adventurers to keep watch. Zeke felt his parents were too paranoid. As they were passing through a forest, a dagger suddenly flashed and pierced through one of the guards in the neck. The guard who got hit had his head severed from his body due to the sheer impact of the throw. Seeing the headless body of their ally, the adventurers panicked, and one even screamed. Charles and Catherine heard the scream outside and knew something''s going on. Charles stood and warned Catherine and Zeke not to go out until it''s clear. Outside, Charles went out and saw the body. He immediately knew the strength of their attackers. Although they weren''t a match for him, it''d be hard if the attackers number 5 or more. He concluded that he could only handle 5 of them at once, and if there''s more, he was sure the adventurers would all die. He didn''t hesitate and blew a whistle that mysteriously didn''t produce any sound. "HAHAHAHAHA how laughable. Is this the extent of your guards, your MAJESTY?" The voice contained mockery on the last word. "Your majesty?" The adventurers were puzzled. All they knew was that a rich person hired them with a huge sum of money just to escort him to a nearby city. They didn''t know why their attacker called their client ''your majesty'' "Oh? You bunch of randoms don''t know? HAHAHAHA no worries, there''s no need for you to know. Men, kill every single one of them!" As soon as the voice finished, several black clothed people from the nearby bushes lunged at the adventurers. Caught off-guard, the adventurer nearest to the bushes got his neck sliced. He didn''t even know what killed him as the attack was too fast for him to guard against. Seeing this, the remaining thirty or so adventurers went on full vigilance. They didn''t know the strength of their enemy, but they knew that if they didn''t exert their all here, they could end up like their 2 allies, lifeless and sprawled on the ground. 17 Ambush A dozen or so black-clothed men lunged again towards the adventurers who are in formation. The black-clothed men also seem to have a formation too, as nine of them continued forward while the remaining four stayed behind, presumably casting spells. "Barrier!" "Fire Shield!" "Flame Spear!" "Mana Armor!" The four black-clothed men cast their spells. A faint trace of light shrouded their charging allies, followed by a think coat of mana along with a shield made of fire. The adventurers'' arrows didn''t work on them at all. What''s worse for them is that a Seeing their enemies close in on them, the warriors and shield-bearers prepared themselves while the magicians conjured their spells. "Fire Shield!" "Flamethrower!" "Water God''s Blessing!" "Wind Slash!" The magician adventurers started bombarding the charging enemies. Although it did little to no damage to the charging men, their attacks removed the barrier shrouding them. Fire Shield was cast by a magician on the shield-bearer in front to bear the brunt of the spear made of fire currently aiming towards their group. Boom! The shield-bearer''s shield barely held as it took the brunt of the spell. Seeing this, a black-clothed man took the opportunity to lunge at the shield-bearer and kill him before he recovers. Before his dagger could reach the neck of the shield-bearer, the swordsman beside the shield-bearer suddenly stabbed in his direction. The black-clothed man was forced to change his attack trajectory and managed to scratch the shoulder of his target. The shield-bearer groaned but immediately signaled his ally that he can still endure the wound. The battle between the 30 adventurers and the dozen black-clothed man continued. Although the adventurers could hold their fort, their front-liners already had light injuries. Fortunately for them, the black-clothed men seem to only use daggers and throwing weapons, and their combat style is like that of assassins. If those assassins decided to pick them off one by one, the number of deaths would be more. Instead, maybe due to their arrogance, the assassins didn''t put the adventurers in their eyes and decided to have a frontal fight with them. Charles focused on the battle. He was considering joining the fight but he realized that the voice he heard still isn''t here. He guessed that they were waiting for him to join the fight and make use of the environment of the fight to kill him. Seeing as their target didn''t have any intentions in joining the dogfight, the one who talked earlier had gotten impatient and threw a dagger towards Charles. He didn''t hope to kill Charles with it, but rather to introduce himself and his allies to their target. As expected, Charles easily deflected the dagger. "Hehe, who would''ve thought we''d catch a big fish here! Looks like intel''s true, they really are grouping up huh! These pieces of shit only know how to turtle inside their forces HAHAHAHA is this how nobles act? HAHAHAHA" The same voice resounded once again, along with three more black-clothed men wearing black masks appearing from the bushes. All of them exuded boundless killing intent which could make normal people shudder. Charles was surprised, but his surprise soon turned into a smile. "I was originally afraid of fighting 5 more of you. Turns out, I didn''t need to worry about it at all. Although the one in the middle is slightly stronger than you and your buddy there, I should still be able to handle you." Charles smiled. The three seemed to have heard of a joke, as the one who spoke earlier loudly laughed. "HAHAHAHA nice joke for someone who''s going to die HAHAHA" "Enough, both of you. Someone might have heard about the battle here already. We have limited time so you two accompany me to clean this scum." The one in the middle coldly spoke and as soon as he uttered the last word, he immediately charged at Charles. "Conjure Weapon. Arcane Fire." Charles uttered two spells in quick succession. Before the masked man could get to Charles, a spear made of light blue flame appeared on his hand. He also appeared to be on fire, but his face remained calm. His eye turned red and his pupils turned to vertical-slit. The horns on his head also grew by an inch or two. A faint image of a dragon''s head also appeared behind and wrapped him. His current form and expression didn''t resemble the Charles that Zeke knew, and it slightly resembled Zeke''s view of demons in this world. He intercepted the masked man''s sword with his spear and both took a step back. "Great. It seems this trip of ours won''t be boring at all!" Instead of feeling fear, Charles felt excited. He didn''t have that many opponents to spar with, so having a life or death battle with someone with almost the same combat prowess as him is an opportunity for him to polish his skills. Inside the caravan, Zeke could feel that Catherine is devoid of emotion. She seems to not have any fear that her husband might lose. "Ezekiel, stay over here and do your parents a favor and don''t get out of this caravan. I''m going to battle over there. I can''t believe your father is having fun without me! This guy didn''t even ask for my help even though he''s at a disadvantage. Hmph! I won''t let your father hog all the enjoyment to himself. I''ll go out, just stay here and watch. I''ll let you see how good your parents are!" Catherine also had the same mentality as his husband. She also loved battles, and as someone who grew up in this environment, life and death battles seem to be a casual thing for her. When his mother left, Zeke felt worried and nervous. What if someone comes to the carriage and do something with him? ''Godfuckingdamnit, what the hell is really happening outside? Why''d mother and father left me here?'' Zeke slightly opened the curtains, and what he saw made him feel excited. He was currently seeing a battle with adventurers and black-clothed men, and both sides seem to be in a stalemate. When he looked more to the right, he saw his father burning with his spear. Zeke instantly became worried and scared, but when he saw his father''s ferocious but smiling face, his worries instantly got cleared. He still can''t stop himself from shivering as he looked at his father''s current appearance. To Zeke, his father looked like an apex predator hunting his prey. With vertical-slit pupils and two slightly long horns, accompanied by the blue fire as well as a faint image of a dragon''s head around him, Charles really looked very intimidating for Zeke. He checked the CPs of his father''s enemies and found out that the two men on the sides measure 3500 CP while the guy his father''s fighting directly measured almost 4000 CP! Zeke didn''t expect to meet someone near his parents'' combat power. What made him more amazed was the fact that his father could take on all three of them, albeit with a slight disadvantage. He then saw his mother suddenly change her clothes. Her casual attire was replaced with a Hat resembling a witch''s hat, a leather light armor, and a long staff in her right hand. The staff looked really magnificent as the tip resembled a dragon head while the body is adorned with intricate carvings of dragons. Her mother''s plain-looking armor and hat seemed inappropriate for the flashy weapon she''s holding. "Water Manipulation." Suddenly, his mother stood above a small wave of water. "Sea Dragon''s Wrath!" From Catherine''s wand, a burst of water came out and charged towards the two people fighting Charles on the sides. While traveling, the water changed into a dragon that looked like a snake that had a dragon''s head. The two men, having noticed a surge of mana coming towards them, suddenly leaped back and coated their weapons with mana. They proceeded to block Catherine''s spell but they seem a bit exhausted after doing so. "Shit! I didn''t know his wife''s already that powerful. I thought she was just a weakling, but her strength is surprisingly almost equal to his piece of shit husband!" The attack they received earlier burnt almost half of their mana pool. It meant that another one of that attack could deplete their mana supply, leaving them vulnerable and useless in the battle against Charles. "Thanks, hun! Although I didn''t need it, you lessened my burdens. Let me deal with this guy myself!" "Hmph! Do you think you''re the only one who can have fun? No I won''t allow you! Enhanced Glacial Spear!" Catherine suddenly launched an ice spear towards the man her husband''s fighting. Seeing the ice spear in his peripheral view, the man quickly stepped back and evaded the spear. However, by doing so, Charles found an opportunity and stabbed his spear towards the man''s shoulder. Catherine''s Glacial Spear didn''t stop, but instead continued flying towards one of the two black-clothed men behind. "AHHHHHHHH IT HURTS!" The one who talked earlier seemed to be the one who got hit by Catherine''s spear. He didn''t notice the spear until his ally dodged it, thus he didn''t prepare a shield enough to withstand the attack. In the end, the spear stabbed through near his shoulder, completely severing his left arm. Blood sprayed and he knelt and screamed in pain. "Imbecile! We could''ve won this if you and your men aren''t idiots and instead did what assassins would do. Now that you are injured, our strength aren''t enough to kill the couple. Retreat!" The strongest black-clothed man amongst them shouted. "What about my squad?!" Although the man is in pain, he still asked his leader about the dozen men under him that''s currently fighting the adventurers. "There''s no time. Let''s leave them and get the hell out of here. This was all your fault anyways, so let them be the sacrifice to atone for your incompetence!" The leader backed off and sprinted towards the other man and pulled out a scroll. "Come over here quick!" The leader unfurled the scroll and chanted an incantation. A circle appeared on the soil under them. The man whose left arm is missing then started running towards them. When the leader looked at the man running towards them, his expression immediately changed and looked at the back of the man. Before the man could go inside the circle, an arrow made of mana suddenly pierced through the man''s chest. The man didn''t know why he stopped but after looking at his chest, he saw a gaping hole and knew he got hit. He then fell on the ground, confusion present in his eyes. "You can''t leave." 18 Betrayal "Apologies, your Majesty." From the forest, a group of four men approached Charles and knelt. These men also wore black clothes, with their eyes the only part visible. The only difference between them and the previous black-clothed men is their red dragon''s head insignia on their left chest. "Get up. Who''s leading this time?" "That would be me, your Majesty." The one in front stood up and bowed. He then removed his headwear and placed his bow and arrow in his back. "General Sanjay Merit, currently leading the Red Dragon Squad 1, reporting!" "You''re the new general?" "Yes, sir! I was picked by Master... no, Sir Lanz to continue his position." "A disciple of my uncle? Interesting. By the way, why are you so late? protocol states that once the signal is received, troops should respond and assist within five minutes." "Reporting to your Majesty, this lowly General didn''t expect them to leave behind less than a dozen assassins. When we were coming from the forest, they ambushed us. There''s no casualties and only two injured, but they delayed us for a minute or two. All of this is my fault, your Majesty! Please punish me as you see fit!" Sanjay knelt down on one knee and lowered his head. "I''m not in the mood for punishing right now. Stand up." "With all due respect sir, according to military law, I need to have a punishment. Please give me one." Charles was surprised by the man''s principled thinking. He really didn''t want to punish the man since it was not his fault and even he didn''t expect the assassins to leave some of their men behind. He pondered for a bit before an idea formed in his mind. "Alright. For your punishment, You shall guard my son thoroughly whenever I call you!" "Y-your Majesty?" Sanjay looked up and met Charles'' gaze. "You heard me. When I need you to, you shall protect my son from any sort of danger. I don''t need you right now so maybe in the future. This is your punishment for your errors. Am I clear?" Sanjay wanted to protest, but when he saw his superior''s gaze, he knew he couldn''t force it. "I understand, your Majesty!" Sanjay stood up and bowed again. "Very good. You all, stand up and help those adventurers. They didn''t know about my identity but the assassins called me your Majesty so they might already know about it. Do your best to satisfy what they want. We don''t want them to spread what happened around here as it will only cause distress to the people." "Understood, your Majesty!" Sanjay and his men went to the adventurers. Earlier, Sanjay ordered some of his men to help the adventurers so right now, the adventurers sat on the ground and tried to process what happened to them. "Fellow Adventurers, I''m sure you''re curious as to what happened, so I''ll let you in on the situation. The client you guys are escorting is a bit special and he said he didn''t want the events that happened here to go out. Is this enough for you all?" Sanjay reached out a sack full of gold coins to them. The amount is almost ten times the amount they''re supposed to get paid, so they didn''t have any complaints about it. Besides, they did jobs like these knowing that their life is on the line, so even if they''re unsatisfied, they couldn''t blame the one who requested it as they were the ones who accepted it. It also explained why the reward money is too good to be true for a C-ranked Quest. One of them stood up and approached Sanjay. "Can I ask something?" "Yes. You deserve the information so as long as it is allowed, I''ll tell you what you want to know." "One of the fuckers mentioned something about your Majesty. Is it..." "Yes, it is as you think. However, I trust that no one talks about anything related to this anymore? His Majesty doesn''t want to alarm the public, and assassinations like this would damage the morale of the people. Do you and your fellow adventurers understand?" "Yes! If word of this comes out, the morale of the enemies should soar! Everyone, let''s swear not to talk about this ever again!" The adventurer who stood up looked at his fellow adventurers with solemn eyes. "Yes, we understand. We definitely don''t want to antagonize the Royal Family. I swear on my family name that I will never talk about this ever again or else I''ll die a miserable death!" "I swear..." All of them swore not to talk about the incident. After all of them, the one who asked the question earlier asked again. "Why didn''t you increase the difficulty of the quest then? Knowing that the Royal Family is involved, this should''ve been an A or even an A+ Quest! That way, the adventurers who will escort should hold on well against that kind of assassination attempt. Why the lower difficulty quest?" "You don''t understand. This escort mission should''ve been safe as nobody knows that the Royal Family are the clients. This should''ve been a safe journey so long as people don''t know the clients. If the quest mentioned anything about the Royal Family, it''ll probably cause a huge uproar, alerting more enemies. That way, more and more enemies will plot against this caravan, and those enemies are without a doubt much stronger and more mysterious. Besides, do you think the public won''t mind about why the Royal Family is in this small town when they should''ve been guarded in the city? Alright, that''s all I can say. Speculate all you want. Any more questions?" Sanjay lightly smiled and looked at the other adventurers. Nobody asked another question. They were too shocked by what Sanjay said. Indeed, a publicized escort mission would result in stronger and unpredictable enemies. Sometimes it''s better to do it lowkey and this is the preferable scenario if a Royal Family wants to travel from a small town. They also thought about how the assassins knew the clients. From what they heard, this should''ve been a safe journey, which means nobody but only a few people should know about this. In this case, there''s only one possibility: one of the few people who knew about it leaked it to their enemies. It turned out that it was indeed an act of a spy. When one of Sanjay''s men examined the body of the black-clothed man that Sanjay killed, he found out that the face looked familiar. Since the assassins wore a mask coated with mana to prevent leaking their identities, no one, even Charles himself, knew the attackers. Now that the man took off the mask, he found the face pretty familiar. "Reporting to your Majesty! I looked into the one leader killed and I find the man''s face familiar. Maybe your Majesty knows." "Familiar? Let''s see." Charles went close to the corpse and looked at the face. "It''s him? this bastard!" Charles narrowed his eyes. "Why, hun?" Catherine went closer and when she saw the face, her expression contorted. "This is that damn noisy Duke! Duke Cameron! To think he would betray the council! Hmph!" "Indeed. Even though our opinions are always clashing, I never thought he''d betray us. We need to investigate all his close contacts right away. General Sanjay!" Charles yelled Sanjay''s name. "You called, your Majesty?" "Get one or two of your trusted men to deliver this letter to the council. Tell them to share it only to the Grand Dukes. Dukes and lower nobles should not know about this!" Charles tore a piece of his upper clothing and using his fingers, started writing something. He then gave it to Sanjay. "This is urgent!" "As you wish, your Majesty." Sanjay bowed and went to his two most trusted subordinates. "Hun, the Cameron family should be investigated!" 19 A Chea "Of course, but we not without the permission and supervision of the council. If they''ll be investigated right now, the public and those loyal to their family would notice. It will only harm the reputation of nobles, so although that''s what I want too, we need to know the council''s plan. I suggested in my note to investigate them secretly, I hope the elders will do the right thing." Zeke, who was currently looking at his parents'' expressions, felt that something''s wrong. He''d never seen his mother''s angry expression before, but after coming close to the man killed by Sanjay, his mother''s expression instantly turned into anger. He knew that his mother would never be angry for simple reasons, so what they saw should be big or severe. He then surveyed the aftermath of the battle. Aside from the man Sanjay killed, the other dozen assassins who were fighting the adventurers also laid dead. When Zeke looked at the corpses as well as a detached head far away from the battle, he felt the need to vomit. He hurriedly looked away from the dead. Zeke didn''t think he''d vomit from seeing that. He didn''t know if it as a psychological reaction or his body''s. He then realized that it was his first time seeing dead people but he wondered why he didn''t have a strong reaction towards that. If it were him back on Earth, he''ll surely freak out and scream like a little girl. But now, even when there''s multiple dead bodies as well as a lot of blood, he didn''t feel the need to scream anymore. Although there''s still the need to vomit, it was considered very light compared to what Zeke might feel if he saw it on Earth. "Catherine, go back and make sure Charles never sees this. Let''s make sure not traumatize the boy, eh?" "Traumatize? Don''t you think it''s good for him to see reality at a young age?" "Cath, he''s not even a year old! I agree that he should see it at a young age, but not as young as this!" "Hmmm... I see. I''m sorry for snapping. I''ll make sure he won''t go out." "Thanks for understanding, Cath." Charles smiled. ''Don''t worry mother, I see it well enough. This life, I won''t die easily!'' Instead of being down, Zeke seems much more pumped up now as his desire to get strong became stronger too. Back in the caravan, Zeke didn''t bother about it anymore and started meditating. Out of his excitement, he decided to try absorbing the other colored mana particles. He once heard from his father that trying to absorb the colored mana particles while not having a mana core is tantamount to wasting time. His father said that these colored mana particles are supposed to be absorbed by magicians who already have their mana core as these particles vary by element. Each color represents an element, so trying to absorb them while not having a mana core is pointless and impossible, as certain colored particles are only absorbed by people with matching elements. Nevertheless, it wouldn''t hurt so Zeke tried it. He saw a small red mana particle lying near him and willed it to go to him. An unthinkable event happened. The red mana particle actually went close to Zeke! But before entering Zeke''s body, he saw the red mana particle slowly turn into white and made its way towards Zeke''s abdomen. Zeke was surprised and a bit worried. He didn''t know what happened because he didn''t even feel much exhaustion after absorbing it, so his worries are valid. Normally, he would feel his mind get tired after a single mana particle, but absorbing the red one not only reduced his mind''s burden, it was also significantly faster to absorb than white ones. He then tried to absorb the other mana particles one by one. He found out that he was actually capable of absorbing every mana particle and it is significantly faster than absorbing the white ones. He didn''t think about any repercussions as he noticed that every mana particle got converted into white before they enter his body. He also guessed that this should normally be impossible since even his father didn''t know about this. He decided to keep it a secret first to not alarm his father about it. He worried his father will prohibit him from meditating if he knew this seemingly impossible way of absorbing mana. ''This is almost 5x the speed than by absorbing the white ones. Sweet!'' Zeke noticed that although the colored particles were faster to absorb, he felt that the quantity of mana is also lesser than that of the white ones. Nevertheless, since he can absorb lots of it in a short amount of time, the quantity of mana in a white particle got beaten by the lesser but more in quantity colored particles. When Catherine got inside, she saw her son sitting cross-legged in his seat. She thought Zeke didn''t see nor mind the commotion outside and just decided to meditate, so she felt relieved knowing her son didn''t witness a gruesome scene. Their trip then continued but with the new addition of Sanjay''s squad nearby. Charles offered to let them join in their trip as ''adventurers'' but Sanjay insisted to guard in the shadows. He only picked two of his men to take the place of the two deceased adventurers in the meantime. Along the way, Zeke meditated only for an hour to prevent his parents from suspecting something. When he had nothing to do, he would pick up a book from the shop and read it. It could be said that no time was wasted by Zeke. If their group didn''t travel, he''d meditate and absorb mana, and if his parents knew an hour was up, he would go inside the tent and read some books. After a few days of absorbing the elemental mana particles, Zeke felt some progress in his mana core. Albeit minuscule, it increased his confidence in completing his progression quest. After a few more days, the caravan arrived outside a city covered with high walls and a big arch door. There was a line of people waiting outside the big door in front of what seem to be guards. Above the arch door lay a big iron sign coated with mana. "Dragonsoar City" 20 Palace Dragonsoar City Zeke''s caravan approached but didn''t join the long line of people. Instead, they stop a bit closer to the guards beside the line of people. "Hey! No cutting!" "Didn''t you say earlier that people will be treated equally here? What''s happening now?" "Quiet!" The guard in charge of checking identities bellowed, then glared at the people who shouted complaints. He then looked toward the adventurer who''s closing in on him. "What''s the matter? Spit it out!" The adventurer didn''t react. He then whispered a few words to the guard then came back in front of the caravan. Hearing what the adventurer said, the guard repeatedly mumbled it in his mind and after a few seconds, he suddenly remembered something. His expression turned from a sour one to a respectful one. Seeing the usually stern guard look like he found a treasure, the people in line couldn''t help but wonder what the adventurer said to him. In fact, the adventurer only relayed the words Sanjay told him to. Sanjay said that when the guard hears his words, the guards will immediately understand. "Make way! Make way! A caravan''s passing by! Open the doors!" The guard shouted and looked towards his fellow guards at the back. He signaled with his hand to indicate that this caravan is something special and simple. When the other guards got the signal, they immediately adjusted their posture and didn''t dare delay any longer. Zeke''s caravan went along and before they could get in, the guard didn''t forget to greet them "Welcome to Dragonsoar City, Dragon Nobles!" The guard then respectfully bowed before going back to his usual cold demeanor. As the big arch door opened, Zeke could see in front of them a bustling scene of people conversing with each other. Some adventurers are out on the streets while there are also people who sell near the entrance. Zeke''s caravan went on and on until they made it in front of a very big luxurious house. This house seemed almost 10x bigger than any other house in the city and it was also surrounded with walls higher than 2 humans stacked. They were greeted by a garden on their left and right while the stone pavement their caravan was currently traversing on made Zeke feel like he''s in an ancient era. Although he knew this world isn''t advanced in terms of technology, it''s still a different take when Zeke felt the old-fashioned designs personally. Their caravan stopped in front of a big mansion, one that could even fill almost a thousand or more guests. They were then welcomed by an old man dressed as a butler. "Greetings, your Majesties. I take it your trip didn''t go as smooth as planned so I figured I''ll send you on your way and conduct the tour tomorrow." Charles and Catherine went out of the caravan and talked for a bit before Catherine fetched Zeke from inside. "No need for formalities, Esteban. Just call us Charles or Catherine when we''re alone. Thank you for your consideration, we indeed had a little fight along the way and I wanted to rest in a good bed for a while now. Take us in, then." "Yes, Charles. How was your vacation? You should know that we still cleaned your rooms even after you left. The maids were a little sad about your departure so they had to have something to do while you two are gone." Esteban, the butler, seemed like he was a long-time work partner of Zeke''s father. "*Sigh*, thank you and the maids for your diligence. Unfortunately, I don''t think we''re going back there for the time being. We still have years left on our time off and I don''t plan on working much until it ends. As for our vacation, yes. It''s been very peaceful in that village and although I didn''t have any friends there, the atmosphere there feels much more peaceful than that of our imperial capital. Although I am not fond of kids, taking care of my son feels much more fun than I thought." Charles smiled and look at his son, Joy written on his eyes. Esteban saw this and formed a smile as if he''s also happy for his superior''s happiness. "I see, offsprings really bring out the human inside people, you know? It''s a good change from your previous behavior, no?" "What do you mean? I''m still the same workaholic you know. It''s just that work has been reduced ever since then and I didn''t have anything to do so I felt it would be good if I spend it on our son. Who knows when we''ll get quality time like this after the 4 years?" "I agree with you. Well, I hope Zeke won''t take it too hard if he suddenly had no bonding time with his parents when that day comes." "I am sure he won''t act that way. He''s much more mature than you see, you know?" "Oh really?" "Yes. I''ll tell you about it later but for the time being, I must admit I''m quite surprised to see you here. Did the elders sent you?" "Yes and No. I was indeed sent by the elders, but that was because I and the other maids insisted. We plead to them that wherever our master resides, we should take the menial tasks from them and do it in their place." "That''s really surprising. So the other maids... are they in here?" "Yes, although some of them were left there to take care of the rooms. They will be switched out later on so I guess after a few months all maids should be here?" "Great. It''s not that I don''t want to deal with strangers right now, but I prefer my old acquaintances rather than some new people. It''s good to see you again, Esteban!" "So am I, Charles. Also, I will lead you to your quarters now." Esteban signaled some maids and helpers to carry their bags. "Oh, before anything else, please take care of the adventurers that sent us here, Esteban. Give them compensation for treating us kindly. Sanjay gave some gold to them, but I figured it wouldn''t hurt to know some trusted adventurers, you know?" Charles blinked his eye to Esteban. Esteban seemed to have received an order as he solemnly replied. "Yes. Please wait here for a moment. I''ll be right back in a minute after handling this, so please don''t wander off." Esteban left and after a minute or two, he came back. "Now that that is dealt with, let''s continue our tour. Before all that, let me tell you something about this place. This was originally called Dragonsoar Palace back in the day as their royalty resided here. After the great war ended, the Humans abandoned this and went on to their new place we now call the Human Continent nowadays. The council found this after scavenging this land, and they figured it''d be a good place for a city so they rebuilt the outer part of the palace and kept some old designs in the inner. They also advertised the place and after a few years, here we go! Dragonsoar City, the city only second to the Imperial Capital in terms of population!" "Interesting, but why do I feel as if this place is too big for just us?" "You''re quite right about that. If you have noticed, we''re only currently touring the garden and the front part of the palace. Let''s go inside and I''ll explain on the way there." As Esteban pushed open a big door, they were suddenly greeted by a hallway. Across their view was an open field, not a room like they were expecting. "You see, this palace has quite some features of a castle. Although it is a palace, there are some defensive measures that were installed in here but it wasn''t enough to call the place a castle. The previous owner maybe couldn''t decide between royalty or security, so he might have gone with both. This resulted in a palace-like place but with some features of a castle. As you can see, the palace has an inner ward, while there are also quite a number of watchtowers in the vicinity of the outer wall. This security might not be enough for the previous inhabitants, but coupled with our magic capabilities, these defensive measures are enough for us to hold out in a siege. Also, you were right in that this place is too big for us, so the council decided to have this whole palace as a place for the four royal families." Hearing this, Charles'' ears pricked up. "You mean my friends are going to be living here too?" "That''s right. your three other friends have been here for almost a week now, and the latest among them, sir Gradavar, arrive three days ago. You are the latest of them." Esteban smiled. "Fuck! Did they get to pick their place here?" "No, the council did all the work. The way this palace is divided, each side will have a family. The Terraforma Family was assigned in the front part of the palace, as they could be considered the vanguard of the four families when it comes to territories. The left and right part belongs to the Hydrofrost and Featherflight Families respectively. Your Family resides in the back part of the Palace." "Hmmm.. not bad. At the very least we''re at the back in case of enemy attacks.... but no, the exit would be farther from us, so this is a con...." Charles grumbled while Esteban looked at his master and smiled as if he knew why Charles weighed the pros and cons. "I must say, for a simple house arrangement you sure are a bit antsy, hun." Catherine lightly pinched Charles as he woke up from his grumblings. "People should always count how many advantages they get and how many disadvantages they have to endure. This is common noble teaching, Cath. I feel like you skipped class a lot, huh. You should.... ouch!" In the middle of his ''awe-inspiring'' speech, Cath pinched him again, this time a bit stronger. "What did you say? Are you implying I''m not listening to the noble teachings?" "No.. it''s not that.. ouch! Stop it!" "Hmph! Forget it. I want to rest. Esteban, can you take us to our part of the house now?" Esteban smiled at his master''s banters. "Sure, Catherine. Do you mind if I call you that?" "You always do it back then, why are you only asking now? Would you stop if I said no?" "No, hehe." Esteban lightly laughed while leading them to their quarters. Zeke, who was in Catherine''s embrace for the whole time, was looking around at this grandiose place he and his family will be living starting now. 21 Unprecedented On the first day, Esteban toured them around the palace where Charles ended up having a drink with his three sworn brothers at night along with the wives discussing motherly things. The three daughters accompanied their mother and sat on their lap while Zeke, being a rebellious kid that he is, asked his parents to let him sleep early and not accompany them. Of course, Zeke didn''t sleep but instead meditated. After an hour of absorbing mana, he went on to read books from the System''s shop. A quick 2 years have passed since Zeke and his family moved to the Dragonsoar Palace. Zeke spent most of the time meditating and reading books. He practically didn''t care about going out much as he already had himself a room after turning a year old. After waking up, he would go to his father after breakfast to ask him about the world and about mana absorbing. He also asked his father about certain standards of the world. His father said vague words but he learned that forming someone''s mana core usually starts at 3 years old. Some Nobilities and Royalties sometimes start forming their own at 2 or even a year old sometimes. This is to have a headstart and also because the 3-years-old measure only applied to the common folk. As nobilities and royalties, they possess deep knowledge and resources and add to that an inborn physique that''s naturally much better at storing mana than normal people. Actually, the reason some people and family are called nobilities is that their mana capacity exceeds others by a high degree. As for the dragon nobilities like Zeke, their mana cores can hold the same amount of body as human and demon nobles, but as soon as their mana core transforms into a dragon core, their mana pool will become bigger but their elemental affinities will also trigger. This means that although Dragonborns have higher mana capacity than all others, their affinity with elements will also narrow down. This means that if a person''s natural affinity is Water, he/she would have a harder time to conjure spells of other elements. Humans and Demons also have these restrictions, but they''re to as strict as that of Dragonborns. His father also told him that after people usually successfully form their mana core at around the age of 7 or 8. Zeke asked why it takes so long but his father only said that forming the mana core is much much harder than just absorbing mana as the body is still free of mana and thus, forming a mana core to a body who originally doesn''t have mana takes time. Besides, they also need to only absorb the white mana particles or particles that have no element. Their body would reject the elemental mana particles as magicians will only know their affinity after forming their core. As Zeke all heard these words, he naturally became excited but slightly disappointed. He didn''t want to only have a single element to focus on because for him, having only one element presents flaws on their combat power. He didn''t want to become a fire magician only to get bodied by a water magician. He put all his worries aside as he realized he still has a lot of time. He started forming his core at a young age of less than a year old when even nobilities at that age are still learning how to walk, so he should be in a very big headstart now. He decided to deal with his worries when they come to them in the future instead of mulling over it now. At the end of the 2 years, Zeke was now 2 and 3/4 years old. His hair grew quite a bit, two small horn protruded on the sides of his head just like his father, and his physique is mysteriously different from his view of 3-year-olds. He noticed that his body seemed like he''s already 4 to 5 years old. He compared his height with his three childhood friends and noticed that their bodies are also unfit for their age. He asked his father about it and it turns out Dragonborns mature faster than others while also living longer than other species besides the Elves. As for the other information he wants, he decided not to ask more as his father might get suspicious of him asking too much. Today, Zeke was doing his usual routine of meditating before breakfast. As he was guiding a mana particle to his abdomen, he suddenly felt his abdomen heat up. It wasn''t a painful heat, but it definitely alerted Zeke. He shouted his Father''s name in panic as he didn''t know why this is happening. He thought it was a repercussion for him absorbing the wrong mana particles. Since Charles didn''t have any work, he lived a peaceful life inside the palace. He was also casually drinking with his fellow brothers who also had nothing much to do. At this very morning, he was practicing a set of fist techniques outside when he heard his son scream his name. He didn''t know what happened but he could feel the panic in his son''s voice. He didn''t hesitate and ran towards Zeke''s room. Catherine was tending their garden in the front of the palace so she didn''t hear Zeke''s scream. Charles barged in Zeke''s room and when he saw Zeke, he heaved a sigh of relief. "What happened, son? Why are you screaming this early? Also, shouldn''t you be sleeping right now?" "Dad, I''ll explain later. I was meditating this morning when suddenly after I managed to guide in a mana particle, my stomach suddenly went hot. It''s not painful Dad, but it''s definitely uncomfortable! Dad, do you know anything about this?" Hearing Zeke''s reply, Charles was deeply shocked. He could only think of one thing about Zeke''s current situation, and that is the mana core''s final forming phase. He was so shocked that he didn''t realize his jaw dropped. Actually, anyone who heard this would basically be shocked stiff. There was never a case in the annals of history that Charles read about someone forming a core at this young age. People at this age are expected to only barely start forming their core, while his son''s already on the verge of forming one! Charles lightly coughed to hide his shock. "A-are you sure, son? Do you really feel that way?" "Why would I be joking with you about this, Father?! I really don''t know what''s happening, is this bad?" Zeke noticed the change of expression of his father wasn''t that of the negative side. His father''s surprise even came with a bit of excitement, so he realized that this phenomenon shouldn''t be harmful to his body but instead is beneficial to him. Although he knew about it, he feigned ignorance to perfectly act like someone panicking. "Well, this is unprecedented. Son, what you are experiencing right now is the slight discomfort of your core forming. This means that what you''re experiencing should be the final stage of mana core forming. Your abdomen is too saturated with mana that it needs to do something to store all these. Your body''s reaction is then to form a core made of mana not only to calm the mana but to also have a storage for the future mana particles. Son, you are the very first person in history to have a mana core this early in your life!" "Really?" Although Zeke knew about it a while ago, he still feigned his surprise and joy. "Am I a genius now, Father? How am I compared to others?" Zeke smiled while enduring the heat in his stomach. "Silly kid! You even joked about this! I must admit, you really are the only person I know who achieved this. Even the daughters of my buddies weren''t capable of this feat even if they had the guidance of their parents. I don''t know how you did it, but I''m proud of you son. Don''t worry, I''ll guard outside and calm the others." Charles smiled, stood, and then walked to the door. "What? Calm the others? What''s going to happen?" Zeke, although still excited, felt slight fear for his life. 22 Mana Core..? As soon as Charles left the room, Zeke lost his vision. Soon after that, he also lost his other senses. He seemed to have entered a state where his five senses are sealed but the body is still conscious. Zeke''s vision changed from pitch black to having a colorful ball in the middle. Zeke felt like it isn''t his vision from his eyes but rather his vision inside his body. He was now looking at his own mana core. His mana core isn''t white but rather a myriad of colors. Red, Blue, Black, and many other colors were seen inside the ball-shaped mana. Zeke watched as his mana core slowly formed. He didn''t know how but he could clearly see the different colored mana particles slowly attaching themselves to each other. Outside, Charles ordered their maids to not go near Zeke''s room. He then watched Zeke''s room nearby along with Esteban, who looks puzzled as he didn''t know why his master suddenly didn''t want them near his son''s room. Since Charles trusted Esteban, he spilled the truth to him. Esteban, like Charles, was slack-jawed, and he couldn''t just believe what''s happening to his master''s son. He then asked Charles about the time when Zeke started his core formation and he was met with almost the same shock as earlier due to the early age his master''s son started. He didn''t know how a half a year old baby understood his father''s instruction especially when it was about absorbing mana. Charles explained some things to Esteban such as the incident with Zeke back at the plaza. and how self-taught his kid is. Minutes passed, and it was already near an hour since Zeke''s phenomenon started. Catherine was also going back, and when she went in, Charles and Esteban quickly dragged him near Zeke''s room and explained to her what was happening. Like both of them, Catherine also couldn''t hide her shock. In fact, even if Zeke started at an early age, he should''ve still not achieved this this early. By estimation, Zeke will form his mana core by the age of 6 or even 5. This is according to their estimation that Zeke will meditate at least an hour every day to 3 to 3 1/2 hours tops. To achieve this kind of speed, Zeke must''ve meditated at least 9 or even 10 hours, but they knew that it''s impossible for him to do it since his soul isn''t THAT strong. At most, Zeke could meditate for 3 hours continuously per day. Even though they''re worried about Zeke''s abnormal meditating hours, they were much more shocked that their son could even meditate that long. Is he that abnormal? Their assumptions were far from it, but it was still valid considering they didn''t know that Zeke absorbed the elemental particles instead of the pure mana particles. They knew absorbing colored particles are easier since it has affinities but they didn''t think of it as they already ruled it out as impossible in the back of their mind. Zeke could only meditate for 5 hours to 6 hours tops but with the quantity of mana he absorbed much bigger than a session absorbing white mana particles, it was no wonder Zeke managed to form his core this early. The trio continued chatting for a while before an earthquake was suddenly felt. The magnitude isn''t that high, but it was enough for them to notice. Also, the earthquake seems to only strike their part of the palace as their surroundings are peaceful just like a normal morning. The door to Zeke''s room suddenly got pushed out, alerting the trio. Charles went first and looked inside Zeke''s room, followed by Catherine and Esteban. There, they saw something they didn''t think they''d see in their lifetimes, as it was just too absurd. Zeke''s body couldn''t be seen as the position he was in was currently inside a ball of wind. The wind wasn''t a transparent one so Zeke''s form couldn''t be seen. However, As the trio looked at the ball of air, they noticed to their surprise that there were also tiny bits of blaze as well as droplets of water. These droplets of water swirled along with the wind and occupied half of the ball, while flames occupied the other half. It seemed like the three elements merged and in harmony with Zeke''s mana core as they orbited around Zeke. Not too long after, The floor underneath Zeke broke into pieces and small rocks suddenly rose and joined the three elements. The current scene inside Zeke''s room was too messy that the trio took steps backward as they felt the terrifying amount of mana swirling around Zeke. "W-what is this..." Esteban couldn''t make up the words to say as he was too dumbfounded by this sight. "Hun, are you sure you didn''t teach some sort of forbidden art to our son?! Why''s this happening? You''re the one assigned to his mana core, right? What the hell did you teach him?" Charles scratched his head, indicating he too didn''t know about it. "I swear on my heart demon that I didn''t teach Zeke anything out of the ordinary. I only taught him the absolute basics behind absorbing mana. Also, why do you think I''d teach my son some sort of forbidden art that might hurt him?" "T-then... What''s happening then?" "I don''t know too. Fire, Earth, Water, Wind... that''s already the four elements. Just what the hell did Zeke do?" "Is he a quadra-elemental then?!" Esteban shouted, a bit excited. "Shush! Now''s a crucial time. Let''s get far away from here. The mana''s surging and I don''t want to get swept by the explosion." "I agree on that, Charles. Let''s get far away for a bit. Also, what should we tell the other three families about this?" The trio went back to the living room a few meters away from Zeke''s room. Esteban''s question got Charles thinking. After a few seconds, Charles looked like a bulb lit up in his head. He looked at his wife and showed a shrewd smile. Catherine seems to know what the smile means, but she couldn''t bring herself to join in her husband''s shenanigans so she just focused on Zeke''s room. A few seconds later, a strong gale went out of Zeke''s room and smashed towards the trio. Although they weren''t hurt, they could clearly feel that the wind didn''t only contain a force enough to push people, but it''s also alternating in temperature, from slightly hot to slightly cold that it could cause discomfort to people hit by it. The gale kept surging out of the room and after a few seconds, a bang resounded. The roof of Zeke''s room suddenly blew up, the earth beneath him cracked and the walls got filled with deep scratches. Zeke''s figure is in the center of it all with his eyes still closed. Zeke didn''t know what''s happening outside and he was just so mesmerized by the process of his mana core. The mana particles, regardless of their color, attached to each other and all of it formed a big ball. The ball contained a myriad of colors, and Zeke felt amazed by how a thing could contain so many colors and still show each and every one of it vividly. Suddenly, his vision went black and an interface appeared in his view. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progressive Quest "System Upgrade II" Complete! Rewards: 10xp System Upgrade (New Features available) Access to quest "System Upgrade III" Skill Tome *Bonus Rewards for fulfilling certain conditions ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª 23 AI ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progressive Quest "System Upgrade II" Complete! Rewards: 10xp System Upgrade (New Features available) Access to quest "System Upgrade III" Skill Tome *Bonus Rewards for fulfilling certain conditions ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Not long after that, another interface popped up. Zeke now had two interfaces at the same time. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Bonus Rewards for fulfilling certain conditions -Formed a perfect mana core. Rewards: 10xp Active Skill: Aura Title: Perfect Mana Core User -Completed the quest with a month or more left before the deadline. Rewards: Skill Tome +10 all stats ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zeke was excited about all of the rewards. All in all, he got 20xp, bringing his total xp to 35/100. He also got a skill and a title. Although Zeke knew he got +10 in his stats, he didn''t feel anything change in his body. He then stopped bothering about it and checked his Profile. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 2 3/4 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Str: 11 Agi: 11 End: 11 Int: 70 CP: 10 Skills: Aura |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| He was going to start wondering about the new features when he suddenly got a surge of new information in his head as well as an interface appearing in his view. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª System upgraded to LVL 2 New Features: -Automated System -Skill section -New Quests Would you like to activate Automated System? Y/N ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zeke was overwhelmed by his new gains but he pressed Yes. After a few seconds, to Zeke''s surprise, a voice resounded in his head. *Startup complete. Integrating System Data to Memory complete. Voice Recognition complete. Access to Pandora''s knowledge complete. Hello, Zeke.* ''What the fuck?'' Zeke was surprised about the voice since the voice mentioned his name. However, after thinking about it, he remembered it was the name he picked when the system first asked him back then. Zeke then tried to communicate with it. ''Uh, hello?'' *Hi, Zeke.* ''Oh, sweet. What can I call you?'' *My creator, Pandora, called me System. Pleased to meet you, Zeke.* Zeke wondered how intelligent this AI is. ''Alright. What can you do then, System? and what exactly are you?'' *I serve as the guide for the chosen Champion of my creator, Pandora. As for my use and purpose, Mr. Pandora stated that I am here to answer the questions his chosen Champion poses. I am also here to ease up Mr. Pandora''s champion regarding the use of the system.* Zeke understood now. The voice''s reply made Zeke think of his previous world. On Earth, there also exist some AI which understood human speech and acts on their own. Perhaps the one he''s talking to right now is like one of them. ''To make my life easier, huh? Alright, can I ask a question, System?'' *Yes, Zeke.* The voice replied in a monotonous tone. Zeke tried to sort out everything he knew and tried to ask the System about itself. ''Well, I noticed my Intelligence is 70 while the other stats are only 11. I know why it''s 11 but I wonder why my Int is 70?'' *Int is currently 70 because of your mana core, your titles and previous knowledge from books you read. Having a perfect mana core raised it by 30 while the knowledge you gained from the books read amounted to 10, while the remaining 30 is from your titles, thus adding up to 70.* ''So raising my knowledge about this world also increases my mana too?'' *Yes, Zeke. Gaining and learning new information adds to my memory logs while also increasing your mana count. Another benefit is it can also help you learn skills with enough information. This is one of the features that only the champion of Mr. Pandora enjoys.* ''Can you tell me why that is?'' *I''m sorry, but I do not know the answer for that.* ''Alright. Can you tell me about my titles?'' *Yes, Zeke. The Otherworlder title gives the holder an enormous mana pool larger than this world''s inhabitants, and Enhanced Mana Regeneration. Unrestrained gives the holder a literal unrestrained body. The racial characteristics, particularly the negatives, are null as well as bloodline characteristics. There are also no bottlenecks regarding advancing in masteries, skills, and mana core. The holder enjoys the advantages of their race and bloodline while ignoring the negatives. This title is personally made by Mr. Pandora according to your ''wish'' he says. Pandora''s Champion gives the holder access to the system as well as Extra Lives that are obtainable later on. The Champions of Deities don''t easily die, and Mr. Pandora''s champion is included in this. Currently, the number of total extra lives is 1. Perfect Mana Core User gives the holder an automatic absorbing and refining of mana for the sake of advancing. It also gives the user full access to all the elements, as well as stronger attacks due to higher affection to affinities. Undying gives the holder superhuman regenerative power when out of combat, as well as immunity to any kind of poison and illusions as well as mind controls. Crowd-control effects are only 50% effective if the enemy is on par to or lower your CP. This effect won''t work on opponents that are too stronger than you.* Hearing all these titles that have their own effects, Zeke was shocked. He noticed the passives of all his titles, and even from one look, anyone could see that all these passives are absurd. ''I understand. I underestimated that old man. I didn''t expect him to give me such fraudulent abilities.'' *Yes, Zeke. Creating skills cost too much mana, and add to that the effects of the created skills, Mr. Pandora exerted almost 90% of his mana pool in order to create all these for you.* The system seemed to misunderstand what Zeke thought. Zeke didn''t want any of this, but the deity still gave him all this just because he wanted to live a ''fun'' life. He shuddered after thinking about how much is 90% of a deity''s mana. ''System, if you were to compare me with my peers, how would you rate me?'' *Just solely based on stats, you are in the pinnacle of your peers. Children at the same age range will only have less than 10 of all stats, yet you already have more than that along with a mana core that''s only possible after a year of cultivating.* ''Really? Then it''s all thanks to the system then. By the way, would it be appropriate to address you like you are the whole system?'' *Yes, Zeke. The whole system is managed by me. You could say I''m the talking mainframe of the system.* ''Alright, looks like we''ll be together for a long time. Let''s get well together then!'' *Yes, Zeke. I''m also happy with having a sensible user.* The normally monotonous voice revealed a happy tone for a second. ''By the way, what''s the skill tomes about?'' *Skill tomes are book consumables that allow the user to quickly learn the skill''s basic elements and fundamentals. This can apply to any and all skills but not applicable to masteries.* ''Masteries? What''s that?'' *Masteries are levels that determine how skilled you are in a certain aspect. At your current form, I''m afraid this is still far for you. Although you have a quest related to that, I highly suggest you not start it at your current age as it will only burden you further.* ''Alright then. I guess I should take one step at a time. Do you think using a skill tome right now is good?'' *Yes, Zeke. Skill tomes add are good for you since it''ll help you get a skill early and skip the hard training for it. It doesn''t excuse you in learning the fundamentals though.* 24 Skill Tome Zeke decided to use the two skill tomes he got as a reward. ''System, how exactly do I use these?'' *The skill tomes act like consumables, Zeke. Once you use one, it will disappear forever. The skill you''re going to get in skill tomes can sometimes be the one I see most suited to you or just random skills fit for the current you. The skill tomes also vary with rarity, but right now, the skill tomes you have will provide you skills that I deem suitable for the current you. Also, skills vary with their functions so you won''t always get passive or active skills.* ''Alright, since you say so System. Why don''t you go ahead and use one for me?'' *Yes, Zeke. Opening a skill tome.* After a few seconds, a ding resounded in his head. A new wave of information surged through Zeke''s mind as he hurriedly organized it. *The skill you obtained isn''t exactly a skill, but it''s the fundamentals in handling mana inside your body. The name of it is Mana Circulation. It isn''t exactly a skill but more like a mastery. Since it fits the category, I''ll unlock the mastery section for you.* ''Wow. Can you really do that? I mean, don''t I only unlock sections by completing quests?'' *Not necessarily, Zeke. You only unlock something through quests because you earned it. I can unlock my features to you as long as I... see you fit for it.* The voice paused near the end of the sentence, seemingly swallowed some words it meant to say. ''Alright then. Quick question, why do I not see the next quest in my progressive quest? I remember its something like System Upgrade, right?'' *The current you is unsuitable for it, Zeke.* Zeke felt sad. He didn''t have any more quests to do which meant that he also doesn''t have a goal right now. As if sensing his thoughts, the system spoke. *The progressive quests aren''t the only quests available. There will also be quests depending on the circumstances.* ''Sigh. Alright, I''ll hold on to that. Let''s get back to my skills. Can you explain what my new skill is about?'' *Yes, Zeke. Mana Circulation is the basic fundamental that each magician needs. To use and fire off mana, one needs to know how to circulate it first into parts of the body. For example, to cast a fireball, one needs to guide his/her mana through his/her fingertips. The skill book helped you quickly learn and ingrain the instructions in your head. All you need to do now is to familiarize yourself with the actions.* ''Sweet! I''ll try to use that later on. System, can you use the last skill tome now?'' *Yes, Zeke. Opening a skill tome.* Ding! Another surge of information. *The new skill you obtained is something that I deem suitable for the current you. Its name is Mana Skin. It lets you coat your whole body with mana, enhancing combat capabilities while also having armor to protect the flesh.* ''Hmm? Why a defensive skill?'' *The skill isn''t only a defensive one. As I said, it could also enhance your movements and physical actions, making it a good defensive and offensive skill. I deemed this as a must-have for your age since your body is still weak, and if you encounter an enemy who wants to hurt you, your body wouldn''t last long.* After Zeke heard the system''s explanation, his mind felt cleared as if clouds hovered his mind previously. When he opened the skill tomes, he excitedly wanted an offensive skill, something like Fireball or any cool magic. However, when the System mentioned his body, he realized that his body indeed is fragile at his age. Having the ability to cast an offensive spell might be good, but it will only be good in battle if the user isn''t someone who could be killed by a few hits. The system prioritized his current weakness and assessed his current situation, while Zeke only looked at the future and being cool. ''You''re right. Thanks for the info, System!'' Zeke thanked the system sincerely for giving him a reality check. He realized that this world isn''t some game, and dying here is the same as actual death. At first, he was just excited about having a fun life, but as he witnessed the event regarding their trip to Dragonsoar City, he realized that he could indeed be killed by his naivete in here. It is possible for him to have fun only we he could at the very least protect himself. *No problem, Zeke. It is my duty to guide my user on the right path.* After a few seconds, the system spoke again. *Zeke, your consciousness is going back to your body now. You''re going to wake up in your body within seconds. Remember that you can speak to me by using your thoughts.* ''Huh? Oh.'' Zeke forgot that he was still in his consciousness due to the mana core formation. He didn''t really regain his consciousness long after his mana core formed. Outside his body, Charles and Catherine moved Zeke''s unconscious sitting body into the living room where Catherine and Esteban looked after while Charles ordered the maids to clean the debris. Charles also went outside to inform the guards about the incident so they won''t be alerted. He seemed to have thought of a good idea regarding this. The guard who ran from the nearby post saw Charles and heaved a sigh of relief. "Your Majesty! I heard an explosion coming inside your house. Do you need any help, your Majesty?" "No. Tell the guards not to worry about it. It was just a little experiment of mine. Tell them not to worry as no one got injured and the explosion was controlled. Could you trouble me to watch out for the three families and tell them about the situation? I know they''ll understand it. I''ll be at my house as I still need to rebuild the room. Also, can you call someone to fix the roof?" "Y-yes, your Majesty! I''ll inform the other guards about it and I''ll stay guard here to inform the three Royal Families." "Very good. I''ll reward you later." Charles smiled. A plan seems to be brewing in his mind. Charles went back to the living room full of smiles. Catherine looked at her smiling husband and inquired. "You really plan on fooling those friends of yours?" "It''s not called fooling, Cath. It''s called keeping your cards hidden. Besides, this is just too absurd. What will we tell them then? That our son who isn''t even 3 years already formed his mana core while also being a quadra elemental?" In fact, Charles, Catherine, and Esteban got it all wrong. The trio only saw the outside of the ball of wind, but they didn''t see the insides of it. While the ball of wind showed four elements outside, there was actually bits of mana particles inside that are different colors than the four elements. It was just that the trio couldn''t see it that they assumed Zeke is a quadra elemental magician. If they knew about this fact, their jaws would probably fall off already. Zeke seems not only to have a good affinity with the four elements, but he was also compatible with variant elements too! Variant Elements are elements outside the four main elements. They are either derived from the four, another form of the four, or a whole new different element than the four. For example, Ice could be called a Variant Element as it was derived from the Water Element, while Light and Dark are also variant element as they are entirely separate from the four main elements. Sure enough, after a few minutes, the other three families'' patriarchs went over Charles'' house and inquired about the situation to the guard. The guard explained to the patriarchs and the two of them took the bait. "Experiment? Is it about his damn potions again? Didn''t he already drop his interest in it a long time ago? Why would he suddenly take interest in it again?" Fritz doubted. His suspicion isn''t baseless after all. Charles took an interest in creating potions back when they were teenagers. He would be the one out of the four who would always be seen fiddling with weirdly colored potions with bizarre effects. Of course, some explosions also happened back then, but it was considered harmless because the potions Charles make isn''t supposed to produce a big explosion. But now, Charles'' part of the roof got blown off by his ''potions''. Fritz wondered why the hell would Charles experiment in his house when he clearly had a son inside. Isn''t he placing his son in danger then? "Maybe he just wanted to relive his past hobbies, Fritz. Charles was a weirdo in his teenage days, after all. I could vaguely remember one of his potions back then. It was an aphrodisiac that he made for the sole purpose of picking girls up! He said it would make the girls fall in love with us, but when we tested it, it had no effect! The girls only hated us more because of our ''sour'' drinks. HAHAHAHA what a weird memory!" "Yes, it is as you say, Alc. Maybe brother Charles just wanted to try it again. Or, maybe he really didn''t stop making potions and he just stopped making it publicly? Maybe he was embarrassed with his past failures so he decided to only do it in private?" Grad wondered, innocence seen in his eyes. Fritz was convinced by them. "Maybe he really didn''t stop making potions then. Damn that Charles, did he think we''ll condemn him just because of his failed potions? What did he take us for? Kids?" The trio chatted a bit before going back to their houses to prepare for their respective breakfast. Charles, who was looking at their backs, failed to contain his laughter as he unleashed it loudly. "Oh, these clueless bums! You won''t know what will hit you! HAHAHAHA" 25 Tiers A few minutes later, Zeke opened his eyes. He was baffled because he clearly meditated in his room. Why was he here? "Son, you''re awake!" "Ezekiel!" Catherine hugged Zeke. Zeke was absolutely clueless as to what happened. Nevertheless, he felt touched by his mother''s action as he could clearly sense Catherine''s worry. "Mom? What''s the matter? Why am I here?" Catherine pointed at the direction of Zeke''s room. Zeke looked at the direction and saw a hole instead of the door, while the insides were full of scars. ''What the hell happened when I was out? Is this what my father was on about?'' Charles told Zeke about what happened while he was out. Zeke was surprised about the commotion he caused. ''System, am I really a quadra-elemental magician now?! Does this mean I''m not restricted to a single element like what my Father said?'' *No, Zeke. You are not a quadra-elemental magician.* ''What? But Father told -'' *You are far more than that. The mana core you formed isn''t limited by elements. Its name is Perfect Mana Core for a reason. Your Mana Core doesn''t have any flaws, hence you don''t have any restrictions when it comes to affinities. I am not certain as to why they called you a quadra-elemental, but I am certain that you can control and absorb any and all elements including the variant ones.* Zeke couldn''t bear to believe System''s word as of the moment. His mana core could absorb all kinds of mana? ''Are you sure about it, System?'' *Yes, Zeke. The mana core you have right now is considered extinct. Your mana core could only be formed by absorbing all kinds of mana particles. I do not know the reason for its disappearance but perhaps your father do.* ''Alright. I''ll try to ask him if I have the chance.'' *Since you are doing that, let me give you the quest that suits what you''ll be doing.* An interface appeared beside Charles as he and Catherine talked about Zeke''s achievement. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Optional Quest "Perfect Mana Core" Learn more about Perfect Mana Cores. Progress: 0% Difficulty: D Reward: 5xp Skill Tome (Elemental Mana Circulation) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''System, what''s that skill?'' *Elemental Mana Circulation is, in a way, an improved version of mana circulation. Although this skill is low tier in general, it is expected since this is also considered part of the fundamentals specially if you are a Perfect Mana Core user just like the ancient people. Other magicians might have something derived from this that fits certain elements but they are all inferior and lacking in comparison to this which encompasses all elements and also contains some of Mr. Pandora''s knowledge and comprehension. Not only that, but it will also help you circulate elements at your will. Since you have a myriad of elements to use, this Circulation method makes it so you won''t find it hard to switch between what element to use.* ''Wait, Pandora? The old deity''s comprehensions?'' *Yes, Zeke. All the items in the shop and rewards of the quests belong to Mr. Pandora''s stash.* Zeke was amazed but only for a short time. He realized that Pandora is a deity so it''s only natural to have all of these fortunes. "...anyway, how are you feeling, son?" Charles asked Zeke after finishing his talk with Catherine. "I feel great, Dad! I feel like I''m so powerful right now!" "That''s natural, son. Having mana in your body for the first time really makes someone feel strong, but remember that you only became a magician today. Don''t overestimate and compare yourself to adult magicians as they have meditated for years while you only started having your core minutes ago. Do not be fooled by how you feel right now." "Yes, Dad!" "Anyways, now that you have your mana core, let''s discuss the power scaling. Each race varies in terms of categorizing their magicians. Let''s start with humans. Humans categorize their core by tiers, ranging from 1 to 6. When a human child forms his mana core, it starts off as a black mana core. This means the child''s mana core contains impurities. Once he/she absorbs enough mana, the impurities of his mana core will slowly remove automatically, changing the color of the core. After black, it becomes violet, then red, then orange, then yellow, and last but not the least, white. Generally, the lighter the color of their mana core, the more pure and thick the mana inside is. These colors correspond with tier 1-6 too. Tier 1 is black, tier 2 is violet, so on so forth until tier 6. They have their own respective titles too. (just see author''s note at the end for TLDR version of all these) Demons are also the same, except their mana core is red and will stay that way until it turns to black. A light red will signify tier 1, while pitch black is tier 6. Their way of meditating isn''t the same as us and the humans. They kill and absorb others'' mana and turn it into their own. Unlike humans who purify their mana core, demons strive to have much more negative energy inside their mana core, so instead of it turning lighter, it instead turns darker as the magician grows." Before Charles could explain their mana core, Zeke interrupted him. "Father, are demons bad? why do they want negative energy in them? are they bad guys?" "No, son. Not all demons are bad, and this is also the same case with humans as well as us. The world isn''t all black and white, each race has its own good and evil. That''s just the way demons can get stronger so they don''t have any choice. Some demons though, when they absorb too much negative in a short period of time, their personalities will start to warp. Don''t misunderstand, not all demons are like this, and even if there are demons who have their personalities warped, there are still more good-natured demons than bad. In fact, they have their own hierarchy too, and they also despise magicians whose personalities are warped." ''It looks like not all demons are bad here, huh.'' Zeke thought all demons are bad hence he chose not to be born there. It was only just now that Zeke learned the true nature of demons. They don''t absorb negative energy because they enjoy it, but because it''s necessary for them to get stronger. Zeke didn''t have any qualms about people who strive to be powerful. As long as someone wants to, he/she should persevere to get stronger. If demons couldn''t become stronger without negative energy, then Zeke respected their actions in getting it. It was, after all, the only way for Demons. ''I was wrong.'' His view of demons is one-sided and out of place. First, his ideology stemmed from his previous world, and this new world he lived in clearly isn''t the same as his previous one. Why bring his ideologies to a world very different from Earth? ''Next time, I''ll try to meet a demon and see for myself.'' "Anyways, going back to our topic, we dragons also have our own mana cores. Generally, we call our mana cores "Dragon Cores" as when children awakened their dragon blood, a small dragon-like figure will surround the mana core. This so-called "awakening" can be done in multiple ways. First is by participating in an event made for young dragons. Winners of this event will have the chance to enter the Dragon Grounds, a place where the winners could soak in Dragons'' blood and awaken their bloodlines. The second one is through medicines. When a dragon''s body is overloaded with medicines, the bloodline will naturally awaken and absorb the medicinal effects. The third is through fighting. Fighting enemies helps boil the dragon blood inside you, stimulating your bloodline and waking it up. Fighting enemies could be said to be the most effective choice as it guarantees almost perfect awakening, unlike the first and second way which could only awaken 70 to 80% of your bloodline, while the remaining remain dormant." "Father, when''s the first event?" "There''s still a lot of time before it. You could still train for a lot more years before you join. The last event happened 2 years ago, so the next one is still 8 years away. Anyway, we also have tiers regarding our dragon cores. Unlike humans and demons, we have 7 tiers. Every two tiers, the dragon core evolves and grants an innate skill. Innate skills are naturally stronger than normal skills and they originate from the dragon bloodline every Dragonborn has. Tier 1 and 2 are called Dragonborns, 3 and 4 Dragonlings, 5 and 6 Half-Dragons, and the last one, tier 7, are full-on Dragons. We get our first skill on our first awakening, second skill after turning into tier 3, third skill after turning into tier 5, and fourth on tier 7. However, not all dragons get four innate skills even after they turn into tier 7. In the end, it all depends on how thick the bloodline is." Charles held Zeke''s two small shoulders and said. "We four families have pure bloodlines. My house, Flamehaven, has the strongest fire element bloodline, Hydrofrost has the water element bloodline, Terraforma with the rock/earth element, and Featherflight for the wind element. Our pure bloodline meant we could get four innate skills after turning into a full-on Tier 7 Dragon. Right now, I am a peak Tier 4 Dragonling, thus I have two innate abilities. My first innate ability conjures a spear of fire that corresponds to my strength and my thoughts. The stronger I get, the stronger my spear will too. I also have a connection with my spear of fire, so it''s the best weapon for me. The second is an armor of fire that envelops my whole body and mitigates part of the damage I take while simultaneously healing me. Like the first one, it also scales based on my power. The more damage it mitigates, the more mana it consumes. Do you understand, Zeke?" "Uhm, do we all get the same skills?" "Haha, no. The skills differ from person to person. Your uncles also have innate skills, but they differ from my skills who are melee-oriented. You see, they prefer a different fighting style than me. Their style is similar to your mother''s. Cath?" "I got it, hun. Ezekiel, I am also a peak Tier 4 Dragonling like your father, but my bloodline isn''t that powerful, thus I only have one innate skill, and I will never get one anymore in the future." Catherine smiled bitterly. "My bloodline leans more on the water element. The innate ability I awakened helps me enhance my magic and improve its effectiveness. I call it Enhance, but it really doesn''t have any name like other innate skills. My fighting style is long-range casting. I picked my style when I thought about how to maximize the effects of my innate skill, and I find it effective when I use it on casting large spells instead of body enhancement. You should''ve seen how I played with your Father back then. His toy spear couldn''t even reach me!" Catherine giggled, remembering their youthful days. "You know that''s already the past, Cath. Do you want a spar now?" "Haha, no need no need. I already know I can still beat you, so why bother?" "....*sigh*." "Dad, why does Mother say she can still defeat you when you have more abilities than her?" "Son, the number of skills you have doesn''t equate to how strong you are. In a fight, a person who practiced one thing a thousand times will win against a person who practiced a thousand things once. Do you get what I mean?" 26 School "Yes!" Zeke understood the meaning behind Charles'' words. The winner in both the two depended not on the number of skills but on the proficiency in using a skill. It didn''t matter if you have a thousand skills if you could only exert the minimum power of the moves. It''s better to practice a single skill a lot of times to utilize it better and exert more power. However, Zeke was planning something different. ''I don''t know about them, but why not both? Wouldn''t that be an absolute win?'' Zeke was thinking something his Father wouldn''t even dare to do in his youthful days. What if you get a thousand skills and train each one of them a thousand times? wouldn''t you have countless cards in your arsenal that it''s even impossible for you to lose? If Charles or Catherine could hear their son''s thoughts, they''d probably deem him insane. "Do you have any more questions, son?" "Uhm, are there any more races besides the three main races?" "Of course. However, you need not know all about that." "Do they have their own ways of forming mana core? Are all mana cores equal?" "Yes, more or less. Each mana core has its own ups and downs, well... besides one." Hearing this, Zeke''s ears pricked up. It seems his plan to smoothly slide in the topic about the Perfect Mana Core is a success. "What is it, Dad?" "Well... it''s not really that big of a deal. When I was young, I was very fond of reading books from our study room. Our study room back then almost looked like a whole library due to its sheer size and the enormous amount of books. Back then, I hated meditating so I spent most of my childhood reading books about basically anything that catches my interest. On one of the books stored in a dusty part of the study, I read something about ancient people having a core that''s very different from our common Mana Cores. I didn''t know what it''s called but it seems that this core isn''t subjected to the typical affinities. It seems to be capable of absorbing and utilizing any and all kinds of elements, even variants. Can you believe that? Is it even fair to have that kind of fraudulent core?" Charles narrated like he was back as a little kid marveling about stories. ''Uh, yeah Dad. It seems your son unexpectedly got that fraudulent core you''re talking about.'' "Is that even possible?" Esteban, who was quiet the whole time, asked. "I do not know. I only read about it when I was like 10 and ever since then I wished I had something like that. Can you even imagine the possibilities of using all kinds of elements in a battle? That would literally scare your opponent to death." Zeke pressed for more information. "Father, can you tell us more about that core you''re talking about? It seems good!" "If you say so, son. Bear with me as I try to recall what I''ve read back then. Hmmm, I vaguely remember seeing its appearance in the book. It seems to be like a normal mana core but the colors inside are like a rainbow. No, the colors inside are even more than the colors or rainbow itself. It seemed like you can see the whole color spectrum inside that ball! Also, on one of the paragraphs I read about it, it seems like it''s the common mana core back in the ancient days, where people could use all kinds of elements with no limitations. Even now, when I think about how they fight with multiple elements, I always shiver like a little boy inside." "Wow. It really etched itself in your memories, huh. I''m surprised you even learned a thing or two when you were a kid." Catherine teased and giggled. "Of course I can''t forget about it. Can you imagine what a 10-year-old who wants to become stronger thinks if he saw something like that? Excitement. That''s right, I became excited by the thought of having that mana core so I diligently trained, hoping to have that. Now that I think about it, why did I even expected my own mana core to be like that after following the common method? I figured it would only be formed by some strange way." ''Yep, couldn''t be more right, Dad. It seems like that dream of yours might look easy when I tell you about it.'' Zeke couldn''t imagine how devastated would his father be when he learns about how Zeke got his father''s dream mana core. Just by simply absorbing the elemental mana particles, Charles could easily form his own Perfect mana core! But reality hits hard. As easy as it looks, it''s impossible in the first place. Absorbing elemental mana when you don''t have a mana core just doesn''t work. If it weren''t for Zeke having fraudulent titles, he wouldn''t even have a sliver of chance in forming that. "Anyway, I don''t know much about the origin of it. All I know is that it was the common mana core of the ancient people. It was then lost in the annals of time and no one has ever reported of having that kind of Mana Core again. *Sigh*, if only we knew how to form it, maybe some daredevil would try doing it. Unfortunately, we don''t even know how to form it, much less know the chances of even forming it!" "What a good mana core, Dad! Why haven''t you told me about it when I was forming it? Maybe I''d have tried!" Zeke tried to grumble. "Well, I''m sure if I said that to you back then, maybe you''d not have your mana core right this early. You''d be obsessed with it and forget your meditation!" "No, Dad! Can I borrow the book you read, Dad? The one with that Mana Core. It seems very interesting!" "Humhum, you''re truly my son. It''s very good of you to consider knowledge first! Knowledge is power! Ehem Ehem, I''ll try to find it later if I have the time. But remember, you ALREADY have a mana core. Don''t get too obsessed with it, alright?" Zeke checked his quest progress. He was surprised to see that his quest progress shot up to 45% after that small talk! ''System, do you think it''s possible for me to complete the quest by reading the book dad told me about?'' *Yes, Zeke. After all, that meager information almost amounted to half the requirement. Perhaps the whole details in the book could finish it.* ''Alright. I''ll finish it when dad finds the book.'' "Hun, what about Zeke now? What do you think should he do? Even I don''t know what to make of our son! I''ve never encountered someone who has a mana core this young!" "Hmmm... maybe Zeke should just focus on improving his mana core then. What do you think, Zeke?" ''System, what do you think is the best approach right now for me?'' *Zeke, training right now isn''t beneficial. Your body is still as fragile as paper, and it isn''t suited for combat at all. I suggest taking it slow and just slowly but surely cultivate both body and mana core.* ''And how do you suppose I''ll cultivate my physical body and mana core?'' *I''ll give you a quest regarding that tomorrow, Zeke. Mr. Pandora specifically told me to hand you this quest as soon as possible to help you out. As for your mana core, learning mana circulation and elemental mana circulation is the priority since it will strengthen your foundation and help you absorb mana faster.* ''Ooo, now I''m interested. Alright, I''ve made up my mind.'' "Dad, I''ll follow your decisions then." "Alright. I suppose you should just meditate and focus on maxing your mana capacity to low Tier 1. I believe you could do it in a year just before school starts." "School?" "Yes, son. Every child attends school at around 4 years of age. As for you, you''re going to study in a very prestigious school. I can tell you right now that this school will hone you not only in your training, but also with your etiquette. Also, by the time you turn 4, our vacation will be over. We''re going back to our old jobs so it''s a win-win for all of us." "Okay, Dad." "Alright, rest early, son. I know you''re tired after forming a quadra-elemental mana core. My genius son should just rest for the day! HAHAHAHA" "Where should I stay, Dad? My room''s dirty!" "You''ll sleep in our room with us. Also, son, I have a question for you." "What is it, Dad?" "Do you, by any chance, like my brothers'' daughters?" Charles grinned from ear to ear. Zeke thought his father only asked him if he has a good impression on his father''s brothers'' daughters. "Yes, Dad. I like all of them. I think they''re cute and have good potentials too. But I am still above all of them in terms of that! Hehe," Zeke''s 2-year-old body started giggling. Catherine, who heard Zeke''s reply, laughed and patted Zeke on the back. "That''s my boy. Go get them all, Ezekiel Flamehaven!" Charles also seems satisfied with Zeke''s Young-Master reply. "Alright. I have a plan for you to leave a good impression on them. All you need to do right now is to not reveal to them that you have a mana core, do you understand?" Zeke was baffled about his father''s response but he continued to play around. "Why, Dad?" "Your mana core should be revealed in a grandiose manner, son! Also, don''t you think they''ll feel alienated if they knew you already have one right now when they''re still at the level of grasping at straws in their core? It will only further pressure them. Let''s wait for you to attend school with them before we reveal your mana core. Do you understand?" "Okay, Dad!" Both Charles and Catherine laughed, but while Catherine''s laugh is seemingly genuine, Charles'' reeks of shrewdness. Esteban, who was looking at the trio from the sides, smiled. It was a rare sight for him to see both his master smiling and laughing along with his new young master. 27 Daily Ques Zeke woke up early in the morning to meditate before breakfast. ''System, you mentioned giving me a quest today, right? Something about training my body?'' *Yes, Zeke.* ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Daily Quest "Strengthening" Run/Jog and Meditate Hint: -1km run/jog and 1 hr meditation Progress: Distance: 0% Duration: 0% Difficulty: D Reward: 10xp +10 Endurance +10 Int +10 random stats Quest Failure Penalty: -10 random stats ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª 10xp! ''System, why does this have an equal xp reward with the other quests I''ve done previously? Isn''t this unfair?'' *No, Zeke. The quests you completed previously are all progressive quests and xp isn''t the main reward for those kinds of quests. Their rewards lean more towards tangible things or upgrade to my system.* ''I see. Do I have to do this every day?'' *Yes, to avoid suffering the Penalty. It will also scale based on your current form. If you reach a certain condition, the difficulty will increase. Of course, the rewards will too.* ''Yes! At the very least I know now. Is this for the rest of my life?'' *Yes, Zeke, but the penalty will be removed after you reach a certain age. It will become an optional daily quest later on so you won''t feel burdened by it.* ''That''s great!'' Charles stood up and walked outside. He saw his father practicing some sort of fist technique with his eyes closed. Zeke didn''t want to bother him so he sat down in front and absorbed mana. "Hmm? Son? Why are you up so early? Also, why are you meditating at this time of day?" "Dad! I was waiting for you to finish. Could you join me in running?" "Ooh? You mean you want to have a bit of an exercise?" Charles seemed very surprised about his son''s request. "Yes! Although I still haven''t trained anything yet, I want my body to be strong!" Zeke made his statements as childish as possible. "I see. I like your determination, son. What will we do?" "Let''s jog all around the palace, Dad!" "Alright. Remember to take it slow, son. If you get tired, rest for a bit and I''ll wait. Remember what I said, do not overestimate yourself." "Yes, Dad!" The Father-Son duo then started slowly jogging. Since Zeke is too small, their rate of jogging is a bit slow. Charles kept the same pace as Zeke while he waited for Zeke to recover after a few seconds. After a few minutes, the pair came back to where they started. The panting Zeke checked his quest progress and found out that one lap they did equates to nearly 50% of the progress. It seemed many but for Zeke''s current form, it was hell. Zeke''s heavy breathing made Charles laugh inwardly. His son was suddenly so eager to jog and now he was like this. Charles thought Zeke overestimated his stamina. "Let''s rest for a bit, son." "No, Dad! I can still go!" "Are you sure? you''re sweating like a pig right now." Charles smiled and teased. "Really? then it means it''s working. Cmon, Dad!" "Haha, If you say so, son." Zeke continued to challenge his stamina while also being careful not to overexert too much. It was because he found out it increased his Endurance by one after challenging his limits. After another lap, Zeke''s progress is at 96%. He just needed 4% right now to finish that portion, but Zeke thought he couldn''t run or even walk anymore. He leaned on the wall and tried to stabilize his breathing. His legs were shaking and his whole body was sweating a lot. Zeke seemed like he just took a shower and went out without drying himself. After a few minutes, Zeke jogged a bit and finished the running portion of the quest. He joined his father in finishing that lap before they went inside to eat breakfast. After they ate breakfast, Zeke went inside his room. Before entering, he looked at his father and asked. "Dad, did you find the book?" "No, it seems like it''s not in our current study, son. Don''t worry, I already tasked Esteban to go back and get it from our other house." "We have another house?" "Yes, but don''t dwell too much on it, son. You''ll know when the time comes." Charles smiled. ''But I already partially know, Dad.'' Zeke knew his father and his friends'' positions within the society is high, hence the people calling them in an honorable manner. However, he was confused about one thing. Why are the four families called Royal Families? Isn''t there only one royal family leading in a place? He didn''t bother much about it as he''s going to know it later anyways. He went inside the room and meditated for an hour. After meditating, an interface appeared. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Daily Quest "Strengthening" Complete! Reward: 10xp +10 Endurance +10 Int +10 random stats ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''System, what about the random stats? where will it go?'' *Those 10 random stats are as it says. It will randomly be distributed to your stats.* Zeke still didn''t understand, so he checked his profile again. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 2 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Str: 15 Agi: 15 End: 23 Int: 80 CP: 13 Skills: Aura; Mana Skin; |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| ''Oh, it''s literally random'' *Yes, Zeke. The +10 will be distributed randomly. There is also a chance of all 10 adding on the same stat.* Zeke looked at his profile and forgot about his Aura Skill. ''System, what type of skill is Aura?'' *Aura shrouds you off with an intangible will that conveys what you want to convey. For example, you could activate aura and unleash a bloodthirsty aura, while you can also emit a peaceful aura. It''s basically anything you want it to emit.* ''Is it really useful'' Zeke doubted. *Yes, Zeke. This skill could affect enemies as well as allies. There is also a chance for the enemies to be affected by it as long as they''re far weaker than you. For example, unleashing a killing aura could make people severely weaker than you lose their will to fight and feel despair. If you also emit a peaceful aura, you could influence individuals near you, calming their heart too.* ''I see! It really is a good skill. What do you think? Should I activate it always?'' *Yes, Zeke. Activating skills frequently can level them up, strengthening their effect. Right now, Aura is only level 1, hence its effect is minimal. At most, it could only make people feel a faint aura around you. When it becomes stronger in the future, you don''t even need to fight to make weaker people surrender to you.* ''That''s broken!'' *Yes and No, Zeke. Aura only works on weaker people, and when you face ones stronger than you, Aura won''t mean anything. Sure, they might feel intimidated by you but that''s only for enemies that have weak mental power. Strong enemies with strong mental power will only see your aura as something puny.* ''Yes, I know that, but still, making enemies feel threatened enough to surrender? That''s quite too much, isn''t it?'' *Yes, indeed. If you don''t want that to happen, feel free not to level up your Aura.* The voice was monotonous, but it contained slight ridicule. ''Hey hey, I won''t reject free goods!'' Zeke activated Aura and set it to passive. Aura didn''t cost mana and it could also be turned on indefinitely, making it more of an activatable passive skill. Soon enough, Zeke seems to have underwent a change. Although he looks the same on the outside, when people get close to him, they could feel a faint aura from him. Zeke then heard a knock in his door. "Coming!" Zeke opened the door and saw his father go in holding a book. "Son, this was the book where I read about that fraudulent core. I need to remind you that you already have a mana core, so you don''t need to fantasize about this anymore. I only gave this to sate your curiosity, and I don''t want you to obsess over it. Am I clear?" "You sound like a grandpa, Dad! I know it already!" Zeke''s words pierced through Charles. He placed the book in Zeke''s table and walked back dejectedly. Zeke could hear his father mutter some words. "... Am I really that old? *Sigh*" But before he went out, he took a second glance on Zeke. "Hmm, why do I feel like my son changed?" He could only swallow this question as when he looked back at Zeke, it didn''t seem like any change happened. 28 Mana Circulation Zeke looked at the book Charles brought. The book looks shamefully cheap for something that contains ancient knowledge, provided its front page is blank and it only has what seems to be the author''s initials. ''J.L.K.'' It was the only clue for the book''s origins. Zeke wondered how old would this J.L.K. be if he even knows things like the ''fraudulent core''. The book is also tattered but not dusty as Esteban has cleaned it a bit before handing it to Charles. When one looked at the book in general, one would mistake it as some old useless book. However, Zeke knew it was the opposite. Zeke opened the book and tried to find the part where it talks about his Perfect Mana Core. Zeke was sure it was his mana core his father talked about as his father mentioned the appearance. While skimming, Zeke found out that this book talks about ancient people and their culture. It narrated how the Ancient Civilization thrived and how they were gradually forgotten in the annals of time. It also mentioned something about the dragons. It turns out dragons back then are all-powerful and mighty, capable of using almost any and all magic more skillfully than other species. The dragon race described by the book looked really mighty, as they are the apex predators back then. Unfortunately, the lower species, including the humans, got fed up by it and decided to unite and put an end to the dragon race. Nothing more was mentioned because according to the author, even he didn''t know the outcome of this war. He eventually got to the part of his Mana Core. The book had much more information that Charles probably forgot so Zeke expected to have his mission finished after reading it. The Mana Core mentioned in the book is said to be extinct as no one claimed about having it these past a hundred or so years. This Mana Core was said to be the most common in the Ancient Civilization back then, but as generations passed by, having this Mana Core meant that somebody is a genius. It meant that as time passed by, there were less and less Perfect Mana Core magicians, hence magicians who had this were valued highly. The effects of this mana core would certainly make magicians drool over it. It made meditation easier as it can absorb any mana particle while it was also said that when a Perfect Mana Core magician reached a certain degree, they could absorb multiple mana particles at the same time. Of course, it made up for the fact that this mana core takes almost twice as much mana as normal Mana Cores right now to breakthrough another realm. These magicians could rival people one or two tiers above theirs. It was because not only are their mana reserves that high, their mana was also much purer and specific than Normal Mana Cores. Besides, they also have a variety of elements to use, making them unpredictable and very dangerous. After 2 more hours of reading and skimming some parts, Zeke finished the book. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| You learned more about the Ancient Races. Int + 1 |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| ''I only read this book and I already gained a point? System, is this true?'' *Yes, Zeke. The book you read contained a lot of new information compared to the previous books you read.* ''Is that the basis for gaining a point? The amount of knowledge I gained?'' *Something like that, Zeke.* ''It seems I need a large number of books, huh. Maybe I''ll ask my father about it.'' While Zeke was thinking about this, a new interface appeared. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Optional Quest "Perfect Mana Core" Complete! Reward: 5xp Skill Tome (Elemental Mana Circulation) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''Sweet! System, open the skill tome!'' *Not possible, Zeke. Elemental Mana Circulation''s prerequisite is having Mana Circulation at level 5. After getting Mana Circulation to level 5, it will become a mastery with a maximum level of 10. After learning Elemental Mana Circulation, Mana Circulation''s maximum mastery level will change from 10 to 20. The higher the level of mana circulation, the faster you can manipulate mana inside your body.* ''Remind me again why faster mana circulation is good?'' *Yes, Zeke. Having a higher level of mana circulation meant faster and precise control of mana inside the body. This is essential if you want to enhance your body with mana in a battle, while also making your casting speed faster. It will also make your Mana Skin skill cast faster.* ''Really? Then it seems I''ll need to up its level now.'' *Yes, Zeke. According to my prediction, your current mana pool is enough for you to be called a certified low tier 1 magician now. Practicing mana circulation at this time might seem late for you, but it''s actually the best time for you, a Perfect Mana Core user. Having a high amount of mana meant much more mana to handle, thus leading to faster training.* ''I''m already a low tier 1 magician!? since when?'' Zeke was shocked because his father clearly said he''d need more or less a year to achieve that. *The moment your mana core formed, Zeke. Due to your titles and the sheer amount of mana your Perfect Mana Core has, you immediately became a low Tier 1.* ''That''s pretty broken but alright. I''ll get to it then! Let''s try this!'' Zeke already knew how to start thanks to the memories he got from the skill tome. He willed his mana core to let some mana out. After a small amount of mana was released, Zeke tried to control it and get it to go to his feet. Unfortunately, knowing something is different from actually doing it. Zeke found it a bit hard to guide the mana towards his lower body. In order for him to do so, he needed 100% of his focus to do this and by doing this, he wouldn''t know anything about the outside world. Time passed. After a few minutes, Zeke''s eyes opened while beads of sweat appeared in his forehead. Zeke was mentally exhausted as he laid down on his bed. He eventually mulled over what he achieved. ''I''ve managed to guide it to my lower body, but I''m still far from moving it back and forth. I can only move forward but when I try to move it back, there''s like a wall behind it stopping it from going backward. *Sigh*, this is hard.'' Zeke thought his feat is a failure. He didn''t know that if the outside world knew how short he took to partially control the mana, they''d hail him as a genius. Normally, once people formed their mana core, they also start their own Mana Circulation. However, no one except for the extremely genius ones can manage to do what Zeke did in his first try. Add to that Zeke''s young age and people won''t even know what to call Zeke as. Putting him in the same category as his other peers could only be said to be an insult for his talent. ''The experience of my Mana Circulation went up by 40%. At the very least, it went up although I failed.'' For the rest of the day, Zeke remained cooped up in his room trying to practice Mana Circulation. After exhausting his mental power, he''d take a rest for half an hour before trying again. Just like this, he achieved level 1 Mana Circulation before dinner. When Zeke achieved it, a new set of information appeared in his mind. It was all about comprehension regarding the Mana Circulation. Indeed, Zeke tried to circulate again after reaching Lvl 1, and to his surprise, he found it a bit easier to do than usual. He could now also will the mana to go back and forth inside his body. Zeke''s parents asked him why he remained in the room and he just told them he was reading the book Charles gave earlier. The two of them didn''t have any suspicions about it since they naturally thought their son couldn''t finish the book in just a few hours. They thought it''d take him a day or two to finish the book since they didn''t know Zeke could skim through. After Dinner, he tried it again but there were only slight progress so he decided to continue tomorrow. His mental power was overused today so he went to sleep early. After waking up, Zeke immediately prepared himself to do his daily quest again but this time, there were some changes. ''System, why did the +end and +int rewards only +3 today? Is this random?'' *Yes, Zeke. The +end and +int are random ranging from 1-10 while the +10 to random stats is fixed. That was your first day so the reward should naturally be big.* Feeling a bit dejected, Zeke jogged along with his father. However, to his surprise, he found it a lot easier to complete the lap, taking him a minute earlier than his laps yesterday. ''I guess this is the effect of the +10 endurance, huh.'' Zeke could clearly feel his speed and endurance increased for a bit and realized it was because of the rewards he got. This time, there was an unexpected new participant. Gaia, who woke up early, saw the Father-son duo and walked towards them. "Oh, if it isn''t Grad''s cute daughter! Hello, little girl, how are you? Why are you up early?" Gaia shyly bowed and answered. "G-good morning, S-sir Charles. I woke up early accidentally and I can''t sleep again, so I w-went out. What are you doing?" Grad looked at Charles and shyly looked at Zeke, who was smiling. "Hello, Big sister! Why are you stuttering?" Zeke teased. "I-it''s n-nothing!" "Hehe, you seem really shy, big sister!" Zeke pressed on. Hearing someone younger than her tease her, Gaia eased up a bit and matched Zeke''s eyes. "No. I-it''s just that I''m not used to talking to you and Sir Charles. I''m... I''m going to get over this! Right, I''ll help my mother cook then. Goodbye!" Gaia seemed to find an excuse just to go inside and hide her embarrassment. Charles saw his son and Gaia''s little talk, and he couldn''t help but grin. "I''m proud of you, son!" Zeke thought his father was praising him for his eloquent and stutter less speaking. "Yes, Dad!" "Alright, let''s continue then." The father-son duo continued their morning jog. They didn''t notice the young girl looking at them through the window. "My lovely Gaia, why are you looking outside?" A sweet voice was heard. Meryl, who went out of the kitchen, saw her daughter looking outside and wondered. "Mother, why are Sir Charles and his son run in circles?" "Oh? Did they?" Meryl, who looked at her daughter with surprise, went near the window and looked towards the inner ward. Indeed, there were two people running around it, one big and one small. "I think they''re just jogging dear, not running." "Then why are they jogging?" "To have a good body sweetheart. Jogging is a form of exercise that helps them become fit. It also helps your body build strong bones as well as lose weight. You might need to have an exercise sooner or later too if you want to have a good body, sweetheart." "Really? Do I need to jog like them too?" "Something like that. You can do other forms of exercise too dear, but jogging is one of the basic ones that you kids can easily do." "Can you join me in jogging then, mom?" Gaia asked her mom with innocent eyes. "No, sweetie. I need to prepare breakfast for us, right?" "Can I ask Father, then?" "You can, sweetie, but I don''t think your father would wake up early." Meryl smiled, seemingly familiar with his husband''s sleeping habits. "You can ask to join them, though." Meryl smiled and offered. "Really? Do you think they''ll agree to it?" "I''m sure, sweety. I know Charles would want that." Meryl smiled. If Zeke was here, he would see that Meryl''s smile looked the same as Charles'' scheming smile. 29 Daily Routine For the remainder of the day, Zeke finished his quest then did Mana Circulation again. The next day, the father-son duo got stopped again by Gaia. "Uhm, can I please join with you, Sir Charles, Ezekiel?" Gaia shyly asked. "Of course, little girl! Have you jogged before?" "N-no, Sir." "You don''t need to call me ''Sir'', little girl. Just call me Uncle." "A-alright, uncle." Charles nudged his son who was silent the whole time. "Since you both are almost the same age, you teach her, son. While you''re doing that, I''ll be speeding up my pace so as to let you guys have time. Is it alright with you, son?" "Yes, Father!" Zeke then looked at Gaia. "Let''s go then! Do you know how to run, right? You just need to run but slower, like in the middle of running and walking. Can you try it?" "Y-yes." Seeing the two kids, Charles left them and sped up his pace. It was the first time Gaia did this so her speed was slow. She also stopped multiple times along the way that Zeke had to wait for him. Still, Zeke didn''t complain or anything as he has all the time in this world to complete his quest. After completing a lap, Gaia plopped on the ground butt first. She was panting heavily as sweat poured down from her body. "Can you continue?" "W-what? you''re still going to go? aren''t you tired?" Hearing this, Zeke lightly laughed. "Haha, I am a bit tired but it''s not enough. I can still do more laps. Don''t worry though, I also am like you for my first time. The ground I stood for a minute got soaked from my sweat and I was barely able to move. You did good on your first run, Big Sister!" "R-really? When is your first time, then?" "It was the day before you saw us." "E-eh?! You can already run for more laps after a few days?" "Yes..? What''s wrong? My stamina went up after hellish jogging, so it''s natural for me to get used to it, you know?" "I-I see." "Alright, just rest here for a bit and you can join me after this lap, okay?" "Un." Gaia found Zeke''s behavior to be quite pleasing to the eye. He didn''t force her to continue, but instead gave her a choice on whether to continue or not. It was clear that he cared for her. After a lap, Zeke looked at Gaia, who already stood up with a determined expression, and smiled. He nodded at Gaia then continue jogging. Gaia, receiving the nod, followed along. After another lap, Gaia and Zeke sat in front of Gaia''s part of the palace. "Are you alright?" Zeke asked Gaia. He was worried that she would find it hard to recover after that. Zeke thought it wasn''t a problem for him since he had the mind of a teenager, but Gaia is different. She is still a 3-year-old child and a 3-year-old child running for almost half a kilometer would certainly be tired after it. "It was good." Gaia smiled. Although she''s very tired, she felt satisfied with what she achieved. "C-can I join you and your father every day?" "Huh? I''m fine with that and I''m sure father does too, but are you sure you want to join us?" "Yes! it feels refreshing and I don''t have much to do, so I guess I could do this every morning." "Then it''s settled. See you tomorrow!" Zeke waved and left. Zeke did his usual routine after his exercise. He meditated in the morning, read books in the afternoon, and practiced Mana Circulation in the evening. A day passed by and Zeke saw Gaia in front of their door. They jogged again and Zeke''s daily schedule happened again. After a month of doing the same thing every day, Zeke checked the result of his everyday routine. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 2 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Level: 3 (35/300) Str: 90 Agi: 100 End: 271 Int: 346 CP: 40 Skills: Aura; Mana Skin; |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| ''Damn. My rate of growth is just absurd. At this rate, I''ll really surpass my parents under 10 to 20 years!'' He leveled up twice after a month of doing his quest. When he leveled up, he noticed there were some additional stat points and he added it in his Str and Agi. There were also 2 skill points that he could use to quickly level up his skills. He held on to it and decided to use it on his Mana Skin when his Mana Circulation reaches a level where he could cast his Mana Skin. Right now, although Zeke could control his mana, it still wasn''t to the point of being useful in a battle. He still needed to fully control it before he could use Mana Skin. In fact, Zeke could actually use this skill point right now and learn Mana Skin but he refrained to do so as he wanted to solidify his foundation in circulating mana first. Zeke leveled up his Aura into level 3 too. His aura right now is still a bit faint, but the distance from which it can be felt increased. Zeke also achieved level 4 in his Mana Circulation. Right now, he could now freely move mana inside his body albeit in a very slow way. He also still needs to concentrate on himself but he considered his progress to be good. When he woke up the next day, what surprised Zeke is the change in his quest. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Daily Quest "Strengthening" Run/Jog, Meditate, Strength-related workout Hint: -1km run/jog -1hr meditation -1 hr workout Progress: Distance: 0% Duration: 0% Workout: 0% Difficulty: D+ Reward: 10xp +10 Strength +10 Endurance +10 Int +10 random stats Quest Failure Penalty: -20 random stats ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''So it scaled the difficulty now, huh. System, what do you mean about Strength-related workout?'' *Yes. Strength-related workouts include anything that could make your core muscles stronger." ''I see. Does it include exercise that are from my world?'' *More or less, Zeke. Maybe the exercise you have in your world already exists here.* ''Haha, maybe.'' After the daily jogging with Gaia and Charles, Zeke rested for a bit in front of their part of the palace. After a few minutes, Zeke started doing push-ups. The push-ups he did are made for beginners as it doesn''t strain the person''s body that much and it''s suitable for people new to workout. "Oh? Now you''re doing that, son?" "Uncle, what''s Ezekiel doing?" Gaia didn''t know what Zeke was doing. Recently, she already got rid of her stuttering and jogged with Zeke every day, so she eventually got closer to Zeke too. The two would have a race together sometimes. Of course, Zeke always won because of his fraudulent training methods. His current agility right now is comparable to a normal human adult''s speed in running. He made sure not to fully sprint as his father might notice Zeke''s abnormal speed. "That''s also a kind of exercise, little girl, but it''s dependent on the person''s strength. You see, jogging increases our stamina while what my son''s doing right now is to increase his upper body strength. Do you want to try?" "Un." Gaia imitated Zeke''s stance as she started to do it. She failed miserably on her first time as her hands couldn''t support her body and also because of poor posture/stance. "You need to lower your butt more and..." Zeke started guiding Gaia into having the correct stance. Charles was surprised that Zeke knew how to perform push-ups. He hadn''t done it ever since Zeke was born, so there was no way Zeke learned it from him. The only thing Charles could only think of is that Zeke read it from some book in the study. After that, Zeke''s normal routine got changed a bit with the addition of new strength workouts. Another month passed, and the two other daughters also joined on their morning exercise. The first to join out of the two was Rosaline. She heard about it from Gaia and she became interested in what Zeke was doing. Then a few days later, they also invited Aura, the youngest. Just like that, Charles, Zeke, and the three little girls were all having their morning exercise. Of course, the two daughters only stuck to jogging while Gaia was already getting used to some of Zeke''s other exercises. Charles also stopped going with his son after the third week of the month as he noted that Zeke already has three more companions. Fritz and Alcazar also joined them once or twice a week, and they were extremely satisfied and gratified to Zeke for helping their daughters. In this way, Zeke became more of an older brother for them as the four of them continued their routine. 30 Progress Just like that, Zeke was a month away from being 3 years old. He also gained a lot in the past month not only in his stats but also in his skills. He didn''t get any +int anymore from reading books in their study so he allotted most of his time in his Mana Circulation training. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 2 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Str: 365 Agi: 322 End: 402 Int: 463 CP: 65 Skills: Aura; Mana Skin; |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| ''This is fast. My stats alone is already almost equivalent to 10% of my parents! This is broken!'' *Yes and No, Zeke. The stats you''re getting from the daily quest isn''t fixed, and it is dependent on what aspect you need to train. The reason you''re getting stat points is that your daily quest up until now focuses on strengthening your body as well as your control over mana. If I deem your stats enough for your age, I''ll naturally change the rewards.* ''Spoilsport. Why won''t you just let me farm this so I could get stronger faster?'' Zeke inwardly grumbled. He felt restricted when he learned about the system changing the rewards. *Excessive strength at your age isn''t good, Zeke. You are already overpowered at your age, and it''s not like I or Mr. Pandora wants to restrict you, but it''s for your own safety and future.* ''What do you mean by that? Restricting me because of my safety?'' *Limits, Zeke. It''s the limitation of all mortal bodies. Do you know how strong you are right now?* ''I don''t. I only know that I''m much much stronger than my peers. Is that enough for an answer?'' *No, Zeke. Your current sheer strength is on par with a normal mortal adult at his prime. Do you realize how strong that is for a 3-year-old? Your body''s capability alone is comparable to a 20-30-year-old mortal in his prime!* ''R-really? I''m that strong right now?'' Zeke was honestly shocked. He didn''t have an exact grasp of his strength, but he didn''t expect to have that much. ''But it still doesn''t explain limitations. Wouldn''t it be better for me to get stronger as soon as possible?'' *It is as you say, Zeke. It''s better to be strong as soon as possible but you must know that your current strength is almost at the maximum your body could bear. Any more and it will only strain your muscles. Did you forget what your Father said? Don''t overexert yourself.* ''What is this limit? Why is it so easily reached?'' Zeke frowned inwardly. *Not at all, Zeke. This limit is not something any and most mortals could reach. Have you heard of any children possessing sheer strength comparable to an adult in his prime?* ''W-well, no... But..!'' *You reached your body''s limits due to the rewards. I am happy to make you stronger but in terms of sheer power, I''m afraid your body can''t handle any more strengthening. No, it''s not that it can''t handle anymore, it''s that your muscles reached the limit of a 3-year-old''s physique. It can still handle a bit more, but after that, I''m afraid you reached the extreme mortal limits of your body at your age, Zeke.* The voice didn''t contain any feelings and it was always the same monotonous tone, but Zeke seemed to have been poured a bucket of cold water. Zeke couldn''t reply to the system. He thought over it, and it was indeed plausible. Maybe it''s really the limit of his body right now? ''You said it''s my limit at my age, so you mean this limit will also increase as long as I grow up?'' Zeke suddenly thought of it and a bulb suddenly lit in his mind. It seemed like he understood the System. *Naturally, Zeke. I merely said it''s the limit for someone at your age. This limit will naturally disappear in the future when you grow to a certain age.* ''I see... I''m sorry for doubting you, System. I should''ve known.'' Zeke forgot about the system''s objective, which was to help his user to the best of its capabilities. It wouldn''t make sense for his system to screw him up, right? After all, the death of the user meant the death of the system inside. *No offense taken, Zeke. Although I don''t have and feel emotions, I understood your concern. Anyone would want to get strong, after all. It''s just that you are already insanely strong for your age.* Zeke suddenly had enlightenment. He realized that he was indeed working tirelessly in the past two months. Normally speaking, people wouldn''t work that hard at his age and would only play around for a bit. He, however, trained all day long after his mana core formed. It was truly possible for him to reach the ''limit'' of his body when the system''s help is added to his insane robotic routine. He realized that he was indeed a bit too impatient. He felt a bit embarrassed when he thought of the childish and immature behavior earlier. Amidst his embarrassment, the system seemed to console him. *However, it doesn''t mean you can''t improve in other areas. Sheer power of the body isn''t the only available power in this world after all.* ''What do you mean, System?'' Although Zeke was excited, he tried to suppress it as he feared he''d be impatient again. ''Skills. You still have to practice the Elemental Mana Circulation after Mana Circulation, right? You only need one more level to start Elemental Mana Circulation.* ''Right! I''m on the verge of level 4, maybe I could level it up today!'' Zeke''s mood lightened when he thought of it. He cheerfully went out of the bed and walked outside. Although he wouldn''t get stats that much anymore, it became his morning routine and he would get a penalty if he didn''t. Outside his house, he saw the three girls who he considers his childhood friends. Throughout the last month, Zeke got to know the trio. Gaia was a shy but headstrong girl. As their first and formal encounter with her, she was a bit shy before strangers but as soon as they spent a bit of time with each other, he got to know her real self. She was a likable girl who wants to do new things. When she saw Zeke do new exercise and workouts, she always asked him how to do it. She was willing to try new things and challenger herself and that made Zeke like her. She was also quite mature for her age and Zeke found her enjoyable to talk to. Aura was a cheerful and quite happy-go-lucky girl. When she first joined them, she treated their morning routine as something like a game where she challenged Rosaline in a game of endurance. Of course, she lost but she blamed it as a difference brought by age. Zeke found her to be quite a bit cute and a mood setter for them. She always acts cheerfully but Zeke chalked it off as her being young. Rosaline was a cold and sometimes emotionless girl. Zeke rarely saw Rosaline''s face with emotion, and he felt like Rosaline was always poker-face even when she was tired. Although she was sweating a lot, her face remained the same. When Zeke talked to her, he was surprised to hear that Rosaline wasn''t that cold when she speaks, and her tone was always warm when Zeke talked to her. When she was bothered by Aura, Rosaline would always admonish her like a big sister but would also join Aura in whatever she wanted. The two looked like biological sisters by the way they acted. Zeke then joined them and they all started their usual morning routine. At the end of their routine, Zeke gained a measly 2 strength and 2 endurance. In the past, he would usually get twice or even thrice as much as that so it was clear as day. It''s not that the system didn''t want to, it''s just that there are little to no improvements needed for his current body. He went inside the room and finished his daily quest. There, he also only got + 2 of the four stats. The random +10 stats all went to his Int. Zeke felt relieved when his Int isn''t limited by his body. ''System, I''ve been meaning to ask. How much mana do I really have? Am I a peak low tier 1 now?'' *Yes, Zeke. By estimation, you should turn into a mid-Tier 1 after having 500 Int.* ''How do I know if I advanced though?'' *You''ll feel something when you achieve 500 Int in stats, Zeke. Try to remember that as it''s the only sign of breaking through as a Perfect Mana Core user. Normally, magicians could sense their mana core inside and determine their own level. You could also do it too, but do note that your mana core holds 50% or more mana than mana cores of the same level. Luckily, you started early and had my rewards, or else you''ll fall far behind with your peers with only meditating.* ''Alright, I''ll keep that in mind.'' *By the way, I told you about other things that you can do to improve your strength, right?* ''Yes. Do you want me to practice Mana Circulation now?'' *No. I originally thought you''d take at least half a year more before you reach your body''s limits, but since you already nearly reached it, it''s time for you to learn how to use your body.* Ding! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progressive Quest "Combat Training" Learn Basic Hand Techniques Condition: Practice the four parts of Basic Hand Techniques and achieve mastery Lvl 5 on them. Difficulty: D Reward: 10xp Skill Tome (Hand Martial Arts) Access to quest "Combat Training II" ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª 31 Basic Hand Technique ''A progressive quest!'' *Yes, Zeke. Your body is fit and suitable enough to practice combat techniques. What''s the use of your body when it can''t execute moves?* ''Yes! I''ve been waiting for this! Where can I find that Basic Fist Technique?'' *It''s in your inventory, Zeke. I will also now unlock the masteries section.* Zeke checked his inventory and he indeed saw a skill tome labeled that. When he used it, a wave of information surged his mind. The contents of the Basic Hand Technique are divided into four moves all based on using one''s hands. However, he was slightly disappointed to see the three moves. It was three simple moves that Zeke instantly knew and recognized. Punch - curling your fists and launching it to the target. Palm - heel of the hand used to strike a target Chop - hack the target using your hands in a saber-like manner. Stab - thrust the hand in a spear-like manner. ''System, are these the only moves included? Why do these all look simple?'' *Yes, Zeke. These moves do indeed look simple but they are designed like that. Its purpose is to use less movement with more effect. The basic fist technique prioritizes efficiency over anything. These three might look easy to do, but that''s because spectators won''t see the exact movement of the arms. Try to think of the moves and watch how it is done in your head. Zeke followed the system''s instructions and tried to imagine how it is performed based on the information he got. In his mind, a hazy figure of a person is standing still while punching in front. This is how Zeke imagined how punching would look like. Gradually, Zeke modified it by adding subtle movements based on the directions from the skill tome. The final result shocked Zeke to the extreme. Comparing it to what Zeke imagined is like comparing a child to an adult. The difference was just too vast. The figure in Zeke''s mind went to a stance instead of just punching. When the punch was thrown, there were subtle flicks in the figure''s elbows and wrists but it was too subtle to be noticed at first glance. The punch in the final result was indeed efficient as it didn''t waste arm movement while also directing the brunt force in a drill-like effect. Zeke was thrilled. He didn''t imagine the actual punch would be like that. It seemed like his meager knowledge of a punch from his previous world seemed rubbish compared to the actual thing. He decided to change his mindset. ''I should not compare knowledge to the actual thing. It seems like things in this world aren''t that simple.'' Zeke decided to scrap his previous knowledge and learn it from the start. His mind, who was like a sloppy painting before, was now a blank slate, ready for a masterpiece. Inside his room, he stood up and tried to do the stance. When he threw the punch, he realized that he couldn''t completely do what the figure in his mind did. His punch seemed to lack power compared to it. ''It''s hard.'' It was Zeke''s first impression. When doing the punch, he couldn''t execute those subtle movements needed to maximize the power. *Congratulations, Zeke. You achieved the bare minimum of Punch, level 1.* ''Really? That sloppy punch is already considered level 1?'' *Yes, Zeke. You might have not noticed but if you didn''t scrap your prior knowledge, you wouldn''t achieve that on your first try. At best, you could imitate the stance but the movement of your arm would''ve all been different. It was thanks to your change that you managed to do it. Your punch there should be something you''d only achieve after a few days if you didn''t change your mindset.* ''I see. Looks like I need to adjust my mind whenever I try to do these. I''ll keep in mind not to half-ass my training from now on.'' Zeke then tried to visualize the Palm technique. He realized that it was easier to do as it only relied on the force to push back. Unlike the punch who had a drill-effect, the palm focused on the sheer impact to deal damage. It didn''t have the penetrating force a punch, but it covered a much larger area of impact that it would deal more damage for a defenseless person than the punch. The stance of the Palm technique was slightly similar to the stance of the Punch so Zeke understood it quickly. He then tried to execute it but he could only do the most basic palm strike. He didn''t try and overexert himself like he did on the punch, but he rather decided to take it slow. After the Palm technique, Zeke shifted his focus to the Chopping technique. This technique utilizes one''s hand like a sword or saber to chop down in front. The hand heavily resembled the blade of the sword chopping down towards the enemy. The key point of Chop is the slashing motion. Unlike the Palm, who prioritized sheer strength on impact, and Punch, who prioritized penetration on impact, the Chop prioritized on versatility and lethality. To fully maximize the effect of Chop, one would need to hit a vital point of the body. Once it hit though, it could deal the highest damage of all the three that could even result in death if well executed. It is also versatile as it can hit an enemy from high, mid, or lower part of their body and it''ll still deal significant damage. The stance of Chop is also similar to the previous two with the difference being the hand would usually be launched not directly but in a slashing motion. Once again, Zeke tried it in a simple manner. The Stab technique also works in a similar way as to how someone would stab using a sharp weapon. The body would need to lunge and form the fingers just like the Chop but with the thumb curled inwardly parallel to the four fingers. Stab also heavily emphasized on momentum, as the greater the momentum and speed of the strike, the more lethal the technique is. Zeke tried all four of them but only did the bare minimum for the other three. It''s not that he didn''t want to try, but he figured he would learn all of them slowly but surely. Although he liked the fact that he got level 1 in his Punch instantly, he felt that he didn''t learn its basics first. What Zeke didn''t know is that the three Basic Hand techniques were hard to do even for adults. People wouldn''t normally practice these kinds of techniques nowadays because they could just rely on their mana to deal with pretty much anything. If normal adults try to practice this technique, they would probably need a month or so just to get familiar with the stance and arm movement. It would then take them a couple of months to get the gist of the moves and year to completely master it. It''s just that they wouldn''t want to waste their precious time on this when they could just use their time on practicing spells and mana applications. Only people who are dedicated to martial arts would practice these kinds of things for many years. For Zeke to familiarize himself and even execute Punch at that level on his first day showed his high level of comprehension. Zeke spent his whole day cooped up in his room. He only went out to eat lunch and dinner before going back again to his room. His parents thought he has engrossed with some kind of book again so they didn''t bother him. In reality, he practiced the four techniques to level 1 while also achieving level 5 of Mana Circulation. 32 Normal Punch..? Zeke could now freely move his mana inside his body wherever he wants. The only thing he felt sad about is that he takes a bit of time before getting mana out and the speed in which mana travels inside his body is still a bit slow in his opinion. Still, it was a fact that Zeke could now operate mana inside his body. ''System, use the skill tome for Elemental Mana Circulation now.'' *Yes, Zeke. Consuming the skill tome.* As usual, a wave for information surged in his mind. According to the information, Elemental Mana Circulation makes it so the mana that the magician will guide isn''t pure mana, but mana that already has an element. Normally, when magicians take mana out from their mana core, the mana will be pure and still without an element. It was only then when the magician fired it off outside the body would it have an element depending on the magician''s choice. Now, if a magician practices Elemental Mana Circulation, they could make it so that their mana would already have an element as soon it got out the Mana Core. This would make the spell cast faster as it wouldn''t have to take extra time in converting the element of the mana being used. As soon as Zeke sorted out the information he got, his Mana Circulation went up by a level. Zeke was surprised as when he indeed tried to do it, he found out that the speed in which his mana traveled around his body became slightly faster and he found it easier to will mana out of his core. He then tried to apply the principle contained on the skill tome as he slowly willed mana out. He didn''t immediately try to will pure mana out, but rather he was already trying to change the element of the mana before it could even come out. His first result ended in a semi-failure. The mana he managed to will out after a few seconds turned out to be pure mana for the most part but with bits and pieces of mana particles of the fire element. He then tried to do it using other elements but he found out to his surprise that fire seemed easier to control than others. ''Why do I find fire element easier than others, System?'' *I am not sure about this, but it is probably because of your bloodline. Your father once mentioned about the four royal families with your family being the family who controls fire. Perhaps it''s because of the Flamehaven blood in you that you have a slightly higher affinity to fire than any other elements.* ''I see. If it''s really like that, then I suppose I''ll make use of it more than other elements in the future then.'' He then tried it again and again only for all of his tries to end in failure. He was so exhausted after several attempts that he just fell asleep as soon as he laid on the bed. Early Morning, when Zeke and his parents were having breakfast. "Son, why did you stay all day cooped up in your room? Are you reading something again?" Zeke didn''t know whether to let his father know about his combat training. He didn''t know if his father would allow it or not. However, he ultimately decided to tell it just because he trusted his father would agree. "Dad, would it be okay for me to learn how to fight?" Zeke''s sudden question left his parents surprised. Why is their son thinking or fighting at a young age? "Uh, I don''t think your body is ready but we''ll see about it. I''ll test you later, alright? just to see if you''re capable enough to fight. If not, then you should just focus on your meditation and continue doing your exercise." "I feel like I am ready, dad! Also, the reason I was in my room is that I am learning how to use my arms." "Ho?" Charles seems surprised by his son''s choice of words. "Alright, son. Let''s see about it later if you''re just boasting or you really have the ability." Charles smiled, thinking the idea of Zeke training is absurd. He felt that Zeke''s small arms don''t contain power enough to deal damage with a punch. Nevertheless, he couldn''t just lie to his son and crush his dreams, so he decided to at least present Zeke with a test to pour some cold water on Zeke''s ''overconfidence''. Zeke nodded. He knew his father was underestimating him, but it was understandable considering his father didn''t know Zeke''s abilities particularly the System''s help. Any father would absolutely not believe his 2 or 3-year-old son could fight. Also, maybe they find their sons cute to the point where they couldn''t harm others with their cute arms. Zeke wondered if his father forgot about his early Mana Core forming, an achievement no other child his age could make. Zeke thought that if his father took note of Zeke''s extraordinary feat, his father wouldn''t find his desire to train weird. After all, what Zeke did is beyond common sense, so it was natural that Zeke would also think of other crazy things. After breakfast, Charles and Catherine discussed Zeke''s sudden request. "Hun, are you really planning on training him? Zeke''s too young, you know." "I know, Cath. Even I thought about it too, maybe he read about it in some book?" "*sigh* You should really sort out the books in the study, you know. Who knows what Zeke''s been reading there." "Although the books there are not much organized, I can tell for sure that there is no book there that teaches how to fight. I''ve checked it all after we moved in, and most of the books are only about plants, monsters, or history. Why would I put a book that might teach my son how to kill?" "Fair enough. What will you do then?" "We can''t just ignore his wish. It''d make us look bad in front of our son, you know? Let''s just give him a simple test. Let''s hope this test would discourage him a bit." It wasn''t that Charles didn''t want his son to train, it''s just that he feels like Zeke hastily made his decision. There''s still a lot of time for him, why would he want to learn how to fight when his body still hasn''t matured? Charles called Esteban and made him buy some things. After lunch, Charles called Zeke and they both went outside. When Zeke came out, he could see different kinds of wood piled on top of each other. "Son, before you decide to train, you must have enough strength. There''s no use in training right now when your strength can''t hurt your opponent." "I know, Dad. What are these?" "These planks are made from the trunks of a tree that''s highly resistant to physical damage. These planks also vary in their age, as the older the tree, the higher its resistance. These are used by our kingdom to produce training dummies for our soldiers. I''ve brought this here to test your normal strength and your maximum explosive strength." Charles said as he picked up a plank from the pile. This plank is slightly lighter in comparison to some underneath who are dark brown in color. Charles held the plank with his two hands as he placed it in front of him. "This one is only from a year old tree. Try to break it with your fists." Zeke nodded. He didn''t feel the need to do a complicated punch so he decided to just do the simplest form of Punch. Zeke changed into the stance and he punched the plank directly. To Charles'' surprise, Zeke''s punch pierced through the plank that was like paper and hit him on the chest. ''This..!'' Charles was astonished. When he saw Zeke''s punch, Charles clearly saw that it was a simple punch with no profound movements. It was just as he expected his son to do. However, the plank was pierced easily by his son''s punch and he even felt its power. Although the force was decreased due to the plank in front, Charles received a hit equivalent to a normal adult''s punch. ''Strong!'' Charles didn''t know how his son achieved this degree of monstrous strength. The punch itself wasn''t that strong for Charles but it was the fact that his son was only 3 years old but he could already unleash the strength of a 30-year-old''s! Charles felt a faint pain in his chest but he didn''t frown. It was actually the opposite, as he was ecstatic about his son''s future. "That hurts, son. You didn''t even hold back." Charles smiled and joked. "Huh? But you said I should just use my normal strength?" "N-normal? You mean it wasn''t your maximum power?" "I don''t know, Dad." Charles became shocked again, and he sucked in a cold breath. Just a casual punch is already that powerful? He then shook off his thoughts and picked up a second to the hardest plank. "Why don''t you just pick the hardest, Dad?" "I''m afraid you''ll hurt your hands with this." Charles smiled. "It''s fine, Dad. I can handle the pain." "Alright then, if you say so, son. Prepare yourself." Charles picked up the plank with the darkest color of them all. "Ready when you are, son. Give it your all." Charles lightly said. He found it hard to contain the excitement about his son''s peak strength. Would he be able to break the hardest material for training dummies? ''If I want my father to agree to my training, I should show him how capable I am right now.'' Zeke decided to go all out with a determined expression. He tried to remember the way to execute a proper Punch as he stood in front of Charles. Zeke positioned himself and repeatedly told himself to do the subtle movements. He repeatedly told himself to achieve the most powerful Punch and surpass his previous try. Zeke was basically steeling himself to apply new comprehensions. Zeke went into a stance and threw his punch. As his arm was thrown, Zeke tried to do the movements but due to the spur of a moment, he could only execute 30 to 40% of the movement. Although it was a failure, it was definitely better than his previous best. As his punch landed on the plank, the plank didn''t break but the punch left a deep crack instead. Charles, who was holding the plank behind, had to force himself not to take a step back. He was shocked due to the immense power of that punch. Compared to Zeke''s casual punch, his full-powered one did almost twice the damage to the point that Charles needed to tighten his legs to prevent taking a step back. *Congratulations, Zeke. You further leveled up your Punch to level 3.* ''Sweet!'' "Was it good, Dad?" As Charles was still immersed by the power his son displayed, Zeke asked him with innocent eyes. In fact, Zeke actually wanted an answer. Even he was surprised by his power, and even though he had seen the effect, he still wanted a clear understanding. "Are you kidding? Of course it''s good! No, it''s insanely good! How the hell did you get this strong, son?!" Charles couldn''t suppress his excitement by the end of his sentence. It was because it was too absurd even for him, a royal noble who had seen different kinds of people. He absolutely couldn''t think of any genius individuals who could do this at Zeke''s age. Couple that with the fact that Zeke right now already has a mana core, Cahrles felt infinitely proud of his son, who was even beyond the realms of geniuses. "I just did workouts and exercises every morning, Dad." Zeke scratched his cheek. 33 Training Room "You still have the gall to joke about this? Do you even realize how strong you are?" "I don''t, Dad." "This plank I''m holding is used to create training dummies, right? This plank has almost the same hardness and durability as leather armor. The fact that you can damage it to this extent shows how monstrous your body strength is." "Wow! Am I that strong, Dad? Really?" "Yes. I don''t really know how you managed to train yourself to this level, but color me impressed. The fact that I didn''t sense any mana from your attack means you relied purely on your body strength. Well, it''s not like I expected you to already know how to manipulate mana inside your body, but if you really learned how to do it by any chance and applied it with your punch, I''m sure you could do damage much more serious than this." "Really? Then I really should improve my mana core then. So, Dad, can you train me now?" If it were before, Charles would definitely not allow it and tell Zeke to just focus on his mana core. But now, seeing his son''s strength, Charles couldn''t help but want to teach his child now. He felt guilty about rejecting it since it could be considered him hindering his child''s growth. "*Sigh*... Alright, son. I can teach you but only for a year, alright? You''ll need to go to school after this and I''ll also need to go to work. I''ll only be teaching you techniques you could utilize during combat and it''s up to you how you improve your own skill. I''ll spar with you once in a while, but just know that I''ll only do it once or twice a week. I''ll agree to all of this but I also have my own conditions." "Yay! What do you want then, Dad?" Zeke felt he already won half of the battle. He just needed to know his father''s condition so he could finally train out in the open! "First, I don''t want you lurking around inside our house all day long. I want you to have fun with my brother''s daughter. I don''t care what kind of fun you''ll do, I just want you not to train all day. I don''t want my son to grow up only thinking about training while neglecting people around you." "Yes, Dad!" "Second, after this year, before we go back to work and you go to school, you need to tell me what you did to have the strength you have now. Don''t even tell me about doing workouts everyday because I sure know one can''t achieve your strength with just ordinary morning routines. For all I know, only evil or demonic techniques can give you strength like that in a short period of time. I don''t want my only son to succumb to the darkness, you understand me?" "... Yes, Dad!" after a moment of hesitation, Zeke finally agreed. Charles noticed all of this, and he could help but narrow his eyes. His son really held some sort of secret that he can''t even say to his own parents. "Third, I want you to report to me your progress every week. I want a detailed explanation about your training. This is to ensure that you''re in the right path. I also don''t want you to overexert yourself, alright?" "Got it, Dad. So I am not allowed to stay all day in the house, I need to tell you about how I train, and I need to tell you about my progress. Is that all, Dad?" "Yes, son. Do you agree to all of it?" "It''s not hard, Dad, of course I agree. But can I request something, Dad?" "Sure. What do you want?" "Can you build a training room for me? The one where there''s training dummies and a comfortable place to meditate? I''d like to make that place my overall training grounds both in my physical training and mana core." "Can''t you just train here and meditate in your room? Why need a separate room?" "I want a place to train wholeheartedly, Dad. Besides, wouldn''t it be troublesome for our future spars if we always do it here? What if your brothers'' families see us?" "..... I understand. I''ll have it constructed at the back." Charles thought about it and he felt his son''s reasoning made sense. Besides, it was also for the sake of him. What would his sworn brothers say if they saw him fighting against his son this young? When he thought about Zeke''s choice of words, he couldn''t help but be surprised. Zeke''s way of thinking is very meticulous! He might not have mentioned it, but Charles knew Zeke''s reason wasn''t all that. Perhaps he doesn''t want others to know of his strength? Perhaps he wants to impress his childhood friends with his fighting prowess in the future? Charles didn''t know that although it was all possible motives, it wasn''t Zeke''s main focus. His focus was to hide his future training not only to the other families but also to his parents. He thought about buying skill tomes in the system''s shop and it wasn''t appropriate for his parents to find out this early. What would his parents say when they found out Zeke had learned new moves? They''d even wonder where the hell their son got it, making his secret stand out. Although he promised to tell them the truth a year later, he didn''t plan on disclosing ALL of it. Now that Zeke got his parents'' permission, Zeke felt relieved. He expected his father to handle things with his mother since he knows his mother would also not dare obstruct her son''s improvement. Besides, she wouldn''t get mad at all since Zeke had technically decreased his training time due to Charles'' conditions. "When will it be built, Dad?" "Less than a month tops, 1 month if it gets delayed for a bit. Let''s start then, son. For now, just focus on meditation and your mana core." Charles said. He was thinking about how to convince his wife about their son since Catherine might not have seen his punch earlier. After a while, a question appeared in Charles'' mind. "I forgot to ask you about this, son. How do you like to fight?" "What do you mean, Dad?" "Well, like I''ve told you before, everyone fights differently. I fight in close quarters as a spearman while your mother fights in long-range barrage spells as a mage. Before I start to train you, I need to know how you want to fight." "Dad, what are other ways of fighting besides yours and mom?" "Well, there''s not a lot of commonly known fighting styles so I can explain a bit. The melee fighters consist of two categories, the damage dealers and the shield-bearers. The shield-bearers take the brunt of the damage while the damage dealer is as its name suggests, deals damage to the shield-bearer''s attacker if it''s melee. Usually, the damage dealer and the shield-bearer are near each other in the front line to assist each other." "Dad, you said you fight in melee. What are you from the two then?" "I''m naturally a damage dealer, son. It''s just that I don''t usually fight with others so I''m a solo damage dealer." "I see!" "Then comes the ranged attackers. There are those like your mother who uses long-range offensive magic while there are also those who use weapons that don''t use mana like bows. There are also some that are a mix of both, such as an archer who uses mana to enhance his arrows." ''.. so it''s just like what I know, huh.'' "There are also those who are not suited for combat. These are the so-called supports who help their allies by either buffing allies, or debuff and distract enemies." ''Yep, just like I thought.'' Seeing his son stay silent for a while, Charles asked. "So, what do you think, son?" "I don''t know, Dad. Can I practice both first?" "That''s what I''m thinking too, considering that you have a mana core and you''re also practicing punches. I guess you could practice both for a bit and see what fits you best." "Yay! Thanks Dad!" "No problem, son. As long as my conditions are fulfilled, I''ll permit you to train and I''ll also make sure to convince Catherine. Remember what I said earlier, alright? stop practicing for a while and bond with your three friends. Tell you what, why don''t you invite them and go explore the city? 34 Holmes Zeke then went to the other three''s parts of the palace and asked them out. When their parents learned about it, they thought it was a very good idea to familiarize themselves with the city as well as a chance to bond with each other. They allowed it since Zeke''s family''s butler will be going too, and they also assigned some guards to secretly guard them. They didn''t want the guards to appear publicly as it would make them stick like a sore thumb. Right now, although the public knew the royal families had sons and daughters, they didn''t know their location and appearances. Even the residents of Dragonsoar City themselves aren''t aware that all four of the families live there. After dressing up, Zeke went out and saw Esteban wearing a hat and shades. He sported a slightly worn-out shirt and pants, looking like an ordinary citizen. Add to that his shades and a round hat, people wouldn''t mistake him as the prestigious butler of the Flamehaven royal family. "Are we good to go, Young Master?" "Yes, sir Esteban. Please guard us throughout our trip." Zeke smiled and said politely. "No need to call me ''sir'', Young Master. It''s my pleasure to serve your family." Esteban was surprised by his young master''s tone of speech. Most nobles are arrogant, especially the young ones, to the point where they wouldn''t respect other people even if the other party is older than them. Yet his young master isn''t like that and even speaks to him politely. It could be said to be Esteban''s luck for having such a young and mature young master to serve. Soon enough, Gaia and her family''s butler came to Zeke, followed by Aura and Rosaline. "Greetings, Young Master of the Flamehaven''s. I''m pleased to meet the future successor for Sir Charles." Gaia''s family''s butler, an old but graceful man stood before Zeke and bowed. "Greetings, sir. May I know what to call you?" Zeke humbly replied. The butler was surprised and couldn''t help but smile to this friend of her young mistress. "I''m honored to be known by Young Master. My name is Holmes, the Terraforma Family''s butler for a decade now, and I''m happy to be of your acquaintance." "I see. Mr. Holmes, are you going to join us today?" "Yes, Young Master. I''ll just get something to hide my face first. I''ll be right back, Young Mistress." Holmes bowed to Gaia and left. "By the way, where are your butlers, Aura? Rosaline?" "The geezer''s with my father right now. They said your butler''s coming so the geezer was better left with my father." "Mine''s running an errand!" Rosaline''s cold voice and Aura''s cheerful voice were heard. "I see. Well, should we go now, Esteban?" "Yes, Young Master! There''s no one to wait except Holmes. I believe he''s waiting at the entrance now." "Then let''s set off." Four kids and a ''disguised'' adult walked to the gate of the palace. Just outside the gate, they saw Holmes, or at least that''s who they think this hunchback old man holding on to a cane is. "Amazing! Your disguise is very perfect, Holmes!" Esteban marveled at the sight of Holmes. He looked nothing like his normal butler appearance. He looked just like a normal old man walking down the streets of the city. "Of course, it''s what I specialize after all." Zeke became intrigued by Holmes'' ability of high-level disguise. Indeed, when they''ll be with Holmes, they''ll just look like a common family household. ''System, can you check his stats? I want to know where he specializes.'' *Yes, Zeke.* After a second, the system replied. *Holmes'' overall combat power is not that high compared to your parents. He only has 3300 overall combat power and he specializes in speed, having a thousand more than his strength. Would you like to hear my hypothesis?* Zeke was shocked by the system''s proposal but he nevertheless nodded inwardly. *Holmes'' specialty laid in espionage and assassination, hence his focus on improving his overall speed. Although his combat power is not that high, that''s because his skills aren''t necessarily combat-oriented. However, if I were to compare him and your father, Holmes is likely to be more dangerous and lethal. Charles'' way of fighting is straightforward hence his high combat power, but Holmes'' is silent but lethal, not going for frontal assault but rather dealing damage in an unexpected and swift manner.* Zeke now understood the combat power more. It merely meant the ability of an individual to fight, but it didn''t count how the individual would approach. He swore not to judge people based on C.P. alone in the future. He was then impressed by how the system analyzed things. It seems it''s better for him to ask the system about his opponents sometimes. ''By the way, can you check Esteban''s stats too? What can you tell about him?'' *Yes, Zeke.* *Esteban''s combat prowess is high, just slightly lower than your Father. His C.P is 4200 with his focus on Strength and Endurance. I assume he''s just like your Father, someone who likes a frontal and endurance battle.* ''I didn''t expect him to be this strong. So that''s how it is.'' Zeke realized why they were allowed to go out with only Esteban near them. It was because they trusted Esteban''s ability to defend all four children. Although there were guards nearby, there needs to be someone who can respond to immediate trouble, and Esteban alone assured them. It was also much better since Holmes joined them. As they were walking around, Holmes introduced them to some of the buildings. According to him, Dragonsoar City has all sorts of businesses and it, in turn, makes the City worthy to be called the City second only to the Royal Capital. "This is the Adventurers'' Union. Adventurers go here to accept and turn in quests, while Clients go here to issue quests." Zeke looked at the building Holmes is pointing on. It was a three-story building that has a huge open wooden door. Its appearance is considered average at best, but it didn''t matter to people as Adventurers didn''t care much about the building''s appearance as long as the services inside are the same as ever. Near the Adventurer''s Union, there were a lot of open shops selling different kinds of items. Most of those said items all have certain benefits for Adventurers, like the Azure Flower that gives light at night or Mana Potions that restore people''s mana over time. As Zeke and company continued to stroll, they strolled upon a luxurious looking shop with sleek walls and a red-colored door made of high-quality wood. There was a sign above the door that has the word ''Magnifique'' written in cursive form. "That building is a clothing shop specifically aimed for nobles. Their apparel consists of clothes with intricate and flashy designs for both male and female. Would you like to go in, Young Master, Young Mistresses?" "I wanna go!" Aura shouted. "... Can I go check the other shops?" Zeke asked. Although he wanted to go in and look for some clothes, he was more interested in the weapon shop nearby. He didn''t want to go there with the three girls as he felt they''re too young for that. "Don''t you want to shop for some clothes, Young Master?" Esteban asked. "I already have many clothes back at home. I don''t need more!" "Is that so? Then I''ll accompany you, Young Master. Mr. Holmes, can you take care of them for a while?" "Sure. Should we meet here again after half an hour?" "That seems good." ".. can I go with you, Ezekiel?" "What? Don''t you want to get some pretty clothes?" "I-I''m the same as you. I don''t need new clothes." Zeke was surprised about Gaia''s sudden request. He didn''t expect the girl to reject the clothes. "Are you sure, Young Mistress?" "Yes, Holmes. Can you go with for a while? Esteban''s with me so I''m safe." "... as you wish, Young Mistress." Holmes couldn''t disobey his Young Mistress'' orders. Besides, he felt confident because Zeke''s butler was with them. Rosaline, who also didn''t want to go, seemed to want to say something but she didn''t in the end. She just went with Holmes and Aura inside silently. "Where do you want to go, Ezekiel?" "I actually want to go inside that shop." Zeke pointed to the weapon shop. "Also, just call me Zeke, Gaia. You don''t need to be formal with me." "O-okay, Zeke." "What a fine nickname! As expected of my Young Master!" Esteban said. The second sentence seemed to have two meanings, as he saw Gaia redden after hearing his Young Master''s words. "You too, Mr. Esteban, just call me that. You don''t want others to hear you call me that, right?" "Right... I forgot, Young Ma- Ehem, Zeke." Zeke smiled. "Let''s go. Do you really want to go with us, Gaia? You could join Mr. Holmes there, you know?" "No, Zeke. I also am curious about weapons. I once saw my father holding a rectangular shield as tall as him, and I can''t help but be curious about what those kinds of things are." "I see. Well then, let''s go!" The three went inside the weapon shop. The weapon shop didn''t have a signboard outside, and Zeke only knew it as one because of the row of weapons displayed from the glass window. 35 Stab Rows of different kinds of weapons welcomed Zeke and the other two''s sights. They were neatly arranged and categorized per type of weapon. "What brings you here, fellows?" A middle-aged man came and asked the trio. "We''re just looking around." "I see. do you want me to guide you and your children around?" The middle-aged man thought Esteban''s the father with Gaia and Zeke as his children. "Of course." Esteban nodded and didn''t bother explaining the misunderstanding. He knew it was better to further hide their identities. Zeke and Gaia knew this too, so they didn''t bother about it. While the middle-aged man saw some of the weapons filled with dust, he hurriedly cleaned it with a piece of cloth he had in his pocket. When he wasn''t looking, Esteban whispered to Zeke. "Zeke, what exactly are we doing here? are we here just to look at weapons?" "Mr. Esteban, I want to buy myself a weapon." Zeke''s reply stunned Esteban. Soon after, he didn''t know what to reply to him as he thinks he needed to have Charles'' opinion regarding this. He didn''t know about the matter with the training room yet so he felt like Zeke was rushing too much into this. "Don''t worry, Mr. Esteban. I will tell my father that I bought it myself under your stubborn refusal." Zeke smiled and winked playfully. Esteban couldn''t take it and just nodded. However, in his mind, he was thinking up what to say to Charles when they get home. "Can you guide us through each type of weapon you have?" Esteban asked the middle-aged man who was busy wiping "Yes! Follow me, customers!" The man gestured and went to an aisle full of short blades. "Good sir, this is our dagger-type weapons. Feel free to look at it and see if there''s something you like." "Can you explain to us about all these weapons? I already know it, but I figured my kids would want to hear it." "Sure! Sure! As you little fellow can see, these are what you call daggers! These are small one-handed weapons best fit for people of short stature and for those who prefer fast and nimble attacks. Daggers prioritize speed over strength, you see." Zeke and Gaia nodded, particularly Gaia who was immersed with the man''s explanation. They were then led into another aisle, and this aisle contained what Zeke knew from his previous world as swords. "These are what you call swords. These are medium-range weapons who are also the most versatile as their performance really relies on the individuals themselves. They could be utilized on either speed, strength, or sometimes even both! It all depends on the user and this is also what soldiers normally use, particularly because of its diversity in its attacks. You see, everything in a sword could be used as a weapon, be it the point, the edge, or the hilt itself." "These are spears. They''re long-ranged weapons made for stabbing and have strong piercing power. They''re made for..." The man continued guiding them throughout his store and the trio got to see different kinds of weapons. "Zeke, what weapon would you like to buy?" Esteban whispered to Zeke. "Mr. Esteban, can I get one for each weapon? I''d like to try all of them." ".... what?" Esteban was very surprised by Zeke''s nonchalant reply. He looked at Zeke''s figure and then the huge spears on the cabinets. How the hell would his Young Master carry that? Then again, he couldn''t disobey him and he just hoped his father would talk sense to him. "I''d like to buy the best one for each type of weapon, please." "Really?! Then please wait for a minute and I''ll pack it all up, sir!" The man excitedly bowed and went to each aisle to get the best one out of each weapon. He couldn''t delay as this was his best customer yet. After a few minutes, the man came back along with a ring. "Good sir, all your purchases are in this spatial ring. Would you like to take a look and see if everything''s in there?" Esteban received the ring and imbued some of his mana inside. Indeed, different kinds of weapons lay organized inside. "Everything''s in here. Here''s the payment, keep the change." Esteban held out two gold coins. The man was shocked by the payment of his customer. The overall cost of all the weapons bought could only amount to 40 silvers or half a gold at most. Yet, the customer in front of him casually handed out two gold coins, which is equivalent to 200 silvers. This was 5x the amount! "Keep the change. Just forget we came here, alright?" The man seemed to understand why Esteban gave extra payment. It was to conceal the fact that they bought weapons there. "Rest Assured, Good sir. I won''t rat out my customers especially those who pay right!" "Good. We''ll be going then. Little girl, are you good to go?" Esteban looked at Gaia who was mesmerized by the array of swords in the aisle. When she heard Esteban, she quickly returned to Zeke''s side and nodded. As they were going back to the meeting point, a loud shout was heard near Magnifique, the store where the rest came inside earlier. "Help!" A weak and anxious voice was heard. "Hah! Begging for help? Like someone''s helping a poor bitch like you!" A voice that seemed to enjoy what he''s doing was also heard. Esteban became vigilant, looking out for possible schemes. "Sir Esteban, w-what''s that?" Gaia nervously asked. "Don''t worry, Young Mistress! I won''t let you two get hurt. Rest assured! Let''s just go somewhere around the meeting point first." "No, Mr. Esteban. We''re going there. We need to help!" Zeke shouted. "B-but Young Master, w-what if it''s dangerous?" "Don''t worry, Mr. Esteban. When worst comes to worst, just protect Gaia. I can handle myself." Zeke''s confident voice slightly bewildered Esteban ''Where did Young Master get this confidence? Did he learn magic already?!'' Esteban shuddered at the possibility of a 3-year-old magician. However, he quickly trashed the idea as he felt it was too unbelievable. ''Then why''s he so confident?'' When Esteban''s thinking about this, Zeke already walked ahead, followed slowly by the nervous Gaia. Esteban caught up and prepared himself for potential trouble. When the trio got near the scene, they saw the whole street slightly empty. The people were only inside the establishments, while the only persons outside were an old woman and two guys, one young and one middle-aged. The young man seems to be in his twenties while the middle-aged man is in his forties. The young man''s facial features were really ugly that Zeke immediately felt disgusted upon seeing his face. The young man''s thin face with a pointy chin as well as two protruding front teeth made him look like a rat to Zeke''s mind. The young man was also smiling maliciously, making his appearance much worse. The middle-aged man looked to be the young man''s father as he also shares the same pointy chin and the same malicious smile. The man had a scar on his face from his left cheek stretching to his right forehead, making him look scary when he''s near. The old woman was sitting on the ground along with some kind of fruit in front of her. She seemed to be selling something when the two men came to her. There were also signs of destroyed fruits underneath the men so it''s obvious they were bullying the old woman. "Hey old bitch, why don''t you just give us all these and we''ll let you go scot-free, eh?" The young man asked as if the life of the old woman is in his hands. "Yes, grandma. Just hand all of these over to avoid getting hurt. I promise we''ll let you off. Isn''t this a good transaction? Here, I''ll give you these 5 coppers in my pocket. Take it as my gift to you. Come on now, Go away and leave all these behind. We''ll sell them for you." The middle-aged man spoke like a businessman, but his words felt like venom to the old woman. "What are you guys doing?" Before the old woman could agree, a leisurely and innocent voice resounded from behind them. The two men and the old woman looked towards Zeke''s direction and saw a man along with 2 children. "Hey, kid. Back off here, alright? or else you''ll get hurt. A LOT." "You heard him, boy. Go off now and play with that little girl. You shouldn''t be here at your age, right?" Zeke replied casually, ignoring them both. "What were they doing to you, grandma?" Zeke politely asked and walk forward for a bit. "Young man, no! Stay away from here and don''t meddle with my affairs! This is just a normal transaction. Sir, please take away your kid and leave this place." The old woman looked towards Esteban, hoping the man would take the boy away. "Oh? It seems this kid is a bit innocent in the head, huh?" The middle-aged man walk closer until he was in front of Zeke. Zeke also stopped, and the middle-aged man crouched, matching eye level with Zeke. "Leave, boy." The middle-aged man smiled. "Old woman, are they bullying you? Tell the truth, I don''t want any lies." Esteban, who was silent for a while, suddenly asked the woman. The old woman couldn''t answer, but in the end, she chose to believe in a sliver of hope that Esteban would take the boy away if she said the truth. "Yes! Now please, go away before he gets hurt!" The old woman pleaded. Zeke turned around and winked at Esteban, who in turn covered Gaia''s vision. "W-what''s happening? Sir Esteban?" "What are you doing, man? Are you-" The middle-aged man looked at Esteban while still keeping the same eye level as Zeke, but he couldn''t finish his sentence when he felt his throat run dry. The young man on the side was utterly horrified by the sight he was currently witnessing. The right hand of the young boy was lodged deep within the Middle-aged man''s neck, so deep to the point that the tip of the boy''s middle finger could be seen piercing through the neck. Blood gushed from the man''s neck as he didn''t know how he died. Not even a few seconds had passed when the boy suddenly threw a short sword, or a dagger rather, held by his left hand to one of the legs of the young man. The young man couldn''t move due to intense shock as well as the seething anger and hatred coming from the young boy, causing his right leg to be hit as he suddenly issued a painful loud scream. 36 Reverse Scale Talking to the young man, explaining to Esteban, helping the Old Woman, onlookers shocked as hell. When The trio saw what the men were doing, his aura immediately changed. Zeke''s aura was already level 5 after continuously using it, and the feeling it emanates gets stronger the closer the person is. Right now, Esteban and Gaia noticed Zeke''s change of mood, and they immediately felt something strangle them, making their breathing go in disorder. "Z-zeke? What''s happening? I can''t breathe properly." Gaia couldn''t help but ask. She didn''t know anything but she suddenly found it hard to breathe. Esteban, on the other hand, felt something different. Unlike Gaia who haven''t developed her senses yet, Esteban felt different kinds of negative emotion from Zeke. He didn''t know why Zeke felt such disgust and hatred, but he found it even more impossible that Zeke could project his emotions as an intangible aura. How was this possible?! Zeke looked at Gaia who was gasping for breath. ''What?'' *Your aura is affecting her, Zeke. The hatred you felt earlier projected itself into your aura, making it ghastly and suffocating especially for the young girl who was weaker than you. Esteban felt it too, but at most, it would only make him uncomfortable. Also, due to the sudden surge of emotions earlier, your aura leveled up to 6.* Zeke suddenly realized. He forgot he had his Aura always turned on, and he forgot to control his emotions enough to change his aura into a suffocating one. In fact, Esteban also felt uncomfortable earlier. He didn''t know anything about Zeke''s aura because Zeke always kept it to project a peaceful and serene aura and he also didn''t think much of it because he thought it was naturally what he would feel now that his master was near him. Zeke hurriedly calmed himself to stabilize his Aura, but his inner thoughts betrayed him. There was still a sliver of fury inside, slowly building up the longer Zeke sees the two men. ''System, what''s their CP?'' *The older man has 750 CP, slightly higher than common people of his age. As for the young man, he only has 300 or so CP. They both focus on their Strength with little Agility and Endurance.* ''System, what are the odds of me killing them?'' Zeke hated the two men to the point of killing them. His hatred from earlier stemmed from his past memories of his foster family. Back then, they were good and hospitable to him at first, but when they received part of his parent''s inheritance money, they treated him like trash. Zeke felt like he was only being treated like that in the first place so they could get his inheritance money. This started Zeke''s hate for people who bullied people weaker than them like his foster family who treated Zeke like that because Zeke was powerless to stop them, nor is he aware of their schemes before they got what they wanted. He always felt disgusted by his foster family but he didn''t voice it out and instead gritted his teeth whenever they bad mouth him. When he saw what the two men did to the older woman - as they looked over them, the two men smashed most of her fruits and spat on her face with a dirty smile - he couldn''t help but remember his foster family''s treatment to him. *The probability of killing them is bleak. You only have at most 20% of killing them in a frontal battle. However, if you manage to sneak attack, then your chances would be at least 70 if not 100%. Your chances depend on how you attack.* ''I see.'' *Do you hate them, Zeke?* The system''s sudden question puzzled Zeke. *Do you dislike them to the point of killing them?* ''.... Yes, frankly.'' *Good. I''ll take this as training for your mind.* ''What?'' Suddenly, something popped up in Zeke''s peripheral view. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Event Quest "Kill" Kill the two humans you dislike. Know the law of the world you live in. Hint: -Sneak attack greatly increases the chance of killing. Difficulty: C Reward: 100xp +10 random stats ''Murderer'' Title Skill Tome (Combat-type) Bonus reward: Corpse Dissolving Acid Powder Quest Failure Penalty: -1 Life (Backup Life remaining: 1) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª !! Zeke was surprised about the quest he got. It basically told him to kill the two people! Although Zeke wanted to kill them, he didn''t think it''d be right to do it with the environment and people nearby. However, he thought about the second sentence the quest entailed. ''Rules of the world?'' *The Law of the world is one of the things that won''t change even after time passed by. It is something that is silently agreed upon by almost all of the inhabitants of this world, mainly because they don''t have a choice either way.* ''Then what''s it?'' *You''ll know after the quest. If not, then I''ll have to tell you myself.* ''By the way, what''s the Back Life on the penalty?'' *The Backup Life is basically your extra lives. Right now, you only have 1 extra life, which means when you die or receive lethal damage, the extra life will be consumed and you will be healed back to your fullest strength. It''s from your title as Pandora''s Champion, as the champions of the gods won''t easily die and tarnish the reputation of the deity they''re representing.* ''I see.'' Zeke was happy about having insurance. However, after a few seconds, he was thinking of ways to deal with the situation before them. A few seconds later, he seemed to have an idea. "Mr. Esteban, I want you to cover Gaia''s eyes when we get close, alright? No matter what happens, I just need you to cover her eyes." Zeke looked back and whispered to Esteban. Gaia was just standing there looking at the boy whispering to the man several times taller than him. Esteban was puzzled. "Huh? Why do I need to do that, Young Master?" "Just do it." Zeke showed a determined face. "... alright. Be careful, Young Master. They might hurt you and I might not reach you in time." Esteban''s worried voice moved Zeke''s heart. "Don''t worry. Also, just go in the shop after and tell them not to go out for a while and wait for me inside. Alright?" "You want me to leave you outside, Young Master?! No!" "Esteban." Zeke''s way of calling him startled Esteban. He could feel an authoritative aura emanate from Zeke, which made Esteban feel more puzzled inside. How was his Young Master this assertive with his aura? "Y-yes, Young Master?" "Just. Do. It." Zeke''s slow but solid voice slightly bothered Esteban. He didn''t know his master''s son would have a side like this. "... I got it, Zeke. Don''t do anything rash, please." Esteban could only warn him out. "Also, can you hand over the dagger you bought?" "What?!" Esteban now knew his Young Master was indeed doing that. He thought his Young Master would only beat them up and he''ll need to intervene to defend him. Who would''ve thought that this Young Master of his was cruel enough to end this dispute by a kill. "Y-young Master, c-can you handle this? It''s sharp and dangerous, you know?" "I know, Mr. Esteban. I promise I will take it easy." ''Easy? What part in carrying a dagger to hurt someone easy!?'' "*sigh* Please be careful, Young Master. I''ll just get the dagger out." "No, scratch that. Just let me borrow the spatial ring, Mr. Esteban." "Alright. Again, please be careful. I can''t respond fast if they attack, you know?" "Yes, Mr. Esteban. I promise I won''t be hurt." Gaia, who was looking all throughout their conversation, still didn''t seem to understand what both of them talked about. She only saw a ring being passed to Zeke. "Hey old bitch, why don''t you just give us all these and we''ll let you go scot-free, eh?" The trio heard the young man''s haughty voice. "Yes, grandma. Just hand all of these over to avoid getting hurt. I promise we''ll let you off. Isn''t this a good transaction? Here, I''ll give you these 5 coppers in my pocket. Take it as my gift to you. Come on now, Go away and leave all these behind. We''ll sell them for you." Then comes the middle-aged man. "What are you guys doing?" Zeke said as he was closing in. "Hey, kid. Back off here, alright? or else you''ll get hurt. A LOT." "You heard him, boy. Go off now and play with that little girl. You shouldn''t be here at your age, right?" "What were they doing to you, grandma?" Zeke politely asked and walk forward for a bit. His inner feelings, however, contained intense rage and killing intent. It wasn''t yet projected in his aura as he willed himself not to show it until after the deed is done. "Young man, no! Stay away from here and don''t meddle with my affairs! This is just a normal transaction. Sir, please take away your kid and leave this place." The old woman looked towards Esteban, hoping the man would take the boy away. "Oh? It seems this kid is a bit innocent in the head, huh?" The middle-aged man walked closer and matched eye level with Zeke. "Leave, boy." The middle-aged man smiled. "Old woman, are they bullying you? Tell the truth, I don''t want any lies." Esteban asked. He wanted his Young Master to have a clear idea of the situation before doing something. He knew it inside that his Young Master might do something inappropriate for kids to see hence his order to cover Gaia, but Esteban still wondered how could Zeke stomach this when he knew other children won''t. "Yes! Now please, go away before he gets hurt!" The old woman pleaded. Zeke heard it and felt reassured about doing the deed. If the two men were good people, then Zeke would definitely feel bad. But now that he knew the situation was as he expected, he didn''t have any guilt in him. Zeke turned around and winked at Esteban, who in turn covered Gaia''s vision. "W-what''s happening? Sir Esteban?" Gaia was flustered. She felt uncomfortable having her vision stripped off of her. "Shh little girl, this isn''t for you to see. C''mon, let''s go inside. Don''t worry, this old man will guide you." Esteban tried to speak as amicably as he can so as to not bother Gaia more. He then turned around with Gaia in front of him while pushing her slowly towards the door of Magnifique. "What are you doing, man? Are you-" Esteban heard the middle-aged man''s voice behind him cut off as he wondered why. He turned around, only to be horrified and shudder as the scene he saw. Zeke felt the chance has come as the middle-aged man in front of him was distracted, and he immediately performed the arm movement of Stab. He didn''t bother getting into a stance as his opponent was defenseless anyways, so the piercing power of a casual Stab should be enough. He fully unleashed the thick killing intent in his heart which made his aura suffocating. The man in front of him suddenly sense the killing intent, but he was too late to react as he was slightly stunned by it. Zeke''s right hand was like an arrow fired from the bow as it stabbed the man''s neck, barely piercing through. Blood filled his hand as he looked at the expression of the man in front of him which contained confusion, despair, and anger. It was too fast that he didn''t even see what killed him. Zeke didn''t waste time and quickly withdrew the dagger in the ring and threw it using his left hand. To Zeke''s disappointment, It didn''t hit the young man''s vital spots but instead hit the man''s leg. The man, as if he finished processing what just happened, screamed loudly, pain evident in his tone. The scream startled the people nearby, including Esteban who was still looking and Gaia. "W-whats''s that! Sir Esteban, please stop!" Gaia became even more flustered and scared when she heard it. Esteban, although still horrified and shocked by his Young Master''s brutal method, managed to regain himself as he silently lead Gaia inside. He was planning on leaving her to Holmes quickly and go back to Zeke. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ARE YOU INSANE?!" The young man shouted loudly, causing the onlookers to look towards them. "How do you feel?" Zeke asked with a smile as he left the middle-aged man''s corpse and walked towards the young man sprawled nearby. "W-what?! What the fuck are you saying, you goddamn lunatic!" "I said." Zeke walked closer with a smile still plastered on his face. "How do you feel?" Zeke repeated. "..." "How does it feel to be the one on the receiving side?" "WHAT?! IS MY FATHER''S DEATH EVEN COMPARABLE TO WHAT WE DID?!" "Indeed! HAHAHAHA looks like karma got you two fuckers back! HAHAHAHA" A loud gloating voice was heard nearby. Zeke and the young man looked towards the source. It was a young man in his twenties manning a stall selling food. "You two fuckers always eat my food without paying and even batting an eye! Every day, almost half of my earnings are spent covering for the food you fuckers ate! You deserve that!" "That''s right. Karma indeed strikes back." The old man across the young man''s store suddenly butted in. "You wrecked my store, over and over and over again just because you didn''t like my food?! What kind of reason is that?!" His voice contained anger and pure hatred towards the young man. "Besides, did you forget the time when you forced your way with Old Liu''s daughter?" He continued and looked towards the old woman sitting on a bench with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep. "If you hadn''t done it, then her daughter should still be alive till now! You pieces of shit forced her dead, it was only right to reciprocate that to you two!" The old man gloated again. One after another, the onlookers spat out their complaints about the deeds of the father and son. It seemed like the two were hated a lot on that part of town as practically all onlookers had a gloating smile looking at him and his father''s corpse. They were so ecstatic about the two that they didn''t realize the identity of their attacker, which is a 5-year-old boy (1) with a handsome face and white hair. No, perhaps because of their hatred for the two, they didn''t care much about the appearance of the one who did them justice. Also, they only thought of Zeke as a hidden master who had a youthful body. Otherwise, their common sense wouldn''t process it if they knew that Zeke was a true 3 year-old-boy. "NO! You fuckers! I''ll kill each and every single one of you!" "I''m afraid you can''t." Zeke''s calm voice resounded behind the man. "Huh?! You''re gonna kill me too? HAHAHAHA DID YOU FORGET THE RULES OF THE CITY? KILLING IS FORBIDDEN! HAHAHA, YOU''RE DEAD IF THE GUARDS SEE THIS! HAHAHA" The man''s psychological wall of defense crumbled down. "Not if they won''t see your filthy bodies." Zeke calmly replied with a smile. "There are still witnesses. HAHAHAHA YOU CAN''T ESCAPE, BASTARD! Pay for my father''s death!" "Witnesses?" Zeke looked towards the onlookers with a smile. "What witness are you talking about?" "There''s no witness here right now, am I right, guys?" "Yes! We all didn''t set up shop today so we didn''t see this ''little incident''!" "C''mon guys, pack up now! Let''s take a break today." One after another, they recommended suggestions as to how they will feign ignorance towards the murder. The other onlookers who weren''t selling anything only shook their heads and smiled, indicating they also didn''t have any intentions of ratting them out. Zeke turned his gaze back to the young man who fell deeper in despair as he saw the nearby ''witnesses'' pack up their shops and leave, leaving him and the demon behind him the only ones remaining on that side of the street. "N-no! Please, good master! Please spare my life, please! I won''t do it again, I promise! Please just let me go this once and I''ll turn over a new leaf completely! PLEASE!" The young man kept pleading while trying to kowtow towards Zeke while still having a dagger lodged in his leg. "Did they say that to you too?" "..?" The young man looked up and matched Zeke''s gaze on him. He still felt the murderous atmosphere around Zeke as he gulped by instinct. "Did they plead to you too when you did those things to them?" "!!!" "Did the woman you raped pleaded for help too?" "I-it wasn''t what you-" "Shut your mouth." Zeke''s authoritative voice completely cuts off the man''s sentence. "What did you do in response to their pleas?" "..." Zeke pulled out the sword in his spatial ring and stabbed it towards the man''s abdomen. It didn''t hit a vital organ, but it definitely wounded the man''s insides. He screamed and held the sword. He was dying slowly and painfully as Zeke and the man exchanged eye contact. "Do you know why you''re dying right now?" "..." The man continuously looked at Zeke with eyes full of despair and hatred. "It''s because..." Before the man lost his consciousness, he heard the last words Zeke spoke. "...you''re weak." 37 Festival Just as the young man lost his life, an interface appeared. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Event Quest "Kill" Complete! Reward: 100xp +10 random stats ''Murderer'' Title Skill Tome (Combat-type) Bonus reward: Corpse Dissolving Acid Powder ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''Sweet!'' Zeke was satisfied with the rewards he got. Although the Skill Tome isn''t specified, Zeke had high expectations due to it being a Combat-type. After a short moment of satisfaction, Zeke looked at the two corpses. He was baffled because he didn''t even feel any guilt even though he killed them in a brutal manner. He knew that if this was to happen back on Earth, he would probably vomit a lot just by seeing this gruesome scene. However, he noticed that ever since he was transferred here, his emotions and viewpoints slightly changed. If his moral compass back on Earth was considered normal, then his moral compass right now could be equal to a serial killer on Earth! He didn''t like the change in himself as he felt like he didn''t have any emotions anymore. *Congratulations, Zeke. You now know and even personally experience the law of this world.* ''What?'' Zeke didn''t understand. Where''s the law in what he did? He practically took the law in his own hands! However, Zeke still hasn''t realized it. ''I don''t understand. Where''s the law in this?'' *You don''t know? You already said it earlier, haven''t you? Think of what you did and what you said earlier.* Zeke tried to recall the events from the start. As he remembered the last part, Zeke suddenly understood it all. ''Law of the Jungle, huh.'' *I don''t know that, Zeke.* ''Oh. Maybe it doesn''t exist in this world then. The law of the jungle is basically strong eating the weak. Do you get it, System?'' *Perhaps. Have you thought about it yet?* ''Yes. Correct me if I''m wrong, but is this world really apply the law of the jungle? Where only the strong people survive while the weak suffer?'' *In a sense, yes. First off, I was aware of your circumstances. From the world you came from, I assume there''s also laws, right? laws that restrict people from doing what''s right or wrong. These laws help regulate the people and make people not do bad things.* ''Yes.'' *But did you ever think about what exactly is right and wrong?* ''!!!'' Zeke was surprised. *This world doesn''t have the same moral compass as your previous world. If your previous world prohibits killing anywhere, this world isn''t. If your previous world prohibits something, it doesn''t necessarily mean this world also is. What you did today is just like what other people are doing at the same time in a different place. Yes, Zeke, killing is prohibited here but what will the law here do when you''re powerful?* ''...'' *Even if the law were to be enforced to a powerful person, it wouldn''t restrain him fully. A person much more powerful than the law itself is basically exempt from the rule. Even if they are included in the law by paper, what can law enforcement do if the person is just too strong for them to handle? Would they waste time on someone or something they can''t clearly defeat?* ''...No.'' *Precisely. This world indeed has the law you mentioned, but it also isn''t. It''s like an invisible law, one that doesn''t really exist on paper, but all people silently know and acknowledge it.* Zeke understood the system''s words. Back on Earth, although people don''t have special powers, their ''power'' is on their financial strength, and even though the law includes everyone including them, people know that some can bend the law to their bidding with enough financial strength and influence. ''I understand now.'' *Yes, Zeke. This small quest was actually designed by Mr. Pandora specifically for you.* ''Pandora did?'' *Yes, Zeke. Although he didn''t mention why, I believe it''s to help you further get used to the world. Mr. Pandora might''ve known that you won''t get used to killing so he designed a conditional quest like this.* ''I see. Well, now that it''s all sorted out, let''s clean this mess now.'' Zeke held the Corpse Dissolving Acid Powder. It was contained inside a small flask and only a sprinkle is needed for it to work. Zeke didn''t need to be a genius to know how it works so he just sprinkled it on top of both corpses. Not even 5 seconds have passed when the bodies started disintegrating while producing steam. Zeke noticed that it smelled like barbecue which made him disgusted. Just a few seconds later, the corpses are gone and so is the blood. The only thing visible was a dark patch of land which seemed to be getting lighter the longer time passes. Zeke felt satisfied with the clean up so he went inside Magnifique. There, Holmes and Esteban were with Gaia, Rosaline, and Aura. Holmes, Aura, and Rosaline didn''t know what happened outside, and all they heard was just a loud scream followed by Esteban and Gaia going in with Esteban covering Gaia''s eyes. Holmes seems to have realized the situation and gazed at Esteban. Esteban met Holmes'' gaze and he walked closer and whispered some words. Hearing this, Holmes got shocked not only on what''s happening but by the fact that Esteban left his Young Master outside along with 2 bad guys. "Sir Esteban! Why''d you covered my eyes? Also, who screamed? Where''s Zeke? Is he outside?!" Gaia asked multiple questions after getting her vision back. "There''s nothing to worry about, Young Mistress. My Young Master was just doing something outside and he just didn''t want you to see it. Speaking of, can you take care of her, Holmes? I''d like to go back outside and see my Young Master. Excuse me then." After a few minutes of talking to Holmes and Gaia, Esteban found the time to go out. However, as soon as he turned around, he saw Zeke going in leisurely. "Y-young Master? W-why are you back so fast?" "It''s nothing, Mr. Esteban. I just talked to the two guys for a bit. I accidentally stubbed one of the guy''s feet so I think he screamed loudly. Geez, just that for a loud scream?" Zeke looked playfully at Esteban and winked before looking over to the girls. Esteban knew what the wink meant. He also realized that his Young Master was too smart for someone of his age. His view of his Young Master now was the same as how he viewed the Elders from the Council. It was because both are cunning and intelligent enough to know and deal with the situation. He was especially shocked and slightly horrified by the sight of his 3-year-old Young Master stabbing the guy like he was used to it. He even did it in an unexpected way that even the man couldn''t defend! "Why did you not want me to see them earlier?!" Gaia lightly shouted to Zeke. "It was because I find their faces to be too ugly for your beautiful eyes to look at for too long." Zeke smiled and teased. Zeke''s tease made Gaia blush. "B-but still!" "Don''t worry, they aren''t there anymore. They left as soon as I went near them." Zeke boasted and chuckled. "Who could you even scare?" Rosaline smiled and teased him. "Everyone! Alright, should we go to the main square now?" "Yes! I heard they have many things for sale there! Come on now!" Aura seemed like she didn''t mind the commotion just now and cheerfully said. It was really what Zeke said, the two men couldn''t be seen which surprised Esteban. Could it really be that they escaped? Then the young man really carried his father''s corpse and ran away? What happened? He was also puzzled because there were clearly no signs of blood on the ground. It was really as if there was no dead person here in the first place. Just how did his Young Master achieve this? Only Holmes noticed the slightly darker patch of land. He was skilled in espionage and assassination so he naturally knew methods on how to conceal it. He suspected that some sort of cleaning material was used in this but he didn''t know anything that was as effective in cleaning as this. If it weren''t for his eyes who possess a passive ability, he wouldn''t notice the slight change. He wondered what really happened outside but he figured Esteban wouldn''t also know it and even if he did, it''s not like Esteban would tell him. The trip continued normally. As they arrived at the town square, they noticed that there were some stalls that offer games. Holmes then told them that there was some sort of small festival today and that they should enjoy it to their heart''s content as the festival only happens twice a year for a week. The four children and two adults strolled around, playing some games while also buying all sorts of food. Zeke won a game where he needed to take down all cans in one shot, which he did. This surprised the one manning the game as he clearly understood that to take it down, one only needs to exert the throwing power of an adult. The man didn''t think a 3-year-old could take it down but nevertheless, he gave the rewards to Zeke. After a couple of rounds, Zeke managed to gather four plushies. He gifted the three daughters one each while he kept the last one. After playing, Zeke and the rest sat and ate. There was mainly Zeke who wolfed down most of the food they bought as Holmes told them that if they ate a lot, they''d get fat. Just that one sentence completely lost them their appetite so Zeke ate almost 70% of all the food, leaving only 15% for the four girls and 15% for Esteban and Holmes. Esteban also tried to warn Zeke like Holmes but Zeke didn''t pay attention to it. He was going to train hard on the following days anyway so might as well eat a lot, right? Unbeknownst to Zeke and the rest, a bearded man just two tables across Zeke''s looked at them with eyes full of greed. However, his target of greed wasn''t the food, it was something else. ''Good quality products.'' The man muttered as he continued looking at them. After a while, he seemed to have decided something as he left the place. 38 Brooding The man then went into an alleyway located just on the outskirts of the city. This alleyway looked empty and desolate as and no one could be seen and the houses look unoccupied and run-down. The man then went inside a shabby four-story building. As he went inside, a clerk who was dozing off suddenly looked up and when he saw the man''s face, his expression lit up and he put on a bright smile. "Mr. Bram, what brings you here?" The clerk spoke as respectfully as possible. "Potential package." The man, Bram, lowly said. The clerk seemed to understand what he meant and he gestured to guide Bram. They then went to the fourth floor. Along the way, there were some sounds of pleasure coming from the rooms they passed by. As they went into a large room at the end of the hallway, the clerk stopped. "This is as far as I can go, Sir Bram." "Good. Now scram." Bram threw a coin purse to the clerk who skillfully caught it. His smile grew wider as he bowed to Bram then left. Bram continued traversing the room until he was in front of a desk. Along the way, wails of what seemed to be children kept ringing on Bram''s ears. His left and right were all filled with cages filled with children of different races, all with blank expressions. There were human girls, beastmen, and there were also a few humans with small horns, or dragonborns. The public didn''t know the truth about the alleyway Bram''s at. Few only took notice of it by day because it was really on the very outskirts of the city, which makes them a bit hidden and away from places with high concentration of people. The truth was that it was actually a slave den! The children there were all either kidnapped from the streets or bought from other people. Bram sat in front of the desk. There was a young man in his 20s sitting there lazily with a human little girl sitting on his lap. This human girl was wearing a tattered oversized shirt and the young man continued to fiddle with the girl''s hair. Surprisingly enough, the girl''s face doesn''t show any emotion, and she was only drooling with deadpan eyes. "What''s the matter?" The young man stopped what he''s doing and looked at Bram. "Business as usual. Can you not do that in front of me? It''s disgusting." "Tch. As if you don''t enjoy this job you have. Hypocrite." "I enjoy my job because of the money, not the actual business you''re running, Val. Also, what''s with that youthful look? Why the fuck do you always want to look young?" It turns out this young man in front of him is actually older or at least as old as Bram! "Fuck off. Mind your own business! Alright, you''ve wasted enough of my time. What''s the fuss?" The ''young man'' suddenly changed appearance. From his youthful look, his face started having wrinkles and his muscles started sagging a bit. His hair suddenly just disappeared, and his entire bearing changed. He now looked like a bald slightly old man. It was the true appearance of Val, who liked to change his appearance using mana. "I saw some good seeds on the square. Four of them, all high-quality dragonborns." "What? Are you sure they''re high quality?" "Yes, their appearances are very good compared to the usual children you see and they looked to be of noble birth. I don''t know which house or family they are though, but from what I saw, they had an old man and a middle-aged man with them. Both of them looked very ordinary, so I''m guessing their nobility is just low." "What''s the appearance of the old man?" "Hmmm.. I''ll show you." Bram''s form then started to shift slowly. His final appearance looked partly like Holmes'' disguise but without the hunchback and the cane. He was a ramrod straight disguised Holmes, so to say. "Not familiar. I''ve seen the faces of almost every famous nobles here and he''s definitely not one of them." "Maybe they''re just newly transferred here? I remember a carriage back then that transported a family to the palace near the middle of the city. Do you think they live there?" Bram said as he slowly reverted back to his form. "Highly likely. Where else would they live? That''s only recently built and with their timing, I''m guessing they''re the ones who rebuilt it." "Alright. So, what do you think? Do you think it''s worth it?" "Maybe. Try to track their movements first. If they have tight security, I won''t allow it. If it''s pretty lax, you can try to move. Remember, if you get caught, we have no relation whatsoever!" Val sternly declared. "Rest assure, I won''t rat you out. Besides, when did I ever fail this job? Don''t worry, as an extra precaution, I''ll try to look for information first. I''ll try to scout their place and familiarize myself with the old man first. It seems like the old man was someone they heavily trusted, hehe." Bram smiled and left. It wasn''t his first job in this business. He was actually one of the few people that work for Val and is assigned to lure the children outside. He wasn''t well-versed with combat, but he takes pride in his disguising skill. In actuality, his disguising skill is way inferior to Holmes'', but his skill is enough to be called proficient by normal people. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zeke and company went home just as the sun went down. Holmes didn''t ask anymore and he just planned to speak of it when their daughter will bring it up. Esteban, however, asked Zeke as soon as they were alone. "Young Master, can I ask what you did to the young man back there? You killer the old man, but where are the two of them?" "Mr. Esteban, one at a time, please. Also, it''s alright to report this to my father, I''m sure he''ll take my training seriously." "Training?" "....oh, so that''s how it is." Esteban recalled what Charles tasked him to do. "I killed both of them." Zeke calmly stated. "B-both? But where are their corpses? Did you put it in the spatial ring? That''s right!" "No. Although I could do that, the place would be messy." "Then how, Young Master?" "It''s my secret. Can I ask you to lie to them about this, Mr. Esteban?" "T-that... I couldn''t..." "Don''t worry, Mr. Esteban, it''s not a bad secret. You can tell them I killed both men, but please tell them you were the one who cleaned it up. Just a white lie, Mr. Esteban. No harm intended." Zeke smiled. "*sigh*, alright Young Master. May I say something?" "Sure, Mr. Esteban. What is it?" "Why do I feel like you''re not young anymore, Young Master? It feels like you''re only young by body but not by your mind. *sigh*, even I don''t quite understand what I''m feeling when I''m talking to you, Young Master." "I get it, Mr. Esteban. Matter of fact, you can act like I''m already a teenager. It would make things easy for you too, Mr." "Alright, Young Master. I''ll go in first and report to them." "I''ll rest in my room for a bit. See you later, Mr. Esteban!" Zeke and Esteban parted ways after entering the house. Esteban went into the study room to talk to Charles, while Zeke went in his room. As Esteban recalled the events to Charles, he couldn''t help but be utterly surprised by his son''s actions. From how he saw the situation to how he handled it, it didn''t match his son''s age. How could a 3 year old think that meticulously? To take advantage of his enemy''s blind spot and attention to directly stab their neck with no hesitation whatsoever. His son wasn''t like a normal child that time but more like a trained assassin in his mind when he learned from Esteban. However, he soon calmed down as he already knew that his son was very different than others. He was very matured, and everything he did was very unbelievable for someone his age. "I see. I''ve long known that my son''s very different from others. I will certainly try to pry his secret. The only thing I worry about is if my son''s secret is related to something evil or demonic. Even though he''s rapidly improving, I''m afraid evil techniques cost something equivalent to what it offered." "I understand. It''s certainly possible if it''s an evil art, but where would your son get that? He''s technically at your side ever since he was born, right?" "T-that... yes, but I still cannot rule it out. Remember that he already has his mana core this early. Even though he started early, he still should have achieved 60 to 70% of his mana core at most but look at him now, he already has it and is already aiming for peak low tier 1. Hmmm, did one of my books contain some sort of demonic teaching? I''m sure I checked all of it..." "There''s no need to bother, sir. We will know it sooner or later." "Oh, right. I forgot to tell you, Esteban, I arranged a training room for Zeke starting this month or the next. Since my son had already killed someone, I can assume his mind is already that of a teenager. I mean, how can a 3-year-old unhesitantly kill AND in a brutal way? Remember that you haven''t seen how he killed the other man, who knows if he died in a more brutal way than his father? *sigh*, I should be admonishing him now but I can''t seem to stop myself from getting happy for my son. I''m happy that he''s improving very fast, but I''m slightly uncomfortable about him killing already. It just strengthens my belief that he practices something evil." "You don''t need to worry sir. From my experience with him, Ezekiel might be matured a lot but he still has his childish side, and he only goes serious when it''s about training or the like. I think it''s just because of his innately high maturity at such a young age that he can kill without hesitation. Also, don''t you think it''s better for your successor to be like this? Someone that knows how to act decisively and knows how to cut weeds and eliminate the roots. If your son let the two off, there''s no guarantee they will not take their frustrations out on the old woman. In my opinion, he did it taking into consideration the future of the old woman." Esteban slowly explained to Charles. "... I see. By the way, could you try to find the old woman and ask her what my son did to the other one? I assume she is shocked by what happened, so bring some compensation for her." "I''ll try to find her before this day ends." Esteban bowed and left. The person they''re talking about, Zeke, was sitting happily on his bed, looking at the gains he got from ''cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots''. 39 Mid Tier 1 ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Event Quest "Kill" Complete! Reward: 100xp +10 random stats ''Murderer'' Title Skill Tome (Combat-type) Bonus reward: Corpse Dissolving Acid Powder ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''Hmmm... System, what''s the effects of the ''Murderer'' title? Is it good?'' *Yes, Zeke. The title gives you a passive ability very beneficial for the current you. Whenever you kill, you instill primal fear to others nearby. This is effective for people weaker than you while it has little effect to those stronger. It also has a passive which makes it so you will get 1% of the victim''s stats. The exact amount isn''t fixed as it is percentage-based, and it will also gain xp whenever you kill. When it gains a certain amount, the title itself will evolve as well.* ''So this is a title that can evolve?'' *Yes, Zeke. It''s a progressive title based on your accumulation of kills.* ''I see. What about the Skill Tome? Can I use it now?'' *Yes, Zeke. Consuming Skill Tome.* Ding! A wave of information appeared in Zeke''s head, but it wasn''t that many compared to his previous skill tomes. ''Formless Style?'' *Yes, Zeke. Formless style is a special kind of combat type technique. It doesn''t exactly have a beginning, but it doesn''t also have an end.* Zeke was surprised about the system''s choice of words. ''Can you elaborate?'' *Yes, Zeke. When I said it has no beginning nor an end, I meant it. Can you tell me what''s in your memory now?* Zeke furrowed his brows and tried to organize the information he got. In the end, he didn''t form any sort of solid information. ''There''s nothing worthy of mentioning. It''s just data all over the place. Is it supposed to be like this?'' *Yes, Zeke. The Formless Style relies on other techniques to shine. Those data in your mind right now are bits and pieces that will be used when you are combining techniques.* Combining techniques! *Yes, Zeke. The Formless Style''s main use is to combine techniques and styles into one. This is what it means to not have any beginning. As for the thing about having no end, the Formless Style could incorporate endless amounts of styles and techniques into it as long as it''s based on a weapon. Whether it be swordsmanship, spear techniques, or even dagger techniques, you can integrate it into the Formless Style, creating a technique that could be considered superior in terms of strength with room for correcting flaws.* ''Really? Wouldn''t this be overpowered?'' Zeke was excited. *Yes and No, Zeke. It is certainly powerful at later stages, but what about now? You can''t use it since you don''t have any foundational techniques. It''s even worse than common swordsmanship techniques in this state.* Zeke nodded inwardly. Indeed, the system''s explanation made sense. Basically, it''s only overpowered in the hands of the right person. If the person who has the Formless Style doesn''t know two or more weapon techniques, it would be utterly useless otherwise. ''But... I''m also the same. Where can I get weapon techniques?'' Zeke wondered. *There are weapon techniques from the Shop, Zeke. I can also save new techniques from others. You just need to glimpse their techniques and learn sufficient information and I will just correlate it to Sir Pandora''s records. If the technique has similarities to the ones Sir Pandora has, I can improve it and add additional comprehensions. If it doesn''t, I can only record the movements and let you see them in the future.* ''That''s good then. Also, I should probably wait for my training first. Maybe I can get a technique from Father, and that way I''ll only need one more to start Formless Style.'' *Yes, Zeke. For now, the only thing you can do to increase your power is to charge into Mid Tier 1 and start practicing magic. It should be pretty easy for you, considering you already trained Elemental Mana circulation to its elementary level.* ''We''ll see about it when the time comes.'' Right now, Zeke has close to 500 Int. The system noted that by estimate, 500 Int will get him to advance to a Mid Tier 1. Since he planned to rest and relax a bit more before his training room is finished, he focused on his magic for a bit. When the training room is finished, Zeke made sure to equally train all his skills, both magic and physical. Zeke started to meditate, and after two hours, he decided to rest and continue tomorrow. Before he slept, he checked his progress on his mana core. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 2 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Murderer; Level: 3 (275/300) Str: 370 Agi: 325 End: 410 Int: 480 CP: 150 Skills: Aura; Mana Skin; Basic Hand Technique; Formless Style; |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| ''20 more for 500.'' Tomorrow morning, Zeke spent time again with the three daughters as they did their usual morning routine while Zeke meditated almost half of the day. Another day passed by, and Zeke suddenly felt his stomach heat up while meditating in the afternoon. He didn''t know what happened but he thought it was probably what the system is talking about. One thing Zeke noted was that it wasn''t the uncomfortable type, unlike his first mana core forming. It was a soothing feeling which made him feel very pleasant. He was thankful he didn''t have to experience that uncomfortable feeling everytime he advances. The soothing sensation lasted for a minute while after that a quick but heavy surge of mana came out of Zeke. He was also surprised by it because he sensed that the quantity of mana he let out was very thick and noticeable. After a few seconds, he felt his body surge with energy and power. At this moment, he felt like he was very powerful that he even had the urge to try to fight his father, but he suppressed it in the end. He knew that this kind of feeling only existed because of the drunken state his body had because of the improved mana core. *Congratulations, Zeke! You have now advanced to a Mid Tier 1 Magician. Right now, you should have enough mana to cast intermediate spells or maintain mana skin for an hours.* ''Is it long compared to others?'' *Yes, Zeke. Normally speaking, a normal mana core Mid Tier 1 Magician can only maintain the most basic mana skin for 10 minutes maximum. Note that your mana skin is a lot better and superior to the common ones. It maximizes the defense while keeping the mana consumption to a considerable level. Still, that considerable level is higher than the consumption of a common Mana Skin but because of your Otherworlder and Perfect Mana Core User titles, your mana capacity is 5 to 6 times better than the average magician of the same level. This only goes to show how solid your foundation is and how limitless your potential could be in the future.* ''Ah... I''m a cheat.'' *Yes, Zeke. However, without your hard work and ingenuity, you couldn''t have formed a perfect mana core, which will only result in a slightly higher mana capacity than others. If you hadn''t started early and meditated almost nonstop, you wouldn''t have this much mana at your age. According to my previous predictions, if you were to have lived these past few years as a normal kid, you would at most form your mana core at the age of 5 or 6, and you would also achieve the same state as you have now at the age of 8 or 9. Right now, you are only less than a month away from being a 3-year-old, so you already have the time advantage of almost 6 years. I have to commend your efforts for this one, and I was, after all, only here to support your growth. Without your own effort, you wouldn''t have grown fast to this extent.* ''I see.. thanks, System!'' Zeke was touched by how the system was basically praising his hard work. *I only said the truth, Zeke.* ''Alright. Now that I have a considerable amount of mana to play around with, let''s start practicing some magic.'' *There are also magic tomes in the shop, Zeke. They vary in tiers as the more powerful and useful the spell, the more xp it costs. Simple spells should suffice for your 275 xp.* 40 Training ''By the way System, can I stall my level up by any chance if I want to stack my XP and save for the shop?'' *Not right now, no Zeke. After you reach level 5, you could opt not to bring yourself to the next level and your xp could stack and exceed the required amount to level up.* ''I see. That''s good for me then.'' Zeke browsed the shop for beginner spells. There were spells there that just by reading its name, Zeke could tell it was a powerful one. There were also spells like ''Hell''s Descent'' and ''Ice Queen''s Domain'' that costs a lot of xp that Zeke couldn''t even afford one of them. Of course, Zeke didn''t have any plans on buying magic like that even if he did have enough xp. He guessed that those spells were only for Tier 2 and higher Magicians and it would be better to get them later in his life where he has a lot of xp to spend. With Zeke''s measly 275xp, he could buy a few beginner spells. He bought Fireball, Tremor, Water Barrier, and Wind Step to familiarize himself with the four elements. He also bought Light Shield and Dark Slash as extra spells to familiarize himself with the variant elements. Only a hundred xp was left after buying the six spells. Zeke planned on saving it for his weapon style later on. He then went and tried to cast Water Barrier. To Zeke''s surprise, it didn''t take him long to conjure a thin circular barrier around him. Although it was a bit thin, it only took Zeke seconds to conjure it. Was this really this easy? *No, Zeke. It''s because of your level of mana circulation that you could conjure that almost instantly. Normally, magicians go straight to casting magic. In doing so, they slowly learn Mana Circulation as well but it''s very slow since they don''t have any foundation in circulating mana.* ''*Sigh*, why do people rush a lot?'' It was just Zeke''s rhetorical question. *It''s because they don''t have the luxury of time, Zeke. You see, they start having a mana core at the age of 7 or 8, unlike you who start very early. This gives you a headstart to them. I could''ve let you learn spells first but your speed of casting won''t be that fast. I figured you use your headstart to consolidate the basic foundations of a fighter and magician first before learning advanced things. One step a time, so to say.* ''And I thank you for that, System.'' He tried to do Wind Step and it was also instantly cast. Zeke felt pleased by training mana circulation first as he felt like if he did this first, he would take a longer time to practice magic than he was now. He didn''t try to do any other spells for now as he felt he might damage the house. He just meditated for a bit and slept. Half a month passed by. As usual, Zeke''s daily routine consisted of their morning routine, practicing basic hand techniques and magic in the afternoon, and then meditating in the evening before going to sleep. Today, when Zeke tried to execute Basic Hand Techniques as usual, he heard a ding sound in his mind. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progressive Quest "Combat Training" Complete! Reward: 10xp Skill Tome (Hand Martial Arts) Access to quest "Combat Training II" ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''Oh, sweet!'' He didn''t realize he had gotten proficient in executing the four hand techniques. Right now, he could at least do the proper form of all four by 60 to 70%, and he can also do the fully executed ones after seconds of preparation. He was pleasantly surprised by how he got to level 5 so fast. ''System, what''s this Skill Tome?'' *It''s a skill tome where the Basic Hand Technique originated. You could say the Basic Hand Technique is the very basic martial art of the Skill Tome.* ''Could I use it now?'' *Yes, Zeke. Consuming Skill Tome.* Another surge of information appeared in his mind. This Hand Martial Arts are numerous sets of techniques one can do with their two arms. This didn''t just use the hand, it also included the use of the elbow, the arm muscles, and all sorts of things even Zeke didn''t know about. ''I now have more to practice about.'' *Yes, Zeke. Also, I''m integrating the Basic Hand Technique to the Hand Martial Arts since it was a part of it after all. There''s also the continuation quest.* ''Let me see.'' ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progressive Quest "Combat Training II" Learn Basic Leg Techniques. Condition: Practice the Basic Leg Techniques and achieve mastery Lvl 5. Difficulty: D Reward: 10xp Skill Tome (CQC) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''Leg Techniques?'' *Yes, Zeke. Unlike the Basic Hand Technique, this doesn''t have any specific moves. You only need to practice using your leg and make your legs as efficient as possible. Basic Hand Techniques focus on your offensive powers, while the Basic Leg Techniques focus on your evasiveness, counter-attacking, and most especially, explosiveness.* ''Explosiveness?'' *Yes, Zeke. Explosiveness just means that you can exert the full potential and power of your leg at your will. This explosiveness can be applied to when you suddenly sprint fast, or you suddenly launch your most powerful kick. This all depends on the explosiveness of your legs. Basic Leg Technique aims to hone that as well as prevent you from injuring yourself in case you explode your leg''s strength.* ''Alright. Another one to train, I guess.'' Zeke had plenty of time. He still has half a month left till his training room was finished, and he was going to show his father a surprise when they spar. Three more weeks have gone by, and Zeke is now a full-fledged 3-year-old boy. Who would''ve known that this 3-year-old already killed two people? Zeke also celebrated his birthday on the second week with his parents as well as Esteban. The other three families also visited and greeted him while they also gave him gifts in the form of toys. Zeke felt like he didn''t have a use for that but he still appreciated the thought and was touched. The celebration was simple but Zeke felt very grateful for having a family that can give some love to Zeke. He missed these familial interactions which he had never done since his previous parents'' death. Zeke''s progress also continued at the same pace. He was now familiar with the moves of the Hand Martial Arts while his Basic Leg Technique was also at level 3. His Aura also leveled up to level 7, while his mana circulation and elemental mana circulation also leveled up by one. He also practiced his Mana Skin whenever he wasn''t doing anything, leveling it up to 3. The only stagnant technique/skill he had was the formless style, who he didn''t know how to start since he lack the necessary weapon styles. Yesterday, Zeke saw his fully built training room behind their part of the palace. It was a room that looked like an extension to their house. Charles also made a doorway connecting from their living room to the training room. In this way, they won''t need to go out and walk around the palace just to get there. It was early morning, and when Charles saw Zeke, he smiled and walked closer. "Good Morning, son. We''re going to start your training now. Are you ready now?" "Of course, Dad!" Zeke excitedly said. They went into the training room after breakfast. When Zeke saw his training room, he immediately felt excited. Rows of different kinds of weapons lay on the left side while training dummies were lined on the right. There were also extra dummies laying around for replacement in the future. It was also quite spacious along with brick walls that are meant to withstand magic spells and weapons. This was what Zeke expected his training room to have and it really made him satisfied. "This will be your training room starting now. Are you satisfied with it, son?" "Yes, dad! Very satisfied!" "Good. Now I need to know your strength. Go to the training dummy and try out your moves. This time, try to do your casual moves, or moves that you can use at a fight anytime." Zeke went in front of a dummy and did a casual attack of the four Basic Hand Techniques. Albeit slightly surprised by his son''s strength, Charles managed to keep his stoic demeanor and pondered. "Hmm... Your form looks a bit stiff, and your arm movement makes it so your punch can''t fully utilize your whole power." "I know, Dad. Do you know how to improve it?" "I know a bit about arm movements since I''m a melee fighter after all. You need to lower your stance more and twist your arms a bit more..." Charles continued to guide Zeke in his Basic Hand Technique. After a while... "Son, what''s your progress in your mana core? Do you have a bit of mana now?" "Yes, Dad. My progress is quite good actually." "Hoh? How so?" Charles was interested in Zeke''s mana core. "I can manage to conjure a fireball now!" "R-really?! Since when?" Charles still can''t get used to his son''s impressive feats. His son could now even conjure beginner spells! Charles thought Zeke was still struggling with conjuring something so he was going to recommend Zeke to practice circulating mana first. But it turns out that Zeke could already do spells! "Can you show me? There, hit that dummy. It''s designed for receiving simple magic. Try your fireball on that." Charles calmed down inwardly and pointed to a training dummy that has another layer of wood in it. The wood''s color was different than the wood used on other training dummies. It was slightly yellow-greenish in color and apparently, its specialty is on magic resistance. Zeke conjured a Fireball in his hands quickly and threw it to the dummy. Such speed again surprised Charles. ''How could he already cast a spell this fast? What sorcery is this even?'' "S-son, can you tell me when you started learning magic spells? I''m talking about magic spells, not mana circulation. When?" Charles asked, slight excitement shown in his voice. "Just this week, Dad. Why?" Zeke replied as innocently as possible. "Just this week? You mean you just managed to conjure a fireball this week? and it''s already this fast?" "Yes, dad. I don''t know how but maybe because I practice Mana Circulation for a bit now?" "Ah, maybe... What?! You managed to practice it yourself?" "Why, Dad? Is it bad?" "Ehem... No, son. I''m just so impressed by how self-taught you are. Did you know the principle behind it so you chose to practice circulating mana first?" "What principle, dad?" Zeke was genuinely interested. "Hmmm, so you didn''t know, huh. What luck, you did the right thing in prioritizing that! Normally, when magicians form their mana core, they always, ALWAYS excitedly start practicing firing off spells. Of course, this makes them learn mana circulation automatically but this will also mean they won''t be particularly well-versed in it since they only practice it unconsciously because they want to fire a spell." "Yes, Dad. I figured it out too. When you practice circulating your mana first, you will become more comfortable in doing so, while your future practice would also be a lot less hard." "You knew that?" "Yes, Dad. Why?" "I just can''t help but be impressed, son. You''re such a genius! I''m proud of you!" Charles said proudly as he held Zeke up in his arms and threw him upwards again and again. The father and son duo continued their training there for the rest of the morning. 41 Power Spike; Holmes? 10 months have passed since Zeke started training. On the second week of the first month, Zeke asked his Father to show him his spearmanship. "You''re interested in learning the spear?" "I just want to see it, Dad. I haven''t seen any other weapon styles yet." "Alright then." Charles didn''t bother using his innate ability as he picked up a spare spear from the pile of weapons. "The spear technique that I learned from my teacher is called Imperial Spear Technique. It''s a class A weapon technique passed down from our Flamehaven Family." "Class A?" "Yes, son. Weapon styles are categorized by tiers depending on their overall power and use in battle. They are ranked from E to S. The Imperial Spear Technique that our ancestor made is a bona fide class A." "Our ancestor made it? He must be a very powerful person then." "Yes. The ancestor back then was a powerhouse who mastered the art of the spear. He created multiple spear styles but as time passed by, other styles either got lost or the descendants who practiced it got killed. Right now, the only one left was called the Imperial Spear Technique. This technique was focused on poking with emphasis on penetration. Watch." Charles went in front of a dummy and performed a series of attacks. Due to the sheer power, The training dummy was left with multiple holes after a minute of Charles'' demonstration. *Weapon Style detected. Analyzing it, Zeke.* ''Sweet!'' "How is it, son?" "It''s amazing, Dad! It looks powerful!" "*sigh* Indeed, son. However, the style is only for stabbing, and although the family deemed it as still a complete style, it lacked the other styles which are focused on other types of attacks, making the technique a bit inflexible." "It''s still pretty good, Dad!" "Yeah, I know. So, are you interested in learning the spear now? Although with your current strength and form, I assume you wielding a spear is a bit awkward." Charles smiled and laughed inwardly at the sight of his small son wielding a spear taller than himself. "Yes, Dad. Do you know anyone who practices the sword or dagger?" "I don''t know anyone who uses daggers. As for the sword, I know someone from our family who practices the sword. He''s your uncle, and I''m sure he''ll be glad to know that you want to see his style." "Is his weapon style from our family too?" "Yes and No, Zeke. Although it is indeed passed down from generation to generation, it was a fact that it wasn''t made by our ancestors. The book containing the sword style was found in some dungeon by one of our family members. By chance, your uncle didn''t want the spear, but he took an interest when he read how the sword works and the sword style. He''s the only sword fanatic in our family, and I''m sure he''d be glad to know that someone wants to learn his style too. I''ll try to see if he can come here and teach you for a bit." "That''s great, Dad!" Meanwhile, the System finished analyzing the spear technique. *Zeke, the spear technique your ancestor developed is quite similar to one of the Spear techniques from Mr. Pandora''s collection of books. The name of the style is Annihilation Spear. According to the book, the maker of this technique named it as such because its literal purpose is to annihilate the enemy in front. The Imperial Spear Technique your ancestor made was 10 to 15% similar to the Annihilation Spear. Maybe your ancestor trained on that back then and made lesser spear styles from that.* ''Really? only 10 to 15%?'' *Yes, Zeke. This doesn''t mean it''s a different spear style. It just means that your ancestor might''ve only grasped 10 to 15% of the style or he only utilized that percentage to create your current family''s technique.* ''It''s that hard to comprehend?'' *Yes, Zeke. According to the measure your father mentioned, If your family''s technique is already considered a class A, then this Annihilation Spear should be at S+ minimum. Simply put, it''s that strong and mysterious. I will give you the complete Annihilation Spear when you finished practicing the Imperial Spear Technique.* In the second month, Zeke finally met his uncle. He was a thin middle-aged man with an average face and cool eyes. When Zeke went near him, he could feel the ferocious aura around the man. Zeke also noticed a magnificent-looking thin sword sheathed in his back, and he couldn''t help but be amazed by the appearance of the sword. Although sheathed, Zeke could see a dragon head-shaped guard as well as a circular pommel with intricate designs carved into it. "So, is this your kid, Big Brother?" Contrary to his aura, his uncle''s voice seemed serene and peaceful. "Yes, Lawrence. Can you tone your aura down? It''s making him uncomfortable, you see." Although the words were quite admonishing, Charles still kept his smile. "Oh, hehe I forgot." Lawrence''s ferocious aura dispersed. However, he was inwardly surprised because the kid in front of him seemed to also have an aura nearly as powerful as his, only that it radiates serenity contrary to his ferocious aura which he painstakingly got from fighting enemies with his sword. How did the kid in front of him have such a powerful aura at his age? "Anyways, you said you want to learn the sword, boyo?" Lawrence now had a good impression of his brother''s son. He himself didn''t have one as he focused on the way of the sword, thus he treated every one of his brothers and cousins'' children as one of his own. In particular, this kid in front of him passed his little challenge and it seemed like this kid is also quite strong for such a young age to even handle a sword already. "Yes, Uncle! Can you show me your style?" "Hoh? Don''t you want to know what it is first?" "I''m sorry, Uncle. I just couldn''t wait, hehe." "It''s alright it''s alright, it''s a good attitude for someone who wants to learn, boyo! Alright, this sword style that I learned from our family''s repository doesn''t have a name, but I named mine. My Cloud Soaring Sword is made from this unnamed sword style and it''s only a part of that. The whole sword style is very complicated that even I only mastered 33% of it, and all these 33% is poured into my Cloud Soaring Sword Style." "The name sounds cool, Uncle!" "hehe, finally someone understands me. This sword style of mine combined all the techniques of the unnamed sword style that focuses on speed and surprise. Here, I''ll show you so you understand." Lawrence, Charles, and Zeke went inside the training room where Lawrence stood in front of the training dummy. Just a few seconds passed by and the training dummy already had sword scars all over it. Zeke didn''t even see it with his naked eye as when he blinked, the dummy was already full of scars. "It''s fast, Uncle!" "Hehe, yes, child. Cloud Soaring Sword is the fruit of my whole life, and it won''t absolutely lose on other complete sword styles. Even though it''s only 33%, I can still proudly say that this sword style alone is already a class A-!" "Haha, Good one, Lawrence. Do you want us to have a spar right here to see who''s better at our techniques?" "If you say so, Big Brother. Do know that I''ve improved since our last battle!" Charles and Lawrence picked up their own weapons from the pile of weapons. To ensure fairness, they only used the training weapons ho are dulled out to prevent injuries. Charles was the first to initiate. He charged at Lawrence with his Spear in his side pointing towards him. Lawrence, on the other hand, stood still and deflected Charles'' charge with a swipe of his sword while also counter-attacking with a chopping motion on Charles'' legs. Charles immediately blocked it and tried to gain some distance but unfortunately, Lawrence seemed to have expected that. His sword suddenly went up across Charles'' chest, barely touching it and ripping off a small portion of his shirt. "I won, Big brother!" Lawrence excitedly said. "Damn it, I''m getting rusty by the minute!" Charles grumbled for a bit. "Boyo, did you see that? although mine''s just an A-, I can still land the first hit on your father! That''s how amazing this is!" "Yes, Uncle! You''re very strong!" "Oh? Thanks for the flattery but I only want you to practice the sword in return. It''s getting lonely in our family with me being the only one who uses a sword, you see?" Lawrence smiled. "Yes, Uncle! I''ll try to practice the sword too!" "Very good! Since you''re willing and I like your guts, I''ll try to visit here once or twice a month and guide you. Make sure that everytime I go back, your swordsmanship should''ve improved, alright?" "Yes, Uncle!" Moments later... *I''ve finished analyzing the sword style, Zeke. I must say, your family''s resources sure are very rich and ancient.* ''What do you mean?'' *This sword style dates back to almost the same era as the Annihilation Spear. This one''s called Slaughter Sword. This is also an S+ at minimum, and this sword style basically encompasses most of what the sword is very good at. Just like the Spear Technique, try to practice on your uncle''s sword style first before I give you the full book. Don''t worry, I have recorded the moves and compared it to the book''s contents. Here''s the information regarding your uncle''s sword style. Ponder that and try to apply it. Right now, a spear technique won''t do you any good as your body''s even smaller than common spears. I suggest buying one more sword style in the shop that complements your uncle''s style.* ''Yep, System. Open the shop and let me see what the shop offers on Sword Styles.'' When Zeke looked at the sword styles, he became very excited as there were many that had names that sounded very strong. Clearheart Sword Technique (B) - utilizes straightforward attacks and blocking techniques. Good for double-edged swords. Dance of Death (B+)- utilizes speed and efficiency in killing. Soundless Demise (B+)- utilizes stealth and explosiveness. Good for light swords. Firebreath Sword (B)- utilizes Fire Element and Destructiveness. ... There were a lot of sword styles but Zeke narrowed his choices to the four. He felt like the others were also good, but he figured he''d need something that synergizes very well with his current situation. In the end, he used 100 of his xp to get the Firebreath Sword. Since the Cloud Soaring Sword emphasizes on speed, he needed something that emphasizes strength and power. Out of the four, Firebreath Sword seems to be the most suitable for him, considering he also uses fire element. Another two months passed by then and it was the fourth month of Zeke''s training. He was training both Firebreath Sword and Cloud Soaring Sword when the System suddenly asked him. *Zeke, you reached level 5 on both sword styles. You can start integrating them into one another using Formless style.* ''Really? Alright, let me see then.'' Zeke rummaged through his memories. He then tried to ''connect'' the two sword styles based on what the info from the Formless style. After an hour or so of pondering, Zeke finally managed to clip both sword styles together. ''This is good! This Formless Style''s very fucking OP!'' He realized that Formless Style was indeed very strong. Once he connected two sword styles, he realized how insane it would be when he mastered it. Combining the swiftness of Cloud Soaring Sword to the Firebreath Sword''s innate destructiveness due to the nature of fire makes it so his attacks would be fast while also dealing strong damage. In that same month, Lawrence noticed the change in Zeke''s sword style. "Zeke, why are you using your fire element? I know you formed yours at a very young age, but don''t you think it''ll deplete your mana very quickly? You still need mana to protect your body, you know?" Lawrence noticed that when Zeke executed his style, the sword seemed to have an aura of fire around it. It made the sword stronger in terms of cutting power as it could slash the training dummy like tofu. Unfortunately, Zeke still wasn''t used to it so he could only do one slash every time before preparing again. "I''m experimenting something, Uncle. Do you mind?" "No. I''m certainly interested in what you''re doing, but I think it will only hamper the speed of your strike. Did you notice that your speed got slower when you did that?" "I''m only getting used to it, Uncle! After I practice this for a bit, I''m sure I''ll be faster!" Lawrence wanted to stop Zeke but he couldn''t, as he too was also interested in the result. He tried applying fire to his sword before, but he dismissed it since he felt he got slower when he applied it so he thought it was not suitable. Since Zeke still had a lot of time, maybe he could achieve what Lawrence himself couldn''t? Zeke was also practicing magic spells. He bought another batch of beginner spells and he was trying to come up with strategies on how to use it in battle. Unbeknownst to Charles and Catherine, their son was also rapidly becoming a magician. He was rapidly developing both in melee physical styles and magic applications. He also upgraded his mana circulation to level 10 now, with his Elemental Mana Circulation at level 5. His casting speed was almost double that of his speed four months ago. It was now the tenth month of Zeke''s training. He now integrated both sword styles on his Formless Style, leveling it up to level 3. Lawrence was very impressed by Zeke''s feat of maintaining speed but with strength and power added. He was amazed by how Zeke applied his fire element with his swordplay, making it fast while also lethal. Zeke also sometimes sparred with Lawrence, and from that, his Formless Style improved every time. The only difference though is that Zeke uses a dagger right now since it matches his short stature. He also finished his quest related to the Basic Leg Technique. When he learned the Skill Tome (CQC), his Hand Martial Arts and Basic Leg Technique merged into it. CQC makes it so he could fully utilize his whole body when fighting against enemies in a melee fight. There was no dull and still movement as he could utilize his whole body to attack or defend against attacks heading his way. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 3 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Murderer; Level: 4 (200/400) Str: 510 Agi: 490 End: 700 Int: 780 CP: 500 Skills: Lvl 10 Mana Circulation Lvl 5 Elemental Mana Circulation Lvl 5 CQC Lvl 3 Formless Style (2 techniques) Lvl 9 Aura Lvl 7 Mana Skin Lvl Max Fire Ball Lvl Max Wind Step Lvl Max Water Barrier Lvl Max Tremor Lvl Max Light Shield Lvl Max Dark Slash Lvl Max Grease Lvl Max Wind Blade Lvl Max Flame Wall |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| ''So far so good, huh.'' It was the afternoon and as usual, he would go out and mingle with the three daughters. However, what puzzled him was that there was an old man who looked like Holmes in his disguise near Gaia''s house. Gaia shortly went out and invited over the other 2 girls and lastly, Zeke. "Hey, Zeke! Let''s go explore the town! I heard from Sir Holmes that there''s a festival ongoing right now." Gaia pointed at ''Holmes'' who was smiling while nodding at him. However, this smile hit Zeke the wrong way. ''There''s no damn way this is Holmes. No fucking way.'' 42 Kidnapped The Holmes in front of him looked like he half-assed his disguise. His back wasn''t that hunchbacked, and his facial features were accurate except for the eyes. Zeke could clearly tell that this Holmes'' eyes were different from a fully disguised Holmes. Nevertheless, Zeke couldn''t judge or accuse because he didn''t know Holmes'' circumstances. Maybe he had some problems or something. "Sure! Let me just get something real quick, Gaia." Zeke went inside and headed to the training room. He then stored up weapons in his inventory and went to Charles. "Father! Gaia invited us to go to the square today! Can I go? Holmes will be joining us." "Alright, son. Take care of yourself out there!" Zeke nodded and went out. He then joined with the other three children and ''Holmes''. As they went outside, ''Holmes'' lead them to the square as promised. They ate food and played some games. The three girls were smiling from ear to ear while Zeke still couldn''t ease off. He still felt like something''s wrong but he can''t pinpoint what exactly it is. When the sun was setting down, ''Holmes'' suddenly proposed something. "Alright kiddos, let''s go back now. Oh, I forgot something. Can you guys accompany me for a bit? I needed to get something from a friend." ''Holmes'' proposed to the four kids. Naturally, there were no complaints. Zeke just allowed it as he too wanted to know the whole situation. "Sir Holmes, now that I think about it, your disguise wasn''t well made today. What happened?" Gaia innocently asked after having a good look at Holmes. "H-huh? Disguise?" ''Holmes'' panicked inwardly as he struggled to think about what to reply. "Ah, I was having some trouble doing it today. My apologies, but aren''t I still hard to be figured out?" "Ah, yes." Zeke could hear Holmes sigh in relief. While on the way back, Holmes led the four to a tavern. This tavern was a well-known one in that district as it was the most good-looking and decent one out of all. Holmes went in front of a young man manning a room as he whispered something. After hearing Holmes'' words, the young man''s expression lit up as he gestured Holmes and the four to get in. This tavern was a weird one. They had an ordinary tavern-like appearance in front, but it actually also served as an inn for people. The rooms were situated quite in the back, making it so it''s a bit hard to see from the entrance. A few minutes later, a waiter went inside the room where they stayed and served all kinds of good food. There were multiple dishes made of meat, beef, and even a shrimp-looking one. It all looked good that Aura suddenly started eating to the others'' surprise. However, the other two girls soon followed along with Zeke. Seeing that all four of them ate the food, ''Holmes'' grinned from ear to ear. "How is it, Young Master and Young Mistresses? Is it good?" "Yes, Sir Holmes! But can we go now? It''s getting dark outside!" Gaia suggested. "if that''s what you want, Mistress. I''ll go pay them first and talk to my friend real quick. Be right back." ''Holmes'' smiled, but this time, his smile looked very malicious. Soon after, Zeke heard System''s words. *Sleep effect nullified. Weaken effect nullified. Mind Weaken effect nullified.* Zeke panicked at the words he heard. ''System, what the heck are those!?'' *Zeke, due to your Undying title, you are immune to any and all kinds of poisons and illusions that might cloud your mind. From what I saw, the food you ate contains a drug which causes the victim to slowly lose his consciousness as well as weakening both the body and mind. It''s truly an evil drug to use on minors.* ''.... ah, I see.'' Zeke now understood the situation. Indeed, the ''Holmes'' they were with earlier is fake, and this all served as a prelude to a bigger something. Right after he thought of that, he saw Gaia doze off and drool for a bit before collapsing on the floor, followed by the other two. Thru Zeke''s enhanced hearing, multiple voices were heard behind the door. "....sure...clean?" "Yes...ate..." "Good" Zeke pretended to sleep too. He didn''t know if he can fight the people outside so he just went with the flow. As the door opened, only ''Holmes'' went in first. After confirming that all of them were asleep, he signaled outside. Two other men came in and started carrying the unconscious Aura and Rosaline. The other one then carried Zeke and Gaia. He was surprised by how heavy Zeke weighted but to avoid losing face, he didn''t complain and went on with it. When Zeke slightly opened his eyes, he found out that the one carrying him and Gaia was actually the same waiter who Holmes whispered to. He tried hard not to let his emotions get through him as his aura might fluctuate. While they were being carried, Zeke took note of where they were going. He slightly opens his eyes once after some time to see where they were going. Once in a while, he heard them talking about something. "Hey, how''s the kid you got? Did he get sold already?" "*sigh* No. I haven''t gotten paid yet, for fuck sake. The next auctions''s going to be 2 days from now. Hopefully some rich guy buys that sod. Boss said I won''t get my pay unless I sell him." "Unlucky, man. The first one I had was a little beast girl. She was one of the bunny race, so she got sold pretty quickly. First week in this job and I already got my salary! Haha!" The two men carrying the four children were chatting casually while the other two were behind them, also talking about something. One of the two were ''Holmes'' while the other was a middle-aged man. From their tone of speaking, Zeke inferred that they must be colleagues in this job. After 10 minutes or so, Zeke saw that the four of them slightly slowed down, as if confident that no one will notice them. Zeke tried to stealthily tilt his head to look around but he didn''t recognize this street. It was a very dimly lit street with almost little to no bystanders. There were some though that only stood there looking at them but it wasn''t a look of concern, but rather a look of... envy. ''So we''re treated as products, huh? Is this slavery?'' Zeke was familiar with slavery from his old world. He hated these kinds of things, as he felt that people should not be contained or enslaved by others. Now, he personally experienced what it feels like to become the victim of such a vile practice. It also seems that this has become a business as he heard the two earlier that the kids are getting sold. This only served to further enrage Zeke. However, he couldn''t act right now as there were 4 adults around him that also looked like they were adventurers of some sort due to the equipment hidden underneath their coat. The four adult men stopped in front of a building. This was clearly the building Bram from 11 months ago went in. They were then brought to the basement where Zeke heard countless wails and shouts filled with anger and despair. His heart further burned with killing intent but he held it off as he might get discovered by them. All four of them were then dumped inside a small cell at the edge of a room. There were also a lot of other children in there and when they saw Zeke and the three, their eyes were filled with pity and sadness. They felt saddened by the fact that there were still victims that these heartless people abducted and the fact that they don''t have any kind of help to rely on. Inside the room, Zeke quietly went near Gaia and tried to wake him up. This startled the other children as they were surprised that Zeke was awake. Normally, when the bad people came there, the kids were all asleep and when they woke up, they don''t even have the strength to stand up, but this new boy could and even managed to go near one of the girls! Before they could even talk, Zeke motioned them to be quiet as he tried to wake up Gaia. The children knew the gesture and quietly looked at him, a sliver of hope unconsciously budded in their hearts. Before Gaia could fully wake up, the door opened and an ugly young man went in. Some of the children inside their cells stared at the young man with pure hatred and dislike while the others, particularly the girls, shivered when seeing him. "You piece of shit! Return Anna back to us!!!" A bellowing cry was heard from the cell beside Zeke. ''Anna?'' Zeke overheard. "Anna? Who''s that?" "She''s my friend and you took her from here! Give her back!!" "Oh, that girl. Ooh, you should''ve seen her face when I toyed with here. It was sooooo satisfying. Unfortunately, she killed herself while we were doing it... ah, unfortunate. I could''ve enjoyed her more. *sigh*" The young man looked like he remembered a pleasant experience as his mouth curved into a lewd and malicious smile. Zeke was instantly disgusted. He realized what the young man and he couldn''t help but utterly hate the man for deflowering a very young girl at his age. "SHE DIED? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER??! NOOOOOOOO" The enraged cry of the boy was heard by everyone inside the room, and it was full of grief and despair, causing even Zeke to slightly be saddened. ''This fucker...'' Right when Zeke thought of that, the young man''s eyes darted to the cell Zeke and the three girls were in. He looked interested as he was going closer to Zeke''s cell. "Hoh? New kids?" The young man''s eyes fixated on Rosaline''s petite body. He seemed to have decided something as he pulled up a bunch of keys and tried every one of them to Zeke''s cell. After trying the 5th one, it opened and the Young Man licked his lips lewdly. He was closing in on the sleeping Rosaline as his eyes revealed his intense lust. "N-no! Don''t come closer to her!" Gaia feebly sat upright and tried to shout but her words came out soft and powerless. "You''re awake? Perfect. I''ll let you see how I enjoy your friend over here." The young man licked his lips again and started to lower his lips to Rosaline''s neck. Gaia didn''t know what to do as she tried to think of ways to stop him, but she couldn''t. She just woke up and have a weak body, after all. As the young man neared Rosaline''s neck, he suddenly felt pain in his left leg. He looked down only to see a dagger lodged in it. Before he could even scream, a hand hit him at the back of his head, causing him to lose consciousness and fall over to Rosaline, partially waking her up due to the weight of the young man. "Disgusting shit." The night of slaughter began. 43 Peril While the young man was closing in on them, Zeke heard a sound in his mind. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Event Quest "Peril" Get out of your current situation. Rewards will depend on how you perform. Condition: -User is safe/All enemies killed. Difficulty: B Reward: 1000xp Quest Failure Penalty:-1 Life (Backup Life remaining: 1) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''System, what do you mean how I perform?'' *The rewards vary based on what you do, Zeke. The only definite reward is the XP, and other rewards depends on your actions. You could choose to escape the place and be safe, or you could eliminate those who harm you. Either way will give you the xp as well as other rewards.* ''I see. The thing is, I don''t want these bastards to live, so the first option''s a no-no.'' While he was thinking this, the young man was slowly advancing on Rosaline. Zeke pulled out a dagger from his inventory and waited for the perfect opportunity. As soon as he saw the man fully indulge in his lust, he quickly slashed one of his legs and punched the back of his head before he could even react. Zeke didn''t plan on killing the guy easily, no, it would count as a light punishment for these kinds of people. "Disgusting shit." The other children looked at Zeke like he was a superhero, with surprise, shock, and hope in their gazes. He quickly snatched the keys from the young man while also removing any possible weapon or spatial ring in him. He then unlocked his cell as he tried the other keys on all the children''s cells too. Gaia looked at Zeke with a shocked expression. She saw blood before from his father''s light injuries, but she was shocked by how Zeke handled the situation. He slashed at the man without hesitation, as if he was used to it. What''s more surprising to her is that Zeke wasn''t weak and feeble like she was right now. Rosaline was also shocked by what she saw. Although she was only half-awake and her vision was still blurry, she clearly saw a flash of red liquid near her as well as an ugly young man. She connected the pieces but she was also the same in shock as Gaia. His view of Zeke changed; at first, she thought Zeke was just a noble who had strength but no skills. She was amazed by how Zeke taught her and the other two different ways to work out and exercise, but only now did she realized that Zeke wasn''t just all brawns. He clearly waited for the young man''s guard to lower before striking. Zeke noticed both the girl''s gazes and apologetically looked at them. "I-I''m sorry, Rosaline. I was waiting for the right chance you see. I definitely won''t allow any harm to any of you." "No. Thank you, Zeke. If it weren''t for you, I would''ve..." "No need to continue, Rosaline." Zeke smiled and consoled. "It won''t happen ever again, I promise." Rosaline felt touched by Zeke''s words. At this moment, she relied heavily on Zeke as she too knew their grim circumstances after seeing the situation. "Gaia, I''m sorry for what you had to see. I needed to do it beca-" "No need, Zeke. I already know you killed people already. It''s nothing to be ashamed about. In fact, I was amazed." "W-what? What do you mean?" "When we were shopping back then, remember? There were two disgusting men in front of Magnifique. I know you killed them" Gaia stated. "Ah... Yes. But how did you know?" Zeke was puzzled. How did Gaia know? "Besides the painful scream that I heard and the fact that they were no longer there when we got out, I also learned from Holmes that he saw a faint dark patch of land under the place of one of the men. He said he suspected someone used a cleaning agent on the land to clean a corpse. I guess he slipped when he said that, hehe. Now that you admitted it, my assumption really is true." Gaia smiled, as if unaware of their current situation. "?... ah." Zeke realized that what Gaia said is something even she herself was also unsure of. But with Zeke''s answer, she fully confirmed what she said. "Nevermind about that, I need to think about how to get us out of here." Zeke pondered for a while. He then walked towards the young man sprawled inside their cell. He held him up and ''presented'' it in front of all the other children. "I know you all have grudges on this guy, but bear with me, alright?" "What do you mean?" said the boy who was in despair earlier. He calmed down now due to the shock he received from Zeke''s actions, and he could now see the light of revenge. "I need help from you guys. In return, I''ll let you all handle this piece of shit. Sounds good?" "Yes!" Multiple of them immediately agreed, as if they couldn''t wait anymore. "Woah. Looks like you all have grudges, alright. What I need is simple. Does anyone know where we''re at?" Zeke surveyed all the children. "Me." said the same boy earlier. "Really? How do you know?" "Me and Anna originally slept near the town square, but some guy lured us over here with a promise of good food. I was a fool back then to have trusted that fucker!" The boy angrily pointed at the young man while his expression suddenly became sad as he thought of Anna''s demise. It seems the young man was also the reason they, or he, were in here. "This is the southernmost part of the City. This fucking street reeks of slavers!" "What?! this whole street?" "Yes! If you were awake when you got dragged in here, you would''ve seen the looks of the people outside. It wasn''t a look of concern or pity, but a look of greed and envy! I immediately realized it as soon as we stepped foot on this street but it was too late. Someone hit us and when we woke up, we''re here already. I only know that we''re in this street, but I don''t know which building it is." "That''s good enough." Zeke looked outside a small window near the ceiling. He realized that it was already evening. "We can''t act at this time. We need to wait for a few more hours. I assume these fuckers still sleep, right?" Zeke said. He then tore a piece of his left sleeve and covered the young man''s mouth. "Alright, I need your help later on. For now, you can do what you want with this fucker. Just make sure he doesn''t scream loud." Zeke dragged the young man in the middle of the room. "Here. I fulfilled my end of the deal. No backing out, okay?" Zeke smiled. "Rest assured. I''ll help you after dealing with this fucker." the boy said with his expressionless face. It seemed like Anna''s death was his last straw. Outside the room, if one would focus on it, they would hear low sounds of screams. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª In the Dragonsoar Palace, the four families converged in Charles'' house. "You mean HOLMES took them out? What the fuck?" Grad stood and shouted. The real Holmes behind him was also shocked. "Yes. Zeke wouldn''t lie to me. They really went out with a Holmes, apparently. Do you know anything about this, Holmes?" Charles asked. "No, Sir. Based on what you told us, it seems someone impersonated me while I was out and took the children. But who would have the gall to abduct the children of the royal families? There aren''t..." Holmes thought for a bit before he stopped. "Unless.. unless they impersonated my disguise." Holmes said while gritting his teeth. "What do you mean?" Grad impatiently asked. "Ah, your Majesty. Whenever we go out, I always took on a disguise. The same also goes for Mr. Esteban, Glove, and Regal. They also took on a simple disguise to avoid being known by the public. However, as I am always the constant one who accompanied them, it''s possible they used mine to guarantee." "Those motherfuckers! I swear if something happens to my Young Mistress! I''ll make sure they won''t even have an intact body!" Glove, the butler of Featherflight Family, swore. Glove picked up his master''s way of speaking, and it could be said that the master and butler really do fit. "Chill the fuck down, Glove. I''ll personally fucking kill those shits! I better not see any dent on my daughter, or else!" Fritz calmed Glove down, but he sure continued after Glove''s incessant swearing. "But where could they have brought them? I''ve dispersed all the guards all around the city, but they still haven''t seen any of them. Hmm.." Regal, the butler of Hydrofrost Family, seemed to be the calmest out of all the butlers. He was also like Glove who had the same disposition as his master, cool-headed at any times. "Hopefully they''re not hurt. We need to know their location right now!" Alcazar shouted to the nearby guard, who in turn rushed outside the house. "Everyone, if I assume that the four weren''t separated, I can assure you there''s no harm on your daughters... for now." Charles slowly stated. The parents, as well as their butlers, were all surprised, with the exception of Esteban and Catherine. "What do you mean, Charles? Do you think your son could protect all three of them? Don''t forget that your son''s even younger than mine, you know?" Grad said. "Yes, but he''s far stronger than you imagine him to be." "What?! The hell do you mean?" Fritz snapped. "I''ve seen him train for the past year. I can say for certain that he could hold them off for a while if worst comes to worst." Hearing Charles'' statement, all of them seem to not believe him. "He''s just trained for a year Charles, what can he do against adults?" "He trains under my brother''s sword style" "!!" "He''s already a magician." "!!!!" "Even my brother complimented my son for achieving what my brother can''t in his sword style. I don''t know what more I can tell you to ease your worries off a bit." They couldn''t believe what they heard. They knew Charles wouldn''t joke in such a situation, so it puzzled them even more. If all he said is true, then isn''t his son an absolute genius at this point? "It''s hard to believe all that, Charles. Even though we''ve been friends for a long time... it''s just so unbelievable." Alcazar said, while the other two nodded. "I know it''s unbelievable as even I had been shocked silly by his achievements. Holmes, do you remember back then when you along with Esteban accompanied the four to go out?" "Yes..?" Holmes was puzzled. Why would he mention that? But as soon as he remembered it, he immediately understood. It seems like they know what happened back then that even he couldn''t point his finger to. "Esteban, describe what you and a witness saw, in full detail." Charles gestured Esteban to move closer, which he did. "Greetings, your Majesties. Back then, when Mr. Holmes, Rosaline, and Aura were inside Magnifique, I was with Gaia and Ezekiel outside. When we were going to the supposed meeting point, we heard a call of help near Magnifique. When Zeke approached the two men, he ordered me to cover Miss Gaia''s vision, to which I did. What happened next is the absolute truth, I swear. Zeke stabbed the older man in the neck while he threw a dagger bought earlier to the young man''s leg, causing him to scream. That scream was probably what you heard inside, Mr. Holmes. This next string of events is what I learned from the old woman who was the closest witness as I already went in with Miss Gaia inside that time. Apparently, Zeke mocked the young man while being joined by the other nearby onlookers. They forsook the young man, saying he deserved it after doing all those wicked things. Zeke then stabbed the abdomen of the young man, letting him slowly die. The old woman was already setting off after that, but when she tried to look back, he only saw the corpse of the young man slowly evaporating until not even a drop of blood was left. I swear on my ancestors that what I said is true." Esteban slowly narrated and even swore in the end. Hearing all this, they couldn''t help but be shocked as well as horrified by Charles'' son. Who would''ve imagined that someone as brutal and decisive as that is just a 3 year old? If it weren''t for Esteban''s vow, they wouldn''t even believe it one bit. "... May I add something, your Majesties?" Holmes stepped in and humbly asked. "Sure." "I can confirm the last part of the grandma''s statement. When we went out of the shop, even though it looks normal at plain sight, I could see with my enhanced vision that there was a patch of land that was darker and reddish. Based on what the grandma said, perhaps Ezekiel used some sort of cleaning agent, and a strong one at that, to clean up the scene. If that''s true, then I can only applaud Young Master Ezekiel''s methods. Even I had slight problems discovering that patch of land, what more a normal person? In my opinion, Ezekiel would really make a very very good assassin just from hearing that. He utilized the blind spot as well as the target''s attention while also dealing a slow and painful death. Truly a brutal individual! and I mean that as a praise." Holmes said. A minute of silence ensued as the others were presumably absorbing the shocking information they heard as well as Holmes'' sudden praise. Indeed, even a normal person would notice it, Zeke''s way of thinking is very advanced, and it''s as if his mind isn''t that of a 3-year-old, but an older and experienced one at that. "*sigh* Your son is really a genius, Charles, but it still doesn''t change the situation. We still don''t know where they''re at and even though your son could potentially hold them off, it''s only for a short time. We still need to find out their location and send elites to rescue them." Grad suddenly broke the silence and said. "I might know something about that." Esteban stood again and rummaged through his pocket. After a second, he pulled out what seems to be a bracelet with a violet gem attached to it. 44 Battle "What do you mean? What about that?" Charles was also clueless about it. "This is something we bought when we were out for a stroll in the city, your Majesty. Zeke told me he wanted one for both of us. Apparently, when you insert a bit of mana inside it and push the small button here, it would notify the other one who had it. I guess it''s a couple''s bracelet of some sort." Esteban pointed to a small button beside the gem. The other three fathers'' expressions lit up when they heard Esteban''s words. "So Ezekiel would just need to insert mana and click it and it''ll alert you of him?" "Yes. However, the downside is the range of the device. It will only work if both individuals are a kilometer apart from each other or less. Any more than that and it will not work. I''ll go to the town square now. Hopefully, it could at least cover the middle part of the city." Esteban stood and left. "Now that we have one sure means of locating them, we can only wait for news from the guards or from Esteban. *sigh*, I feel powerless." Alcazar sighed and said. "Same. I fucking hate this feeling. But what can we do? Even I didn''t expect someone to be ballsy enough to fuck with us." Fritz added. "All we can do right now is wait, brothers. Let''s just pray for their safety right now." Charles said. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Hours passed by, and it was now exactly 2 o clock in the morning. Zeke tried to hear sounds from outside the door but he didn''t; it was deathly silent. He turned around and looked at all of the children. There were fifteen of them, with ten boy and five girls, all at the age of 3 to 5. The ugly young man was foaming at the mouth at the corner of the room after receiving no less than fifty kicks in the balls and more than a hundred or so punches on the whole body including the face. He couldn''t even be recognized anymore due to the blood and froth on his face, but the children didn''t mind. In fact, they were smiling happily as they look at the young man''s disfigured face. Zeke also tied the man and threw him inside on of the unoccupied cells and locked it. He feared that the man might fight back when he left so he made sure to slash the other leg of the guy to prevent him from walking or even standing up anymore. Before he did, however, he tried to get information from the guy first. It turns out that they were inside a slave trade building dressed up as an ordinary inn. When one went inside, he would be greeted by rooms and a clerk, and it looked like your average inn. There were no costumers however, as this part of town is usually deserted, or what looks like it. All the people who lived and slept here were actually all the ''workers'', or people who do the kidnapping. They offer children as some sort of payment to their stay as well as extra income. The one who caught them was someone called Bram, and he was actually one of the big shot ''worker'' in here as his disguising skill is one if not their best. This was also what people from the dark side of the town called the slave street, where they could get slaves once every two weeks. It was like an open secret to the townspeople, but they couldn''t do anything as when they reported it to the local law enforcement, they would just get ignored. They didn''t know if the law enforcers were really just ignoring them or if they''re part of this business too. Zeke promised to get to the bottom of this so that this won''t continue any longer. "Alright. It looks like most of them are asleep. Time for me to move out. Gaia, Rosaline, Aura, I need you three to steel your resolve, alright?" Zeke seriously looked at the three. Out of the three, Gaia was the most composed while Aura still can''t adapt to the situation. She was still scared and out of her comfort zone, so Rosaline had to console her a lot and is even doing so until now. "I''m ready, Zeke. What will we do?" Gaia was the first one to reply. "I-I''m ready, Zeke. Don''t worry about Aura, I''ll somehow calm her down." Rosaline smiled at Zeke. She was no longer that cold towards Zeke as she warmed up to him after seeing him brave through this just to save them. "I-I can do this!" Aura replied while still slightly shivering. "Good. Wait for me here, alright? Don''t open the doors, and I''ll knock four times. That''s when you''ll know it''s me, got it?" "Got it." The one who replied was the boy who was Anna''s friend. He''s one year younger than the oldest boy in the room but he was the most mature for Zeke. It seemed like Anna''s death accelerated his maturity enough to handle situations like this with slight ease. Zeke carefully opened the door and proceeded to check other doors. Each door he opened, he could see from the faint crack of the door several other children that were also imprisoned. He didn''t have the time to rescue all of them so he just left them for now. He went up the stairs and looked out. There, he saw a door across the hallway along with a table and a man sleeping. Zeke assumed that it was the exit to the building as the man who is currently sleeping had a suit on, looking like a waiter or shopkeeper. He crept up behind the man and carefully slit his throat with a dagger. The man couldn''t even react when he woke up sprawled on the floor lying in his own pool of blood. He then went back to the room and knocked four times, allowing him in. "Alright, the guard is dead. You, it''s time to fulfill your promise. Are you ready?" Zeke faced the boy. "Yes. I have no more relatives now, so I don''t place much importance in my life. I will do as you say even if it costs me my life. I just want to at least do some good before I pass away." The boy solemnly declared. Zeke admired his willpower. "No. I''m not sending you to a suicide mission, idiot. You''re going to rescue all of the children in here and you''ll live through, alright? Think about your friend, Anna. Do you think she''ll want you to kill yourself? No, she''ll want you to live through this and live a life you both wanted. Now make sure you do this right and I''ll try to give you a good life, okay?" "I''m not sure what you mean by your last sentence, but I''ll do what I can. Nevertheless, I''m going to treasure my life and live through all of this, as Anna would''ve wanted me to." The boy''s mind suddenly got cleared. Earlier, he was clouded with despair and sadness that he didn''t even want to live, but after hearing Zeke, he realized that this was not what Anna wanted for him. He felt grateful for Zeke''s lecture so he sword to try his very best in accomplishing what he wants him to do. "Good. That''s what I wanted to hear." Zeke pulled out a bracelet out of thin air. It was the bracelet that has the same appearance as the one Esteban had. Zeke then inserted little bit of mana and handed it over to the boy. "What''s your name?" "Marcus. What''s yours?" "Ezekiel. Call me Zeke. Now, I want you to sneak out and try to go to the square or near the Palace in the middle of the city. You know the big Palace in the middle? Dragonsoar Palace? If it''s too far, just go to the square and press this button. When you see the gem light up, just hold your position, alright? Wait for someone to approach you. If he asks, tell him I sent you. Lead them to this place stealthily, you hear me? Don''t let them alert the other slave traders. Remember what I said and tell that to them word by word. I have some plans for these pieces of shit." Zeke smiled evilly, an idea forming in his mind. "Huh? I thought you want me to distract the others while you guys escape, but okay. I''ll do it. I can make it there for 5 minutes at most. Expect some help after 15 minutes to half an hour tops. Until then, please take care of yourselves." the boy stood up, hugged some of the children whom he made friends with, and followed along with Zeke outside. The children looked at both of them with hope-filled eyes, while also praying inwardly that they succeed with their plan. Before Zeke fully went out, he gazed back to his three friends. "Wait for help here, alright? Don''t worry, I got this." Zeke smiled. This smile imprinted itself to the three girls'' minds as they somehow found this smile mesmerizing and attractive. "Be careful, Zeke." Gaia mouthed off as Zeke and the boy closed the door behind him. Zeke guided the boy outside and gestured him good luck, while he continued on to a room near the clerk. When he opened it, he saw two men sleeping on their double deck bed. He crept near the one under and, like the clerk, slit his throat, while also doing it to the one up above. He went to the three other rooms on that floor and killed another 5 sleeping men. Zeke confirmed it with the young man that all these people were ''workers'' for this slave-trading business, so he didn''t have any guilt nor remorse while killing them. Zeke even wondered if his state of mind is really right as he really didn''t feel much sadness or guilt in killing them. When he went to the second floor, Zeke found another four rooms. Unfortunately, after finishing the third room, someone suddenly screamed. When Zeke went out, he saw one of the men opening the room and presumably seeing the victims inside. The man looked back and saw Zeke looking at him. After seeing Zeke, he suddenly laughed. "HAHAHAHA! To think they''d be killed by some kid who''s still wet in the ears. What a pathetic bunch." The man didn''t have any weapon in his possession as he left it in his room upstairs. Still, he didn''t back down seeing as his opponent is just a handsome little boy. Zeke sighed in relief knowing that the opponent underestimated him. He then lunged towards the man as the man also threw a punch. Zeke evaded the punch with his small build as he landed a palm on the man''s chest. It caved in for a bit before the man slammed on the wall, cracking it. The loud sound foiled Zeke''s plans, as it definitely woke off some if not all the remaining men. He felt the need to finish it quickly as he drew a sword from his inventory and immediately executed Formless Style. His sudden action startled the man as he didn''t expect the boy to have a weapon. Nevertheless, he still didn''t back down as he thought the boy wouldn''t handle the sword proficiently. Unfortunately for him, reality isn''t as good as he thought. The sword, instead of hitting both of the man''s arms who held it in a defensive position, suddenly changed trajectory and slashed the man''s knees. This reflexively made his hands touch his knees, and Zeke didn''t pass off the opportunity. While his opponent''s hands were still out on reflex, he quickly applied Firebreath Sword Style and coated his sword with the faint aura of fire, fully cutting off the man''s head clean. Before Zeke could even take a breather, the door to the fourth room opened as two men went outside, presumably startled by the loud bang of the wall. "What''s that loud sound?! Wha-" Before the first man could even finish speaking, Zeke threw a dagger on his chest. Because of his half-awake state, he couldn''t react properly as the dagger plunged itself to the man''s heart, killing him. The other man was alarmed and rushed to get the weapon from the room when Zeke suddenly charged forward in full speed. The other man managed to block Zeke''s thrusting sword by his shield, and he retaliated and bashed Zeke with his shield. Zeke tumbled down due to the force of a full-grown adult hitting him. He couldn''t lay around and complain as he struggled to get up and tried to attack again. Seeing this, the man smiled and put up his shield again, thinking Zeke''s going to do the same damn move again. However, to his surprise, there was no collision, but when he tried to push Zeke back, he saw a hand hitting him in the stomach just under the shield he put up. It was not the end however as Zeke muttered an incantation as soon as the palm attack landed. "... Fireball!" A small ball of fire conjured in front of Zeke''s palm and he thrust his hands to the man''s chest. The man screamed as the fireball along with Zeke''s palm landed on his chest. It was too painful, having a burning chest as well as slight difficulties in breathing from Zeke''s palm and the fire. Zeke immediately followed up with Wind Blade as he gestured a chopping motion in the wind in front as waves of air launched itself to the man, hitting his shoulders. The man was still screaming while Zeke finished him off with a Dark Slash to his neck. Zeke was panting heavily due to the intense battle he did. Although his mana and endurance didn''t decrease by a major amount, he exhausted himself mentally while fighting. He struggled to think of what to do while battling so he used a lot of mental strength. He sat there for a while before going out of the house. Sure enough, the sound woke some of the men on the third floor. Zeke didn''t plan on taking all of them directly as he retrieved his dagger and waited on their blind spot when they were going down the stairs. "What the fuck is that noise? It''s 2 in the fucking morning!" An enraged voice was heard coming down. Zeke could see two shadows going down as he readied himself for an ambush. "What''s with all the-" The man paused, horrified by what he was currently seeing. There was a body on the right side of his view that didn''t have a head, swimming on what seems to be his own blood. On the left, he could see a man holding his chest with both of his hands, with his expression of confusion, shock, and hate as he died. The man didn''t know what the hell happened, so he went down the stairs slowly with his sword in front, ready to attack if anyone dares to attack him. When he reached the end of the stairs, he suddenly slipped and fell to the ground. Not knowing what happened, his pal tried to get him up but it was too late. His pal saw a silhouette emerge from the right and stabbed the man lying down on his chest. Blood oozed out as the other one didn''t even know why the man in front of him slipped. He reacted quickly and smashed his flail down towards Zeke. "Water Barrier! Wind Step!" Zeke cast two spells in succession. He applied Grease to the stairs earlier causing the first one to slip, while the Water Barrier blocked the man''s attack and made it swerve off to the right. Zeke then cast Wind Step to suddenly explode his leaping strength. He took out a spear while mid-air as he impaled it to the man''s head. It was an overkill as the man didn''t expect a big-ass spear suddenly in front of his face. His head exploded and blood and what seems to be brain matter splurged outwards towards the third floor. The headless body fell down with a low thud. Zeke was getting a bit tired mentally while he also exhausted half of his mana from all the spells he cast. Thankfully, his mana regeneration was very fast as his 50% mana already shot up back to 60% after just a few seconds. After waiting for a minute, his mana regenerated back to full as he went up the third floor. Seeing as there was no one from the third-floor rooms, Zeke inferred that the two he killed and the first one must''ve been the only ones living on this floor. He checked all his weapons and his status as he prepared for the fourth floor. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Meanwhile, the boy Zeke ordered to go out arrived at the town square. It was nighttime so there was almost no one in sight except for the boy. He then took out the bracelet and clicked the small button. The gem quickly glowed as he hid near an alley to hide. He was still afraid that some slave trader might see him and he wouldn''t be seen by the one he was supposed to meet here. Not even a minute has passed when the boy suddenly felt a blade pressed on his neck from behind him. He didn''t even see anyone yet someone was already behind him, which scared the crap out of him! "Why is that thing in your possession?!" An angry and cold voice said. Marcus was scared out of his wits, but he managed to compose himself and said with a deadpan face as if he didn''t get scared shitless earlier. "Ezekiel or Zeke sent me here. I assume you''re the one I was supposed to meet?" "He sent you here? Then where is he?" "He is still back there. I don''t know what he''s doing, but he tasked me to go here and tell you word by word what he said." Marcuse then repeated what Zeke said. Hearing this, Esteban immediately understood that his Young Master wanted this sorted out in a clean and low profile way. "I understand. Thank you for doing what Young Master had told you to. I will escort you to Dragonsoar Palace for a bit and you can continue your explanation there. Rest assured that I nor the inhabitants there will harm you. Can you guide me first on where the building is? After that, I''ll have someone transport you back to the Palace quick." "No. I''ll guide you all myself! You should bring more people! It''s a street full of slavers!" Esteban frowned after hearing the last word. "Slavers? Oh... I see now. They really had the balls, huh!" Esteban failed conceal his wrath. 45 Bloodbath While Marcus was conversing with Esteban, Zeke sneaked off to the fourth floor. When he checked the four rooms on his left and right, he was puzzled as he didn''t see a single soul inside. Zeke felt relieved knowing that there''s only one last room left. However, Zeke noticed that this room was slightly closer than the stairs from the bottom floors, indicating that it''s a big room. Zeke didn''t know how many are inside it but he hoped he wouldn''t fight 2 or more at a time. Zeke quietly closed in and slightly opened the door. There, he could see to his horror several children on the left and right side of the room, imprisoned and some had blood all over their body. In the middle part of the room, he saw two guys sitting in front of each other. Zeke didn''t need to ask the system that those two are a lot stronger than the guys earlier. His senses heightened and pushed to the limits as well as his mind spinning fast and thinking of ways on dealing with the two. The other one that had his back facing Zeke was Bram. He was now back to his true appearance and was currently discussing with Val about what Gaia said. Bram didn''t know that the one who he impersonated was only a disguise, so he was slightly afraid about the identities of the children he abducted. "You said one of the girls mentioned your ''disguise''?" "Yes. By disguise, she meant my disguised appearance is apparently also a disguise. It looks to me that what I impersonated was not a real person, but only a disguise of their guardian. But why would the guardian feel the need to hide himself?" This question bugged Bram the most. As an experienced ''worker'', Bram didn''t do anything carelessly. He always gathered information first before striking the target when they least expect it. However, this was the first case where greed took over him. He couldn''t get inside the Palace to scout for information, but since the victims are four high-quality goods, he couldn''t just pass it off. He eventually decided to risk it and go in looking like Holmes'' disguise. The guards thought it was Holmes, giving him easy access to the palace while also strengthening his belief that it''s just an upstart noble clan. He believed that it''s just some newly migrated Nobility but when he heard the girl''s words earlier, suspicion planted itself in his heart. If it''s just a new Noble, why would he hide? "Maybe he''s being hunted, or something like that. Who knows, who cares actually? It''s not like they''re the Royal Families, hmm? I mean, why would they decide to hide in such a big city that''s close to the Imperial City? Wouldn''t that defeat their purpose of hiding? Sheesh, the goods are already here, what more do you fear? the boys checked their belongings, right? There were no accessories whatsoever that could track them. It''s basically a big gain for your small risk, you know. Don''t worry, after the auction I''m sure they''ll all be sold and as promised, you''ll get half the cut. Now just go get some sleep and I have more contacts to talk to. This next auction''s going to be big!" Val casually spoke while smoking some sort of cigarette. Bram just nodded, suspicion still budding inside him. However, he realized that it was useless as they already secured the goods, there''s no point crying over spilled milk. He lowered his head deep in thought while walking towards the exit of the big room. Zeke saw this as an opportunity. The man leaving looked like he was deep in thought, and Zeke thought of the only thing he knew the man wouldn''t expect. As soon as Bram was in front of the door, something suddenly pierced through the door right through his stomach before he could hold the doorknob. He couldn''t even react as he didn''t expect someone to actually try to kill him there. He looked down on his stomach and saw the shaft of the weapon that pierced him. He looked through the cracks of the slightly opened door and saw a young boy sneering at him as if mocking him for his carelessness. Bram fell down, shock, anger, and unwillingness present in his facial expression. Val also didn''t expect someone to murder one of his prized ''workers''. He immediately opened one of the drawers and pulled out a pair of daggers. "I didn''t expect someone as young as you could be this brutal in killing!" Val seemed to be relaxed as he casually praised Zeke''s brutality. "Just did what needed to be done." Zeke smiled and went inside the room, shutting the door behind him. He then retrieved the spear and held it in front. Val held the urge to laugh as the young boy in front of him held a weapon even taller than himself. What surprised Val was that Zeke looked like he wasn''t that uncomfortable or burdened while holding it. He only saw slight wobbly movements that Val just brushed off as the weapon being too heavy for the boy. "I admire your courage, boy. Instead of escaping directly, you even had the gall to go up here and kill my ''workers'', huh. I assume you killed all of them down there?" Val sighed. "No matter. I can get a lot of those trash later on. What I find irreplaceable though is you. I like you, kid. Choose, either join me and be my ''worker'', or die by my hand. If I were you, I wouldn''t choose the latter. Even I don''t want to die a useless death, you know?" Val said. He had certain confidence in killing the young boy in front of him. He deduced that the boy chose to attack at this time of day because he couldn''t take all of them on in a frontal battle, thus resorting to silent assassination while they''re asleep. What Val said was only considered half-right as he didn''t hear the sounds of battle outside with his soundproof room. If he did though, he''d be wary of the tricks the boy in front of him had. "I don''t have plans on serving an old motherfucker." Zeke sneered and readied the spear. Hearing the word ''old'', Val''s expression contorted. Zeke concluded that Val didn''t like to be called ''old''. He then proceeded to provoke him more. "Oh, why the sad face, OLD man? Do you need your cane, OLD man? Have you had your meds yet, OLD man? Here, let me shove this on your mouth since you can''t eat yourself, OLD man!" Zeke repeatedly emphasized the word ''old'', further enraging Val. "Shut up!" Val quickly charged at Zeke. Even though his prowess decreased when he got older, he was still faster than Zeke by a notch. As Val''s dagger came down on Zeke, he parried it using a swing of his spear. Since it was heavy, Val thought Zeke would suffer from the momentum of the spear''s swing. He grabbed the opportunity to slash Zeke''s neck. Zeke knew what Val was thinking and he immediately released his grip from the spear as a sword appeared in his right hand, swiping the dagger but only changing its trajectory. The dagger, who was originally aimed at Zeke''s neck, swerved downwards and slashed Zeke''s chest horizontally. Zeke screamed in pain but it wasn''t that deep so he continued to slash his sword on Val. Val quickly jumped back but his left hand was grazed by the tip of Zeke''s sword. Val was in pain as he dropped the dagger originally held by his left hand. Both now had injuries, but Zeke had it rougher. His chest was bleeding profusely but he still had a gritted smile plastered on his face. "You want to play a war of attrition? HA! I''d take you up on your offer, little brother!" Val noticed Zeke''s smile and was puzzled. He felt like something didn''t add up but he couldn''t point his fingers at what exactly was wrong. Is it because the boy is still smiling even though he''s bleeding a lot in his chest? Probably. Val charged at Zeke again, slashing at him using a dagger on his right. Zeke parried it and got some distance but to Val''s surprise, Zeke quickly lunged and took the offensive, swinging his sword vertically. Val prepared to block it but the sword in front of him suddenly vanished to thin air. Puzzled, he looked at the face of the young boy and found a dagger held by Zeke''s other hand. Zeke then slashed at Val''s leg while Val chopped Zeke. Before the sword landed on Zeke, a water barrier suddenly erupted in the middle and absorbed the brunt of the hit. Still, it couldn''t completely deflect Val''s full-powered sword chop as it grazed Zeke''s back. Val was relieved after hitting Zeke in both front and back. He was surprised and bewildered earlier when the sword vanished suddenly but he realized that this boy in front of him only had party tricks. In terms of direct confrontation, the boy was leagues below him. He dashed and slashed at Zeke again only to be blocked by a wall of flame in between them. He could hardly grip his dagger as the flames'' heat started to bother him. He jumped back only to be greeted by a spear coming straight at him. He was forced to block using his dagger but unfortunately for him, it couldn''t fully stop the spear''s charge. It stabbed him but didn''t bury deep because of the range but it still hurt Val. He didn''t know how the spear suddenly emerged in Zeke''s hands again as he still clearly remembered that he discarded it earlier. He looked at Zeke''s back only to realize that there were no signs of a spear there. He didn''t know how the boy managed to retrieve his spear and even had the time to stab at him at such a short window of time. At this point, unbeknownst to both of them, someone actually slightly opened the door. It was Esteban, and he was then again shocked by his Young Master''s fighting style. Earlier, when Marcus led them to the place, he ordered the other black-cloaked fellows to enter through the windows as the front might be guarded. To their surprise though, when they sneaked in from the 2nd floor''s windows, they all gulped at what they saw. On the three rooms, the black-cloaked men reported sightings of two men that had their throats slit, blood filling the floors. On the last room, there was a man that had his stomach burnt, his shoulders cut, and his neck slit. Even the men who went in got chills as to who did all this. Marcus, who Esteban carried, pointed to the direction of the stairs leading down and told them the children and Zeke''s room were on the basement. When they went to the first floor, they also saw corpses that had their throats slit. It was a bloodbath as the rooms were filled with blood, with a small quantity even leaking through the doors and into the hallway. When they arrived at the basement, they opened all the doors and eventually found the three girls along with some other children. There were also others that were imprisoned on the other rooms as the black-clothed men also freed them. Esteban''s brows furrowed when he noticed that out of all the children, Zeke was nowhere to be found. "Marcus, where''s that Zeke who ordered you? Why isn''t he here?!" Esteban let out his agitation on the last word. "I-I don''t know! When he escorted me out he just went in and I don''t know where he went after that." Marcus nervously said. He too didn''t like that Zeke, his benefactor, wasn''t here. "Could it be...." Esteban trailed off and gave a long sigh. "Escort all the children out and transfer them to the Palace''s exterior, for now. It seems Young Master went on a killing spree again." Esteban wanted to laugh but he realized his Young master might still be in a dangerous situation up there. "a-again? you mean he did one already before? and he''s doing it now?" Marcus stuttered at the thought of the boy who was younger than him killing people already. "Nothing you need to know. Men, take them out now! And don''t forget to hide the sight above. Let''s not traumatize them more, huh?" The black-clothed men all nodded. Even they were slightly disturbed by what they saw, let alone all these children. What''s more disturbing for them is that it was actually their Young Master''s doing! Just how absurd was it that a 3-year-old kid slaughtered all these adults? Not to mention they also sighted a battle on the second floor, which only served to prove that Zeke didn''t or couldn''t assassinate them all, thus resorting to fighting them alone. Just how impressive of a feat is that? While the black-clothed men escorted the children, Esteban rushed off to the upper floors. When he saw the third floor, he was slightly flabbergasted by the sight. Corpses were seen everywhere and there were even signs or battle there. It seemed like Zeke took multiple of them down alone. Esteban shivered at the thought of Zeke still fighting up there so he rushed, and right now, he was very impressed and shocked by what he was seeing. His young master clearly was weaker than the old man he''s fighting, but in terms of the injuries, his Young Master only had a gash in his back and front. Esteban wanted to rush to the Young Master right then and there but he suddenly saw a hand sign from the fighting Zeke. Esteban immediately understood. He was even more impressed by the fact that his Young Master could even save a portion of his attention towards his surroundings. It was one of the hand signs that Zeke and Esteban developed when they were sparring or when Zeke was sparring against Charles. It signified that Zeke could still fight and Esteban just needs to go in when he''s in mortal danger. This made it so Esteban wouldn''t forcefully stop Zeke and Charles'' sparring even when Zeke could still fight. Zeke continued to fight Val even while receiving cuts and gashes on his entire body. Even though Val hadn''t seriously injured him in any organ whatsoever, he was filled with pain as his body received a lot of cuts from Val''s attacks. Val was also not faring better than Zeke as he alsohad cuts and some stabs in his upper body while one of his legs is slightly injured. In terms of damage, Esteban could judge that Zeke dealt more. Deep inside Zeke, the system was constantly nodding in appreciation to Zeke''s fighting style. Even the system hadn''t thought that Zeke could even reach here. If he relied purely on his skill in frontal combat, the system judged that Zeke could only clear the second floor and try the third floor at most. However, the system didn''t count Zeke''s self-made combat techniques and tricks that even the system hadn''t thought Zeke would do. The system was also quite pleased as Zeke was improving rapidly while fighting the guy in front of him. Zeke didn''t know it himself, but the system knew that Zeke''s currently forcing his mind and body to the limits right now, and it fully unearthed Zeke''s full potential while also improving his mind and body at a rapid pace. However, for Zeke, it was only thanks to the skills and tactics he got from playing games in his old world. Back then, Zeke would think of certain scenarios that would never happen in real life. He imagined himself doing all sorts of things in different situations and judging if it was really the right move. He especially applied it to the shield guy back on the second floor where he feigned his attack and instead used his hands to attack underneath the man''s shield. He also applied his previously made techniques on the guy going down the stairs as well as on Bram. It was all on Zeke''s mind back on Earth, and now he himself was executing it no less. It could be considered Zeke''s ''dream'' come true. Almost 5 minutes have passed, and even though Zeke was enjoying it, he felt his fatigue increasing as his adrenaline rush was slowly fading. He needed to finish the fight before his body gave out or his mind became exhausted. He gestured Esteban to strike when the time is right. He then feigned weakness which lured Val. Val suddenly stabbed Zeke on the shoulders. Zeke suddenly fell down butt first while panting heavily. Val thought Zeke was done for so he relaxed for a bit. He slowly walked towards him while playing with his dagger, gazing at Zeke with contempt. "Hah, it was a good one, boy. Now that you exhausted your body, I guess this is it for you." Val smiled. The conscious children who originally looked at Zeke with hope suddenly started tearing up. They prayed inwardly that Zeke could escape and live. "This is it for me? Are you sure about that?" Zeke smiled. Realizing something is wrong and someone''s rushing at him from behind, Val turned around and blocked Esteban''s punch with his dagger. "Is this it?" Val sneered. Before he could even turn and gloat at Zeke, he suddenly felt chest pain. Looking down, he could see the tip of a spear piercing through him. He mustered a bit of strength and looked back on Zeke, only to see his gloating smile. Fear gripped him as he was slowly losing consciousness. "Yes, that really is it. Hahahaha!" Before Val''s last speck of vitality left his body, he could faintly hear the muffled noise of Zeke''s maniacal laughter. 46 Revelation ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Event Quest "Peril" Complete! Reward: 1000xp Performance Rating: S+ Skill Tome (Thought Processing - 16x) Skill Tome (Legendary) x2 Skill Tome (Epic) x2 Skill Tome (Rare) x2 Skill Proficiency +100 all stats +1000xp ''Mass Murderer'' Title upgrade +1 Backup Life (Reward for completing the condition flawlessly) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''Holy shit!'' Zeke was absolutely ecstatic by the rewards he got. Even though he felt pain all over his body, the excitement seemed to make him numb. He felt like the system was too generous to give all these. *No, Zeke. This is your rightful reward based from your performance. You faced a lot of enemies that are stronger than you in terms of power but your resourcefulness made up for it as well as your uncanny fighting style. If you had not applied your resourcefulness, my estimation is that you could only clear at most the second floor seeing as the third floor had individuals that are a lot stronger than you. Even I didn''t expect you to reach and contend against the strongest in equal footing.* ''Well, it was thanks to the inventory''s fast swapping that I could do it.'' Zeke really meant it. If it weren''t for him switching weapons in the middle of the fight, he would''ve likely died before he could even hit Val with his spear or sword. The inventory''s feature made it so when he equips and unequips items, it will immediately vanish in thin air while the equipped one will appear based on Zeke''s will. When utilized in combat against someone of equal footing or even stronger, this feature can serve as a very weird and ghostly trump card. "Young Master! Are you alright?" Esteban hurriedly checked on Zeke who had wounds all over his body. Still, he couldn''t help but wonder how his Young Master could still smile despite his condition. "I''m as fine as ever Mr. Esteban. It was a good thing you noticed my hand back there, hehe." Zeke said. "Woah, my whole body hurts. OUCH!" Zeke suddenly felt intense pain over his entire body. It seemed like his adrenaline rush completely died out, making him feel the intense pain of his wounds. "It''s because of the heat of the battle, Young Master. You only feel yourself after the immersion and excitement of a heated battle. Young Master, I know I have been saying this a lot, but I really admire you. To be able to achieve this sort of feat is nothing short of a miracle for a 3-year-old." Esteban held the urge to laugh at his Young Master''s reaction. "By the way, just to clarify, you were the one who killed all the people outside?" "Yes, Mr. Esteban. I had to do it. By the way, have you rescued the other children already?" "Yes, Young Master. However, we haven''t started transporting them out. The guards are sorting them out on the first floor." "Good. I have a plan, Mr. Esteban. One that could pluck the roots of this entire shithole!" Zeke sternly said. "I''m all ears, Young Master." Esteban''s expression turned serious. "Let''s discuss this when we go home. For now, let''s go down and see the others." Esteban had to match Zeke''s slow pace due to his wounds. Esteban offered to carry Zeke but he heavily protested against it. It seemed like his Young Master didn''t really like to be treated like a child anymore. It was actually the truth for Zeke. He didn''t like it because he had his pride as a teenager. When they went down and saw rows and rows of children, Zeke heaved a sigh of relief. He saved all these children from potential harm and he was very happy and contented with what he has done, no guilt or remorse whatsoever. In his mind, he had let them off very lightly for what they did to countless children. They deserved to be punished and tortured just like how they did to the children, but due to the circumstances, Zeke couldn''t prolong their lives. The children gazed at the boy who was going down with blood and wounds all over his body with intense gratitude and awe. The boy, who had the same or even lower age than them, saved them when no adult could. In their mind, Zeke''s status even risen above their parents, and it was to the point that he''s practically their idol and role model. Someday, they wanted to be like Zeke who, despite the odds, still had the courage to continue forward. "ZEKE!" Gaia ran towards Zeke and was very worried about Zeke''s current form. Even with all the filth on Zeke''s body, Gaia still hugged him, tears visible in her eyes. Even Rosaline and Aura went near, their eyes just like Gaia''s, wet and ready to pour down at any time. "I''m alright. I just needed to end those evil people. Cmon now Gaia, I''m full of blood. You don''t want your father to think that you''re injured, yeah?" Zeke smiled and lightly shoved off Gaia. He was touched by the three girls'' worries and swore to protect them even in the future. He considered the three girls as his childhood best friends, something so precious that he didn''t have in his previous life. Gaia shyly lowered her head but still looked at Zeke''s body with worry. "Don''t worry, Gaia. I''m strong as ever, you see?" Zeke smiled, showing his bright white teeth and held his left hand up in a flexing motion. "What about your wounds?" "I can endure it, but I probably need a bit of help." Zeke dryly smiled. "We''ll help!" Rosaline volunteered and went to Zeke''s left while Gaia went to the right. They both lifted and placed Zeke''s arms towards them and assisted him in walking, surprising Zeke. He was shocked by the girls'' sudden actions. "Hmph! Why did you have to occupy both sides? Now I can''t help Big Brother! Hmph! Enjoy it while you can! I''ll be the one to marry Big Brother in the future!" Aura approached and stuck out her tongue. Aura''s words puzzled Zeke while both girls beside him reddened. Zeke laughed at Aura''s ''playful joke''. "Hahaha, you and your jokes, Aura. We''re only kids, what are you talking about?" "You don''t need to worry about that, Big Brother Zeke. I promise to get older and stronger so I''d have the right to be with you!" Aura puffed her chest. Zeke didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. This girl is just too childish to even joke about something like that. "There''s no saving you, Aura." Zeke shook his head and laughed. "Mr. Esteban!" Zeke called. "You called, Young Master?" He whispered something on Esteban''s ears. Moments later, Esteban shuddered and looked at Zeke with awe and surprise. "A-are you sure, Young Master?" "Like I said, plucking the roots." Zeke smiled. "Alright, if that''s what you say, Young Master." Esteban turned to the black-clothed men. "Men, escort the children one or two at a time. The target destination is Dragonsoar Palace. Make sure nobody sees anything of the sort. Some of you leave behind and clean the whole building. Make sure there''s no mess and no signs of battle. I''ll escort the royal children first. I want this operation to be clean and no failures!" Esteban ordered and went outside with Zeke and the three girls. "... royal children?" Marcus, who was looking at Zeke''s back, wondered. ... "Ezekiel!" "My daughter!" "Rosa!" "My precious daughter Aura!" Meanwhile, Esteban and company finally went back to the Palace, and they were happily welcomed by their parents. "What the hell happened, son?" Charles furrowed his brows, noticing Zeke''s overall state. "Just a little skirmish, Dad. No worries." Zeke smiled, showing his teeth. "You idiot! Why do you always want to fight?! Take care of yourself, Zeke!" Catherine shouted and lightly hit Zeke on the head, however, the tone of her voice betrayed her. Instead of anger, Catherine was actually only filled with immense worry towards his son. "Mom, Dad. I think it''s about time to tell you something. Can we go inside now?" Zeke asked. Charles didn''t know what Zeke wanted to talk about, but he nevertheless nodded and gestured with the other fathers. Zeke and his family left first. "... is he going to be okay, Dad?" Gaia looked at Zeke''s fading back with worry. "I hope so, my daughter." Grad noticed the expression of his daughter''s eyes. It seemed like this daughter of him is very interested in Zeke. "Worry about yourself first, Gaia. How are you faring, my dear?" Meryl knelt and caressed her daughter''s messy hair. "We''re all okay, Mom. Someone tried to do some nasty things to Rosaline, but Zeke already crippled him." Gaia casually stated. "WHAT?! SOMEONE DARED TO DO THAT ON MY DAUGHTER?!" Alcazar roared after overhearing the conversation. "Did you say Zeke crippled the guy who attacked you, Rosa?" Mediula calmly asked her daughter. However, anyone could feel the slight anger within her tone. "Yes, Mom. Fortunately, Zeke was awake and hadn''t succumbed to the weakness and protected me." Rosaline stated. She randomly thought of Aura''s words before they went out of the building and she suddenly blushed. "Oh?" Alcazar noticed it. Her daughter blushed when Zeke''s name was mentioned. "Oh my my my. Our daughter''s becoming a lady now!" Mediula noticed it too and teased Rosaline. "I-it''s nothing. Can I rest now?" The other families went back immediately. They forgot that their children had just experienced something traumatizing. They were thankful that nothing bad happened to their daughters, while they also thanked Zeke in their mind since they knew from Zeke''s state that he did all the work just to protect the other children including theirs. Meanwhile, Zeke''s family didn''t go to sleep but instead convened on a round table in their living room. "What do you want to talk about, my son? Don''t you want to rest first and recuperate? I''m afraid your whole body is wounded, son." Charles looked at his son with worry. "No can do, Dad. I just want to tell this to you right now so I can hopefully clear off your worries." Zeke replied. Charles acutely noticed that Zeke was actually talking about the secret he had! Charles and Catherine took a deep breath and looked at Zeke seriously. Esteban was just standing in the corner of the room, looking at the trio with curious eyes. "Alright son, we''re ready. What''s it?" "First off, you don''t need to worry about my safety at all, Dad. I can say that I''m a tough cockroach myself!" Zeke held the urge to laugh at the last part of his own words. "What do you mean?" Charles was puzzled by what Zeke said. Zeke removed the tattered shirt he had and revealed his chest. To his parents'' surprise, the big gash in Zeke''s chest was actually slowly stitching itself back and it was very visible to the eye. With a little bit of focus, both could see the subtle movements of the wounded skin, and it was actually closing itself slowly but noticeably. "Holy!" Esteban also looked and was shocked by what he''s seeing. That wound was clearly just inflicted minutes before, how come it had already started recovering? "This is one of my powers, dad. My wounds repair very quickly as long as I''m not in combat. Now, before more questions were asked, I''d like you three to know." Zeke stood and looked at the trio in front of him. Esteban was also at the back of Charles looking at Zeke. "I''m something sort of a champion." Zeke''s sudden words puzzled Catherine and Charles, but Esteban''s facial expression was different. It was a mixture of shock, surprise, and awe. His eyes looked like he was looking at a god in front of him. "You seem to know something about this Champion my son is talking about, Esteban. Tell us. What about it?" Charles noticed Esteban''s expression and figured being a champion is probably good for their son. "Your Majesties, I-I have just read this on books, but I-I don''t dare confirm if it''s really the truth..." "Champions are people gifted with immense power bestowed upon them by a certain god. According to myths, most of the legendary figures were Champions and there were even rumors that some Champions ascended and became gods themselves. I don''t know if this is all true but that''s what I have read from our family''s archives when I was young." Esteban slowly recited what he remembered, excitement present in his voice. The parents looked at their son with confusion and a bit of shock. They found it hard to absorb the fact that their son is one of the Champions from the books. They didn''t actually know what to feel besides ecstasy, joy, and pride by having such a son. But they were still confused, how did their son know about it? "The champions seemed to have an identification of some sort in them though. They had a symbol representing the god they serve. Ever since you came here, Young Master, I haven''t seen any symbol in your body. How come you said you''re a champion when you don''t have the symbol?" Esteban asked Zeke. Indeed, he felt suspicion since from what Esteban knows, Zeke didn''t have any kind of symbol etched on his skin, not even one. Zeke was puzzled by that. He didn''t know about it and planned to ask the System. However, before he could do so, his hand suddenly raised and he felt hot somewhere in his arm. Suddenly, to the trio''s surprise, a tattoo appeared on the back of Zeke''s left hand. It was an incomplete skull-shaped symbol but the skull''s eye sockets had two squarish symbols. If one looked closely, they could see that the left eye had some sort of a cube while the other had a miniature card. The overall tattoo itself was very cool and edgy and Zeke''s parents'' eyes were basically glued to it now. "Uhhh, would that suffice?" Zeke innocently asked. "Hmmm, interesting." Charles stroked his imaginary beard as he scrutinized the symbol. "Strange. I don''t know any god that''s remotely close to Young Master''s symbol. Although it had a skull, it''s definitely not the skull of the Deity of Death. Death Deity''s skull looked very complete and had empty eye sockets. This one, however, didn''t. Also, why would it only appear now?" Esteban wondered. *I hid it because I deemed it unnecessary for you. However, I realized that having Mr. Pandora''s symbol be spread out towards the inhabitants of the world, perhaps his believers would increase. This symbol is also personally made by Mr. Pandora. I am in no way related to that abomination of a symbol.* The system ''washed its hands''. "It''s because I could hide and show it at will, Mr. Esteban." Zeke mouthed a lie. ''System, can I control when to make it visible and when not to?'' Zeke asked. *Yes, it''s just based on what you will it to. If you want it to hide on your hand then you only need to think about it and it''ll bury itself. But in my opinion, spreading Mr. Pandora''s influence would also be good for you in the future.* ''Eh, I guess so. Looks like I''ll keep it intact then.'' Zeke decided to keep the tattoo and continued looking at his parents. ..... After round and round of questions, Zeke finally managed to lay on his bed. His parents also asked him about certain stuff, but he all brushed it off as being Pandora''s Champion. His parents couldn''t do anything but believe it since it was also reasonable if Zeke''s really a Champion. It also made sense for them since even when Zeke was only a toddler, he already achieved an impressive feat. It would make sense for all these if Zeke is actually someone as amazing and heaven-defying as a Champion. They also asked about Zeke''s mental capacity and Zeke just replied that his mind advanced and matured quickly due to being a champion and he now thinks like a teenager. His parents bought all of that and finally released Zeke after the bombardment. ''It''s 3 in the morning now. I''ll just check the new skills after I wake up and be done for today. Whew, what the hell just happened today!'' Zeke recounted the events leading today. It was a very bizarre but very thrilling experience for Zeke who longed for it even back on Earth. 47 New Skills When Zeke woke up, he was then again bombarded with question by his mother. Zeke felt very touched because he knew her mother''s asking a lot because she was only worried about Zeke. She feared that Zeke might not take care of his life knowing that he had a fast regenerative ability. It took Zeke half an hour just to convince his mother that everything was all right. When Zeke came out of the house to do his daily exercise routine, he was surprised seeing more than a dozen of kids in front of his door. There was also Charles who was talking with one of the kids. "Oh, Good morning, son! Have you slept well?" Charles noticed Zeke and greeted. "I''m okay now, Dad. What are they doing here?" Zeke asked. "Oh? Them? They were the ones who didn''t have parents anymore. Either their parents are dead, or their own parents sold them to the slavers. They don''t have anywhere to live for now so we decided to rent a nearby inn just across us to accommodate them." "I see." Zeke looked at Marcus. "I forgot to thank you for doing a very good job that time. If it weren''t for you, Mr. Esteban wouldn''t even know where we''re all at." Zeke extended his hands towards Marcus. "No, I only did my part of the deal. Besides, I''m the one who should be thankful to you, Your Majesty. I had the once-in-a-lifetime chance of interacting with the Royal Family, and with their successors, no less!" Marcus replied. When they were transported here, they were very surprised by the faces that welcomed them. The four adults who welcomed them looked exactly like the current Patriarchs of the four Royal Families that ruled this part of the continent. Marcus also realized that Zeke was the son of one of the four, and when he looked at Charles today, it seemed like he was Charles'' son. It was a very big honor for him to meet the son of the so-called ''Bloodthirster of the Four''. "By the way, little boy. Can I ask what happened to your family exactly?" Charles approached and asked Marcus. "It''s an honor to be recognized by Your Majesty. Indeed, I am Marcus Keef, the only survivor of the Keef Family. I was only three years old when the incident happened. All I knew was that when I woke up, in the middle of the night, I noticed blood seeping from under the door of my room. I didn''t know what to do so I forced myself to sleep that day. When I woke up, all that welcomed my sight are the bodies of our maids scattered around our house while there was a pile of ash at the backyard. I knew it was my parents and my uncles since some of their pendants were left there. Till today, I didn''t know who killed my family and the only thing I knew of them is that they''re magicians. It''s something I discovered after roaming our house after the fight. Although I was grossed out by the bodies, I still wanted to search for clues so I can take revenge for them. I saw several burn marks all over the house as well as remnants of spells of different elements such as water and wind. I fled and lived with Anna and slept in the dark alleyways near the plaza. Who would''ve known that we were enticed by the fucker''s temptation. It was partly my fault for Anna''s demise." Marcus slowly said, his tone changing on the last part from sad to a bit of anger and guilt. "I''m sorry for asking the question, young one. I didn''t mean to make you recount your terrible memories. I merely wanted to know if you had any clues regarding the assassins." Charles said and apologized. "It''s no matter, Your Majesty. I am grateful that you wanted to know more about my family, but I also don''t know much myself. I know that my family excels in knighthood and swordplay and that the enemies my relatives faced must''ve been magicians. That''s all I can say, Your Majesty. Forgive me." Marcus slightly bowed. "No, it''s enough information for us to investigate. I''ll be right back." Charles said as he turned around and walked away. "Dad! I need to tell you about something later. Can you spare some time to convene the four families?" Zeke shouted. "What''s the deal?" "I know a plan to deal with slavery in this city, dad!" "hm?" Zeke''s proposal piqued Charles'' interest. "Alright, but I''ll have to hear the plan first. I''ll wait for you inside." "Great, dad!" Marcus, who overheard the conversation, looked at Zeke with wonder. "Young Noble, do you really have a plan on doing all that?" "Yes. Why?" "Nothing in mind. I''m impressed, Young Noble. Not only are you proficient at fighting, but you also think meticulously." Marcus teased. "It''s just simple, Marcus. Anyway, I''ll go back to my dad first and talk to him. See ya!" "Young Noble! Can we join your morning routine? Mistress Gaia mentioned it to us so we thought it''d be good for us to train ourselves too. We didn''t have anything to do and since we also don''t have any relatives, it''s better for us to get stronger so we could stand our own ground. Can we join you and the three mistresses? We promise we''ll just follow you in a distance." Before Zeke entered the house, Marcus shouted. "Sure, and you don''t need to keep your distance with us, Marcus. We''re all equal here, you know?" Zeke joked and laughed while closing the door. When Zeke was inside, he told Charles his plan. "So, you basically made it so there''s still no news of their destruction?" "Yes, Dad. I told Mr. Esteban to keep it clean and unnoticed so we could reel in the big fishes." Zeke smiled. "By Big fishes, you mean their customers?" Charles was partly amazed by Zeke''s plan. Although it was simple. it wouldn''t have worked if he hadn''t prevented the news from leaking. "Yes! I heard from one of them that there were some noble families that also buy slaves. Isn''t that wrong, Dad?" "You heard it? Of course, it''s wrong! Then if we replace the host of the ''auction'' tomorrow, we can catch all of them in one fell swoop! Amazing! Thanks to your quick witted decision, son! As expected of a Champion! HAHAHAHA" Charles teased his son. He now knew that this son of him not only had a strong physical body, he also had a mature, calculative, and genius mind. "It''s nothing, Dad. Just say that it''s your idea, that way it''ll be approved quickly. I don''t want to bring too much attention on myself right now. By the way, when will we be going back to the imperial capital, dad? You mentioned you only had 4 years of vacation, right?" Zeke inquired. "Ah, why did you remind me of that." Charles sighed. "There''s only a month left, son. It will be the day after your birthday, marking the end of the fourth year of our vacation." "In any case, can I stay here, Dad?" Zeke''s proposal stunned Charles. "Huh? Why would you do that? Don''t you want to be us and meet with our whole Family? You have many uncles and aunts, you know." "Dad, it''s not like I don''t want to be with you. It''s just because I want to train harder than ever. Also, the children outside were eager to get stronger. Perhaps I could try and train them so I would have many strong people by my side in the future. Don''t you think so, Dad?" Zeke smiled. Indeed, Zeke''s suggestion was feasible. However, the couple would no longer accompany their son, and they will naturally miss the comfort of their son especially when they''ll start to get back to work. "But don''t you have to attend school when you''re 4?" "Yes, Dad. I''ll also attend school and if it''s possible, can you admit the other children to the same school near here too? I want them to experience the same youthful life as other their age. Please?" Zeke innocently looked at his father. He hoped his current expression could make his father reconsider his decision. To Zeke''s surprise, Charles quickly agreed. "Of course, son. If that''s what you want. But still, we''ll miss you, you know? Can''t you just go with us to the capital and start your study there? That way, you could meet many nobles of your age and you could establish friendship with them. The school here only accepts few students so you might not have any new friends there." "Don''t need new friends, Dad. I''d rather be with Marcus than other kids of my age. He''s much matured than the other kids, and you know I''m focused on training, why the need to mingle with others? Just to build up an entourage of people with high social status? I''d rather have powerful people as friends than those with social status as their bragging right." Zeke stated. Charles couldn''t help but give a thumbs up at Zeke''s reply. Indeed, it was better for him to have that kind of friend over having fake friends who only befriend you because of status. After a minute of pondering... "Son, I can agree to your decision as long as we get to talk every night. We''ll miss you, you know?" "Of course, Dad! Rest assured, I''ll cherish my life more than you two will ever expect." "Alright. I''ll try to convince your mom about this. I don''t think she''ll disagree, seeing as it could hinder your advancement, you know?" Charles winked then left to explain to Cath. "Oh, also, regarding the slave trade, I''ll talk to my brothers and see to it that all the traders, as well as their costumers, will be punished." "Great!" Zeke was then left alone in the living room. He decided to check out his current self before figuring out what to do now. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 3 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Mass Murderer; Level: 5(1800/500) Str: 610 Agi: 590 End: 800 Int: 880 CP: 560 Skills: Lvl 13 Mana Circulation Lvl 8 Elemental Mana Circulation Lvl 8 CQC Lvl 6 Formless Style (2 techniques) Lvl 12 Aura Lvl 10 Mana Skin Lvl Max Fire Ball Lvl Max Wind Step Lvl Max Water Barrier Lvl Max Tremor Lvl Max Light Shield Lvl Max Dark Slash Lvl Max Grease Lvl Max Wind Blade Lvl Max Flame Wall |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| *Zeke, you gained a total of 2000xp from the quest. It leveled you up to Lvl 5, but as I said, you could opt to stack your xp or you could use it to level up. It''s up to you, Zeke.* ''Hmm, I think I''ll hold off for the xp for now. I''ll look for something to buy first and if there''s none, I''ll use it to level up.'' *Good Choice.* ''Holy shit, my skills leveled up a lot.'' Zeke rummaged through his memories and indeed found out new information for each one of them. ''System, how am I faring in my magic core?'' *You are now nearing the peak of Mid Tier 1. Approximately, you''ll advance towards High Tier 1 after reaching 950 Int. I must say, you''re really quite ahead than your peers, Zeke.* ''Haha, that''s to be expected, System. After all, I have you as well as my nonstop training, am i right?'' Zeke teased and decided not to undervalue his effort. *Precisely.* ''By the way, what''s the Thought Processing? The one I got from the last quest.'' *It''s not exactly a skill, but it makes it so you could control how many times you can multitask your mind. It can go up to 16x, but you could also tone it down to lessen your energy consumption.* ''I see. Then System, let''s open the skill tomes! Let''s start with the Rares.'' *Do you want to open both?* ''Yes.'' *Consuming two Skill Tomes (Rare)* Ding! As usual, new information popped up in his head. The first skill he got is Deflect, and it made it so he could fully parry one physical attack without being harmed. It had a high activation rate but it can''t nullify attacks that were too powerful. The second skill he got is Bone Strengthening. This skill makes it so Zeke could use his mana to fully cover Zeke''s bones to prevent damage. It could definitely help Zeke avoid certain attacks that could break his bones in the future. ''Now that''s sweet. Two defensive spells, huh. Alright, open the Epic Skill Tomes, System.'' *Yes. Consuming Skill Tome (Epic)* After a few seconds, Zeke regained his calm after another information surge. Zeke complained about having a slight headache whenever that happens, but the System didn''t utter a single word or reply, not even a single word of consolation. The first skill is something called Void Negation. It was also a defensive skill but it leaned more towards magic attacks. It could completely nullify nearby mana that could harm the user and its casting range is a big circle around Zeke, one which could fit two or three people inside. It was an absolute protection for magic attacks and it lasts for about 2 to 3 seconds. It would also increase the duration as well as the range if it levels up. In its prime form, Void Negation covered the space of about 5 meters for 10 seconds. For Zeke, this is one of the more fraudulent defensive skills that could definitely prove handy in many situations. The magic was of the Void Element, one of the variant elements that only one in ten thousand would have, but since Zeke had a Perfect Mana Core, he could practice any magic spell of any element with no restrictions. The second skill is called Breath of Lightning. This is a movement skill that greatly pleases Zeke as it surrounds the user with faint lightning sparks, boosting his movement skill by a notch. If Zeke could cover a meter in a second, Zeke could now cover it with a tenth of a second. It was also one of those fraudulent movement skills, but Zeke knew that it required precise control over his movements to execute moves under Breath of Lightning efficiently. One could definitely move fast using this, but one should still have control over his movements so he won''t stumble or overextend his move. This made Zeke''s hunger for training intensify. He really wanted to practice this skill now. He had a myriad of possibilities in a battle if he mastered this as he also had his ghostly technique or swapping weapons mid-fight. ''I''m getting all the good stuff! Alright, time for the goooood good stuff. System, open the legendary ones!'' *Yes. Consuming Skill Tome (Legendary).* This time, Zeke felt a headache much more intense than the previous two. It seemed like the information within this is much more in quantity than the other two combined. The first one is called Wisdom King''s Grace. When Zeke learned that it wasn''t a combat skill, he was slightly disappointed but after reading the whole effect, Zeke immediately changed his mind. Wisdom King''s Grace made it so Zeke could learn and comprehend skills and techniques with up to a certain level. For example, when Zeke learns a new skill, he could activate Wisdom King''s Grace to immediately gain comprehension and practicalities regarding the new skill. It not only gave Zeke the basic steps in executing it, but it will also give Zeke complete comprehension in it. The amount of comprehension and basically ''level'' that Zeke will get on a skill will depend on how deep or complicated the skill actually is. If the skill is relatively easy to learn, Wisdom King''s Grace would instantly propel it to max level. The only downside for Zeke is the cooldown of 1 month. However, even then he could still improve 12 skills per year! Such a very broken skill actually landed itself on Zeke. He was very ecstatic about it. He could now finally lessen the amount of effort needed to train, giving him more time to actually do new things. The second one was called Spatial King''s Domain. This one, unlike the first one, is a movement type skill belonging to the Spatial Element of Mana that''s as rare as the Void Element. This makes it so Zeke can basically ''teleport'' nearby. There was no casting time and it was an instant teleportation. The cooldown was 1 minute at starting levels, and in its prime, the cooldown would only be 5 seconds. ''Holy shit! I''ve become strong to OP in just a minute!'' Zeke as very excited for his future. With these skills as well as the new ones he''s planning to buy, he would definitely be a powerhouse at such a young age. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 3 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Mass Murderer; Level: 5(1800/500) Str: 610 Agi: 590 End: 800 Int: 880 CP: 560 Skills: Lvl 13 Mana Circulation Lvl 8 Elemental Mana Circulation Lvl 8 CQC Lvl 6 Formless Style (2 techniques) Lvl 12 Aura Lvl 10 Mana Skin Lvl Max Fire Ball Lvl Max Wind Step Lvl Max Water Barrier Lvl Max Tremor Lvl Max Light Shield Lvl Max Dark Slash Lvl Max Grease Lvl Max Wind Blade Lvl Max Flame Wall Lvl 1 Bone Strengthening Lvl 1 Deflect Lvl 1 Void Negation Lvl 1 Breath of Lightning Lvl 1 Wisdom King''s Grace Lvl 1 Spatial King''s Domain |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| 48 Departure Sure enough, 2 days after the rescue operation, there was a sudden big scoop in the newspapers. Apparently, more than ten ''slave companies'' got closed down and thousands of customers were apprehended in a span of a day. According to the news, the royal families have actually caught wind of it and prepared a trap for them. The supposedly big ''slave trade'' was ''instigated'' by the royal family, catching both traders and customers alike. The customers were only handed a light punishment as well as banishment of their owned slaves, while the traders will be executed by next week. All the credit went to the Flamehaven Majesty, Charles, along with a ''good samaritan'' who exposed the slavers'' plans to them. There was no news related to Zeke''s killing, so Zeke concluded that his father contained the information. Now, only the four royal families know of the real truth behind one of the biggest busts in their empire. There were also corrupt law enforcement officials who were caught according to some of the traders'' information. There was also one head of a noble family who got caught buying slaves, but investigation concluded that it was only done by the family head along with a select few. All other members of his family didn''t know anything about it, making them not guilty and exempt from their family head''s punishment. When Zeke heard all this, his mouth curved into a smile. He knew that what he had done was big, but Zeke didn''t care for fame nor achievements. He only did it and instigated his Father to do it because he severely hated having that kind of business in their empire his family ruled. The next month passed by until Zeke''s birthday. During this, the three girls mostly spent their time inside the palace with Zeke along with the other children they met from the slavers. They didn''t have anywhere to go to and since they all had near the same age, they all got along quickly. They also surprised Zeke on his birthday, making him feel touched. He didn''t expect to have all of them care for him so much. In actuality, it was normal for them to celebrate Zeke''s as he was, after all, their benefactor. Besides, it was only Zeke''s mind not completely moving on from his previous world''s experience. Back on Earth, he didn''t have anyone to spend his birthday to nor did he get any sort of gift or even a greeting. All he got was more scolding and hitting from his adoptive parents. Experiencing all this was new to him so he hadn''t adjusted himself in this aspect yet. He slowly thought and remembered that he was not all alone anymore. He now have loving parents and trustworthy friends with whom he could talk to and interact with. Tomorrow morning just after Zeke''s birthday, Zeke was woken up by Catherine. She looked at her son with worry and concern in her eyes. She had agreed to Zeke''s proposal as she too didn''t want to hamper her son''s wishes to get stronger. She knew that it was also for her son''s good future. She didn''t worry about Zeke much because she knew her son''s mentality was very matured compared to his current appearance and age. She only worried that Zeke might feel lonely or that he might tread the wrong path without her and Charles by Zeke''s side. "Don''t worry, Mom! I''ll call you every evening and tell you stories about what will happen here!" "I know, Ezekiel. You''ve grown now, huh? You''re actually leaving your parents all alone on that wretched workplace." Catherine sighed and teased Zeke. "Mother, when I go back to you and father next time, I promise I''ll be stronger than I''ll ever be! I''ll make sure to surprise you all!" Catherine chuckled. It seemed like her son had high goals and ambition. "Yes yes, I know it, son. I was planning to introduce you to our fellow clansmen but it looks like that''ll have to be postponed. I''m sure you''d be happy meeting your cousins and uncles, hmm?" "Yes! I''ll make sure to finish studies here and return to you and Father early!" Catherine knew her son was spewing empty promises. She knew her son will definitely train hard and not return just after a 2-year kindergarten school. "Honey, our carriage is ready. Oh, you''re awake now, Zeke." Charles noticed Zeke and smiled. "Come here, son! I have something to say to you." Charles gestured Zeke to come near to which he did. "I managed to make your mom agree to it but it did have a condition. However, don''t worry about it as it''ll not affect you at all." "Condition?" Zeke didn''t know anything about his mom''s ''condition''. "Yes, you''ll know it soon. By the way, shouldn''t you bid farewell to your friends?" "Oh, snap! I forgot they''re also going back too!" Zeke rushed out of his room and went outside. He first saw Aura and Gaia along with their parents and butlers. He rushed up near them and waved goodbye. To his surprise, when Gaia saw him, she quickly ran towards him and hugged him. He felt a drop of water on his shoulder as he figured Gaia is crying. "Don''t cry, Gaia! It''s not like we won''t meet anymore, right?" Zeke lightly laughed. "I-I know! It''s just that.. that... I''ll miss you." Gaia said as her voice got lower until the last word. Zeke was surprised. Does Gaia like him? Even so, Zeke felt they were too young for that. He figured he would just leave it to fate. "I''ll miss you too, Gaia. There won''t be any more morning routines for us." Zeke sighed. He really enjoyed his time with the three girls especially the last month where they made new friends. "My dear! We need to depart now!" Meryl shouted at Gaia. Gaia hurriedly went back and glimpsed at Zeke one last time before entering the carriage. Aura waved energetically at Zeke before going into her family''s carriage. Zeke couldn''t help but feel a sense of loss. He spent more than a year with them and he already considered them as his best friends. However, just like that, two of them already left, one going soon after. Sure enough, Alcazar along with his wife and daughter came out shortly after that. Rosaline walked up to Zeke as she rummaged through her pockets and handed a bracelet to Zeke. "It''s my gift for my benefactor. Can you wear it at all times?" Rosaline smiled. "Sure! Why not." Zeke casually replied and immediately wore the bracelet. It had intricate designs all around it along with 3 crystals of different colors embedded. Its appearance was really beautiful and seemed to fit Zeke''s handsome features. "Then we''ll go out too. Cmon Rosa, let''s go!" Alcazar smiled at his daughter and Zeke''s interaction. It seemed like he already noticed something but he didn''t dare meddle with their affairs. He simply signaled Rosaline that they needed to go already. Just like that, Zeke had lost contact with three of her childhood friends. Although he felt a bit sad, he knew he couldn''t live with them forever. They had their own family and land to rule and he and his family had one as well. Unless there''s something huge happening, he would probably not see them again for a long time. Soon, Charles and Catherine walked up to their son. They noticed Zeke''s melancholic look but they had nothing to say. It was perfectly normal to be like that after a separation their son will and have experienced. "Son, we need to go now, too. Are you sure you don''t want to get back to the Imperial Capital with us? It''s going to be lonely here, you know?" Charles offered Zeke again. "Dad, it''s not that I don''t want to meet my relatives, but I just want to train for now and go back to you much stronger than ever!" "Yeah yeah, we get it. *Sigh* Why did we have such a training freak of a son?" Catherine grumbled but her tone still remained positive. "It''s even better for our son to be a training freak with the power and responsibility he has. If he hadn''t practice anything, then even though he''s a champion, he''d still be weak. Zeke, promise us that you''ll contact us every time." Charles handed Zeke another bracelet, one that was very similar to what he received from Rosaline. "Oh?" Charles noticed the familiar bracelet around Zeke''s wrist as he understood where his son got it from. He then laughed loudly. "What''s the matter, Dad?..... Oh." Zeke realized it a bit too late. His previous sad expression then gradually disappeared as he knew Rosaline gave her something for them to have a way of contact. ''It seems like it''s not a complete goodbye, after all.'' "Anyways, here''s the bracelet. To talk to us, you just need to touch the gem here. The blue gem corresponds to your mother while the red one is mine. Got it?" Zeke got the bracelet who had two colored gems. Zeke felt odd after remembering that Rosaline''s bracelet had three gems. Then it occurred to him that perhaps the four of them had all this! "Yes!" Zeke excitedly replied. It seemed like they were only gone physically, but at least he could still contact his relatives and friends through voice. "Good. We''re off, then. Until we meet again, my precious son!" Charles seemed to have practiced the line a lot as he suddenly walked towards the exit while saying it loudly and with a cool exit. Catherine just shook her head and followed along with Charles after kissing Zeke''s cheek. After not even an hour, Zeke didn''t have any relatives with him anymore. However, before he could go back to their house, a loud voice rang behind him. "Well well well Young Master, what should we do today?" The familiar voice rang through Zeke''s head. He turned around and suddenly hugged Esteban. At the very least, he still had someone he knew and someone he could trust! "Mr. Esteban! You didn''t go with them?" Zeke asked with slight joy in his tone. "Oh? Didn''t they mention it to you? It was your mother who requested me to join you here or else she''ll reject your proposal. Since there is no harm done, your father accepted. Looks like you''ll have to endure me for a long time, Young Master!" "It''s not like it''s disadvantageous for me, Mr. Esteban! At least I have someone to talk to, hehe" "Well then, what say we do today, Young Master?" "The usual spar and training!" Zeke replied. Esteban seemed to already expect his Young Master''s answer as he laughed and took out the equipment from the training room. 49 Five Years Five years have passed since The Four Royal Families returned to their lands. In the first year, Zeke helped the 15 children in training their bodies. He concluded that for them to practice combat styles later on, they needed to have suitable and enough strength to do so. He made them do their routine every day in the morning while he figure out how they want to fight someday. He also used half of his xp to buy new weapon techniques not just for the sword but also for the spear and the dagger. He bought four techniques, one for the sword, one for the spear, and two for the dagger. The name of the dagger techniques are Nightstalker''s Fangs and Bloody Berserker. They''re both B+ Weapon Styles with different specialties. Nightstalker''s Fangs are best used in sneak attacks where light is not present. The Bloody Berserker, on the other hand, prioritizes strength over speed. It was meant for short swords in a frontal and direct battle. The first skill is for assassinations while the second is for normal battle. The spear technique that Zeke bought to mix in with his Imperial Spear Technique is the Might of the General. It was a B- Technique that doesn''t have a focus, but it instead supplements the basic foundation of spear techniques. It included how to fight using a spear as well as certain body parts to hit when fighting someone. These body parts, when hit, will instantly cripple the enemy''s combat prowess, making the user of the technique be victorious. Zeke planned to mix their Imperial Spear Technique over this so he could fully display the might of the spear. The new sword style that Zeke bought and found interesting was Flash of Lightning. According to the book, it didn''t have that many attacks, but it was ranked at A-, same as his uncle''s Cloud Soaring Sword Style. It only had 4 attacks but when Zeke saw each, he had his jaws dropped. Each attack had devastating attack power enough to be ranked at A-. Each move was harder and costly than the other. Just by performing the first move, Zeke needed both immense power and mana. According to the System, Zeke needed at least 1000 strength and 75% of his current maximum mana to use it once. Zeke was shocked at how costly it was but he felt that it was worth it since he saw how powerful it is. Zeke also had another crazy thought. He wondered if he could mix weapon styles of different weapons? Would it work? Although Zeke wanted to try it, he figured it''d be better for him to master all his newly learned weapon styles. Only then will he try to incorporate weapon styles suitable for two different weapons. Zeke also immediately used Wisdom King''s Grace on Spatial King''s Domain. He made use of it as early as the first week so the skill would also be available earlier. After using the skill, Zeke immediately gained comprehension regarding Spatial King''s Domain. It leveled up to level 5, which reduced its cooldown by 10 seconds, making it 50 seconds. Although the 10 seconds seem small, Zeke knew that this 10 seconds could mean a lot in a close fight. By the end of the 1st year, Zeke used Wisdom King''s Grace 12 times on 11 different techniques. He experimented on using it on Spatial King''s Domain again but he found out that its effect was lowered greatly. It only reduced its cooldown by 5 seconds, signifying a 50% loss of effectiveness for every use. He also achieved High Tier 1 by the sixth month. However, Zeke was surprised by the System''s words. It said that Zeke''s total mana capacity exceeds those of the same realm and it was comparable to a Peak Tier 1. Although it was just one small realm, the system noted that the higher the realms of the Perfect Mana Core, the more advantage Zeke will get in terms of mana capacity. It was one of the innate advantages of the Perfect Mana Core and add to that Zeke''s titles, it''s reasonable for him to have such abundant mana. By the second year, Zeke was instructed by his parents to attend school. He complied to their wishes, but to his disappointment, the contents of the lesson were only on noble etiquette and simple mathematics, things Zeke already knew and excelled at when he was on Earth. Zeke then tried to find a way to escape school, and an idea suddenly formed in his mind. He bought a skill in the system''s shop that cost him almost 50% of his current XP just for him to escape school. It was an Epic Skill according to the system that''s named Soul and Body Duplication. It made it so Zeke could split a portion of his very soul and have a second body. This body wasn''t as strong as Zeke''s original one as it only had 5% of his full power, but it was enough for ''him'' to attend school. Although the power of his clone was permanently deducted from his stats, he could retrieve it back by merging his soul once more. Zeke initially thought it''d be that easy, but boy oh boy was he wrong. He swore and screamed a lot in his room as he felt severe headache much worse than any other. He felt like his head was being ripped apart but he couldn''t stop as he was already halfway. After about 10 minutes of pure suffering, Zeke successfully divided 5% of his soul. It was very painful but Zeke endured it just so he could escape and use his time on training. The separated soul of Zeke suddenly formed its own body, one that is the exact copy of Zeke. It then looked at Zeke just as Zeke gazed at it. Zeke felt weird as he could clearly feel and control another body. It was as if he''s looking at a mirror in his vision. He adjusted himself and tried to control the clone while he was also doing something, but he ultimately failed. Then he remembered the skill he got from his previous quest, [Thought Processing 16x]. He immediately tried dividing his attention on two, with one on his clone while the other on his own body. He was delighted that it worked but after an hour of trying it, he found out that his mind became slightly tired. It seemed like it was hard for him to do something on his main body while his clone was also active, so he decided to just meditate while his clone is at school. This way, he wouldn''t have to exert a lot of mental power on his main body as he already had a passive absorption of Mana from his Perfect Mana Core title. Unlike common magicians, he didn''t need to force his mind to will mana to him as his mana core was like a magnet, sucking in all the nearby mana automatically should he will himself. Zeke also found out to his surprise that his clone could actually practice too, and his main body will also get the benefits of his clone''s training. The system noted that if the clone improved its stats, it will add up to Zeke''s main body if both merged into one. Zeke understood all this as he felt like he was cheating. It was basically twice the training speed while also having someone to do his other matters. Esteban didn''t know that Zeke had a clone as he only serviced Zeke to the school nearby. He thought Zeke was in school every morning so he didn''t bother going inside Zeke''s part of the palace, particularly the training room where Zeke''s main body is training. After school, he would casually teach the 15 children about forming their own mana core. Although not all of them wanted to be a magician, Zeke clarified that having a mana core is still better as he could teach them spells that could enhance their body should they want to fight melee. The children understood Zeke''s statement so they diligently did as Zeke said. After meditating, they would also have a ''spar'' against Zeke. Here, they needed to catch or at least touch Zeke once and they win. Zeke agreed as it also served as physical and mental training for them. This way, they could improve their body as well as their decision-making skills and cooperation. In the third year, Zeke broke through High Tier 1, making him a Peak Tier 1. Zeke felt that his mana pool got 30% bigger than before, and it made him excited thinking about how much magic he could deal before his mana pool depletes. In the last year, he used Wisdom King''s Grace on most of his weapon styles, so Zeke decided it would be good for him to practice his magic this year. While his clone was out for school, Zeke was inside the training room practicing the new skills he bought. Since he had a mana pool comparable to a Tier 2 now, Zeke decided to get some Tier 2 Magic which is a notch higher than Beginner magic that he has. He browsed the shop for Tier 2 Magic and found out that it costs a bit more than B ranked weapon styles. He only managed to buy 8 new magic skills before depleting his xp reserve. He carefully picked 8 out of the countless magic skills that he knew he couldn''t learn by himself, and its names are Electric Discharge, Fire of Recovery, Earth Wall, Wind Walk, Chain of Ice, Feline Control, Blessings of Light, and Chilling Aura. These are all skills that he fancied out of all but he also didn''t plan on limiting his choices on these. He planned to experiment and try to make a spell by himself. He didn''t know how the inhabitants of this world learn magic but since they didn''t have the System, they must have other ways of gaining magic, right? He just needed a good imagination as well as the correct element of mana and he might actually get himself a free spell. This year, the children also asked Zeke to teach them how to hold weapons. Zeke didn''t know why they suddenly wanted to learn combat but he nevertheless agreed to do so as long as they promise to use it only to defend themselves and not to harm others. The kids immediately agreed and Zeke consulted their preferred weapons. He realized that these kids must''ve seen a group of adventurers since their choice of weapons fit the standard group of one. Three of them, one girl and two boys, wanted to learn how to handle the shield, another three took interest in the sword, two fancied using daggers and stealth, two liked to attack in the distance using arrows and the remaining five preferred to walk the path of magicians in the future. The five unanimously agreed that if they are somewhat not fit for magic, then they will just be a supporting role for the others. Zeke was amazed by their camaraderie and how trustworthy they are with each other. He was also surprised by Marcus'' choice of picking the sword. Zeke thought he would want a greatsword or both longsword and shield since he was, after all, from a family famed for their knights. Marcus just shook his head and replied that he didn''t like to use a shield as he only wanted to go on a hard offensive. Zeke then ordered Esteban to buy a set of weapons for them to practice on and he also carefully thought about what to teach them. From the past years with them, Zeke knew the preferences of each of the 15 and he was pondering about what techniques to teach them with. Since his Formless Style had a lot of weapon techniques of varying weapons, Zeke didn''t have any trouble picking styles for each of them, but he abstained from teaching it instantly. He felt that they needed to get used to their weapon of choice first before he give them high-grade combat techniques. It''s better to have a good and solid foundation, after all. In the fourth year, he graduated from school and had his clone holed up in his room, practicing different sword styles and slowly fusing them with each other. His real body then focused on honing his magic application as well as combat magic. He also bought four new sword styles to practice on. This year, 14 out of the 15 children including Marcus successfully formed their mana core. To Zeke''s surprise, Marcus was actually a variant magician! When he examined Marcus'' mana, he found out to his surprise that it''s actually the element of Metal, an element famed for its extraordinary sharpness. Zeke thought that Marcus would really have a good future towards being a swordsman seeing as his element completely matches and complements his weapon of choice. There was also another two out of the 14 who were variant magicians. One was a boy who had the Dark Element while the other was a girl who had the rare element of Plant. Zeke felt it was weird to have a power related to plants but he nevertheless congratulated them. The fourteen felt intense gratefulness to Zeke as his status had already escalated from benefactor to their savior and ancestor. They felt that they were extremely lucky to have such a connection to a Young Noble who didn''t discriminate towards their background but instead helped them achieve their current state. They deeply bowed while Marcus even kowtowed. Zeke was overwhelmed by their thanks as he hurriedly helped them stand up. The last one out of the 15 who hadn''t managed to form his mana core didn''t get sad nor jealous. Instead, he was filled with awe and shock towards his 14 other ''siblings''. He clearly knew that not all people could be magicians, and only a few out of a thousand could. He concluded that he wasn''t one of them so he chose to give up on his mana core forming. He instead approached Zeke and asked if he could borrow books related to Business and Economy. Zeke''s eyes widened. This boy in front of him, instead of getting jealous or getting competitive, instead chose to pick a different occupation than most of them. When he realized that the boy really intended to be a business merchant, he immediately agreed and swore to support him and his future, much to the boy''s expectation. He expected Zeke to frown and admonish him to meditate harder, but he instead got his full support and help. This made him really feel as if these people are all really very good people that they didn''t judge nor criticize him for his decision. He also swore inwardly that he would support his fellow brothers and sisters in the future when he became successful. By the fifth and last year, Zeke broke through to become a full-fledged Tier 2 Magician. According to the system, he was perhaps the youngest Tier 2 Magician in the last thousand years. Magicians who reach Tier 2 usually are around 16-17 years old while the geniuses are around 14-15. There was no recorded person who achieved Tier 2 by the young age of 9, and Zeke might possibly be the first one to break the current stigma that ''Magicians only bloom at later years''. 50 Sparring In the Dragonsoar Palace. Countless screams and explosions coming from the inner ward were heard by the guards stationed in the perimeter. However, these guards didn''t have any shred of worry or panic whatsoever. It was just like a normal day for them to hear such loud sounds. It all started years ago for them. At first, their Young Noble, Zeke, invited one of them to spar with him. In continued up till Zeke had a 1v5 situation against 5 guards. They were only told by their Young Noble to fight him like it was a real battle and nevermind injuring him. At first, they were worried that they might accidentally fatally hurt their Young Noble, but since he insisted, they had no choice but to comply. At the first match, they were surprised that the person they should be protecting easily defeated one of them. Instead of frowning, fighting spirit swelled inside of them. They felt a sense of duty and objective to get stronger when they saw Zeke having a much higher combat prowess than them. They were supposed to be the stronger ones so they couldn''t accept losing to the person they were supposed to protect. Then it became a normal occurrence for them to spar inside the inner ward while on break while Zeke also watched their combat techniques. Even though Zeke could overwhelm one of them, he still felt that he could learn a lot of things from the guards since they have more combat experience than them. After a few months, the other 14 children that were going inside the palace suddenly joined. Zeke tasked the other guards to train his friends, which puzzled a lot of the guards since they were all very young. Just why would their Young Noble issue this order? However, after a few trials, they quickly found out the children''s aptitudes. The guards were very surprised initially to see all of them have mana core, but what surprised them most is the two variant ones. It would be an honor for them to be the first ones to teach this bunch of prospect geniuses so they committed to it. Right now, they knew that a battle between the 14 children and Zeke started. It became a common occurrence for them since the 14 children didn''t have anything to learn from the soldiers anymore. They also had different weapons than the guards who use spears, so the guards could only give insights and tactics but not weapon styles. That was where Zeke came in. After the guards taught them combat insights, he would be the one to teach them different techniques from his Formless Style. This also served as an experiment for Zeke if they could really learn part of the Formless Style. Marcus wielded his sword in front of him as he charged towards Zeke who was being currently held down by the three shield bearers. He slashed down with an overwhelming force towards Zeke, who still looked as calm as usual. Inwardly, he was satisfied with Marcus'' level of training on his Clearheart Sword Style mixed with Metal element - something Zeke derived from the Formless Style. Zeke made it so Marcus could use the Clearheart Sword Style, which focuses on frontal attacks and strength, with his Metal Element, completely mixing sharpness with his attacks. This made Marcus'' attacks very lethal and powerful and if it even grazed the tip of the skin of a person, it will nevertheless cause a wound. Marcus'' sword was literally an untouchable one once he imbued his Element on it as it could cut things as if it was butter. Of course, it was still a bit weak right now but as Marcus expanded and improved his mana core, his combat strength will soon rise again. Zeke hurriedly pushed the shield bearers in front of him and activated [Deflect], which completely nullified Marcus'' attack. He then lunged with his sword towards him in a swift manner, grazing Marcus'' chest. It was so fast that Marcus couldn''t keep up with his sword and received the attack on his chest. Thankfully, it was a very dull blade and only caused his chest to redden, or else he''d have a wound right now. Zeke utilized his [Cloud Soaring Technique] there mixed in with a little bit of [Dance of Death], making his attacks very fast and unexpected. It caught Marcus off guard as he received the hit on his chest and got sent tumbling backward. Zeke then focused on the shield bearers who were charging at him. He just used [Deflect] so he had to think of other ways to dodge their shield bash. ''[Feline Walk]! [Grease]!'' Zeke simultaneously cast both spells. Feline Walk made him move faster while Grease made the surface slippery. Zeke immediately jumped backward and applied Grease on the area in front of his previous position. The three shield-bearers couldn''t stop their momentum so they slipped and fell on top of each other. Zeke then rushed to the archers behind and readied his sword. The two archers looked at Zeke, as if they were expecting it, and ran in opposite directions. This was something they realized after sparring with the guards these past years. It made it so their opponent would have to run after one of them, leaving the other safe and ready to attack again. Unfortunately, Zeke knew what they wanted to do, and he immediately used [Spatial King''s Domain], teleporting just by the side of one of the running archers. He swung his sword towards the archer, hoping to end it quickly so he could run towards the other archer before the remaining four could come to the rescue. Unfortunately for him, the archer blocked the brunt of the damage using his wooden bow. Although it cracked, it gave the archer enough window of time to run again. Zeke continued to chase only to feel chilly in his back. He sensed that the Dark Element Dagger user among them had closed in behind him and is planning on backstabbing him while he targets the archer. He smiled at these guys'' ingenuity as he quickly turned around and threw a weakened [Fireball] towards the assassin. Seeing this, the assassin blocked it with his dagger only to realize that Zeke''s sword was already coming towards his side. He realized it too late as he got pushed by the brunt force. He, along with the three shield-bearers as well as Marcus, are all ''out'' of the battle. The only ones left were the two archers, two swordsmen, and another assassin. On Zeke''s view, he could see the two archers reuniting and are already preparing an arrow for him while the two swordsmen stood guard in front of both. They were also approaching slowly while the remaining assassin circled behind Zeke, waiting for the right opportunity to lunge. Zeke was inwardly praising their coordination skills. The only glaring problem the group faces right now is their individual strengths, and it wasn''t something that could be rushed. Zeke knew that as time passed by, this group will only grow more powerful and will only sharpen their coordination and trust with each other more and more. It made Zeke kind of proud, seeing as these children could already be considered his and his guards'' ''disciples''. Lightning sparks suddenly showed up around Zeke''s legs, the premonition of him using [Breath of Lightning]. The children knew it, and they all tightened their grip and watched him closely. Zeke suddenly charged towards the swordsmen and the archers, but what puzzled them was that Zeke didn''t go straight towards them, but instead ran towards their sides. Albeit weird, The four people tightened their guards and readied their weapons to attack him. Suddenly, when the swordsmen were hacking down their swords towards him, a wall of earth appeared between the Swordsmen and Zeke. They were surprised, and as soon as they realized it, Zeke was long gone. He already rushed towards the two archers just behind them as he hacked at the leather armor of the first one while shooting a wind blade towards the other archer. The assassin ran and immediately tried to slice Zeke''s back but Zeke instantly turned around blocked it with his sword through [Deflect]. He then countered with a swipe towards the assassin''s hand, ''outing'' him. There were only two swordsmen left, and even though they knew victory was impossible, they still charged at Zeke and tried swipe him. It was futile, however, as both got grazed on their armors. The game ended with Zeke''s full victory. It was a game he assigned to them to practice their coordination. The condition for them to win was only to ''out'' Zeke by swiping or hitting him with any of their weapons. Unfortunately, their individual strengths dwarfed their slightly increasing cooperation and trust with each other as a group. "It was a good and close one." Zeke praised. "Yeah, close my ass." Marcus replied. The others laughed and seemed to agree with him. "You do know it''s not because you guys are weak, right? It''s just I''m too strong for the current group. If it were the guards, maybe you''d have a chance at defeating them." Zeke smiled and wanted to laugh at Marcus'' reply but he managed to hold it in. Indeed, what he said earlier was only to prevent them from being discouraged. "Yeah, we figured it after all this time. So it''s 45-0 now, I assume?" Marcus said. "Yep, something like that." Zeke shrugged. They battled Zeke for 45 times now and they still haven''t touched him. They didn''t get depressed over that, however, as they even praised their Young Noble''s fighting prowess. They clearly recognized Zeke''s power even from the start since he dared to kill the slavers. They also knew that their cooperation was slowly increasing, and the only thing they need is improving their individual combat abilities and power. "Marcus, use your Clearheart Sword Technique a bit more but make it faster and overbearing. Remember, your sword technique might not be well versed for speed, but it''s very strong in giving pressure towards the enemy. Use your advantage and always try to think ahead of your opponent. Your sword technique is straightforward, so if you managed to study your opponent''s pattern, you can quickly adjust your attack patterns. Since it''s a straightforward and frontal technique, I believe you could adapt to it fast enough in the middle of battle. Also, try to make efficient use of your metal mana. Since you don''t have much to supply your sword with, try to minimize the consumption while you''re not attacking." Zeke advised. Marcus nodded while seemingly in thought. "Mark, the Firebreath Sword Technique I taught you fits your primary element. Unlike Marcus who needed to adapt his sword style, yours should be fluid and compatible. Just like Marcus, play on your strengths. I noticed your attacks are a bit fast but lacking with power. You should know that your technique emphasizes strength over speed. Along with your Fire element, your sword should be very destructive and high in force. Try to completely practice Firebreath Sword first in its normal speed, and if you want to speed up your attacks more, I''ll try to teach you some adjustments. Alright?" Zeke gazed on the other swordsman named Mark. This guy preferred hard-hitting than quick attacks so Zeke taught him the complete Firebreath Sword Style. It also matched his innate element which is Fire. "I-I''m sorry, Young Noble. I got excited in the heat of the moment." Mark scratched his head, excitement still lingering in his face. "What are you, a berserker?" Zeke lightly laughed. "It''s good to be excited when in a battle, but make sure it won''t affect your mindset and decision-making! You would just be like a beast who relies on instincts to fight. Although it had its advantages, it also had glaring flaws, such as uncoordinated attacks." "Yes! I apologize for my poor performance." Mark bowed and went to an empty spot where he practiced his sword style again. "Martha, I''m impressed by how you handle your sword today. Although you didn''t exhibit flashy moves in this fight, you stuck with your technique and maintained a composed demeanor. I really think Dance of Death perfectly suits you. After all, you need to have fewer emotions and thoughts in battle to fully exhibit this sword style''s complete potential. Try to practice and familiarize yourself with the techniques more then try to quicken and diversify your attack patterns. That way..." Zeke guided Martha, the sole girl swordsman out of the 5 girls. Zeke then continued giving guidance on the other seven. As for the five magicians, they abstained from the fight as they still need to learn and ponder new skills as well as improve their mana core before they join in. They knew they wouldn''t last against Zeke if they joined while being a fledgling magician so they decided to increase their mana pool before trying their game. ''Young Master''s getting stronger and stronger these days... I wonder what''ll be his parent''s reactions when they see their son''s frightening combat insight.'' Esteban, who was calmly drinking his tea while sitting on a bench not far from the children''s game. He witnessed how Zeke improved ever since and he became numb to all of Zeke''s feats. Just by watching today, Esteban could faintly feel that his Young Master''s strength is slowly catching up to his and his parent''s. It was a frightening realization that a 9-year-old could have the combat prowess of an adult genius at his prime. He wondered how surprised his parents would be when their son came back like this. "Mr. Esteban, can you get me something to drink, please?" Zeke approached the sitting butler and asked. "Sure thing, Young Master. Do watch for my tea here for a bit. I''ll be back in a jiffy." Esteban went back after not even a minute as he sat beside Zeke. The butler and master were now watching a bunch of children swaying weapons that should''ve been illegal for their age to use. "Mr. Esteban, do you know of any places near this city that have a lot of low to mid-level monsters?" Esteban was surprised about his Master''s sudden question, but he immediately realized why Zeke asked for it. "Y-Young Master, are you planning on going there?" "Yes, Mr. Esteban. I can''t improve my strength here anymore. I need to fight more powerful people and experience a thrilling fight." "But Young Master, you could just spar with me then? Why the need for monsters?" "Because sparring is different from a real fight. I can''t exert the full extent of my power by just pulling back, so I need enemies that I can fully indulge with." Zeke smiled. He knew Esteban would understand his daredevil requests. "T-that''s true, but you''re still young, Young Master. Besides, Sir Charles wanted to have you back at the Imperial Capital by the age of 10. He said it''d be time then for you to awaken your dragon bloodline. There''s just a year left. Why the need to go out now?" "Oh? Awakening? Then I''m looking forward to it. That is, if I haven''t awakened after fighting first." Zeke laughed. Esteban knew what Zeke''s words meant. It signified that Zeke is actually going to a monster-infested place to awaken. He knew that his Young Master didn''t want half-assed things, so he might''ve thought of using the third and brutal way of awakening his dragon bloodline, and that is by battling, especially in a life or death battle. If his Young Master will awaken through the event a year later, it wouldn''t fully excavate his potential, so Young Master clearly didn''t want to half-ass his awakening. "Can I go with you, Young Master? Don''t worry, I won''t interfere unless it''s absolutely necessary." Esteban proposed. "No need, Mr. Esteban. It would only create a feeling of safety in my mind. Don''t worry, I prepared for today." Zeke smiled and pointed towards his part of the palace. Esteban looked at where Zeke was pointing and he couldn''t help but drop his jaws. He thought he was dreaming because he was clearly looking at a Zeke from afar. He then looked to his side and saw Zeke still there, while gazing back to the Zeke afar. He suddenly became confused and he even thought he was being crazy. ''Must''ve been from the endless shock Young Master gives. Damn, I might die from heart attack these days.'' No matter how many times he looked at both Zekes, he clearly could distinguish that both had the same physical features. How was this possible?! "Mr. Esteban, I''d like you to meet my clone. He''s me but a lot weaker, maybe 10% of my current power. If, by any chance, I die in the wilderness, this will become my main body. I just need to train again and I''ll be good to go!" Zeke proudly introduced his clone. "W-What?! How''s that possible?" "This clone is a pet of my soul, Mr. Esteban. Basically, if I die, this part of my soul would be the main one." "I-I don''t understand.." "No need, Mr. Esteban. You''ll know in time. So, can I get a rough layout or map of the surrounding places?" Zeke''s smile never left his face as he was asking Esteban. If anyone would see this, they''d probably think the boy was requesting some kind of toy from his father. They wouldn''t expect even a tiny bit that this boy was actually begging his butler to leave him alone and let him experience a life and death situation. Such a situation would never be ruled as possibility when onlookers who don''t know of Zeke''s behavior see this. 51 Malevolent Trean ''I did not think my luck was this bad!'' Zeke thought as he was running away from a huge creature behind him. The creature looked like a tree trunk but with eight roots serving as feet as well as several branches serving as arms. Its body is covered in loose folds of skin which made it look just like any other old tree. It also had two slits in the middle of the trunk and Zeke assumed it was the fellow''s eyes. It was Zeke''s second day in the nearby forest. After Esteban escorted him there, Zeke only had with him some newly crafted weapons, some potions, and a hundred silver. He didn''t ask for more since he figured he wouldn''t really stay there for long. He only decided to go to the forest because of the new quest the system gave him. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progression Quest "System Upgrade III" Awaken your Dragon Bloodline and transform your core into a Perfect Dragon Core. Hint: -Life or Death battles simulate the sleeping dragon bloodline. Condition: -Complete before reaching 10 years old. Difficulty: B+ Reward: 1000xp System Upgrade (New Features available) Access to quest "System Upgrade IV" *Optional Rewards (if any) based on performance* Quest Penalty: -1 Backup Life (Current Backup Life: 2) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª This meant that Zeke will only have a time period of one year before his mission fails. Zeke initially planned on fighting smaller monsters first, but when he entered the forest, he was surprised to see not even a single monster after exploring for a day. He was a bit reluctant in going deeper into the forest since there were strong monsters lurking in there, bud Zeke had no choice. There was no monster to hunt in the outskirts, so he gritted his teeth and went deeper. He then realized why there was no presence of lower monsters. It was because the outskirts of the forest now had a King! The King of the outskirts right now was the big tree creature chasing Zeke. He was actually going deeper when he suddenly got entangled by its vines. Thankfully, Zeke had the [Spatial King''s Domain], or else he''d be gobbled up by the tree now. Zeke, even with his [Feline Grace] and [Breath of Lightning] combined could only outrun the tree for a minute. After the [Breath of Lightning] ends, the tree would catch up to him if not for the [Spatial King Domain]''s cooldown lower than a minute. Zeke started to worry as his mana is getting consumed faster than it could regenerate. He was working his legs off to the limit as he constantly ran towards the exit of the forest. Along the way, some branch from the monster''s head will elongate and strike Zeke in the back but Zeke would deflect it and curve off its trajectory. Doing this consumed more mana and endurance for Zeke than just dodging but Zeke took it as extra training for him. To others, it''d be a daredevil move since once one got hit by that, the branch would then drag you back to the monster. Such a move does not fit Zeke''s underestimation should he have known about it. Zake barely made it out of the forest before an extended branch could stab him in the back. As he looked back, he saw the giant tree monster hesitating to go out of the forest. After a few seconds, the tree seemingly shook its whole trunk and went back to its spot. Zeke heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that. ''Well that''s a bit... exciting?'' Zeke didn''t know why but he couldn''t help getting excited over that. If this were to happen on Earth, Zeke would probably faint just by the sight. But now, he didn''t know why but he was currently excited and there was even a feeling of wanting to fight deep inside his heart. Zeke wondered if he was getting crazier and crazier. *No, Zeke. The excitement and fighting spirit you''re currently experiencing is your inherent trait of Dragonborn. The Dragon blood within you gets stimulated the more intense the battle is and the more you struggle and exceed your limitations. You''re not getting crazier, Zeke, your body is.* There was a hint of teasing from the System''s voice. Even Zeke was surprised that the usual monotonous voice suddenly teased him. ''I see. So basically, my body wants to die, huh?'' *Based on the previous situation, I would say yes. Dragons are indeed the nobilities and the top of the food chain, but even the fearsome dragons have or had something they fear. This fear is either caused by the severe difference in power or something like a traumatic experience. The Malevolent Treant you encountered there is almost twice your current strength, but your dragon blood still got excited. I must say, your Flamehaven family''s bloodline sure is very noble. If it were any other lower bloodline, you wouldn''t be feeling that right now.* ''Twice? Hmm... So direct combat is not preferable unless it''s weakened...'' Zeke pondered for a bit. He wasn''t one who quickly backs out. Zeke wanted to try to kill it first and if it really isn''t possible, then that''s when Zeke gives up. After a minute, Zeke stood and walked to the forest with a firm expression. He seemed like he was steeling himself to fight the monster out of fear, but it was actually different. He was actually suppressing the intense excitement he feels inwardly for having a tough opponent. Zeke explored for a bit then found a small clearing in the middle of the forest. The clearing is a bit wide, and Zeke felt it was a good place for him to execute his plan. After a few minutes, Zeke went deeper into the forest to find the Malevolent Treant. Seeing it on its previous spot, Zeke smiled and threw a [Fireball] at it. The seemingly asleep treant suddenly trembled after being hit by the fireball, and it furiously looked around to find the attacker. Seeing the familiar figure of Zeke, the treant suddenly charged at Zeke. Fortunately, Zeke already knew that the Treant''s senses are very good so he quickly ran after seeing the Treant look around. Like the previous chase, Zeke utilized [Feline''s Grace] and [Wind Step] constantly, [Wind Walk] when he felt a branch coming from below and [Spatial King''s Domain] if the Treant got too close. Soon, Zeke was already on the side of the clearing as he used Spatial King''s Domain to teleport on the other side. He looked back and saw the Treant trampling over other trees while madly rushing at him. Zeke couldn''t help but smile at this Treant''s imminent doom. Soon enough, when the Treant stepped in the middle of the clearing and is only a few meters before Zeke, the earth underneath it suddenly crumbled, forcing the Treant to fall down the pit. What''s more depressing for the Treant is that the human it was hunting was looking down on him with a smile. The only thing in the Treant''s mind right now is to kill the intruder and get rid of this shame. However, it soon found out that this ''shame'' isn''t just a simple prank. Zeke snapped his fingers, and the whole pit suddenly burst into flames, burning the Treant''s whole body. Although the tree bark of the Treant is sturdy and thick, it was being burnt by the fire at a visible pace. One could clearly see that the Treant was actually getting thinner by the minute. The Treant was panicking and it randomly lashed its tree branches in the air, hoping to swat down the human who did it. Unfortunately, the pit was too deep for its branches to reach as it just laid there helpless and angry. Zeke previously dug up a pit here while casting a bunch of [Flame Wall] inside. Zeke activated [Thought Processing 10x] as he had to prevent 8 Flame Walls from casting before the prey comes in, to run away from the Treant towards the clearing, as well as to sense the surroundings for imminent danger. It was very taxing for Zeke''s mind but he felt it was worth it after seeing its effects. Seeing as its actions were futile, the Treant then focused his efforts on extinguishing the fire. It was of the Earth Element, thus having no access to Water Skills, so it decided to wrap itself with soil in hopes that the fire all around its body would be extinguished. However, it was futile because a fire made of mana could be kept going so long as the caster had enough supply. Right now, Zeke is a full-fledged Tier 2 Magician, add to that his Titles as well as his Perfect Mana Core, and it could be said that Zeke already had the mana pool of a Mid Tier 2. Zeke continued the fire while he bombarded the Treant from above with different skills. [Fireball], [Dark Slash],[Wind Blade], [Electric Discharge], all kinds of projectile spells that Zeke knew was being released. What Zeke was currently doing is the epitome of the saying, ''Pulling out his bag of tricks''. Suddenly, as if the Treant couldn''t hold it in anymore, its aura surged and its appearance looked twisted. An evil aura surrounded it as its height slightly grew while its branches slightly became thinner. Zeke noticed that the power inside the branches was actually increasing. Zeke inferred that it was compressing its power and preparing for a life or death battle. However, what puzzled Zeke is the sudden surge of power. Where did the Treant get that? *The Treant is currently burning his own vitality to exert enormous power for a short time.* ''So it''s kind of like a berserk skill, huh.'' Zeke inferred. He put out his spear and prepared for a head-on fight seeing as the Treant was climbing the pit while removing the residual flame around its body. Zeke couldn''t consume more mana from the flames so he released it while he waited for the Treant to go up. Soon enough, even though the Treant''s body frame is still not visible, it already started attacking Zeke using its elongated branches. Zeke stabbed the ones he can''t dodge while slowly approaching the pit. [Tremor]! The ground in front of Zeke up until the pit suddenly quakes, and the soil was cracked into two. He was trying to foil the Treant''s plan on getting up but it seemed like the Treant actually went up by slowly supporting itself to the earth using its roots. When Zeke wanted to cast [Tremor] again, the Treant was already out of the pit, looking at him maliciously. It then stretched out all ten of its elongated branches to strike Zeke in all parts of his body. The Treant rejoiced when it saw its branches piercing the human, but it suddenly noticed that it hadn''t felt anything after piercing the human. Suddenly, figure blurred in front of him, pointing his long spear in front of the Treant. Zeke suddenly stabbed with his full force towards the Treant who could only try to recall his branches on time. It was too late, however, as the spear pierced a hole through the tree bark while it was left there, impaled. Before Zeke could take a breather, the Treant suddenly moved and continued its attack on Zeke. Zeke was surprised as he hadn''t gotten his spear yet, so he opted to switch into a sword. ''System! Why is this motherfucker still alive? Haven''t I pierced it already?'' *This Treant is different, Zeke. If it was a normal Treant, I''m afraid it couldn''t defeat the previous King here and hunt all the other animals. This one is a Malevolent Treant, a Treant who got swiped by an extremely powerful demon. The swipe of the demon contained a bit of evil energy as it seeped through the Treant, turning it into a mindless brute like the thing in front of you. To completely kill it, you need to completely defeat them and dissect their whole body. Only then will the Treant lose all its fighting capabilities, making him powerless and slowly dying in front of you.* ''I see. Thanks!'' Zeke hurriedly cast [Breath of Lightning] as he circled around the vision of the Treant and executed several cuts and slashes in the back of its ''eyes''. Zeke succeeded in injuring the original bark of the Treant underneath the other burnt ones but this only caused the Treant to be more infuriated. It looked madly at Zeke while all of its branches surged towards Zeke faster than before. Zeke tried to change the trajectory of the others, [Deflect] the branches that are still coming to him, while also casting [Bone Strengthening] and [Mana Skin] to resist the brunt damage of the branches while also casting [Light Shields]. Thanks to Zeke''s [Thought Processing 16x], he could focus on multiple tasks at the same time with much ease. On his right hand, he was receiving and deflecting the branches. On the other hand, he cast spells and shield between him and the Treant to buy some time for the cooldown of [Spatial King''s Domain] to finish. Zeke now has slight injuries with his both arms. Although it wasn''t deep, it was still bleeding profusely but Zeke still continued duking out against the Treant. After a few more minutes of swordplay against the Treant along with some other tricks, Zeke started to feel exhaustion amidst his excitement. He then decided to end the fight and rest now that his body''s already tired. He looked at the Treant while he somersaulted backward and readied his sword. Small wisps of electricity appeared around his legs as he suddenly charged and jumped with his arms swinging a vertical slash. The Treant seemingly sneered. It then sent forward half of its branches towards the human who was currently in mid-air. Was this guy in front of him already out of tricks? However, before the branches could hit him, Zeke cast Wind Walk and evaded the branches with one step to the side while he stepped forward in the air to further increase the momentum. The Treant expected it so he sent the remaining of its branches towards the new position of the charging Zeke. However, Zeke''s figure suddenly blurred and flash just in front of the Treant. Before the Treant could even react, the sword in the youth''s hands suddenly had arcs of lightning surrounding it. Zeke seemed like a peerless god of lightning as his body was filled with currents of electricity around in mid-air launching a vertical sword attack towards the Treant who looked like it had frozen in fear. Suddenly, both Zeke and the sword suddenly accelerated even more, further increasing the momentum. Zeke then slashed down his sword which released a wave of thick electric mana in front, completely cleaving the Treant into two. The strike was also accompanied by thin mana of ice as it pervaded inside the Treant, slightly slowing its movements. Before it could even counterattack, Zeke swapped his weapon into a dagger as he suddenly launched a flurry of attacks while in the middle of the cleaved Treant. Zeke utilized the Blood Berserker, a weapon style fitted for two shortswords for frontal fights, along with Firebreath Sword, a sword style. His daggers were coated with a thin amount of fiery mana as he launched a flurry of fire-enhanced attacks. After just a few seconds of slashing all parts of the Treant, it suddenly fell down, the light in its ''eyes'' dimmed, lifeless. 52 Return of the Beasts Zeke fell on the ground butt first. The last move he did that split the Treant into two was the Flash of Lightning''s first move. It had strict and heavy requirements that Zeke could only do it once per fight. It needed him to fully exert his strength as well as 50 to 60% of his current overall mana. He also figured he''d need a good momentum for it to have the maximum cleaving effect. Such requirements could be easily done by Zeke earlier in the battle but he wanted to test his weapon styles first. This way, he''d figure out what the flaw of his Formless Style is so he could supply it with the right sword style. He was both exhausted physically and mentally as his body also had a lot of cuts and bruises from the fight. Some were bleeding a lot earlier, smearing off his whole attire red. His short-sleeve jacket was full of holes, blood, and soil while his pants also had dirt and some holes and cuts. All in all, he looked like a bloody beggar who hadn''t taken a bath for a very long time, one that even common citizens would not approach. Zeke smiled wryly. It was just his second day on the forest, why had he already been reduced to this state? After a short while, Zeke heard countless screams from deep inside the forest. These screams vary from the tone they conveyed. It was clear that the beasts who issued these screams are powerful, and Zeke acutely noticed that some of the screams were actually getting closer! Zeke frowned and stood up, mustering his remaining strength as he ran away and hid on the tree branches. He did not go far away from the clearing as he planned on seeing whether the powerful beasts are going to the place or not. Sure enough, he felt lucky in escaping earlier as he saw a big gray bear with a scar on its left eye make an appearance. The imposing aura and physique of the bear were enough to even make Zeke shiver. Its big paws had sharp claws on its ends while it howled loudly, showcasing its sharp white teeth. Zeke inched away but still focused his gaze at the clearing. A few moments later, all kinds of beasts came from the deep forest. There were big gazelles, rabbits with sharp teeth and razor tail, a lion with one of its eyes injured, big bees, and many other packs. There were all kinds of weird creatures that it made Zeke question his own knowledge about the said beasts from Earth. Suddenly, as if all of them have rehearsed it, they all roared loudly, causing Zeke''s eardrums to nearly blow. He had to cover it or else he felt he''d be deaf after that. It was so loud that Zeke speculated it could be heard from the outskirts of the Dragonsoar City. *It''s a call for a new leader, Zeke. The Treant should''ve been an abusive leader, hence the absence of monsters in its surrounding areas. Now that you killed the King, they naturally need to elect someone new.* ------------------------------------ "What''s that loud roar? Is that from the forest?" "It''s too loud, mommy!" "It''s alright, hun. Cover your ears and don''t be scared. The adventurers will take care of that!" "Inform the Guild! Maybe they''ll give new missions! Cmon, boys!" Shouts of the citizens and adventurers alike could be heard from inside the city. The city guards, however, were slightly nervous. If those monsters who roared just now suddenly attacked the city, then wouldn''t they be the first ones to get killed? ------------------------------------ Meanwhile, the source of this new problem, Zeke, is currently watching the group of monsters look among themselves as they try to appoint their leader. Soon, their eyes all settled on the big gray bear. It only grunted in response as it went back to the forest. The others also dispersed and went to different directions. Zeke was surprised about the whole string of events, but he also felt excited at the thought of hunting all those creatures. He also discerned that these beasts weren''t really allies, but only neighbors. They only chose a leader so they''d have a ''head''. Zeke rested on the tree branch for a while. When he felt his mental strength is partially recovered now as well as his wounds, he set out to hunt the most basic and weakest out of the new beasts: the rabbits. Zeke went and followed the directions of where the rabbits went. After a few minutes, he saw a group of 5 to 7 rabbits all jumping around like peaceful animals. What irked Zeke though was the sharp protruding fangs of the rabbit. He couldn''t bear to see such a cute animal from Earth become something horrible like this. What surprised him the most was that these rabbits arent'' the lowest of the low. They actually hunted some of the big bees who wandered around outside their formation. The docile-looking rabbits suddenly just jumped and opened its mouth to clamp on one, while the other rabbits followed. The bee would then get encumbered and it''d be dragged down to the territory of the rabbits. Then, they would chew on each of the bee''s parts until the bee dies. When their prey dies, these rabbits would then eat up all of it, leaving nothing but crumbs behind. These also made their mouths have blood flowing down, creating an even weirder atmosphere for Zeke. He didn''t expect the rabbits in this world to be carnivorous and brutal. He then considered to take it a bit seriously since what he''s fighting isn''t just a single rabbit, but a whole fluffle of 20 or so ''rabid rabbits''. Zeke closed in through the tree branches and looked for an isolated one. After a few seconds, he spotted a lone rabbit walking away from the fluffle. It was a few meters away from the closest rabbit and Zeke felt it was a perfect opportunity for him to reduce the fluffle. He went near the rabbit and threw a rock underneath the tree he was standing on. Sure enough, the rabbit heard the slight sound of a rock as it surveyed the surroundings and closed in on the tree. The rabbit closest to it didn''t seem to have any reaction as it continued jumping around looking at anything. When the rabbit got in range, Zeke leapt and aimed his sword downward towards the back of the rabbit. The poor rabbit didn''t know what got him it as it just felt something piercing at its back before it lost its life. If PETA of Zeke''s previous world could see this, then Zeke could possibly go in jail. The rabbit''s whimper was heard by the other rabbit closest to it as it spotted Zeke killing its kin. It then roared angrily and hopped towards Zeke. The whole pack was alerted as Zeke also cast [Fireball] and [Dark Slash] simultaneously before fleeing. The two spells hit the engaging rabbit as it was burnt then sliced into two. Zeke, who was fleeing madly again, climbed a tree and looked down. He didn''t see any sign of the rabbits and he sighed in relief. Although it''s cute, it definitely scarred Zeke''s image of a docile and cute pet. Zeke also didn''t want to kill any more of them as, besides the fact that they''re individually weak, he could also be ganged upon by those 20 rabbits. Once one of them clamped on his body, Zeke couldn''t guarantee the safety of all his body parts. Zeke then went on and looked for the stronger prey, a giant sphyx-looking cat the size of a small lion. Zeke just thought of it as a poor cheetah that got skinned and used the same strategy as the rabbits again. He hung out on tree branches and analyzed the ''cheetah''s behavior. He wasn''t surprised about its abnormal speed, but it was also abnormally intelligent. It clearly noticed that someone was watching it as he roared loudly and looked around, trying to find Zeke, the stalker. Having found no one, the ''cheetah'' could only walk around in full alert and vigilance. Zeke didn''t attack it quickly as he knew from the cheetah''s movements that it was extremely wary of something, or someone. He only tailed him around for hours and looked for the opportunity to pounce. However, even after an hour or two passed, Zeke could still see the cheetah waiting for him. Although he had confidence in his strength, it was not how a hunter would hunt. He could just use the advantage of not being seen to deliver a lethal blow to his target so it would be easier for him to battle. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn''t want to go on head-to-head combat against these beasts. He was clueless about how to attack the cheetah so he just continued his survey. The cheetah also hunted for its prey, and Zeke was surprised about its hunting strategy. The cheetah clearly was smaller and a bit weaker than one of the reddish lions roaming around, but he saw from his vantage point that the cheetah seemed to have stalked the lion very carefully. Zeke wondered how would the cheetah approach it seeing as the lion was also on full alert every time. When the lion laid down, the cheetah suddenly disappeared from his place and appeared in the lion''s back. The lion, who was still on full alert and didn''t expect the cheetah to attack, suddenly turned around to try and meet his attacker, only to have his face receive the claws of the cheetah. The lion''s head suddenly got mutilated as it bled while the cheetah slashed the lion''s body several times before it screamed its last remaining voice of plea. The cheetah won just like that. Zeke was both surprised and amazed by how the cheetah handled the much stronger foe. Although it was still on alert, the cheetah still continued on its attack, clearly using its speed and other advantages to its fullest. Zeke then wondered how the cheetah would achieve such speed. Zeke then suddenly went into a strange state. He was wholeheartedly thinking about the technique the cheetah used which clearly gave him the upper hand against someone stronger than him. He thought of several possibilities as to how the cheetah had done that that he didn''t notice that the cheetah already left his sight. He was still left there, frozen as if trying to perceive something. A lightbulb seemed to have lit up inside Zeke''s head as after an hour of standing still there, he suddenly shuddered with excitement. ''I think I got the principle behind the cheetah''s technique.'' Zeke then went away for a bit before going to the clearing. There were no signs of any beasts nearby so Zeke decided to go down to the place and test his theory. He picked up a stone and threw it just slightly about 10 meters away from him as he positioned himself like a marathon runner. Then, he suddenly willed Wind mana to form under his shoes as he suddenly jumped forward. He landed just about 3 to 4 meters away from his previous position as he sighed. ''It''s harder than I imagined.'' Zeke figured out that the cheetah actually didn''t teleport like his [Spatial King''s Domain], but it was more of sheer leg explosiveness. The cheetah exploded his leg strength to the point where his figure couldn''t be seen by Zeke''s naked eye. It was only later seen when it stopped and attacked the lion in front of him. Zeke was amazed by the move but he figured he''d use a little bit of magic to imitate what the cheetah did. Zeke positioned himself again, and this time he willed his Wind element mana in the back of his feet as he jumped forward. He landed 5 to 6 meters away from it as he nodded and went back to his initial position. Zeke continued on experimenting with the move until the sun shone down. Zeke noticed it was getting darker so he took out a sleeping bag as he tried to find a think enough tree branch to support it. Even while lying down, Zeke was still thinking about how to execute the move properly. He thought about it and figured that although he couldn''t completely replicate that kind of speed since he didn''t have the leg strength of the cat, he figured he could get close to it after combining his leg strength explosiveness as well as a little bit of wind and earth magic. 53 Dead Person? On the second day of Zeke''s training of the new move and his fourth day in the forest, Zeke could now cover 5 meters in one try. It was a very frightening movement ability but Zeke still considered it as incomplete. Only if he could cross at least 10 meters would he consider it as a viable ability. He would practice the same move over and over again for 2 to 3 hours before resting for a bit. After resting, he would casually hunt one or two of the rabbits and roasted its meat for his food. He would also bathe himself with water formed by his mana every day before and after practicing the move. On the fifth day of his practice and 7th day of his stay in the forest, Zeke finally achieved 10 meters in one try. His feet and legs got accustomed to the movements while also getting the timing of his wind spell activation right. If it were any other person besides Zeke who tried to imitate what the cheetah did, it would probably take them months before they could even understand the gist of it. But for Zeke, who has [Thought Processing], he could individually practice both his feet and his mana control. This undoubtedly made Zeke''s progress much faster than someone who couldn''t divide his mind at will. Zeke then decided that it''s time for him to hunt the cheetah now and use his new ability on it. *Congratulations on your newly made skill, Zeke. May I know the name of your skill?* ''Name? Hmm, this one''s good for ambush, so I''ll name it Jaguar Step. I''ll try to modify it later on and make it viable for continuous application and call the other one Cheetah Steps. Jaguar Step would focus on the explosiveness for killing while Cheetah Steps will focus on speed and escaping.'' *Understood. Adding it to your self-made skills. Also, you got a bit of the Treant''s stats due to your Mass Murderer title, see for yourself.* |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 9 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Mass Murderer; Level: 15(1250/1500) Str: 1350 Agi: 1330 End: 1700 Int: 1650 CP: 2100 Skills: Lvl Max Mana Circulation Lvl 15 Elemental Mana Circulation Lvl Max CQC Lvl 15 Formless Style (10 techniques) Lvl 15 Aura Lvl 10 Mana Skin Lvl Max Fire Ball Lvl Max Wind Step Lvl Max Water Barrier Lvl Max Tremor Lvl Max Light Shield Lvl Max Dark Slash Lvl Max Grease Lvl Max Wind Blade Lvl Max Flame Wall Lvl Max Bone Strengthening Lvl Max Deflect Lvl 10 Void Negation Lvl 10 Breath of Lightning Lvl 1 Wisdom King''s Grace Lvl 4 Spatial King''s Domain Lvl 5 Electric Discharge Lvl 6 Fire of Recovery Lvl 4 Earth Wall Lvl 6 Wind Walk Lvl 3 Chain of Ice Lvl 5 Feline Control Lvl 5 Blessings of Light Lvl 6 Chilling Aura [See self-taught skills] |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| ''Looking good. I''m halfway with my father''s stats back then!'' *Yes, Zeke. It was all thanks to your hard work ever since then.* ''Yep, yep, I know, System.'' Zeke hurriedly stopped the System. Zeke then rushed off to the place where he previously saw the cheetah. Every day, he would check the surroundings for the cheetah after his practice. He always recorded it in his mind so right now, he was visiting all of the cheetah''s previous hunting spots. While checking on the third hunting spot, Zeke saw the cheetah with a dead snake. The cheetah lifted it up by biting on its neck and dragging it down towards the shrubs. Zeke noticed that the cheetah looked like it slightly lowered its guard right now. It seemed like it noticed that Zeke, its stalker, was already gone or just gave up in hunting itself. However, after a bit of relaxation, it left 20 to 30% of its attention towards the surroundings, wary of other predators that might harm him or steal his food. Zeke smiled as he felt the opportunity. He then approached the place from the tree branches up above. The poor cheetah still hasn''t expected that its attacker would be above its own. It was still looking out for its left and right, but it didn''t count the high places and tree branches. Zeke then jumped near the side of the tree he held moments ago. Aiming his sword, his feet then touched the trunk of the tree as his figure blurred before quickly appearing above the cheetah. The eating cheetah suddenly panicked but it was too late. It quickly moved its head but unfortunately, it was still pierced by Zeke''s sword on its vital organ. The cheetah then quickly leaped away from Zeke with the sword still embedded in it. Its big wound continuously discharged blood as the cheetah''s face suddenly became paler and paler. It couldn''t stand with its own four feet anymore as it just looked at Zeke with helplessness and despair. ''Should I really kill it?'' Zeke didn''t know why, but he was suddenly felt pity by the cheetah''s expression. He was a bit confused and asked himself if he should really kill it or not. After a few seconds of pondering, Zeke made up his mind to let the cheetah survive. After all, it was thanks to the cheetah''s display days ago that he now had another formidable technique, so this could be said to be Zeke''s form of repayment. He then threw a potion containing red liquid towards the cheetah, smearing its wounds while it started to regenerate at a visible pace. Zeke then carefully removed his sword from the cheetah''s stomach as he gestured to the cheetah to drink the remaining potion. The cheetah, as if understanding Zeke''s gestures, suddenly knocked the flask down to the ground as it started to quickly lick the red liquid. Its rate of regeneration suddenly quickened as its stomach wound was rapidly stitching itself back together. After a minute, the cheetah was back to its feet and looked as healthy as ever. It then looked at Zeke for a long time. Zeke was a bit nervous seeing as the cheetah might attack him again in retaliation and knowing the cheetah''s monstrous speed, he would probably receive an attack that he couldn''t react to. However, it was actually the opposite. The cheetah approached Zeke slowly and started to rub its body on Zeke''s legs. Zeke felt the urge to laugh as this cheetah looked and behaved exactly like how normal cats in his previous world are. He then warily crouched down and tried to pet the cheetah''s head. The cheetah just stood still and let Zeke touch its head while its tail was vigorously wagging back and forth. Zeke was very surprised by the sudden turn of events. Earlier, he had just planned out the ambush for the cheetah, and now not only did he now kill the cheetah, but it also became his friend! Zeke didn''t know whether to laugh or cry about the situation. While he was currently thinking this, the cheetah was nudging him using its paws. The nudge woke Zeke up from his dreamland. He then looked at the cheetah with a confused expression. The cheetah couldn''t speak nor voice his thoughts so he just decided to walk towards a certain direction. Zeke understood what the cheetah wanted to so he followed along. He was a little bit curious as to what the cheetah wanted to show to him. After a few minutes of walking around some of the cheetah''s hunting spots, the two end up in a small hill hidden by huge trees. It was surrounded by very high trees and thick vegetation that If it wasn''t for the cheetah''s directions, Zeke would probably not see this at all. The hill wasn''t really that big, and its height was only 30 to 40% of the nearby trees. What''s strange was that there was a small hole in the foot of it. The hole wasn''t that deep, but Zeke could clearly see there were many things inside of it. With Zeke''s enhanced vision, he could see things that are shimmering, things that look like stones but with different colors, and weapons of different shapes and forms. Zeke wondered who those items belonged to and why the cheetah brought Zeke to it. Soon, the cheetah and Zeke were in front of the hill. The cheetah walked closer to the items and gestured Zeke with its head. As Zeke took a closer look at the items sprawled on the ground, he saw a letter written in a piece of cloth as well as wall carvings. Zeke also noticed a human skeleton lying. The skeleton was taller than Zeke and it seemed to be pretty new considering the integrity of the bones. The carvings in the wall were pretty vague, but Zeke could understand the gist of it. In the first carving, there was a lone person sitting cross-legged. Beside him lay a sword with beautiful intricate carvings with a jewel engraved in the middle of the handle. In the second carving, it showed multiple enemies being beheaded by the same figure in the first carving. His blade had blood oozing off of it while he looked ferocious and desolate. In the last carving, it showed him sitting cross-legged again but this time, the carving also showed the hill Zeke was currently in. The figure had something going down his whole body as Zeke inferred that it was blood and the figure sitting is injured. The other small carvings weren''t intact anymore, so Zeke moved on to the letter. If it was a story about the owner of all this, then Zeke already got the gist of it. However, he still would like to know more about the person who left all the items. Zeke opened the letter and read through it. It was written on a piece of cloth so the other parts were already illegible, but Zeke continued on as he was really curious right now. "To whoever reads this, Greetings, I am Roland Von Dane, also known to the public as Baron Von Dane. If you are reading this, it means I have truly succumbed to the clutches of death. I have left .... in here in hopes that someone ..... and continue my glory. I was known as a formidable swordsman back in my prime, but ..... unfortunately obtained the ire and wrath of .... demons. I managed to survive ... but ... done here. I''ve lost too .... that I can''t even .... anymore. I''m writing this .... reads this and gets the items would help me continue my legacy as a swordsman and help my family in the Dragon... City. -Baron Von Dane." Zeke discerned that the guy must''ve used his own blood to write this down. He felt sad about the guy''s fate seeing as he couldn''t even go back to his own family before his demise. Since he was the first to find all these, he figured he''d collect all these and give it to his family in the city. He wasn''t that short of money or weapons, so he might as well give it to his family in hopes that they nurture another genius that will take up the guy''s mantle. Zeke didn''t bother browsing the items as he directly stored it in his spatial ring. He plan to give all of it to the man''s family and pray that they give him some as compensation. Zeke then looked at the cheetah, who was looking outside of the hole as if guarding Zeke and the treasure inside. He then went out of the hole and tried to communicate with the cheetah. "Hey, bud. Can you understand me?" Zeke probed. The cheetah only looked at him without barking. After a few seconds, Zeke was surprised to see it nod its head. ''An intelligent animal, huh.'' "Great. I''ll be taking the items here. Do you mind?" The cheetah shook its head. "Great. Do you want to hunt with me, then?" Zeke tried to ask. To be honest, he didn''t need any helper at all since he''s an all-rounder, but he figured he''d invite it since it was an intelligent creature. Zeke only wanted to have the cheetah''s company so he could have someone to talk to. If others were to hear this, they''d probably think Zeke''s gone out of his mind right now. To Zeke''s surprise, the cheetah immediately nodded vigorously as soon as he finished his question. It then stood and rubbed itself on Zeke''s leg. "Great! Then let''s go now! Hey, do you know any good monster to hunt here?" The cheetah nodded as it dashed off to Zeke''s right. Zeke followed suit and matched his speed with the beast. Since the latter''s a bit faster than Zeke, it was a perfect time for him to practice the altered Jaguar Step, the Cheetah Steps. The boy and a big cat looked like they''re racing as they explored the border between the outskirts of the forest and the deeper part. 54 Dragon Blood Along the way, Zeke saw a bunch of other animals but he didn''t feel the need to fight them. With his enhanced senses, he could roughly tell their strengths and it was very low compared to his right now. He didn''t bother doing senseless killings as it will just count as him wasting time. Also, Zeke was pretty much forced to use Cheetah Steps everytime just for him to constantly catch up to the cheetah. He didn''t feel aggrieved about it but instead he felt delighted seeing as he''s training something even when he''s just traveling. After surveying pretty much the whole outskirts of the forest, Zeke decided who he''d fight out of all the beasts. He instantly included the big gray bear he first saw as he knew its strength isn''t something that could be compared to the other beasts. Zeke also planned on trying to hunt the big lion as well as the giant snake. These three were the only beasts that Zeke deemed worthy of fighting in his current level. If he fights any other beasts in the outskirts other than them, it wouldn''t pose a threat and excitement to Zeke. Zeke and the cheetah then traveled again to find one of the three beasts. The duo first saw the big bear slumbering in the middle of a clearing that now had thick vegetation. Zeke could instantly see the bear''s gray fur and big stature even from a long distance. He started to feel his heart throb in excitement. For safety precautions, Zeke laid a bunch of traps in the surrounding areas to serve as distraction should he decide to flee. He then gestured the cheetah to stay in the nearby areas and just watch. He didn''t want the cheetah to get harmed since he already got fond of it. Although its speed is unrivaled in the outskirts, Zeke was still worried that the bear might get lucky and hit the cheetah. Seeing the cheetah''s small physique compared to the bear''s big burly one, Zeke didn''t have much confidence in the cheetah''s ability to receive a hit. Zeke then carefully approached the bear. He already cast multiple body-protection spells such as Bone Strengthening, Water Barrier, and Light Shield. The multiple spells stacked up with each other, making Zeke look like a glowing rainbow stick. Unfortunately for Zeke, before he could even approach 10 meters around the bear, it suddenly woke up and roared ferociously, furious that someone dared to sneak attack it while it was asleep. ''Shit! This is not the common Gray Bear!'' *Yes, Zeke. Based on its detection range, it should be the mutation of the Gray Bear, the Silvermoon Bear. These bears are the ''adult'' Gray Bears, and their notable strengths arent just their monstrous physical strength, but also for their keen senses. It was so keen that they could even cover a small radius around them even if they''re asleep. Be careful, Zeke.* ''I see. I will, System.'' Zeke immediately backed off and rethought his plans. At first, he thought of fighting the bear in a frontal fight, but seeing as the bear''s current strength exceeded his imagination, he changed back to his normal guerilla fighting style. Zeke jumped backward and launched a multitude of spells against the bear. [Fireball], [Dark Slash], and [Electric Discharge] particularly angered the bear as these were projectile spells that the bear had no way of retaliating on. It then howled and charged at Zeke, who was surprised about its speed. In his mind, since the bear is big and bulky, then its speed must''ve suffered a lot, but right now, it was not the case. The bear, albeit big and bulky, also had the speed that was almost on par with half the cheetah''s peak speed. One should know that the cheetah''s peak speed could surpass Zeke''s own by a slightly large margin, and the bear he''s currently fighting right now has half of it. It was a lie to say that Zeke isn''t feeling the pressure right now. However, instead of feeling down and helpless, Zeke instead brimmed with excitement and vigor. Due to his Aura achieving a very high level, the killing intent radiated by Zeke could even be felt by the cheetah 30-40 meters away from them. It shivered and felt like it was in the cold depths of hell as it immediately distanced itself further away from the fight. Zeke used [Deflect] on the Bear''s charging ability. Seeing its own headbutt bounce off from its target, the bear was surprised about its strength getting deflected and it quickly became angrier. It howled and charged again but this time, before it collided with Zeke, it stood and swiped Zeke with its big paws. Zeke immediately felt the immense power carried by the swipe. By his estimation, if he''d get hit directly by that, his body would be mutilated by the claws immediately. He didn''t hesitate and use a backward [Jaguar Step] as he then tried to take the offensive. He took out his spear as he executed [Jaguar Step] again and appeared in front of the bear''s chest. [Jaguar Step] had close to no cooldown which pleased Zeke initially but it was all at the cost of high mana consumption. Nevertheless, Zeke felt it was worth it to use it twice in succession just to injure the bear. The bear was surprised, but it couldn''t completely react from Zeke''s frontal attack with his spear. It swerved to the side which made it avoid a serious injury. The spear only grazed its shoulder but it was enough for the bear''s patience. Its eyes went red, and Zeke knew it was going berserk. According to the information Zeke read from some books, Silvermoon Bears have a kind of berserk technique that they keep as trump cards. It will only trigger its trump card when it was pushed to the edge, and right now is the same case as the books say. The bear got angry immediately since he couldn''t take the humiliation of being injured by a being significantly smaller than it. It howled and madly swiped at Zeke, but this time its swipes were faster and random. It was the side effect of the Silvermoon Bear''s berserk ability - they would gradually lose their consciousness and awareness the longer their berserk ability is kept active. Zeke found it harder and harder to dodge but he was extremely aroused and excited inwardly. His blood felt like boiling as his entire body was very hot. Zeke didn''t notice it but he was actually getting faster and faster while his reaction speed was also slightly increasing the longer he was dodging. After a few more seconds, Zeke used [Spatial King''s Domain] and teleported at the back of the bear. To keep the bear''s wavering consciousness on its front for a bit longer, he had to leave his spear there and switch to another weapon. He then drew out a sharp sword and slashed vertically, injuring the bear''s back. The bear looked back with a puzzled expression but quickly continued its flurry of attacks towards Zeke''s new position. Zeke felt it was getting harder and harder to defend the bear''s continuous attacks so he activated [Thought Processing] and immediately divided his mind and attention to 16. 14 out of the 16 is used to look out for the bear''s attack and quickly maneuver his sword to block it, while one is for looking for the bear''s vital spots, and the last one for monitoring the surroundings. Unknowingly, Zeke went into a strange state. His mind focused solely on defending that he didn''t realize that his mind was actually recording his body movements. Throughout the bear''s quick and random attacks, Zeke''s arms and sword were quickly going around on his front trying to defend the onslaught. While Zeke was wholeheartedly defending, he didn''t know that his mind was unconsciously recording and remembering Zeke''s sword and arm movements, slowly creating a new sword style purely based on the bear''s attacks. Unknowingly, a whole 5 minutes have passed since the bear went berserk. Zeke noticed to his surprise that the bear''s attacks are actually slowing down in a visible rate as its power behind every attacks also started falling off. Zeke heaved a sigh after 5 minutes of pure hell. He then noticed that the bear''s eyes started to lose its reddish color, reverting back to its normal form. The bear''s aura also suddenly dimmed, its bloodlust becoming weaker than Zeke''s intense killing intent and bloodlust. Throughout the whole battle, Zeke had to maintain his bloodlust aura to prevent himself from being affected by the bear''s. To do this, Zeke had to match the bear''s aura level, and thankfully, Zeke''s current Aura level could barely equate the bear''s. After the whole 5 minutes of intense bloodlust, Zeke''s Aura also grew powerful, matching that of the bear''s enraged aura and even showed faint signs of surpassing it. From level 15, Zeke''s Aura instantly rocketed to Level 17. Such a development was a surprise for Zeke considering it was achieved in 5 minutes. If he were to estimate, He might''ve taken a year or two before his Aura became that. Zeke felt grateful to the bear as he gained a lot after just 5 minutes of intense life and death. Sure enough, just after a minute, the bear completely collapses in front of Zeke. It was too tired to even stand up as it looked at Zeke with anger and killing intent. Zeke was also in rather bad shape, as his upper clothing further got ripped and torn. Zeke was also sweating profusely right now, and he was currently looking at the bear with yearning expressions. It seemed like the fight with the bear ignited the so-called dragon blood within Zeke who thrived and longed for battle. Zeke then calmed down for a bit before thinking about what to do. He didn''t feel the need to kill the bear this early as he noticed that a new sword style appeared in his mind. He set it aside as he then ran away from the bear. Within seconds, the unconscious bear was left behind in a devastated part of the forest. Zeke went back to the clearing along with the cheetah, who looked at him with slight concern. It looked at Zeke''s slightly bloodied chest but it knew it couldn''t do anything so it just tried to comfort Zeke by rubbing itself on his legs. Contrary to the cheetah''s worried expression, Zeke was very excited and satisfied with today''s battle. Not only had he obtained a new sword skill, but he also progressed fast in his Aura while also consolidating his combat skills. He now had a precise grasp of when to use spells in close quarters combat. Zeke then focused on his new sword skill. From the looks of it, it was a sword style purely for defense. When Zeke remembered the fight between him and the bear, only then did he realize that he indeed parried or blocked 80 to 90% of the bear''s onslaught of attacks. This resulted in him accidentally creating a superb defensive style. When he further looked at every move of it, Zeke was even more impressed. With one glance of each of its moves, Zek could discern that its a sword style with very high potential. Right now, he already experienced a non-repetitive flurry of attacks, making this new sword style very potent in defending against randomized attacks. *Congratulations, Zeke. Because of your fight with the Enraged Silvermoon Bear, I''ve had the chance of recording and compiling your defensive measures of the sword into one sword style. This sword style is already very good and very airtight for enemies weaker than you or enemies with the same level of swordsmanship as you. If this is to be rated, I suspect it could be a B- defensive sword style at the moment. As you progress and experience different types and trajectories of attack, you could improved this style and increase its ranking up to A+ or even up to S given sufficient battle experience. What would you like to name it?* ''Hmm. Since the moves all revolved around me, I''ll call this style Sword Orbit, just like the sword moves that revolve around me, completely fending off outside attacks.'' Zeke pondered for a while. After recuperating for 2 hours, Zeke felt his body was a bit lighter than before. ''I''m stronger than before...'' *Yes, Zeke. As you ignite the dragon blood inside you, the more benefits you will get. Right now, the amount of dragon blood that you have ignited completely only amounts to 10 to 15%, and it already gave you a big increase in your sheer physical power as well as a considerable increase with your senses and perception. As you ignite more of your dragon blood, the more benefits and power could you have, and the more prestigious your future as a dragonkin will be.* ''Just that low? After that intense battle?'' Zeke was a bit disappointed but it soon turned into excitement. ''This means I have a lot more room to improve. By the way, can you explain to me what exactly would happen after I awaken?'' *Yes, Zeke. Generally, dragonborns are born just like humans or beastmen, but as they grow up, they could have the chance of igniting and awakening the slumbering dragon blood inside of them. Like what your father said, people gain innate abilities after awakening, and it''ll be added after every 2 tiers above tier 4. Dragonborns who awaken their bloodlines usually get one innate ability, but it isn''t absolute. They only get one because they could only ignite at most 30 to 40% of their bloodline, resulting in a measly one innate skill. Based on what you have read previously and from Mr. Pandora''s records, even one of the greatest dragonfolk back then could only awaken 80 to 90% of their bloodline, but that was enough for them to awaken a completely legendary bloodline of the second-generation dragons. Basically, the more % of Dragon Blood you roused, the more powerful the bloodline awakening will be, and the more innate abilities you unlock at first. Based on your parent''s innate abilities, I could discern that your mother only awakened 35 to 40% of her bloodline, giving her only one innate ability. Your father, on the other hand, had awakened 50 to 55% of his bloodline, easily inheriting your Heavenly Flame Bloodline.* ''I don''t understand. The more bloodline I awaken, the more powerful the type of bloodline I get? Wouldn''t I just get my family''s bloodline?'' *That''s the basic and common rule of the common dragonfolk. However, it''s far from that. Based on what your father has said and from the books you read, the Dragon Continent''s ancestors were Noble Dragons, right? Well, Noble Dragons are dragons that have the perfect mana core as well as a bloodline that encompasses all the bloodlines of the current Dragonborns. It was only like this right now because the dragon blood got more and more diluted and untapped, making it so people could only awaken one element. This also divided the Noble Dragon''s predecessors into different families and clans right now, just like your Flamehaven Family. If my guess is not wrong, your family should have the Heavenly Flame Dragon''s bloodline, a dragon that is only second to the Noble Dragons'' generation. The other royal families should also have second-generation bloodlines for them to rule the whole Dragon Continent. As for the other bloodlines, they are much inferior and got more and more diluted.* ''I roughly understand, but what does it all imply?'' *It means... based from Mr. Pandora''s notes and conjectures, if someone could fully ignite all of their Dragon Blood inside up to 100%, then one could possibly become the next complete Noble Dragon Bloodline, also known as the Golden Dragon!* 55 Kingly Serpen It was a day later before Zeke and the cheetah once again approached the bear, who still hadn''t gone out that far from his place yesterday. It was currently sleeping as Zeke noticed that its back to its prime now and full of vigor. Zeke then placed precautionary traps again in the perimeter. Zeke approached the bear''s perimeter but this time he didn''t feel the need to get sneaky since the bear could nevertheless detect him when he gets too close. He strode forward slowly and drew out his sword. The purpose as to why Zeke didn''t kill the bear yesterday was for him to further solidify his Sword Orbit sword style. He figured if he could experience the same barrage of attacks again, his sword style would be refined and its might would increase. When the bear saw the familiar figure of Zeke, it immediately stood and charged at him. It was so angry because of the utter humiliation it had suffered yesterday and now that it was back to its peak power, it immediately seized the first move, hoping to catch Zeke off-guard. Zeke knew it would act like this, and he used [Jaguar Step] to blink to the side and dodge the ram. Faint sparks appeared on Zeke''s leg as he lunged towards the bear, utilizing a mix of Dance of Death and Cloud Soaring Sword Style to quickly inflict multiple slash wounds on the bear, hoping to make it angry quicker. To his surprise, the bear actually held its berserk ability and continued battling against Zeke with its normal form. Zeke guessed that it should''ve adapted knowing that it knew it would be at a disadvantage should it activate its mind-eating ability. Zeke was at a loss as to what to do so he just decided to inflict as much damage to the bear as possible, hoping for it to go berserk before Zeke could kill it. If someone were to hear Zeke''s plan, they would absolutely stare at Zeke with shock and fear, as if the guy in front of them wanted to die horribly. Zeke then switched to his bread and butter mixed sword style, The Cloud Soaring Sword with Firebreath Sword. He clashed head-on with the bear''s attacks while also dealing the bear continuous low fire damage due to his sword being enveloped by fiery aura. While fighting, Zeke would use his new technique Sword Orbit to defend against the bear''s paw attacks while he would switch to his mixed sword style whenever the bear gets tired of using its arms. Zeke planned on having a battle of attrition against the beast until it gets berserk, Only then will Zeke completely focus on defending with his Sword Orbit. The bear was enraged by Zeke''s actions. It felt immense shame and indignation seeing as its attacks get blocked or deflected while the puny human in front of it could even deal damage whilst blocking. It then jumped backwards and threw a stone towards Zeke. Because of the bear''s monstrous strength, the hurled stone became like a small meteor that will hit Zeke. Feeling the lethality of the stone, Zeke immediately used [Spatial King''s Domain] as he blinked towards the bear, switched his sword into a spear, and started executing a mix of Imperial Spear Technique with Might of the General. The two synergized very well since Might of the General is an all-around technique while the Imperial Spear Technique focused on doing improved swift stabs. At this point, Zeke felt excitement like never before. This feeling was better than being on the edge of life and death as today, he knew his aura could faintly suppress the bear now, making it so the bear''s attacks would decrease in power, making him a bit less dangerous. He then switched to his other weapons since he figured he could take this chance to hone all his other weapon techniques. Of course, Zeke tried to use Sword Orbit using a spear sometimes but most of the time, he couldn''t pull it off due to the spear''s long figure. He then decided to hone his Sword Orbit further but using a spear this time. He felt that he shouldn''t stick to one weapon right now considering he was still in his early years and it wasn''t necessary to pick one right now. In the future, he might consider focusing on one if he finds mastering many weapons harder than expected. Zeke was immersed in fighting against the bear that he didn''t realize that almost half an hour had passed by, and the bear he was currently fighting already showed signs of fatigue. It knew this, so before it completely faints, it decided to turn berserk and hope to finish off Zeke once and for all. Zeke then became much more excited seeing the bear''s current expression since this was the best state of the bear that could give immense benefits to Zeke''s Sword Orbit. Zeke then swapped to his sword and started to defend the bear''s sudden increase of attacks. Not only were the attacks faster than earlier, but it was also much more powerful. Sure enough, the bear couldn''t handle the fatigue anymore as it again fainted on the spot. Zeke felt dissatisfied as the bear''s berserk only went on for less than a minute. Still, he knew he still gained more benefits after today''s ''fighting session'' with the bear. He then left cheerfully. The cheetah, who was still watching in the distance, looked at Zeke with awe-filled eyes. It couldn''t imagine how the human in front of it could be almost as fast as him but also as strong as the bear considering he could fend off the bear''s full-force attacks. Zeke and the cheetah then went back to the clearing. Zeke then sat down cross-legged while trying to absorb what he had gained as well as some battle techniques. After a whole hour, Zeke didn''t go back to the bear but instead went out to find the other two beasts. He knew the bear had to rest after their ''session'' so he decided to go for the other two. After looking for another hour, Zeke and the cheetah finally stumbled upon one of them. It was a big black serpent as tall as Zeke with a body length of almost three Zekes. It was very humongous but its color made it hard to spot since it could coil itself in a tree and anyone would find it hard to notice it. Fortunately, with the cheetah''s keen sense of smell and Zeke''s enhanced vision, they saw the serpent coiled around a tree while it hissed and looked at the nearby rabbit. After a few moments, when the rabbit went a bit closer, the serpent suddenly lunged its head and instantly devoured the rabbit whole, stunning both Zeke and the cheetah. The cheetah looked so frightened that it actually stepped backward for a few steps before refusing Zeke''s call. It sat there, looking directly at the serpent with fear in its eyes while it was slightly shivering. The cheetah clearly knew the extent of the serpent''s speed of attack. As a predator, it naturally knew how fast and deadly the serpent''s lunge was. It was so fast that even the rabbit couldn''t even utter a sound before it was swallowed whole. In terms of lunging speed, the cheetah clearly knew the difference between it and the serpent. It didn''t dare to go near as it still didn''t know the serpent''s speed, and if it''s also fast, then the cheetah would absolutely run for the hills. Zeke, however, felt the exact opposite of the cheetah. He knew what kind of Serpent it was so he felt slightly confident in killing it. However, the serpent''s abilities weren''t really mentioned in the books. It only mentioned three to four skills that the serpent usually does, but he could tell from a glance that this serpent isn''t like any other normal Kingly Serpents. Kingly Serpents were one of the peak predators of the snake species. It was very cunning and fast that any hunter would immediately frown upon hearing or knowing they''d be up against that. The adventurers weren''t really afraid of him per se, but they found it annoying dealing with these pests. It was because its whole body seemed like it has oily and has lubricants, one that''s thick enough to casually make weapons ineffective against it. If a person attacks it with a sword, the sword would only slide off to the side while spears would also slide off. The adventurers were very annoyed by its innate feature so in order for them to hunt serpents like these, they had to have magicians on their team. Without the magicians acting as damage dealers, then they would not even finish the battle even after a year. The serpent''s body was just that fraudulent that melee fighters couldn''t even properly damage its body, while its body was also individually strong, making magicians deal significantly less damage than when damaging other beasts. There''s also another strength of the Kingly Serpents, and it is their very fast head lunges. This was the first ability Zeke and the cheetah saw that marked one of the rabbit''s demise. It has a very elongated neck up to the main body, making it so it could reach longer with just a bit of wind force. This serpent''s move was closely similar to [Jaguar Step], except that it didn''t have legs so it was applied to its part just under the head, making it a very deadly trap should someone be foolish enough to go near it. Zeke approached very carefully, excitement and the burning feeling inside his body started surging again. When he approached 5 meters away from the serpent, it suddenly lunged its head towards Zeke, who immediately used [Deflect] and jumped backward. It caught Zeke by surprise but he regained his composure quickly. ''It seems that it could detect its foe within 5 meters, and once detected, it would quickly lunge its head away from the tree.'' Zeke thought of a new change of plans. He knew about the Serpent''s first move now, but he still needs to be careful since he still didn''t know or witness the serpent''s other skills. When Zeke tried to get closer again, the serpent head suddenly lunged at him, but this time, it was faster and more ferocious! This caught Zeke slightly off guard as he quickly cast [Spatial King''s Domain] to distance himself again. ''This guy''s airtight in its offense.'' Zeke admitted that he, too, was very surprised and horrified by the serpent''s skills and performance. It seemed like the serpent also had a berserk skill too, just like the bear. However, Zeke didn''t know if its berserk skill also had repercussions, so he could only continue to probe the serpent until it shows any repercussions whatsoever. After another hour... ''Shit, this is no good.'' Zeke grumbled as he sat down in a small hill far away from the serpent''s tree. Up until now, Zeke couldn''t find the opportunity to get close to it as its reaction speed as very fast, enough to catch out Zeke''s [Jaguar Step]. The only escape move Zeke had that worked is the [Spatial King''s Domain] which directly teleports the user into a nearby place using the spatial element. Any other escape spells that Zeke had, like his [Jaguar Step] as well was Wind Walk, couldn''t hold a candle against the serpent. It would continuously lunge forward towards Zeke whenever it saw Zeke crossing its perception zone, and this was one of the reasons why Zeke didn''t rest in front of the serpent, but on a small hill far away from it instead. He feared that the serpent might get out of its tree and attack him but after a few minutes of experimentation, Zeke concluded that the serpent must''ve lived on that tree for a long time for it to refuse to leave. Still, it wouldn''t hurt to be cautious, and it turned out to be a very wise decision after all. ''What the fuck is that?'' Zeke noticed a huge black slithering line coming towards their hill at a fast pace. It was moving very fast while Zeke could see the serpent''s ruby red eyes staring at them not with anger, but with the eyes of an apex predator taking revenge against someone that dared to hunt it. Zeke and the cheetah panicked, especially Zeke since he knew he was powerless and helpless in front of this serpent. 56 Snakes End "Shit! This guy wants payback!" Zeke grimaced. He didn''t think the serpent would be that vengeful and determined. They were already meters away from it yet it still charged at them. Zeke knew it was still possible to escape, but his inner thoughts were filled with fighting spirit and determination. This time, Zeke didn''t bring out any of his weapons. He knew that using it is pointless since the serpent''s basically almost immune to physical attacks. He decided to fight it using spells not only because it''s a suitable tactic against it but also to gain battle experience regarding fighting as a mage. A faint white aura enveloped Zeke''s whole figure as well as his bones in the inside. Zeke immediately cast [Bone Strengthening] as well as [Mana Skin] for protection while also casting [Wind Step] and [Feline Control] to boost his speed and control. "Lil fellah, RUN! I got this!" Zeke shouted to the trembling cheetah while Zeke already started running. Hearing this, the cheetah burst out and outsped Zeke in just a moment. Instead of going with Zeke, the cheetah ran off while curving in another direction. It made it so the serpent would still run after Zeke and the cheetah while the cheetah slowly goes away, leaving the aggro to Zeke. Seeing the serpent closing in on him, Zeke fired a couple of [Wind Blade] and [Dark Slash] at his back without him even looking. From his enhanced perception, he could roughly tell where the snake is based on the eerie sound it is emitting as well as the movement of the earth beneath him. He also didn''t need to aim as he just needed to hit it as many times as possible regardless of where it hits. The serpent swerved to the side to dodge the spells only to receive a fireball on its face. It didn''t expect another attack as soon as it dodged so Zeke''s fireball hit its defenseless head. It hissed in pain as it gradually increased its speed while angrily looking at Zeke. Zeke expected the serpent to dodge, so he quickly fired two [Fireball]s on both sides, and the result satisfied Zeke. However, he didn''t dare to fire off more [Fireball]s in fear of burning the forest. He only made sure to fire it when he knows its destination would be the ground or when it''s guaranteed to hit. Half a minute have passed and the serpent was gradually creeping up to Zeke. Seeing its prey inside its attacking perimeter, the serpent rejoiced and suddenly launched its head to lunge at Zeke''s back. Unfortunately, instead of biting off Zeke''s body, the snake met a thick wall of earth, smashing its face while it crumbled after the collision with the serpent''s whole body. The collision slowed the serpent down significantly, giving Zeke a short rest while he ceaselessly absorbed mana while running. Due to the nature of his Perfect Mana Core, Zeke could passively absorb mana even without meditating, making his mana regeneration higher than others who needed to sit down and meditate. Just when the serpent got near Zeke, he immediately cast [Spatial King''s Domain] and blinked towards the serpent''s back while he quickly cast [Chain of Ice] on its body. To the serpent''s surprise and confusion, two big chains made of ice suddenly appeared from the earth and wrapped around its body, making it feel very heavy and encumbered. It had a hard time turning its whole body due to the heavy ice chains while Zeke evidently took the advantage. He quickly bombarded a bunch of beginner spells towards the serpent''s head who was slowly turning around. The serpent couldn''t dodge so it took the brunt of Zeke''s bombardment, denting the middle of its eyes with a light cut. Although it wasn''t lethal and just a superficial wound, it angered the serpent and it immediately forced itself out of the chains of ice and once again lunged at Zeke. Zeke immediately leapt backward seeing as the chains of ice were not going to last long anymore after the serpent''s berserk state. Its immense strength carried the chains while the serpent was also lunging at it, trying to bite it off. Zeke took the chance to fire [Electric Discharge] on its face following up with [Wind Blade] and [Dark Slash]. After the brief encounter with the serpent earlier, Zeke noticed that out of all the spells he fired off earlier, ''slashing'' spells work the best. The serpent''s first injury was from an earlier [Dark Slash] that got overlapped with a [Fireball], causing its effect to be sharper, thus cutting off the serpent''s skin. Right now, Zeke was trying to overlap spells to maximize its power. He knew that one or two consecutive spells aren''t as effective as two spells hitting the same spot at the same time. Sure enough, Zeke''s conjecture was correct as when the serpent sensed the surge of mana, it raised its lower body, or ''tail'', to block it, only for it to be sliced in many parts. The serpent was surprised about the sudden injury that it couldn''t process how Zeke managed to do it to that extent. Zeke then ran off again while throwing spells behind him. The serpent was then further enraged seeing as its tail was bloodied and injured while the attacker ran off. It was furious to the point that it burned its vitality to get a boost in its overall power as it immediately followed Zeke''s footsteps. Zeke, who was currently running frantically, suddenly thought of something. He realized that although overlapping skills is good, it was hard to do in actual combat and also very situational. While bombarding it with a lot of skills is also good, it would take a long time to cast enough spells to actually damage it while also consuming a lot of mana. But Zeke suddenly thought of something. What if he could compress mana? Feeling intrigued by his sudden thought, Zeke split his mind and attention again and tried to project mana outside his body without releasing it. To his surprise, the mana was actually very hard to control that Zeke had to throw it out before it exploded. The explosion was very loud that Zeke realized the power of compressing mana. However, the only drawback of this is its long casting time. Right now, although it takes time to fully unload, Zeke was in a favorable situation seeing as there was still quite a distance between him and the serpent. He had a little bit of time enough for one casting of compressed mana so Zeke figured he had to make this work. Meanwhile, the serpent, who was closing in fast on Zeke, rejoiced when he saw the human in front of it suddenly decrease in speed. In fact, it was also slowing down slightly since the power brought by burning its blood essence is decaying off so it had an urge to finish the fight quickly. As he neared, the boy in front of him looked back at it with face full of fear and despair. Seeing the light of victory in its clutches, the serpent didn''t hesitate as it lunged with the remaining power it can muster towards Zeke. It opened his whole mouth to swallow Zeke whole as it was afraid that if it didn''t, Zeke could escape and plot to attack again. Although its decision is good and sensible, it didn''t consider the possibility of its prey faking its expression. After all, who would have the guts to fake a frightened expression like that in the face of such an enormous serpent? However, the next actions proved his imagination wrong. Before the figure could enter its mouth, the serpent clearly saw the boy in front of it smile before waving his left hand in a throwing action towards its mouth. The serpent realized Zeke''s plot but it was too late as the compressed mana suddenly exploded inside the serpent''s mouth. The explosion was bigger this time because Zeke took a considerable amount of time and concentration to compress huge amounts of mana. Zeke was also thrown off by the shockwave of the explosion as he crashed into a tree not far from the serpent. Zeke''s eyes blurred as he had a very serious concussion, but he didn''t dare let his guard down right now and rest. He stood up with difficulty as he readied a bunch of beginner spells with what''s left of his mana as he waited for the smoke to dissipate. When the smoke cleared, Zeke heaved a sigh of relief. The serpent''s whole head and part of upper body got blown off so hard that there were organ matters scattered in front of it. Zeke guessed that it was brain matter but he didn''t have time to get disgusted as he hurriedly sat down and meditated. He was currently concussed right now so he needed to focus a lot and try to clear his mind as soon as possible. Although the enemy is dead, Zeke didn''t let his guard down and carefully observed the surroundings. He concluded that other beasts nearby might smell the serpent''s blood and carcass so he needed to get out of there fast. After a minute of meditating, Zeke stood up and tried to leave. However, before he could even step, he heard the System''s voice calling him out. *Zeke! Are you going to leave its monster core behind? It''s a Class B Monster Core.* ''Class B? That high? No wonder it''s troublesome to deal with.'' Although Zeke knew the beast, he didn''t know about its rankings since there wasn''t anything like that from what he read. Thankfully, Zeke knew the rankings of beasts in Dragonsoar City and realized that the beast he killed was actually a rank B Monster. Based on what Zeke read from his father''s library, monsters in the Dragon Continent were usually ranked the same as adventurers are. The ranks of monsters ranged from D to lowest and S as the highest. The fact that Zeke defeated a rank B monster alone was enough to demonstrate how monstrous he is right now. Normally, it would take a group of five or more rank B adventurers or a single rank A adventurer to kill a rank B monster like the Kingly Serpent. Based from this, Zeke estimated that he should have the strength of an adventurer in the middle of rank B and A right now, which greatly pleased Zeke. However, he didn''t dare to boast about it since he knew he only killed it due to a sudden idea. If he hadn''t thought of the all-in compressed mana grenade, he would''ve not killed the serpent and he might''ve been killed by it as well! ------- After pondering for a bit, Zeke decided to get the monster core and bail out. Zeke approached the carcass from the side as he covered his nose and slashed the middle of its body. The monster core he''s looking is only as big as a fist and it''s located in the monster''s center of gravity, and right now, he was currently hacking his way towards the middle part of the serpent''s upper body. After fiddling for some seconds, Zeke felt something circular and solid as he pulled it out and looked at it closer. It was a small orb that had the same color as the serpent while it had small portions of white inside it. Zeke knew it was the monster core so he stashed it away along with some of the meat he hacked from the serpent''s middle part of the body. After checking to see if nothing''s forgotten, Zeke immediately cast [Wind Step] again and returned to the usual clearing. When we rushed back, he saw the cheetah looking around frantically. He assumed the cheetah''s looking for him and he was slightly touched by the cheetah''s loyalty. The cheetah''s eyes, upon seeing Zeke safe and sound, lit up. It stood and ran towards Zeke as it rubbed its head to Zeke''s legs over and over again, causing Zeke to laugh and be touched by the cheetah''s actions. To Zeke, the cheetah was more like a dog friend to him than a wild beast since it really acted like dogs from Zeke''s previous world. After playing with the cheetah for a while, Zeke sat cross-legged and meditated. He slowly absorbed the gains he got as well as his newfound technique in magic. All these made Zeke feel satisfied. Besides all this, unbeknownst to Zeke, his Speed and Endurance actually went up by a bit after that fight. It was due to his dragon blood awakening currently at 50%! 57 Undying Lion After recuperating that day, Zeke went on to find the big lion but it seemed to disappear as even the cheetah couldn''t find any traces of it. This left Zeke with no choice but to go deeper into the forest to look for stronger monsters. However, before he went deeper, Zeke first learned advanced magic fit for Tier 2 and 3s. Zeke spent two months in the outskirts killing beasts and ''battling'' the bear to hone his newly learned magic skills. On the last day of the month, the bear seemed to have had enough as when it saw Zeke, it immediately started to flee. Of course, Zeke didn''t let it go as it might be a future nuisance so he swiftly killed it and took its Monster Core. Before he could venture deeper into the forest, Zeke found out to his surprise that the cheetah sensed the lion''s presence near him. When he saw the lion however, he couldn''t help but furrow his brows as he noticed the aura of the lion is very different from the aura Zeke sensed before. The aura emitted now was very malevolent and evil that it was on par to the berserk bear and serpent combined. It could also faintly suppress Zeke, causing his senses to be oppressed as well as a small budding of fear in a sea of excitement and fighting spirit inside him. His combat capabilities also dropped lower due to the lion''s sheer aura. What weirded Zeke the most was the lion''s appearance. Before, the lion looked very majestic but now, all Zeke could think of when looking at it is evil. It had the figure of a lion but its skin was red and its whole body was full of cuts. Its body also emitted a faint red mist, to which Zeke felt eerie about. The body also grew thin while the bones inside its limbs were practically visible. Based on appearance alone, Zeke thought of it as a sick and malnourished lion. However, its aura and vitality are the opposite; it was actually very powerful and vigorous, much stronger than the previously seen lion in its prime. If it weren''t for the injury in one of its eyes, Zeke would definitely assume this was a different lion than the one he saw. Zeke knew there was something odd about the lion but he didn''t pay too much attention to it. He drew his sword and cast protection spells while also approaching closer. A faint white barrier enveloped Zeke''s figure as well as the bones inside of him, while wind circled around Zeke''s feet. Zeke''s sword was also enveloped with a faint red and green glow. When the lion saw Zeke, it suddenly howled and madly charged at Zeke. Puzzled as to why the lion was so angry, Zeke deflected it and slashed the lion''s side. To his surprise, the lion was actually hit without any signs of defending! Zeke didn''t know why the lion was like that but he instantly attributed it to the weird transformation. Zeke immediately leapt back as he distanced himself a bit and pondered. With the newfound discovery, Zeke needed to reform his battle strategy. After a second, Zeke looked up and saw the lion furiously charging at him at a fast pace. He then shook his arm and lashed out with his sword at an unfathomable speed, his objective being the lion''s neck. When the lion tried to maul Zeke, he took the opportunity to quickly stab the sword in its neck, utilizing both Cloud Soaring Sword Style''s technique combined with wind magic. One could only imagine the speed of a fast sword technique accompanied by the innate speed boost of wind magic. The lion didn''t have time to react as Zeke''s sword plunged deeply through its throat. Blood gushed from the wound as the lion''s heavy body quickly dropped down, plunging the sword even deeper through its neck. Eventually, the point of the sword had already pierced through the lion''s neck. Seeing this, Zeke heaved a sigh of relief as he knew it was a good utilization of Cloud Soaring Sword Style against an enemy who does not defend, just like the lion. If a person who doesn''t care about defense tries to attack Zeke, it would only be a matter of time before the person is sliced into pieces with Zeke''s Cloud Soaring Sword paired with Dance of Death. Zeke plopped down and removed his sword. After a few seconds, he stood up and went away from the body as the pool of blood underneath it is expanding. However, before he could even step, He instantly felt danger behind his back as he randomly swung the sword back. Due to the sloppy swing, the sword''s power wasn''t enough as a huge paw hit Zeke in the back, leaving a deep claw mark in Zeke''s back. Zeke grimaced in pain as he immediately executed [Spatial King''s Domain] to teleport away. Zeke turned to look at his previous location only to harden his expression. The ''dead'' lion suddenly went up and actually swiped Zeke! He didn''t know how the hell the lion didn''t die from that seeing as it even plopped dead for quite a few seconds. He then endured the searing pain of the wound in his back as he immediately charged again towards the enemy. He then thrust his sword directly into the lion''s head. As expected, the lion didn''t dodge nor counterattack as it directly took the lethal attack, killing it yet again. Zeke didn''t dare to rest though, as he looked at the lion while a surge of mana appeared in his left hand. Sure enough, the lion stood up yet again, but right now, its head was disfigured and there was a gaping hole on its neck. Zeke felt chills seeing the beast reanimate yet again while retaining the wounds from earlier. Right when the lion charged at Zeke, a spear made of fire made its way yet and hit the lion''s disfigured head, ''killing'' it. Zeke then had a sudden idea. He then swapped his weapon into a spear as he then again fought with the undying lion. After a few minutes of fighting it, Zeke landed a killing blow and sat down to rest for a bit. He processed a few insights regarding the technique he had then he swapped into his daggers. He ''killed'' it again and like earlier, he sat down while processing the gains he got. This process repeated several times before Zeke used all the skills he had including the new ones. He wouldn''t have any more benefit in killing the lion so his mind spun around to look for ways to deal with this abomination. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he thought of another crazy idea, one that doesn''t only benefit him, but also others. When the lion stood again, it didn''t look like a lion at all. Its face was totally deformed while its emaciated body is full of scars and holes. The lion also didn''t have any more blood to spill whenever Zeke killed it, so it had effectively become a living dead at this point. The dead lion then again charged at Zeke but this time, as it neared its target, the earth beneath him crumbled while it further divided into two. When the lion fell through the hole, Zeke immediately closed it with Earth Magic while fortifying it by thickening the earth above the lion. After a few minutes, the earth beneath Zeke looked as normal as any other. It practically didn''t have any signs of battle at all! If people were to see the place Zeke is in, they would definitely be puzzled as there is a patch of red but no footprints of any human or beast. Zeke perfectly covered up and flattened the earth where they fought as he placed a symbol through mana. This symbol was very thin and faint but it was enough for Zeke to sense meters away. Zeke planned on trapping the lion and use it as a live training dummy for his friends back in the Palace. Since it was practically useless to him, it was a waste to just kill it knowing that it can reanimate even when receiving countless lethal damage. It would work best when used as live enemy for others and also for his friends'' awakening. He knew that sooner or later his friends would need to awaken their own bloodlines so having this as an enemy would be good to stimulate them. As Zeke was thinking this, Zeke didn''t bother about it anymore seeing as there was no reaction from the lion at all. Although Zeke was curious, he didn''t dare ruin his hard work anymore so he left and went to the clearing where the cheetah is waiting. When he went back, he noticed to his surprise that the cheetah wasn''t actually there. Zeke thought that the cheetah just went for a nearby prey so he paid it no mind. He sat down while absorbing all the newly learned insights. Since there were practically no more monsters challenging enough for Zeke in the outskirts, he decided to head on a bit deeper after recuperating and preparations. After another week, Zeke could be said to have killed all the strong predators in the area, causing the whole outskirts to be silent and peaceful than any other day. ... At a clearing on the outskirts of the forest, a youth was sitting cross-legged on a stump. The figure looked quite slender with long white hair that went down to his waist. If it weren''t for the fact that he''s currently very rugged in his clothing with very dirty hair, one could clearly see that the youth was very handsome. The dirt all over his face along with a brown conical hat and slick black jacket and pants made him look like a rugged and dirty youth. The jacket exposed part of Zeke''s upper body as it showcased his sturdy and robust upper body underneath. His long hair draped in his face, making it hard to recognize. The most contrasting part was the youth''s eyes and gaze that looked as deep as an abyss. He was also emanating a very ferocious and suffocating aura around him. He then stood up and walked towards the deeper part of the forest, leaving behind a serene and peaceful aura that made the surrounding small beasts feel at ease, The youth was exactly Zeke who was currently venturing deeper into the forest. It was already his fourth month inside the outskirts of the forest, and practically every single beast that could pose a threat to him was already six feet under, while his strength also increased dramatically as well as his battle experience and mana core. To his disappointment, however, the cheetah didn''t come back, which worried Zeke. Right now, Zeke was at peak Low Tier 2 after meditating for every single night. Zeke didn''t sleep much in the last few months, and he was always on guard and wary of his surroundings. Right now, even if there were no beasts that could potentially injure him, he couldn''t trust this feeling completely. Ever since he met the undying lion back then, Zeke couldn''t help but feel curious. Why would the lion become like that? Also, is there a connection between the Malevolent Treant he killed previously to the lion? Thinking about it, Zeke felt his hunch to be true. He didn''t dare let his guard down knowing that there might be a bigger foe lingering near his location. 58 Deeper part of the Fores Zeke started his journey on the deeper part of the forest. These past few months, Zeke had only been on the outskirts of the forest and he didn''t know anything about the deeper parts. Since the beasts he encountered in the outskirts were already powerful enough, Zeke expected the beasts in here to be much stronger and ferocious. When Zeke passed through a line of trees that were taller than the previous ones, he knew he had already entered the deeper part. The difference between the outskirts to the deeper part of the forest is not just the size of the trees, but also the entire environment. In the outskirts, Zeke could feel the serene and peaceful aura it emanates, just like how one would feel when one enters a forest in Zeke''s previous world. However, the deeper part of the forest is very different. The atmosphere there is much more suffocating and stressful than the area Zeke was previously in. It is also very divided in terms of territory while each territory has its own ruler or ''king''. The outskirts only had one ''king'' because it is only considered the easiest part of the forest, which had a lot more than 10 divisions. When Zeke entered the deep forest, he could clearly sense that there were some smaller beasts lurking above the high trees that are looking at him like he''s some kind of prey. This made Zeke uncomfortable since he clearly noticed that almost each and every one of the trees had at least one or two pairs of eyes looking at him. Since it was so tall and with huge amount of tree leaves overlapping each other, Zeke couldn''t get a glimpse of the figures that were looking at him. He continued to walk further deeper while vigilantly looking out for his surroundings. Zeke suddenly sensed something dangerous behind him. He immediately clutched the sword that was in his back as he randomly swiped it behind him. There was then a clashing sound as Zeke saw a small branch hurling towards his side. He was surprised about the hardness of the branch that is capable of staying intact after getting hit by a sword. He immediately looked towards the source of the throw to see a small figure resembling a monkey with wide eyes and long arms looking at him like an innocent child. However, after absorbing the fact that its throw was deflected, the innocent face of the monkey contorted into a vicious one. Zeke was surprised but then shifted his attention to the other pair of eyes. Gradually, Zeke could see a lot of monkeys on the surrounding trees suddenly show up and hurled branches that were as tough as metal at him. Zeke immediately brought up his sword as he deflected most of the attacks aiming for his vital spots while making the others veer off and change trajectory. However, there were just too many projectiles so he was grazed by some on his legs and arms, staining his black clothes red. Zeke''s expression didn''t change however, as he didn''t feel much pain from the superficial wounds. He instead held up his left arm while a small javelin of ice was gradually forming. After a few seconds, while his right hand was still holding a sword and deflecting the incoming small branches, Zeke threw the ice javelin towards one of the monkeys. The monkey didn''t expect Zeke to counterattack much less target it out of all the monkeys, so it received the hit directly and was pierced by it in its chest, directly ending its life. When the other monkeys saw their kin getting hit by an attack from the human, their eyes suddenly went red as they looked back at Zeke. Then, to Zeke''s surprise, the monkeys actually went down little by little until they swarmed Zeke from all sides. Seeing the situation getting out of hand, Zeke immediately ran off towards a direction as he forced his way through the dozen or so monkeys in front of him. His sword was like the scythe of death for the monkeys as they couldn''t react to it in time. They would only see an image of the sword coming towards them while in the next second, they would feel pain from their necks as their heads disconnected from their bodies. Zeke chose that direction because he discerned that it was the way that had fewer monkeys so he had immediately broken through the encirclement and ran. However, when he looked back, he saw the monkeys beeline towards him while holding their small makeshift spears. Zeke knew he could escape easily, but he didn''t want to let the monkeys off lightly since they dared sneak attack him. He turned around and brought out another dagger for his left hand to use then divided his mind into multiple thoughts again as four javelins of ice were gradually forming on Zeke''s left and right. Then, Zeke started hacking the incoming monkeys while also unleashing a torrent of small ice javelins towards the monkeys. They were like fishes on a chopping block as they couldn''t even get close to Zeke before they either get hacked into two by Zeke''s sword and dagger, or get hit by the small ice javelins to their head or neck, both ending their life in one hit. A minute had passed by and the ground beneath Zeke had gradually turned into crimson red due to the amount of blood spilled. Corpses of monkeys were also seen on the ground while being stomped by the other rampaging monkeys who would in turn become corpses themselves. Another minute had passed by and the onslaught of monkeys had visibly lessened. The remaining monkeys who were the last to arrive saw the countless bodies of their brethren as they looked at Zeke with anger and indignation but they didn''t dare get near him as they knew death too would be waiting for them. Most of the remaining left with tails tucked between their legs while some still had the courage to charge forward only to die moments later. Seeing that there were no living monkeys in sight, Zeke panted while shaking his sword and dagger in his hands, causing the blood on the surface to accumulate to the tip of the sword and dagger before dripping to the soil. Zeke then looked at the corpses piled in front of him. With a rough glance, Zeke could tell that the numbers exceed 100. Some had been sliced to two, some had their throats slashed, some had stab wounds on their neck, while some had holes in their forehead caused by the constant barrage of ice javelins. From that fight, Zeke exhausted much of his soul and mental power as he sat down in a nearby tree that had no blood around it. He was still panting heavily after the continuous dual wielding of sword and dagger but he was very excited and satisfied inwardly. These kinds of battles were what excites Zeke''s blood the most. Right now, Zeke already had the feeling of satisfaction in his heart, indicating that he can already awaken his bloodline now. However, Zeke refrained from doing so as right now, he only had 55% of his overall bloodline awakened, and he still had lots of months to spend before going back to Dragonsoar City. He suppressed the satisfying feeling in the deepest part of his heart as he continued to excite his blood more. Based on what the system told him, individuals could suppress the lingering feeling of contentment within their body to continue the accumulation of awakening their bloodline. If one couldn''t resist the temptation, he/she would quickly enter into a meditative state, and after a few minutes or even hours, their dragon blood will be awakened, giving a significant boost in raw power along with one or two innate abilities. He also read from his father''s books that there were instances that people didn''t bother suppressing their feelings of contentment as they immediately charged through and awaken their blood. These people only had 30 to 35% of their dragon blood awakened so it only gave them at most raw power but no innate abilities. For geniuses, they wouldn''t consider awakening until its 50% or higher since only then will they inherit the bloodline of their family and not an inferior and downgraded one. People knew the importance of this as trying to reawaken your dragon blood once more is as hard as ascending the heavens, so every Dragonborn could only have one shot at it. Currently, Zeke was walking through a part of the forest with plants and grass that was as tall as him. He didn''t dare let his guard down as he used the sword to hack down the grass in front of him while readying his dagger into a defensive position. While walking a few meters in, Zeke sensed a slight fluctuation on his right side. From his enhanced perception, he could see in the corner of his eyes that the sway of some of the grass there were different, and so without any hesitation, he charged at it and stabbed his sword at a very fast speed, enough to cover a few meters within a blink of an eye. Zeke then felt the sword hit something as he quickly pushed it with added force, burying the sword towards the thing. Zeke heard a soft whimper before looking at the figure he attacked. He then saw a pitch black leopard lying down on the grassland dying its surroundings red from the stab wound on its neck. Zeke laughed at the leopard''s misfortune of meeting him and he then stored the corpse in his inventory. He figured he needed to eat after all the fierce battle earlier. After he crossed the tall grassland, Zeke arrived in yet another common-looking forest except for the absurdly tall trees with thick trunks and enormous branches that stretched out and overlapped with other tree branches. This also caused most of the sunlight to be blocked, preventing almost 90% of sunlight to enter the forest. Thanks to some of the gaps, the whole place isn''t all dark, but Zeke still felt uncomfortable having less vision while resting so he set up a small campfire before sprinkling some powder in the vicinity. The powder is something Zeke prepared before going inside the forest as it was a great repellent for wild beasts, or beasts that aren''t that strong and only comparable to a normal human. With the powder spread in the vicinity, there would be no weak beasts that would close in on Zeke due to the pungent smell that was aromatic to Zeke but suffocating to wild beasts. Zeke then brought out an assortment of meat he gained from various beasts he killed while he roasted it above the fire. While waiting for it to caramelize and burn the fats, Zeke sat and took out a small makeshift grindstone. This was made by Esteban back then when he noticed that Zeke doesn''t have any durable weapons besides the common ones sold from the market. He then sharpened his weapons while smelling the pleasant aroma of the cooked meat. After a few minutes, he left the grindstone while heading towards the campfire and getting a skewer of meat. Zeke stared at his food and was about to wolf it down when the ground suddenly quakes, shaking off Zeke''s grip of the food as it fell down and got dirtied. Zeke swore, but he quickly stored his things while chomping down on the remaining cooked meat as he swiftly got out of there. Based on the sudden quake, Zeke knew for a fact that it wasn''t a natural earthquake, but more of an earthquake that was caused by a beast. Zeke didn''t know the extent of the beast''s power for it to cause the earth to rumble but he knew it was a very formidable foe. His heart skipped a beat as he ran towards the epicenter of the earthquake with meat still hanging on his mouth. 59 Escape Zeke immediately went to the source of the earthquake. When he arrived near the epicenter, he couldn''t help but be astounded by what he was currently seeing. There was a slightly small crater just in the middle of the forest surrounded by trees that were either chopped, destroyed, or forcefully rooted, like a giant who forcefully made a clearing in a forest. In the crater, a small dust cloud could be seen, covering the entirety of the crater. Zeke looked closely while the smoke cloud was gradually dissipating. He gripped his sword tightly while already casting protection spells. Just by looking at the crater, Zeke could only imagine how strong and big could the beast be to create cave the earth that big. He didn''t dare to have confidence in killing it as he could tell that to make a crater that big, the beast must either be Earth-attributed or just insanely strong. Right now, for the current Zeke, even though he could contend with beasts like the Kingly Serpent or Malevolent Treant, it was only because of trickery and schemes. In terms of directly fighting, Zeke knew he couldn''t stand a chance against them much less the beast that''s in front of him right now. When the dust cloud dissipated slowly, Zeke could make out a figure of a standing gray gorilla measuring 4m tall with crimson red eyes. In its hand lay a severed large limb of presumably another humanoid beast while its other hand was still pounding down towards the bottom of the crater. Zeke assumed that its enemy must still be laying there while the gorilla was pounding it. After a while, the gorilla stopped pounding, dropped the limb in its hand, held both his arms up while it roared loudly. The roar reached the whole part of the forest as even Zeke had to cover his ears due to its intensity. After the roar, Zeke immediately grew serious as he fled with full speed back to his previous cooking spot. Not long after Zeke left, the giant gorilla slammed the ground hard and countless small spikes emerged from the soil near the gorilla as countless more started appearing to the ground while it traveled to where Zeke was previously hiding. If Zeke were to see this, he would consider himself very lucky seeing as his guess was correct. When Zeke heard the roar, he immediately understood the gorilla''s action: it was to scare away any potential intruder waiting in the shadows. Zeke assumed that he was the one the gorilla was pertaining to so he immediately fled, and the gorilla''s recent action actually proved Zeke''s quick guess. ------------ Right now, Zeke''s heart was beating faster while his whole body was in an adrenaline rush. He knew about the gorilla''s senses the moment he noticed the gorilla''s eyes twitched for a bit when he appeared. From then on, Zeke knew that it was because of him that the gorilla roared that loud. The moment he noticed a surge of invisible mana being emitted by the gorilla''s palms, he instantly knew that the gorilla was about to attack. He didn''t hesitate and try to see the gorilla''s attack as his instinct told him that if he remained there, he would lose his life. It was thanks to Zeke''s hunch that he was still alive and still holeless in his body now. ''Nope, that''s a Warbeast. Fuck that.'' When he saw the exact figure of the beast, Zeke immediately knew it was a Warbeast. With gray fur and red eyes along with the ability to manipulate mana, Zeke could only think of one Warbeast: The Baleful Earth Primate, one of the few Demonic Warbeasts that Zeke had read from a book regarding monsters. They are characterized as a gorilla that is at least 2 meters in height, along with crimson red eyes with small protruding black spikes in its back. According to the book, the lowest Warbeast is Class A-, while the Baleful Earth Primate is at least a class A. Zeke knew that fighting a class A monster alone isn''t possible with his current strength, much less a stronger Baleful Earth Primate. It was common knowledge that beasts are classified from E to S. Ranks E to C are weak beasts that could be slain solo by an adventurer, while C+ to B are beasts that could wreak havoc in a village. These beasts could fight tens or even hundreds of adventurers of the same rank. The Kingly Serpent that Zeke previously defeated could be considered at rank B-, one of the lowest B rank beasts. Kingly Serpents are the apex species of snakes, and it would normally take 10 to 20 adventurers cooperating with each other to swiftly kill it. Zeke killing it solo could be considered a great feat even if it''s at the lowest of Rank B. On the other hand, The Baleful Earth Primate is a Warbeast that, like the word itself, a beast fit for war and slaughter. Warbeasts, in general, have strong physiques and combat patterns that aren''t as linear as common beasts. Some of them have intelligence and can scheme towards their enemies, while some might not have intelligence, but are insanely strong, physique-wise and/or ability-wise. Even the weakest Baleful Earth Primate was at Class A, something Zeke isn''t capable of dealing with as of now. While Zeke was pondering, he felt the ground quake once more, but this time it wasn''t as strong. However, the sound was continuous which made Zeke''s expression change. He instantly knew that the sound was produced by the footsteps of the Baleful Earth Primate as he immediately ran off to the opposite direction as quickly as possible. He already cast [Wind Step] and [Feline Control] as his feet had wind circling around it. However, Zeke realized it was not enough as he heard the quaking ground get closer and closer to him. Without hesitating, faint sparks appeared around his feet as both sparks and wind harmonized around each other. Zeke''s speed instantly skyrocketed but Zeke didn''t rejoice. He knew this was only for a temporary time so he had to make it worth. After half a minute, Zeke felt the [Breath of Lightning]''s effects slowly diminishing as he struggled to find a way out. Then, just as he thought about it, he spotted a fairly large hill just a few meters on his right with a small opening near the base. Zeke immediately rushed to it as he didn''t have any other choice besides it. When he approached the hill, he found out that the hole actually lead deeper underground and it wasn''t as exposed as Zeke thought it was because of the debris partially covering it. Zeke didn''t hesitate as he went in and covered the entrance with an [Earth Wall]. Zeke''s vision suddenly went dark as he immediately cast multiple [Fireball]s using [Thought Processing] to divide his mind into 10. Then, 8 small fireballs appeared around Zeke as he willed each and every one of it to spread out. With a fireball in front of him, Zeke realized that he was currently going down through a narrow hallway down the stairs that were laid out. Confused, Zeke tried to look around but he couldn''t see anything other than the wall and stairs made of dirt. The stairs led further down, and since his vision is limited, Zeke hesitated to go. However, behind him, he could still hear the loud roars of the gorilla that is clearly not far from him. He gritted his teeth and decided to go all the way down. He only hoped to find another way out of there as he feared the gorilla might be waiting there. After a few minutes of walking cautiously, Zeke found himself in front of a very big and spacious room. Zeke noticed that it was the end of the stairs as he willed a [Fireball] to go inside the room. Seeing as there''s no reaction, Zeke walked in and spread half of his [Fireball]s around. When Zeke''s fireballs reached both the left and right corners of the room, Zeke could finally see the entirety of the very big room. There were a lot of torches spread throughout the room as Zeke lit all of them up. He was then dumbfounded by what he was seeing. The big and spacious room turned out to be an even bigger room than Zeke expected. On his left and right, he could see statues a bit taller than him. The statues all had different postures as each held different kinds of weapons and tools. One looked like a man plowing, the other assuming a sword stance, another holding a spear that is pointing to the sky, and many others. Zeke felt awe just by looking at it, and even he couldn''t help but feel a bit of reverence while looking. Shaking his thoughts, Zeke surveyed each part of the room while moving forward towards the other end. Other than the statues, there were also small vases and pots scattered around along with some cracked bones and skulls. These skeletons were long dead based on their form and current state as Zeke became even more confused. After a few more looks and guesses, Zeke came up with the only conclusion: This was some ancient place that was buried underneath the hill due to its old age and the passage of time, gradually turning it into an underground place of some sort. Zeke also concluded that this should also be a very important site in the past considering the integrity and sturdiness of the whole place that could even endure the passage of time. Zeke''s eyes lit up as the thought of finding treasures instantly crossed his mind. Even though he was still excited about the previous escape from the gorilla, the thought of finding treasures excite Zeke even more. He then spread out the fireballs further out as he searched every nook and cranny of the place while taking in all the intact pots and antique vases that were placed near the statues. After collecting all that could be collected, Zeke headed further ahead as he then noticed stairs by the end of the room. He inspected it for some traps but found nothing so he steadily walked towards it. However, before he could go out of the room to the stairs, the doorway suddenly closed by a sliding block as Zeke was now trapped inside the room. Furrowing his brows, he immediately turned around and brandished his sword as he heard noises coming from the other end of the room from where Zeke entered. He couldn''t exactly see who or what was moving since the range of vision that his fireballs gave was only a few meters away from Zeke. Any more and Zeke will lose vision in his own perimeter. He then waited and assumed a sword stance as he braced himself for a possible battle. Just a few seconds after that, Zeke could faintly see multiple standing figures approaching him slowly. Zeke was surprised because the figures that were going to him are actually skeletons! He then realized that perhaps the skeletons that he first saw in the room were the same skeleton that apparently had life and is now going towards him. What was weirder was that Zeke could see that every skeleton had a weapon in one or both of their hands. Some skeletons had swords, others had spears, while some others are holding some kind of tall wooden stick, presumably a magician''s staff. Seeing all this, Zeke immediately willed the fireballs nearer so he could get complete vision around his perimeter. He hurriedly held his sword in a defensive position as two of the fireballs suddenly changed shape into a javelin that hovered above Zeke''s shoulders. 60 Other People? The fight started without suspense. Initially, Zeke was very cautious about the skeletons as it was the first time Zeke experienced this sort of thing. However, it turned out to be quite needless as when Zeke blocked a blow from one of the skeletons, his sword didn''t even budge at all. Instead, it was the skeleton that was sent backward with just Zeke blocking without even fighting back. Feeling relieved, Zeke charged in and slashed his sword towards the skeletons in a very quick manner. Several flashes of light could be seen as each flash severs a skeleton into two. The skeletons practically stood no chance since the beginning against Zeke''s sheer power. In just a minute, all the skeletons were sliced in half as Zeke continued to look. After his experience with the undying lion, Zeke didn''t fully trust in his kills especially since his enemies right now were skeletons, a pawn of the undead. When the last skeleton dropped down and stopped moving, the stone door behind Zeke opened, revealing the stairs he had previously seen. Zeke checked for traps first before going in after confirming that there''s nothing to be cautious about. After a minute of going down again, Zeke didn''t know how deep underground he is currently. When he thought of that, another room suddenly welcomed Zeke. Like the first one, Zeke had no choice but to enter since it directly connected the stairs and there was no other room or space to go to. When he went in, he was baffled by the appearance of the room. When he spread his [Fireball]s outward, he could see that it was almost exactly the same as the first room. The only difference was what Zeke felt. In the first room, when Zeke looked at the statues, he could feel a tinge of reverence inside his heart, but now, when he looked at the statues, a feeling of unease sprouted. When he''s gazing at each of the statues, he could feel something bad or eerie about them, but he couldn''t point out the exact reason. Shaking off the feeling, he continued onwards as he readied his sword in front of him. As expected, the room closed off again, leaving Zeke trapped along with rising skeletons with weapons. Zeke wanted to end it quickly as he charged at the skeletons without restraint. His sword flickered and stabbed the skeletons in a fast manner as half of the skeletons were already dead by the time Zeke started his attack. However, to his surprise, he actually got a slight cut when a skeleton slashed him from behind. It was a very very small cut, one that no one would even cry about, however, it was a huge shock for Zeke. He instantly realized what happened. He didn''t dare underestimate the skeletons again as he approached and applied Sword Orbit to block and deflect the attacks while counter-attacking whenever possible. He now knew that the skeletons'' strength isn''t all equal. In the first room, he quickly concluded that the skeletons couldn''t hurt him, but now, a skeleton actually managed to land a hit on Zeke. With this, Zeke concluded that every room further down should have skeletons stronger than the previous rooms. Zeke categorized it as a ''Scaling Dungeon'' in his mind. After five minutes, Zeke finished off all the skeletons. This time, he needed a bit of time since the skeletons in the second room were superior in quantity and quality than the first room. After collecting some intact vases and pots again, Zeke went further down. In the next room, the skeletons were also a bit stronger, while their weapons also got bigger. Up until now, Zeke didn''t know how and where the skeletons got their weapons. He only guessed that their weapons should be made of mana since it only appeared out of thin air. The further Zeke progressed, the stronger the skeletons became and the more eerie the statues are. At first, the statue could only make Zeke uneasy, but now, looking at the statue causes Zeke to feel as if he''s looking at a demon. The statues exude an evil and malicious aura that gets stronger the lower the room Zeke''s in. In the fifth room, the skeletons could already form a simple formation consisting of a shield bearer, a swordsman on one side with three archers at the back. Zeke was astounded by this but he knew the skeletons'' power are still inferior to him so he dealt with it in the same simple manner as the previous four rooms. In the sixth room, the skeletons are much stronger again. This time, each skeleton already had 20% of Zeke''s current strength, which, for a skeleton, is already plenty enough. Couple that with a formation and it was plenty enough to cause headaches for Zeke. He wanted to save as much energy as possible so the skeletons being troublesome isn''t a good thing for him. In the seventh room, Zeke was surprised to see no bones as the area was very clean. Zeke became suspicious since he noticed that there were faint traces of spots with no dust. Confused, Zeke approached the spots and examined each of them closely. After a few minutes had gone by, Zeke''s expression changed. He stretched his vigilance to the limit as he realized that these dustless spots should be made by someone or something that has intelligence other than Zeke. He immediately became alarmed at this and the thought of someone preying on him in this dark place sent chills down his spine. Although he liked to battle, he didn''t want one where he was hopeless and winning is nigh impossible. Right now, if that creature decides to attack him in this place where he only had limited vision, Zeke knew it wasn''t going to end up in a positive way for him. Since the room was clear and no skeletons were found, Zeke immediately headed down with his guard up at all times. He knew that this kind of place is very suitable for assassinations and sneak attacks as the vision is limited and there were a lot of hiding spots. That along with the stifling atmosphere and pressure of the statues, this is basically an assassin''s backyard. Thankfully, Zeke didn''t come across any attackers as he went down to the next room. However, before he could even spread his [Fireball]s for some light, his expression tensed as he gazed at the only place in the room where there was a dim light. It was in the opposite of the stairs that Zeke is in and the source of light turned out to be a small lamp. This lamp only encompassed a few meters around the figure as Zeke tried to make out the appearance of it. The figure in question is wearing a black coat that stretched to his knees, with a red shirt underneath along with black pants. As for the face, Zeke couldn''t see it as he could only see a faint silhouette with the head. The figure''s white hair was tied behind its head as it stood there, casually tapping the wall behind him. Zeke immediately dissolved his [Fireball]s one by one until there''s only one left. He made it as small as possible so it would only cover a meter around Zeke. He then crouched and went to hide in a wall while looking at the figure. Zeke tightened his grip on his sword as he planned on sneaking an attack. However, before he could even come up with a plan, a snort was heard in the figure''s direction. "Quite a sneaky one, are ye? Ji ji ji, it''s no use, fool. Next time, try not to shine a light in a pitch-black place so you won''t get seen, ye?" A loud but hoarse could be heard from the figure as it contained mockery and ridicule. Zeke felt the intense negative emotions as his heart couldn''t help but tighten. Since Zeke lost his advantage, he pondered about how to approach the figure. Zeke didn''t know who it was, but he found it uncomfortable hearing the figure''s voice. It was hoarse and dry while also carrying negative emotions, particularly of disdain. This was the first time that Zeke completely felt the emotion under someone''s speech. In normal talks, anyone could perceive the emotions of the one they''re talking to based from their voice but the figure in front of Zeke looked like it had a natural disdainful and negative attitude ever since it was born. Zeke''s impression soured just by hearing the rude words along with the negative emotions the figure emanated. He decided in his mind to fight with all his strength with this one. While Zeke was pondering behind a pillar, he sensed a dangerous surge of mana coming towards him as he immediately rolled to the side. When he looked back, he saw a black crescent-shaped attack headed towards Zeke''s previous position as it missed and hit the wall behind Zeke. The wall, who is supposed to be tough and sturdy, got slashed like paper as the strike left a deep cut on the wall. Zeke was flabbergasted by the figure''s decisiveness as well as its strength. The attack just now already felt dangerous, so Zeke absolutely dared not underestimate the figure in front of him. 61 Tricked "You still insist on hiding, ye? Ji Ji Ji, truly annoying. Come out and let''s get this over with, I hate wasting time on dealing with insects." The figure said as he unleashed another Dark Slash at Zeke with a wave of his hand. Zeke noticed it too late as he was grazed by it just as he was rolling to the side. Since the place is dark, Zeke found it hard to see the actual attack. He could only rely on his perception of mana so it was inevitable for him to dodge late. The figure''s attack didn''t cause a serious injury to Zeke as he raced his thoughts for countermeasures. He looked back and noticed that the door behind him is still open as he sighed in relief knowing he still has room to escape. However, Zeke didn''t wish to as he was curious about this whole place. To sate his curiosity, he had to fight his way there and this figure in front of him isn''t an exception. Zeke regarded him as an enemy long ago ever since he heard the man''s way of speaking. Zeke willed all his fireballs to charge straight at the figure after remembering the whole room''s layout. Right now, he figured it would be better for him to fight in a dark area in hopes that maybe the figure couldn''t see him much less hit him with the strange Dark Slashes. The figure saw multiple fireballs coming at him and sneered. He waved his hand as a barrier made of dark element formed around him. The incoming fireballs looked like powerless balls of mana as it hit the barrier without even making a dent. ''A Dark Magician?'' Zeke instantly knew based from the kind of element of the figure''s barrier. The initial attack he also received was black in color, signifying it''s of the Dark Element. After receiving the fireballs, the man looked at Zeke''s direction only to realize why Zeke launched all the fireballs at him. He then made the barrier around him thicker as two black orbs swirled around in each of his hands. "Bah! This is annoying. You''re lucky we''re in a dark room or else you''re as dead as those skeletons!" The figure spoke loudly with annoyance and anger. Hearing this, Zeke smiled. He knew his gamble worked and the enemy lost his vision while he still had since the figure had a torch lit up near him. Silently, he willed a surge of mana in a nearby cover as it formed into a [Fireball] the size of a fist. He was about to launch this empowered fireball but he instantly lost control of the mana as a black orb from the man''s left hand went straight for the cover until it hit the fireball. The mana instantly dissipated as Zeke felt a headache. It seemed like he couldn''t completely conceal himself as the figure could also detect traces of surging mana in his surroundings. This meant that this figure should also be at least at the same level as Zeke in terms of Mana Core Tier or even stronger. Zeke instantly knew that for magicians of equal strength to fight against each other, one would need a trick to defeat the enemy. If both were to only launch spells against each other, both would only exhaust their mana quickly without dealing serious damage against the other. Of course, skill and mana application should also be roughly the same for this to work. Right now, Zeke had ample battle experiences but most of his experiences are with using a weapon. In terms of using magic like a magician, Zeke could only apply 10% of his overall combat experience in the fight. After a while of trying, Zeke still didn''t have any success. Every time he cast a spell, the figure would instantly shoot out a black orb towards it, shattering the fireball while also dealing damage to the surroundings. "Ji Ji Ji Ji, What you gonna do now, boy? Are you gonna go back and cry like a child? Go on, go on, it''s not only your luck but also your strength that''s lacking today. Ji Ji Ji Ji, who would''ve thought a measly fire magician like you dared to compete against the prized Dark Arts of my Devil Darkray Clan. Your attacks are truly like an ant trying to topple down an Elephant. Even I pity you, ye know? Ji Ji Ji Ji." The man''s mocking remarks slightly infuriated Zeke but creepiness and shock overwhelmed him. When Zeke heard the words ''Devil'', he instantly connected the dots. Based on the figure''s aura and emotions exuded, Zeke could conclude that this fellow should indeed be a Demon, ''evil'' and ''vile'' beings that he heard from his father. If it weren''t, then why would it exude natural negative emotion? After knowing that the fellow is a Demon, Zeke immediately shed pretenses as he tried to launch [Fireball] after [Fireball] towards the figure who easily blocked it with his barrier. Since he knew the other side was not human or Dragonborn, Zeke felt like he didn''t need to hold back anymore. He stood up, lit a small fireball above his head as he looked at the figure standing far across him. The figure also saw Zeke''s appearance as he too had a surprised look. He didn''t think his attacker would be someone so young yet already quite powerful and shrewd. It soon dissipated as another two black orbs appeared on both hands. He then threw both orbs at Zeke, one aiming at the [Fireball] while the other one towards his body. Zeke didn''t dally as a faint white glow enveloped him while blocking the other orb with his palms full of Light Mana. He then held both arms in front of him as he directly received the brunt momentum of the orb. Although the force was tough and hard to stop, it was thanks to the light element that his hands are still uninjured. However, the figure saw this with a shocked and solemn expression. However, he didn''t see the light element and only assumed that Zeke received it through his bare hands alone. "Ji Ji JI Ji, to be able to receive that, It seems you''re strong too. Fine, looks like this trip with Master ain''t that worthless after all. Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji, do your best to entertain me!" The figure laughed while also throwing black orbs at Zeke''s body. Since Zeke''s body was shrouded with a faint mana layer, the man could now sense Zeke''s current position. He then immediately formed another two while throwing it at Zeke. Zeke knew he wouldn''t win by relying on this way so he immediately willed 12 more spears made of fire to aim at the figure in different directions. Unfortunately, the barrier the figure conjured protects him from all sides, so the spears weren''t able to hit the figure. However, through this discovery, Zeke now knew what to do. The figure only looked at the direction Zeke is at with disdain. He had absolute confidence seeing as the attacker''s strength couldn''t even dent his barrier so he fired his black orbs at spots where there''s a mana fluctuation. He noticed to his surprise that instead of fleeing, Zeke actually took the initiative to charge forward seeing as the mana fluctuations get nearer and nearer at him. He sneered as he even sped up his barrage of dark orbs at Zeke. Unfortunately for him, he couldn''t rely on his vision and he could only attack in random spots so he was consuming a large amount of mana without even having an assurance that he damaged the enemy. Gradually, his originally annoyed attitude became angry then became furious and indignant. If this was a normal fight, he felt he could obliterate his enemy with his Peak Tier 2 Magic. Suddenly, Zeke sensed mana fluctuation in front of the figure as a large amount of mana surged there and gradually formed a big orb. This orb exuded a terrifying aura that made Zeke shiver for a bit. He realized that the figure in front of him seemed to also know how to compress man for a bit considering he could fit all that mana in an orb that is only slightly bigger than his [Fireball]. His eyes grew solemn as he figured he needed to end the fight quickly or else he would be a moving target. Faint traces of electricity appeared around his feet as he rushed madly towards the figure. His figure streaked in a straight line as a ball of fire gathered in the middle of both his palms as he compressed more mana inside the small [Fireball]. With just a few seconds, Zeke covered the distance between the two of them as he readied to throw his [Fireball]. Seeing this, the figure sneered as he too prepared to launch the mass of Dark element in front of him. Seeing his own orb bigger than Zeke, he smiled coldly as he released it while Zeke was within an arm''s reach. He took delight upon seeing the enemy get blown to bits but he was also slightly surprised about the attacker. Zeke looked like he was younger than a teenager at most as his facial features are very attractive and charming even with all the filth smeared. He shook his head and thought that this attacker of his was only just a kid who had good looks but bad at fighting. However, the next set of events made his facial expression contort into that of shock, confusion, as well as anger. "SIKE!" A loud shout could be heard by the figure as the man in front of him shouted and smiled coldly at him. When both spells were about to hit each other in front of Zeke who didn''t have any protection besides a faint trace of mana surrounding his body and the figure who had a high-powered barrier surrounding him, both of the spells suddenly dispersed like sand getting blown by the wind. Not only that but he saw his own barrier getting dissolved along with a spear stabbing straight through him, piercing his throat as blood gushed down like a fountain. The figure looked at the smiling Zeke with confusion and anger as he clutched the spear impaled through his neck. He wanted to know what happened to get him killed like this. Just a few moments earlier, he had all the momentum and forced Zeke into running around as he bombarded him with spells in the dark, but now, he was defeated and killed by the same youth whom he belittled earlier. Much worse, he would die without even knowing who killed him and how he did it. 62 Darkray Barrier Zeke sat on the ground cross-legged as he meditated to recover the expended mana. The fight with the figure was still a bit too hard for Zeke who primarily trained on melee fighting. Now that he fought as a magician along with the limited vision, he couldn''t display his full potential. Then again, it was also thanks to the limited vision that he could kill the figure through tricks. In the last minute that Zeke released the [Fireball] forming in his hands, he immediately cast [Void Negation], dissipating both attacks as well as the figure''s barrier which was inside the casting range. He then took out the spear immediately and stabbed it through the enemy''s throat, effectively killing him. This kill was very hard for Zeke to pull off since he needed to time the usage of skills correctly while also catching the enemy off-guard while attacking with intent to kill. If he somehow failed to kill him in the first attack, he feared that when [Void Negation] ends, the barrier would be back and he would be an open target to the figure''s barrage. After a few seconds, Zeke stood up and looked at the figure. It was a man with an average look and short black hair that exuded an air of arrogance and disdain. The noteworthy feature of the man is his two protruding horns in both sides of his head. This horn is unlike his parents'', as this one is a bit longer and different in shape. It also exudes a slightly oppressive aura that Zeke could feel when he was a few meters away from the figure''s horns. There is also a tattoo that looked like two ''I''s on the figure''s left chest as both are pitch black and seemed to be glowing faintly. After a few minutes of looking, Zeke concluded that it was really a demonkin. Although it was his first time seeing one, Zeke knew from the books that demons all have their own natural evil or malevolent auras and it was up to the person''s future training what their auras will be. Demons who kill for strength have a stronger oppressive and malevolent aura than those who meditate as normal magicians do. Although Demons who meditate like humans have evil auras, it was only faint as it''s just an innate aura from their bodies. Even if the demon did all the good deeds in the world, there would still be a stench of evil aura in him/her. ..... After a few seconds of Zeke rummaging through the figure''s pockets and storage, Zeke decided to go further down and sate his curiosity. He was also highly vigilant because from what the demon had said earlier. If this demon disciple is already this strong, then wouldn''t it mean his master is stronger? Although Zeke had little to no confidence in defeating the ''master'', he couldn''t back down anymore. He was afraid that if he backed down right there and then, it would be one of his biggest regrets in his life. Right now, he already awakened 70% of the slumbering dragon blood in his body. It had increased by a bit due to having a tense fight against someone slightly stronger than him while in a disadvantageous environment. Although he knew he could already integrate the awoken blood, he figured he''d try and increase it more since he had another stronger foe to face which is the demon master in the following rooms. Not only that, but he also didn''t know if the demon master is the strongest he''ll face here as there was a chance that strong beasts reside in the deeper parts of this place. After walking for a bit, Zeke reached the next room. He readied his sword as he was looking around the room. He was also surprised that inside the room, multiple torches were already lit and there was no one around besides some footprints. The footprints belonged to an adult which had almost twice the size of Zeke''s own small foot. The statues of this room were also exuding a very terrifying aura that if it weren''t for Zeke''s own aura, he would''ve already lost his combat strength. The statues here also had glowing red eyes which only made the room much more creepy. Zeke endured the scary atmosphere as he went down yet another room. Zeke went into the next room with ease. There was no sign of life as Zeke only saw the same footsteps along with the statues who again strengthened the aura they exuded in hopes of pressuring Zeke. However, the statues really encountered the wrong victim this time. Not only did his own Aura suppress most of the incoming pressure, but Zeke also had a mind and soul that was many times stronger than his peers. Combined with his Aura, there was practically no hope for the oppressive atmosphere to suppress him much less incapacitate him. Zeke was surprised about the size of the next room he came across. Unlike the previous ones, this one is much bigger than the others by almost twice the size as it also had multiple torches lit up there. The torches were too far from the floor and the middle part of the room as some parts aren''t seen and are hidden in the darkness. Zeke looked around without entering the room as he faintly sensed a feeling of danger inside. Zeke noticed through his mana perception that a faint trace of mana could be felt. It was mana that was willed to surround a figure of a cross-legged human. Looking at the direction, Zeke guessed that this should be the master the figure spoke about earlier. Before entering, he also tried to sense if there''s any other living being inside. If there were, then Zeke would have to reconsider his decisions. When he noticed there was no one besides the sitting figure, He heaved a sigh of relief as he stealthily entered. Fortunately for Zeke, the door behind him didn''t close, but the walls beside are trembling like it was being obstructed by something invisible. This made escape possible if the opponent is too strong for Zeke. When he tried to look around, he could only see a bald old man sitting near the middle of the room with his back facing Zeke. The old man wore a loose robe with images of a black bird soaring above what seems to be human figures. The images in the back part of the old man''s robe looked very majestic as there were also black feathers surrounding the outer part of the robe. In Zeke''s eyes, the old man was like a rich businessman who has a weird taste in exotic clothing. Seeing as the old man was faced in the opposite direction, Zeke tried a sneak attack. For fear that using magic can alert the man, Zeke brought out a spare spear as he hurled it towards the head of the man. The old man didn''t even look back as his left arm waved casually. A dark shield formed from mana appeared as it blocked the incoming spear with ease. Zeke was surprised by the man''s keen senses and vigilance. "Young people nowadays really do everything just to win." With a sigh, the old man floated a meter above the ground as he rotated to face Zeke. He was surprised by the appearance of his attacker but he soon recovered his poker face. "I thought it was my disciple who attacked me. It turned out to be an unknown sob who''s still wet in the ears. Who are you, young man? How did you get here? Did you kill my disciple back there?" The man questioned Zeke as his gaze was like a death sentence to Zeke as he felt naked right in front of the sitting man. Zeke remained silent as he was not in the mood for chatter. "Tier 2? Such a young sob like you is actually already Tier 2?" The man widened his eyes, thinking it was his vision that was wrong. Zeke looked like a boy not older than 15 yet he was already a Tier 2 Magician based on the purity of his mana. Due to the big difference in power, the man had the ability to sense Zeke''s mana. With his experience, he naturally knew how impure a Tier 1 Magician''s mana is, while Zeke''s was already partially pure. It meant that Zeke is at the very least a fledgeling Tier 2 or higher but lower to a new Tier 3. This shook the man''s core as he noticed Zeke''s handsome face and height. It was clearly the proportion of a child lower than 15 years old. The man was shocked because even in his homeland, the youngest person to reach Tier 2 was a 16-year-old boy of noble birth. Other than the boy, he didn''t know of anyone who reached this Tier at a very young age. At the same time, Zeke was also shocked about the old man''s words. It had only been seconds when the man first looked at him but he already had figured this much. To be able to figure out one''s strength in just a look, Zeke knew that only people far stronger than their enemies could do this. He instantly concluded that this old man should be stronger than Zeke many many times. "It seems my disciple''s lacking in skills. His Darkray Barrier couldn''t even hold out against a measly Tier 2?" The old man sighed and looked at Zeke coldly. Although his disciple is unruly and arrogant, his talent for their family''s skill is too good, making him the old man''s disciple. However, he couldn''t figure out how the Tier 2 Magician in front of him managed to have possibly killed the disciple who had the formidable Darkray Barrier, a skill that could even defend against attacks of Tier 3 Magicians. 63 Death "It also seems you''re quite confident in your skills, kid. Allow me." The old man slowly said as four black orbs started forming in the space above each of his hands. With a wave, all eight charged towards Zeke blindly. Seeing the surge of mana coming towards him, Zeke immediately coated his sword with faint mana of fire element as he hacked down the orbs that were supposed to hit him while deflecting the others to the wall behind him. When the deflected orbs hit the wall, a bang sound could be heard as Zeke felt the shockwave hit his back. Fortunately, he already slashed all the black orbs coming towards him before the shockwave happened, or else he''d definitely suffer one or two should he lose balance before defending. ''Such a strong power in a simple move!'' Zeke thought. He knew that these black orbs are of Dark Element, and it was one of the most common ways to attack as a Dark Magician specializing in long-range barrage. Although Zeke knew of it, he hadn''t learned it through the system yet so he wasn''t confident in doing the same spell. Besides, based on the previous attack, the old man should be a Tier 3 considering the purity of his mana is much higher than Zeke. With all these thoughts combined, Zeke knew he was in for a hard battle as he quickly charged forward. He intended to force the old man to fight him in close quarters as he guessed that this man should be more proficient in long-range magic than close quarters. Seeing Zeke madly charge towards him, the old man sneered and seemed to realize what Zeke was planning. "Good thinking, kid. However, do you think I am not prepared against this? Do you take me for a dumb old man?" The old man gritted his teeth as a faint black barrier formed a meter around the old man. Unlike earlier, the barrier of the old man as thrice as thick as his disciple''s. However, Zeke acutely noticed that something''s wrong with the old man''s expression. Instead of the usual indifference, the old man looked like he was hesitant at something. Zeke was trying to make sense of the old man''s expression but the system''s words immediately after confirmed his suspicions. *Zeke, your body have been inflicted by some sort of poison. The moment you fully entered the room, an illusory smoke seeped inside your body through the pores. At first, it was faint and barely noticeable, but at this point, your body should be weakening greatly if not for your immunity in poison.* Zeke felt chills after hearing the system. An invisible and odorless poison is the bane of every single human as they wouldn''t even know what hit them before they succumb to the poison. This is especially scary when utilized in assassinations as the prey wouldn''t even know what or where he/she should be careful about. ''Do you know what kind of poison is this, System?'' *Yes, Zeke. Give me a moment as I search through Mr. Pandora''s books.* While Zeke and the system conversed inside his mind, Zeke was busy blocking and deflecting the barrage of black orbs while also charging forward little by little. Since the black orbs contain massive strength themselves, Zeke found it hard to move forward as the momentum of the black orbs keep pushing him back. However, with Zeke''s acute senses, he noticed a strand of blood come out of the old man''s mouth. *Zeke, I found a poison that has the same description as the one you''re supposed to be inflicted with. It didn''t have an official name but only a name coined by people who survived it. Its coined name is the Formless Poison, and its origins are also mysterious. Some said it was from a highly poisonous frog, others say it was born and made by nature itself, while others also claim it was an artificial poison made by some individuals. This Formless Poison is very tyrannical as it specifically targets the person''s mana core. The more the person will mana out of their mana core, the more the poison would damage the inner organs. This means that when mana come out of the inflicted person''s mana core, some of the mana will separate from the whole and be consumed by the poison. When consumed, the supposedly meek and obedient mana would in turn rampage around the body of the user, heavily damaging the organs and foundation of the magician. The strange part was that there was no known medicine that could cure this Formless Poison, and once someone gets inflicted by it, one could only do one thing to dissolve the poison: by making their body void of mana. This will make it so the poison couldn''t reproduce and multiply while slowly dying off. This also means that Formless Poison is the bane of every magician, who all uses and commands magic. Thanks to your immune body, you managed not to get inflicted by it. However, I sense that this poison isn''t as strong as how the book made it to be. My guess is that this poison is just like an ''infant'' in terms of maturity. This poison is very weak, but it was enough to ravage the insides of the old man after releasing more of his mana to attack you.* Hearing this, Zeke immediately rejoiced as he now had a definite plan to follow. Since the old man was basically damaging himself the more they fight, then Zeke just needed to stall for a bit before striking a lethal attack. "Gah! Just DIE!" While Zeke was deflecting off, a scream could be heard as the old man''s black orbs suddenly became bigger and stronger. Zeke knew the old man''s patience is going thin as he rejoiced in having the Formless Poison to deal with the old man. Right now, he couldn''t even get close due to the old man''s barrage, and while he could hold off his ground temporarily, he would be the one to tire himself up as the old man''s mana reserves are so deep and the spells he cast only cost a sliver of mana. If it was a battle of attrition, Zeke could probably win by a small margin, but if the old man were to get serious, Zeke knew he had no chance. Right now, he was already heavily defending casual spells from the old man. If he were to cast bigger and more advanced spells, Zeke knew he and his sword would stand no chance. Zeke didn''t even bother thinking about fighting as a magician. Although the difference in mana pool is not far, the old man''s mana purity is higher, thus defeating Zeke''s when both simultaneously attack. Zeke became even more determined to trouble the old man as he knew the old man''s suffering a great deal of damage from the poison. Taking advantage of this, Zeke flashed to the side using [Spatial King''s Domain] as he hurled fireballs after fireballs while deflecting the stray black orbs. The old man got caught off-guard as the fireballs hit his barrier. Although it did no real damage, it consumed some of the old man''s mana, damaging his inner organs even more. The old man realized that Zeke already knew of the poison but instead of being relieved, he was even more baffled. "ARGGGGGGGGGGGH!" The old man became even more crazed as he continuously suffered internal damage the more he attacked Zeke. The number of orbs being formed in his palms lessened but each of the orb contained more mana than the previous barrage. The old man realized that he couldn''t afford to be stingy regarding his mana consumption when facing this boy in front of him. He knew bombarding him with basic spells isn''t gonna work, but he hesitated in truly expending much of his mana towards Zeke. Hesitating, he could only decrease the amount of Dark Orbs while increasing the mana contained inside, basically trading quantity for quality. Zeke realized this, but instead of grimacing, he felt it would be much more bearable. For Zeke, attacking faster is more tiring than him exerting his full strength. Also, with the decreased amount of orbs going at him, Zeke''s burden would lessen and his chances of getting closer would increase if factors like dodging or deflecting is included. Another minute had passed by and Zeke was already only a few meters away from the old man. By now, the old man had already coughed a few mouthfuls of blood, staining his magnificent robe red. "ARGGGHH! I''M DONE PLAYING WITH YOU MONGREL!" The old man howled once more as he stood up and muttered incomprehensive words. Suddenly, black chains emerged from the ground underneath him as it charged towards Zeke, who was still fending off the last dark orbs shot by the old man. Sensing the chains approaching him, Zeke immediately cast [Void Negation]. When the chains got near Zeke, it suddenly dissolved into dust as Zeke charged forward. The old man was shocked that his Dark Bindings didn''t work but he was experienced enough to not get flustered. He immediately jumped back and observed Zeke. He assumed that with Zeke using such a fraudulent trick, it must''ve some limitations. The old man decided to create some distance between him and Zeke as his foot got covered by black-colored mana as he slid backward. When Zeke saw this, he immediately followed. Faint electric sparks surrounded by wind appeared around his legs as he dashed towards the sliding old man. ''Is he crazy? Why did he use ma... oh.'' The old man thought inwardly. At first, he thought Zeke knew about the lingering poison in the surroundings which damaged even a Tier 3 Demon Magician like him. However, after seeing Zeke brazenly cast a spell, he couldn''t help but realize that perhaps Zeke still hasn''t felt the poison yet. This greatly pleased the old man as he thought of baiting him more and more even while being damaged himself. He knew he should be much stronger than Zeke so in terms of battling a war of attrition, it will be Zeke that succumbs to the poison first. ''Wait... isn''t he using fire mana earlier? How come I''m seeing electricity in his feet? And it seems there''s also... wind?!'' The old man suddenly noticed the oddity. Earlier, he could feel that the boy in front of him released faint Fire-attributed mana to coat his sword which made slashing through the orbs possible. However, the boy in front of him also cast Lightning and perhaps even a Wind Element spell simultaneously. Just what is this? Is this some sort of joke? While the old man was gazing at Zeke with unconcealed shock, Zeke continued his charge. Since the opponent knew of his multiple elements now, he no longer felt the need to limit himself. Still from a few meters away, Zeke slashed with his sword, releasing a Fire-attributed wave of mana coming towards the old man. Seeing this, the old man sneered. He had absolute confidence with his barrier which can even block attacks from people slightly stronger than him. If the attack is from the kid in front of him, the old man didn''t put up much guard. As soon as it clashed against the Darkray Barrier, the whole barrier trembled while a crack appeared on the part where the sword collided. The shocked old man didn''t know how Zeke managed to crack the barrier, but after a few seconds, the old man widened his eyes as he looked at Zeke. His gaze contained multiple emotions, particularly that of shock, disbelief, and anger. "What the fuck is this? Even light?!" The old man cursed. He checked and examined his barrier only to sense Light-attributed mana from outside. He initially didn''t see it due to the fire mana but now that he examined it closer, he sensed that it wasn''t the fire-attributed mana that hit his barrier, but the bane of Dark Magicians like him - the element of light. Although he was still shocked inwardly, he knew he couldn''t indulge in it right now as the kid who left him surprises is his enemy and that he''s currently charging again towards him. With the man''s newfound discovery, he didn''t dare take Zeke''s sword strike head-on. He gritted his teeth and, after a few more seconds, decided to stop hesitating as determination filled his crazed facial expression. Four black javelins materialized as it launched towards Zeke. When Zeke saw this, he dodged two while blocking the remaining two with his now light-imbued sword. However, after blocking the third javelin, Zeke got caught off guard as the old man suddenly materialized in front of Zeke, striking him with his palm covered with Dark-attributed mana. Zeke hadn''t expected this as he was sent tumbling back with a palm imprint on his chest. A direct strike from a Tier 3 was plenty enough to destroy Zeke''s defenses as he felt his inner organs tremble from the impact. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Zeke didn''t even have time to rest as another four javelins came flying towards Zeke in different directions. Not daring to underestimate it again, Zeke dodged while a faint white barrier enveloped Zeke''s figure as he then again received a direct palm from the old man who was also coughing up blood. Fortunately, due to the extra protection from the [Light Shield], Zeke wasn''t as injured as the first strike. He only staggered backwards by three steps as he felt a heavy sensation on his chest. He stared at the old man with vigilance as he still didn''t know how the old man could do this. Seeing Zeke with almost little to no damage, the old man got enraged. He had utilized a technique where he could switch with one of his attacks to deal a heavy blow on Zeke but it didn''t occur to him that Zeke was actually so tenacious that his two sneak attacks were almost ineffective. Knowing that the old man couldn''t finish off Zeke by using half-assed moves, the man didn''t hesitate anymore as he willed a large amount of mana to coat himself. Although the poison would act even more inside his body, he felt that if he could get rid of Zeke instantly, he would have time to deal with the poison inside his body. It was a big gamble that the old man took as he knew he couldn''t get rid of Zeke without risking himself. The sudden surge of mana alerted Zeke as he was now looking at the figure of the old man shrouded with black mana. Then, to Zeke''s surprise, the old man suddenly disappeared from his view as even his presence also got concealed. Zeke grimaced as he looked intently around his surroundings while keeping his sword in a defensive position. However, even after a few seconds have passed, Zeke still couldn''t sense the old man. He thought the old man escaped but the next event caught him off-guard. He heard a slight whistle coming from behind him as Zeke swung his sword in hopes of hitting the old man. When his sword passed through the area where Zeke heard the whistle, he didn''t feel any obstruction as he knew his attack missed. Before Zeke could even reset his stance, he felt a tinge of pain on his neck. He looked down, only to see a jet black tip of the spear piercing through Zeke''s neck. Then, the spear suddenly rotated wildly as Zeke''s head flew off while his body knelt before completely plopping down. Blood gushed as a figure appeared not too long after Zeke''s death. The black figure receded the Dark mana covering his whole body as the familiar face of the old man could be seen. "Fucking pest." 64 Awakening The old man swore while coughing up a lot of blood. In that last encounter, the old man had been forced to use one of his advanced spell named Nullify Presence. This is a keepsake of his family who had always produced Darkness-attributed geniuses and also requires the use of Dark Element. This spell made it so the user could blend with the surroundings and erase his presence by covering his whole body with Dark mana. One downside was that this was only suitable in areas with no sunlight and since the place they were fighting is underground, it was a perfect spell for the old man to use. The other downside of the spell is its high mana cost, so he initially hesitated to use it since the more mana he expended, the more severe his injuries from the poison will be. Right now, he sat cross-legged as he tried to stabilize his whole self while carefully getting rid of mana inside his body. He knew that the poison is incapable of spreading if it couldn''t find mana to ravage, so the old man restrained all the mana inside his mana core and steadied himself to recuperate. Right now, he was fuming with anger and hate towards Zeke. If it weren''t for Zeke, his injuries should''ve not been this serious and he would still have the strength to move forward to the next room. However, as it stands now, the old man not only lack combat prowess to proceed, but he also still has the Formless Poison invading his body from the inside. With both these things added, his hope of getting past the next room is almost nil. He swore incessantly in his mind as he decided to go back to the previous room. He had no choice but to retreat first and treat the poison inside his body, and since the current room had poison all over, he needed to have a resting place with no Formless Poison. As the old man was walking past Zeke''s corpse, he immediately felt a sense of danger in his heart. Instinctively, he looked towards Zeke''s headless body. Seeing the body still lying there, clearly dead, the old man didn''t know where the source of danger originates. He was still sensing the perimeter when he noticed a bright glow appear from his back. He turned around to defend himself, but it was too late. The javelin formed from light pierced through his stomach as another one appeared and impaled his throat. He didn''t even know what happened as he clutched both the spears with each of his hands for a moment before falling down, becoming completely lifeless. Just when the light dissipated, Zeke''s head floated upwards and charged towards his bloody body at a fast speed. When it arrived, it attached himself back as Zeke''s eyes suddenly opened. [Consuming Back-up Life. Remaining Back-up Life: 1] Zeke heard the vague monotone sound of the System as he lifted his upper body up while looking around the area before finally landing his sight on the old man''s lifeless body. ''Thankfully, he''s dead.'' Zeke heaved a sigh of relief. Even though his body was technically ''dead'', his soul remained there, which made casting spells possible for him although the spell cast would be far weaker since the soul could only manipulate mana outside. Even then, since the old man focused on finding the source of danger, he hadn''t had time to process the attack that materialized near him, making his defense weak and thus allowed the [Light Spear] to pierce his body. Earlier, when Zeke got stabbed in his throat, he actually felt death looming around him. He couldn''t move his whole body and his vision clearly saw his own body without a head. He noticed that his whole body was ethereal and intangible yet his headless physical body laid in front of him.It was a very bizarre and horrific sight for Zeke to see his own body without his own head. If it were the past Zeke from Earth, he would''ve already fainted on the spot just by the sight. Also, Zeke''s past memories and experiences in the past resurface in his mind like a movie highlight. From when he was born, to sparring with his father, to killing the slave traders, to fighting in the forest, Zeke watched all the scenes like it was a movie in the blink of an eye. He had experienced death and how death feels without completely dying himself, broadening his horizons as well as helped him reflect his life. With his whole life like a movie before him, Zeke realized what he did in the past, and in this way, he also thought of things that he could''ve done differently. All these happened in a single breath, and this greatly affected Zeke''s mind. If his mind is like a cloudy sky before, right now it was like a clear blue sky, with a faint feeling of being infinite. His mind was now like a sky that was so clear and infinite that it looked like an abyss. The experience of death significantly improved Zeke''s mind and helped his soul achieve clarity and stillness. It also made Zeke''s importance to life heavier. As someone who experienced death, he didn''t want his family or his friends to ever experience it. It also strengthened his resolve to get stronger so he could provide people around him help. If earlier, he still had slight hesitations in killings, right now he had already steeled his mind. If someone threatened him or the people around him, he now wouldn''t hesitate to dirty his hands. Right now, Zeke focused on regaining his five senses and arrange his thoughts. Earlier, he had just felt death so the feeling of living again felt surreal for Zeke. He felt extremely grateful for the Back-up Life the System or Pandora gave him. If it weren''t for that, then Zeke would''ve been dead now due to his hotheadedness. After a few minutes of sitting cross-legged, Zeke regained full control of his body. There was still a strange sensation in his neck, but on the outside, his skin didn''t show any signs of getting ripped off. It recovered up to the point where even the slightest hint of Zeke getting beheaded could not be found. Just as Zeke stood up, he suddenly felt intense pain in his stomach. Zeke felt like his stomach was getting ripped apart as he sat while examining his current condition. However, Zeke couldn''t see anything unusual inside his body that could cause the current pain he''s suffering. Just as Zeke''s thinking about this, the pain suddenly spread to his whole body. The pain in his whole body was getting unbearable as Zeke held the urge to scream. *Congratulations, Zeke. The pain you''re experiencing right now is the awakening of your dragon blood.* The system''s words shocked Zeke. ''Awakening? Then why so sudden? Haven''t I been depressing it?'' *You died, Zeke. The suppression of your soul suddenly stopped, so the rampant dragon blood started working. Right now, the process is unstoppable as the dragon blood''s now converting all your human blood into dragon blood. Congratulations, Zeke. You are now a bona fide Dragonborn.* Hearing this, Zeke immediately got excited. The thought of becoming one a dragon or even a descendant of one excites Zeke up until now. Back then. when he chose the Dragon Continent as his starting point, although he wished to be born as a dragon, his only expectation was to meet one. Now, not only did he meet Dragonborn, but he is actually becoming one himself right now. ''System, would this mean I awakened my Flamehaven''s bloodline now? I should, right? I mean, I should have awakened at least 70% of my dragon blood, right?'' *Quite far from it, Zeke.* The system''s reply baffled Zeke. Could it be he didn''t reach 70%? *By far, I mean your estimation is. Zeke, you have awakened 95% of your untapped Dragon Blood. Even I don''t know what bloodline will you awaken, Zeke.* Hearing the number shocked Zeke, but he hadn''t had time to absorb it as he suddenly felt his whole body surge with power. All the muscles in his body as well as bones were being strengthened at a fast rate that Zeke could feel immense power flow through his body. *Zeke, the dragon blood''s restructuring your body. Right now, it is fortifying your physical body, making it as tyrannical as a Dragonborn''s body. Although not as tough as a dragon''s scale, your body would become thrice or even 5x stronger than humans. Your Strength, Agility, and Endurance are all slowly rising as your body gets tempered and tempered.* After a few minutes, the hot sensation that Zeke felt while his body surged with power is currently dissipating as another huge change is happening inside his body. Zeke peered inside his body as he noticed his Perfect Mana Core is emitting a bright rainbow-colored light around it. It was so bright that Zeke wondered if the outside world could see his mana core now due to the intense brightness. Zeke suddenly felt intense amount of power surging within his whole body. It was so strong that Zeke couldn''t hold it in anymore as he roared loudly. It was loud enough to even cause the room he was in to violently shake, with cracks appearing on the walls of the room. Fortunately, it was sturdy and the cracks were only shallow and don''t pose a threat to the structure''s integrity. --------------------------- Outside the underground place Zeke was in, an earth-shattering roar could be heard. This roar was filled with noble and lofty aura as it reverberated and shook the heavens and earth. It was very loud that all the beasts in the surface of the whole jungle trembled slightly, including the strongest existences as well as the Baleful Earth Primate Warbeast that Zeke encountered earlier in his travels. When all these beasts heard the roar, a faint feeling of dread and fear slowly spread in their minds as they couldn''t help but feel a sense of reverence and worship amidst their fear. Some of the weaker beasts couldn''t hold on as they slumped and smashed on the ground, while others transformed into a human figure as they held the urge to kneel. The powerful ones managed to endure the emanating majestic pressure but the weaker ones couldn''t as they kneeled absentmindedly. As for the Baleful Earth Primate, it was near the underground place Zeke was in so it received a stronger pressure as it forcefully defended the suppression. Cracks appeared beneath the Giant Gorilla as it finally succumbed and knelt after a few seconds. ------------------------------------------- In the nearby Dragonsoar City, the roar could also be heard. It was filled the aura of supremacy and loftiness that struck the hearts of those who heard it. The commoners who heard it only felt shock and awe in their hearts, but the Dragonborns were different. Ever since their awakening, they had never felt reverence and worship from a roar. They knew that a roar signified the awakening of a Dragonborn, but it was not this loud and majestic. Normally, if the bloodline of the awakening Dragonborn inside the city is stronger than them, they will feel slight pressure and unease in their hearts, as if the dragon blood within them boiled with fighting spirit. But now, this feeling was absent as worship and reverence replaced it. This feeling was unlike the fighting spirit they felt every time a Dragonborn of a higher bloodline awakens. This was the feeling and pressure that a king exudes, something that only the strongest and the noblest could only do and not imitate. The source of the sound wasn''t clear, but they knew it was close if not in the city due to the load reverberating sound. "My god... I can''t stop trembling. What''s this?" A Dragonborn adventurer commented. His legs were currently trembling as his heart felt like it was gripped by an intangible force, slightly suffocating him. "C-crazy... Is this an overlord?" "Look! Even Senior Kray is slightly trembling! Just how powerful is this to have even a Noble Dragonborn like him fearful?!" In one of the inns, a middle-aged man was sitting in the chair while listening to the loud roar and people''s exclamations. He was feeling intense shock in the inside but he kept a deadpan expression outside. He couldn''t help but look towards the sky. His eyes glowed and his iris and pulls changed, forming a black hexagon. When he looked at the sky again, he could see a faint aura spreading all over the city. He went out of the inn and traced the source of the aura and he found out it came from the forest. "Such a noble aura.. Could it be..." The man muttered as he took out a cloak and ran off to a direction. -------------------------------------- In the middle part of the city, Esteban was in his study, currently reading a book. When he heard the roar, his hands trembled as his monocle fell down. He hurriedly stored the book away, went outside, and looked to the sky. "Someone awakened... and it''s not just a simple awakening.." He muttered. "A 4th-Generation? No, it''s too loud. 3rd? No, it''s not as strong as this. Then is this a 2nd Generation Bloodline? My god! This is absurd! " Esteban exclaimed. A 2nd-Generation Bloodline is basically an ultra genius in the whole Dragon Continent, as it only appears once in a thousand years in the continent. Such a heaven-defying individual needs to be reported to the higher-ups so they could nurture that person. Just when he was about to contact Charles, a sudden feeling of reverence surged in his heart. This heavily startled Esteban as this was the first time he felt such emotion on an awakening. He couldn''t help but doubt his judgment. Is this really a 2nd Generation? Or perhaps this is one of the progenitor generations? Esteban couldn''t tell exactly so he stopped thinking about it and went to contact Charles. ''*sigh* I hope Young Noble also awaken a high bloodline. With this, we might finally unite the Eastern Lands.'' ------------------------------------------------ In a majestic palace several thousand kilometers away from Dragonsoar City, a graceful old man is busy tending to his plants in a garden-like place. All of a sudden, his ears perked up as he looked towards a direction. It was the direction of Dragonsoar City. ''It''s here... It''s finally here... my empire''s going to be prosperous!'' The old man muttered as he raised his hand and shot a small orb of mana towards a certain direction silently but swiftly. After a few seconds, another old man suddenly appeared near the old man with a flash. If there was an onlooker, they''d definitely be confused as the old man looked like he appeared out of empty air. The newly arrived old man kneeled while he looked with a gaze full of respect and worship. "What does Your Majesty needs? This servant is here to do Your Majesty''s bidding." "No need for that. Did you hear it too?" "Y-yes, Your Majesty. The roar isn''t that of a normal 2nd Generation Bloodline. Perhaps..." "Yes. That roar must''ve come from either a progenitor bloodline awakening or if it''s not, then it''s at least at the zenith of 2nd Generation. This is a great boon for our Empire. Go out and gather information as to whose children or descendant broke through today. We must know who is it!" The old man casually said while still tending his plants, however, the excitement in his voice was evident. "Yes, your servant understands!" The figure was about to go leave but he was stopped by the old man. "Don''t make a ruckus about it. Deal with it silently. I don''t want the heretics to know about this, you hear me? Although they must''ve heard it too, they definitely won''t care about it so long as they don''t see us move. Deal with this secretly." The old man said in a stern voice. "Yes!" The other old man stood and left with a flash. The garden regained its serene atmosphere again. "The heavens blessed this generation. With this, my empire should flourish and prosper!" 65 Lesser Golden Dragon Practically every single powerful entity within the Dragon Continent felt the aura of the roar. Most of them didn''t know the exact situation but they all knew it as a bloodline with very in purity and hierarchy. Even so, each and every one of them sent out their scouts to find information about this. The wanted person, Zeke, was still sitting cross-legged inside the Formless Poison-filled room. He didn''t know that his roar was that loud as he felt his whole body was full of vitality and power. It seemed to be endless and unmeasurable as he felt he could even punch a mountain to dust. However, Zeke knew it was only drunk euphoria and that it would diminish after some time. The mana core continued to glow for a minute before a strand of mana coiled around the Perfect Mana Core. This strand of mana contained a ferocious and ancient aura that was highly tyrannical and arrogant. Instead of going inside the mana core, The strand of mana actually coiled around the core as it formed a faint silhouette of a small dragon''s head with the mana core inside his ''mouth''. Even though ethereal, Zeke could faintly see that this dragon head was filled with shiny scales After a few more seconds, Zeke looked at his mana core again. Now, a whole ethereal dragon head wrapped around the mana core as it emanated a tyrannical aura. This aura was very different from Zeke''s mana core as it was much more ferocious and untamed. It was filled with superiority as it rotated around the Mana Core. Suddenly, a wave of new information entered Zeke''s head. However, it was different this time. Unlike when he was using skill tomes, this information wasn''t learned by force. It went as smooth and fluid without pain, causing Zeke to sigh in relief. He also felt a very familiar feeling from the waves of information entering his mind, as if it already existed within him in the first place and not a foreign object. *Zeke, that strange and ferocious energy you''re feeling is different from mana. As you awakened, the dragon blood within you tempered and changed your whole physique. Besides for the purpose of having a stronger and sturdier body, it also served for one other purpose, and that is to be able to handle that ferocious energy. It is what dragonborns call ''Dragon Energy'', a kind of energy that is a notch higher than mana and is also one of the most ferocious energies existing in the world.* ''Dragon Energy? Interesting.'' *Yes, Zeke. Dragon Energy is like a secondary type of mana exclusively available for dragons. Just like human nobles, dragon nobles also have the same concept of hierarchy, and that the higher bloodline you have, the more ''Dragon Energy'' you can store. Just by the fact that you have awakened 95% of your Dragon Blood, you can already hold almost twice the Dragon Energy that your father had when he broke through. Also, I presume you already inherited some memories regarding your awakened bloodline.* ''Oh, yes. A whole bunch of information popped inside my mind. Let me organize it first.'' After a few seconds, Zeke finished organizing all the pieces of information he got and was shocked to the point where he couldn''t contain the excitement and ecstasy he felt. ''System, I remember you telling me about the progenitor of the Dragonborn race. If my memory serves me right, was it the Golden Dragon?'' Zeke''s inner voice was trembling. *Yes, Zeke.* ''Then what about... a Lesser Golden Dragon? What about that?'' Zeke excitedly asked. He had only organized the information without fusing it one by one so he only had a rough idea about the bloodline he obtained. The new memories are still a mess, but Zeke knew the bloodline he obtained: The Lesser Golden Dragon''s bloodline. Zeke expected it to be quite high seeing as it had a ''Golden Dragon'' in its name. Even though it was Lesser, that didn''t deter Zeke''s ecstasy at all. In the first place, he hadn''t hoped for a bloodline as high and perfect as the Golden Dragon. *According to Mr. Pandora''s records, the Paragon of the First Generation of your ancestors is the Golden Dragon. He was a figure greatly respected and feared by many. His title of being the Paragon wasn''t just for show, not at all. He was called the Paragon because he wielded almost all the powers that a Dragon could have. His power is not limited to the six elements, but also countless variant elements such as Plant, Sound, War, and many other bizarre powers. The First Generation has the Golden Dragon as their leader figure, while each of the other members all have specialized powers. Some prominent figures back then were the Dragon of War Aegis, Insane Dragon Ditharae, Night King Oscuro, Sand Emperor Savlon, and many others. They all bore different titles, but they were all the kinsmen of the Paragon. The Lesser Golden Dragon is the only known offspring of the Golden Dragon and it was also considered as the leader figure of the second generation. This is because the Lesser Golden Dragon also inherited most of the abilities but with it being downgraded and weaker than the First Generation''s. However, the Lesser Golden Dragon''s might was still unquestionable as he had access to an arsenal of powers and is not limited to just one. His might was just like his father''s, almighty and all-encompassing.* Zeke was utterly shocked by what the System said. He was unable to absorb such alarming pieces of information in a short period of time. Along with the new information he received from his awakening, he figured he needed a long amount of time to absorb all these. He sighed as he prepared to go to the next room. He was filled with expectation but also worry since even a Tier 3 Magician couldn''t pass through here. However, before he could even stand up, another wave of severe pain surged in his whole body. It was so painful for Zeke that he couldn''t hold the urge to howl. Unlike earlier where he as forced to scream due to the ecstasy of power, this time it was because of severe pain. The pain was many times stronger than his previous painful experiences as he lost all power in his body. He kneeled there as he continued to howl loudly. ---------------------------------------------------------- In the same place as earlier, the old man was still watering his plants. Unlike before, he now had a happy expression as he thought of the future of his empire. Just as he was imagining, his ears perked up again as he stared in the same direction earlier with worry. After a few seconds, the old man sighed. "I should''ve known there''s no free lunch in the world. Hmph! To think another descendant of that wretched hag has appeared again. I will not let you ruin the future of the empire again!" The old man then waved his hand for a bit. Soon after, the old man who just came earlier went back in again, this time he was filled with confusion but he didn''t dare ask the old man. "I greet Your Maje-" "Cut it. Like earlier, pay attention to the Dragonborns who awaken today. Spare all your effort to get an accurate list, you hear me?" "Yes, Your Majesty! This lowly servant has a question. Would His Majesty receive it?" "Speak." "This lowly servant noticed that Your Majesty''s mood suddenly turned sour. May I ask why, Your Majesty?" The old man didn''t get angry by the question. It was as if he already expected the question. "Another prodigy." "?" "This time, a bad one." "!" "A descendant of the wretched one." "Y-your Majesty... by t-the wretched one, you mean...?" "Yes. A descendant of the Insane Dragon. I couldn''t discern whether it was a Mad Dragon or a much more diluted one. Still, each and every one of them pose a threat. Mobilize them secretly." The old man said. He didn''t bother looking to the other man anymore as he continued tending to the flowers again. "Y-Yes! Your lowly servant abides!" The old man felt alarmed by the words he heard. He didn''t expect the old man to suddenly mobilize their empire''s hidden force just for the sake of two single individuals. However, after thinking about it, he felt it made sense. Everytime a descendant of the wretched one appears, their empire''s peace always crumbles. It was equivalent to their bad omen, hence it required their full power. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a small hut situated in the middle of a small village, a thin middle-aged man was sitting crossing-legged in front of four other slim youths who were all pale-faced. All the four youths exude a faint malevolent aura as the middle-aged man''s aura counteracted it so it won''t leak outside. He suddenly furrowed his brows as he stood and went outside. He looked at the sky as if he was reminiscing about something. Suddenly, an ear-piercing howl that contained malevolence and fear resounded as the middle-aged man felt shocked and a slight feeling of dread. Soon after, the dread was replaced with excitement as the middle-aged man showed a happy expression. The weird part about it was that the other villagers acted like it was nothing. Most of them looked at the sky, but instead of becoming happy, their expressions showed pity and sadness. After a while, they continued with their usual business, no longer concerning themselves with the howl. Another weird part about all of this is that each and everyone of these villagers were pale if not thin and slim. They all looked like malnourished people but their eyes were full of vitality. It was a stark contrast to their ghastly bodies that looked like they would snap into two any time now. "Another one." the middle-aged man mumbled softly. His eyes flashed with red as he looked towards the direction Zeke was in. After a few seconds, a look of determination could be seen on the man''s face. "This one has the highest purity out of everyone. Perhaps he''s the one..." The man went back to the house while still pondering something. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Zeke was still kneeling on the same spot as he stopped his loud howl had already stopped. Even then, his body still felt extreme pain as he couldn''t even move an inch. Then, to Zeke''s surprise, he noticed his body became thinner and thinner by the second. After a few seconds, Zeke looked like a skeleton which still had a skin stuck to it. He was to thin that his clothes were too oversized for the him right now. His face also warped and became thinner and smaller. Only when he became as thin as skeleton did the pain within Zeke subsided. When Zeke opened his eyes and saw his current body, he couldn''t help but be alarmed. He was just too thin and ghastly as a humanoid. However, to his surprise, he felt his physical strength multiple by several folds as he examined his inner body. He was baffled about the surge in strength but he felt the trade with his body for power wasn''t worth it. When Zeke stood up, he found it easier than he thought it''d be. When he released a small amount of force to stand up, a crack suddenly formed underneath his spot, greatly surprising him. Only after a few seconds did Zeke fully processed what just happened. ''My physical strength was just so strong that a casual movement and force could crack this sturdy place. This is absurd!'' However, before he could even marvel about his newfound strength, his whole body started inflating. After a few seconds, he was back to his normal stalwart and broad figure. A wave of information surged in his mind and just like before, it didn''t hurt Zeke in the slightest. He even felt a sense of familiarity with it as he quickly organized the information. After a few minutes, a name appeared in Zeke''s mind. ''Mad Dragon... Interesting.'' *Congratulations, Zeke. Not only did you awaken the Zenith bloodline of the 2nd Generation, you also obtained another high-ranking one. Color me impressed.* ''System, do you know anything about this Mad Dragon?'' *Yes, Zeke. The Mad Dragon is another dragon bloodline of the 2nd Generation. Just like the Lesser Golden Dragon, this bloodline is also ranked at one of the highest in terms of potential and power. The Mad Dragon is the sole son of the famed Insane Dragon I mentioned earlier. Their strengths aren''t measured as well as their abilities, but it was also said that the Insane Dragon was also a top figure back then, just under the potential and power of the Golden Dragon. There was no other information in Mr. Pandora''s books regarding this.* Zeke nodded inwardly. He was filled with expectations with this bloodline considering its predecessor was near the same level as the Paragon. Zeke initially planned on clearing the whole place first before digesting all the information, but with the added Mad Dragon, Zeke felt excited as he decided to absorb first the new memories and information he got. With this, Zeke knew he would then know how to use his newfound bloodline powers. He would then have a much higher chance of defeating stronger opponents should they exist in the next rooms. He sat cross-legged again in the middle of the room as he divided his thoughts into 16 to further accelerate the process. -------------------------------------------- A whole week had gone by. Zeke, who was currently sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes. His expression showed extreme shock as he just finished fully absorbing and reorganizing his thoughts and new information. He was utterly happy and amazed about how powerful the Lesser Golden Dragon Bloodline and the Mad Dragon Bloodline are and how fortunate he is to have both of it. 66 New Powers According to his new information, it was actually inherited memories of the bloodline. If a high-ranked bloodline is awakened and if its purity is at a certain level, the awakened dragonborn would directly inherit all the general memories associated with the bloodline. If the bloodline''s purity isn''t up to the standard, the dragonborn would only get a sliver of information regarding his bloodline, thereby limiting his/her knowledge about his/her own power, resulting to a limited future. However, it wasn''t really a big issue for bloodlines with many descendants. This is because if someone awakened the same bloodline but with a higher purity, he/she could note down his inherited memories for people who have lower purity than said person to learn from. *Zeke, the purity of your bloodlines achieved almost the peak. You could be said to have inherited almost all of the Lesser Golden Dragon''s and Mad Dragon''s inherited memories. You wouldn''t need to find books regarding it anymore since you basically have more knowledge than anyone with a Lesser Golden Dragon and Mad Dragon.* Zeke rejoiced. He didn''t know how pure his bloodlines are so he couldn''t measure the exact amount of memories he inherited. However, it seems that his worries are naught since the system said his purity should''ve been almost at the peak. It seemed like he underestimated his achievement of awakening 95% of his total dragon blood. When he reorganized the newly inherited memories, he found out to his surprise that both bloodlines possess unfathomable potential. Merely reading all of it took Zeke days, and after reading all of it, Zeke felt like he had hit the jackpot. The Lesser Golden Dragon Bloodline he inherited was very powerful in the sense that it could match the Golden Dragon''s potential in its peak. To sum up the information regarding it, it was basically a progressing Golden Dragon. Unlike the Golden Dragon who had all the skills from the start, the Lesser Golden Dragon only has a few. As the dragonborn''s strength of Dragon Force increases, the hidden potential and power of the Lesser Golden Dragon will erupt, slowly revealing new powers while also improving them as the Dragon Energy increases in quality. This meant that Zeke would gain more bloodline power the more his Dragon Force got stronger, while his existing bloodline powers will also improve qualitatively. In a nutshell, Zeke''s bloodline power will improve both qualitatively and quantitatively. Also, according to his new information, he currently possess four dragon bloodlines within his Lesser Golden Dragon Bloodline. The first was a fiery feeling hovering along inside the Dragon Force. It was white in color while it exude an aggressive and destrictive aura. It was in the form of countless small balls of fire hovering in the faint dragon head around his Perfect Mana Core. This was Zeke''s family bloodline power, the Heavenly Flame Dragon Bloodline. The first Heavenly Flame Dragon appeared in the same generation as the Lesser Golden Dragon. It possessed supreme might and talent when utilizing Fire-attributed mana, According to the memories, the Heavenly Flame Dragon controls the most tyrannical Dragon Fire out of all the Dragon Bloodlines. It could practically melt metals easily while its power increases as the user becomes stronger. In its prime, the Heavenly Flames even burnt a whole full-fledged Dragon into crisp. Such a matter shocked the whole Second Generation back then, and this made the Heavenly Flame Dragon''s status within the generation to skyrocket. Among Fire-attributed Dragons, if anyone were to ask what flame is the most tyrannical and frightening, the Heavenly Flame stands above all. In Zeke''s Lesser Golden Dragon Bloodline, he had only received part of the Heavenly Flame Dragon''s bloodline powers. Instead of an active skill, Zeke instead received the Heavenly Flame-attributed mana from the bloodline, heavily changing his talent for Fire-attributed spells. Not only would he find it easier to cast Fire-attributed spells, the type of fire could also differ. When Dragon Force is mixed with his mana, his fire would be a Heavenly Flame, the most tyrannical type of flame amongst dragon flames. Even though Zeke didn''t receive an actual skill, he was still very satisfied with his gain. Not only would he have much more powerful fire attacks, his compatibility of this element would also increase drastically. If Zeke could be called a genius in Fire Magic before, then he could be said to me a monstrous prodigy right now. The second secondary bloodline he got was the Battle Dragon, Zeke felt the name was weird at first but he immediately dismissed the thought when he read about it. This Dragon was actually the offspring of The War Dragon, and that he too was as mighty as his father. The Battle Dragon possessed an innate monstrous talent regarding weapons. Unlike his father who was well-versed with wars and killing, the Battle Dragon was intoxicated with fighting. He did not kill as much as his father, but he was on par with his father in terms of weapon mastery. Since the Battle Dragon focused on fighting, he eventually surpassed his father''s overall combat prowess, formally claiming his nickname as the first Battle Dragon. The power he got from the Battle Dragon was absurd and overpowered in Zeke''s eyes. Besides the fact that his originally monstrous talent in comprehending weapon techniques became even more monstrous, he also had a fraudulent skill. When triggered, Zeke''s eyes will change into that of the Battle Dragon. With this, Zeke could faintly see the actions of his enemies a second or two in the future in his mind. This was not only due to foresight but more so in prediction and simulation. This fraudulent ability came to life due to the Battle Dragon''s intense will to improve his fighting prowess. With his unique image training ability developed from the countless battles, the Battle Dragon can analyze his opponent to form copies of them inside his mind. The Battle Dragon then mentally simulates the attack patterns that the opponent might possess. This made it so the Battle Dragon was always one to two steps ahead of his opponent. Before his enemy could even stab him, the Battle Dragon would already be dodging it. Now, this fraudulent ability was inherited by Zeke. The Battle Dragon back then casually named it as Keen Judgement as he then continued to use it for the rest of his life, thereby solidifying his nickname further. The third bloodline under his Lesser Golden Dragon is called the Saintly Dragon, a Light-attributed 2nd Generation Dragon. This one, like the Heavenly Flame Dragon, possess innate advantages in one attribute: Light. The Saintly Dragon wasn''t well known back then because it was a pacifist back then. It despises violence and specializes in supporting its allies in the battlefield, providing massive shields and countless buffs and enhancements. Although it was a pacifist, it still couldn''t dodge its responsibility as a dragonkin, hence it was forced to participate in battles. Even so, the dragon stayed true to its creed. It didn''t use its powers to harm, but only to support its allies. The Saintly Dragon''s Dragon Force was also special, just like the Heavenly Flame Dragon. Its Dragon Force resembled small white balls that radiate a gentle aura whenever Zeke tried to inspect it, contrary to the Heavenly Flame Dragon''s tyrannical and aggressive Dragon Force. It also hovered around inside the illusory dragon head along with the black fireballs of the Heavenly Flame Dragon. The innate skill Zeke got was a Minor Heal, a spell that could heal light wounds quickly. The last secondary bloodline that Zeke had under his Lesser Golden Dragon was something Zeke didn''t expect. The name of the bloodline, or at least what the ancient people call it, is the Virulent Plague Dragon. According to his new memories, the first Virulent Plague Dragon was one of the most sinister and brutal out of all the Dragons, and it also ranked in the top three of the deadliest and painful poision out of all the poisonous dragon. This is because the poison of this dragon could cause eternal suffering for the inflicted victim if the caster wished for. The poison could be controlled by the caster which also means that the victim''s life or death or suffering could be decided by the caster. This made the Virulent Plague Dragon one of the infamous torturers of their generation. He would inflict poison towards his enemies while willing it to cause pain to their bodies without killing them. Unless they persuade the Virulent Plague Dragon to stop and dispel the poison, the suffering of the victim won''t stop until he/she died. As for the antidote, only a healing dragon stronger than the Virulent Plague by a fold could forcefully dispel it. Still, the poison would''ve already damaged the victims''s body and/or his/her mind by that time, causing irrepairable damage. The Virulent Plague Dragons'' Dragon Force was in the form of a lime green drop of liquid that hovered within the dragon head. Zeke''s Dragon Force now consists of the normal attributeless Force, the Heavenly Flame''s Force, the Saintly Dragon''s milky white Force, and the Virulent Plague Dragon''s paris green Force. All four silently rotated within the illusory dragon head and around Zeke''s mana core. Learning about all of these, Zeke couldn''t help but be ecstatic about his current strength. He felt delighted seeing as he now had an arsenal of abilities to use against people. He felt that the Golden Dragon''s advantage of flexibility and unfathomableness. What made Zeke even ecstatic was the fact that this wasn''t his Lesser Golden Dragon''s final form, and that as his Dragon Force get tempered and strengthened, he would gradually unlock more and more bloodline forms that has its own powers too. Zeke also learnt that the tempering of Dragon Force was one of the important assets of Golden Dragons. If it were other Dragons, tempering the Dragon Force would only result to a bigger Dragon Force Pool and higher quality, but for the Golden Dragon and its descendants, tempering their Dragon Force not only meant increase in qualitative strength, but also their strength in terms of the quantity of bloodline powers. Their benefits in tempering the Dragon Force couldn''t even be placed in the same level as the benefits of other dragons. Such a revelation made Zeke even more excited. He yearned for such a day where he possesses just a lot of skills and powers of varying elements and specialties, making his overall combat strength much more powerful than Dragonborns of the same level. Also, only by combat and battles would the Dragon Force be tempered. It wasn''t like mana where people could just absorb it in the surroundings and it''ll increase. Only by stimulating it by fighting would it be strengthened and, at the same time, increase its pool. After absorbing all these information, Zeke went on to comb through the Mad Dragon''s. Not much was in the Mad Dragon''s inherited memories except for the fact that it was a killing machine. This was because the Mad Dragon gains his strength through baptism of blood. By killing an enemy, the Mad Dragon could absorb its blood and energy to empower his own. This would mean that when Zeke kills, he would have the choice to absorb the corpses'' vital energies, empowering him significantly. Unfortunately, it didn''t go with the specifics as to how exactly would it benefit Zeke but he figured it would be a great source of increase in power in the future. The Mad Dragon''s innate skill that Zeke inherited was Compression, or at least that''s what Zeke calls it. The ability had no name, but its effect was very terrifying. Zeke would basically compress his own muscles, making him look slimmer and all bones, while it will also drastically increase his explosive strength. Even though his figure would look like a malnourished one, his physical strength would skyrocket as his attacks would explode with power. *Zeke, this Mad Dragon Bloodline fits you perfectly. If it were others, using the Mad Dragon''s skill would slowly consume their consciousness until they became living puppets whose only desire is to kill. However, with your Unrestrained title, it would basically mean that you could utilize the Mad Dragon''s skill without having to suffer the mental backlash.* Hearing the system''s words, Zeke couldn''t help but tremble at the thought of that. Usually, a great power contains a limitation or a backlash when meeting certain conditions. In this case, the backlash of the explosive power is that its user will slowly lose his consciousness as they will become shrouded with evil thoughts and desires. However, with Zeke''s Unrestrained title, this basically nullified the negative characteristic of the Mad Dragon. Zeke felt like it was unfair but he didn''t object to it since it benefits him anyway. Zeke stood up after pondering over all of his newfound powers. He felt refreshed and even more confident to clear the place since he now had a lot of tricks to rely on. Before continuing forward, Zeke walked towards the corpse of the old man as he rummaged through his body. After a few seconds, Zeke only found two space rings out of the old man''s whole body. When he rummaged through it, Zeke found a small pile of gold coins along with some worn out books stashed in the corner. Upon closer inspection, Zeke realized it was all books regarding Dark-attributed skills. Zeke realized this old man must''ve been an important figure of their clan considering his collection of ''skill books'' are vast, with most of it suitable for Tier 1 Magicians, while some were only usable for Tier 2 and 3s. Zeke felt satisfied as he now had new skills to use. Before Zeke could even shake off his thoughts, a ding sound rang inside his head. A floating interface appeared in Zeke''s left peripheral vision as he shifted his gaze to it. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progression Quest "System Upgrade III" Complete! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª 67 Power Up ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Progression Quest "System Upgrade III" Complete! Reward: 1000xp System Upgrade -Shop Upgraded -Specialized Quests Access to quest "System Upgrade IV" *Optional Rewards based on performance* Awakened 50% and more of the dragon blood. -Skill Tome (Uncommon) Awakened 60% and more of the dragon blood -Skill Tome (Uncommon) x2 Awakened 70% and more of the dragon blood -Skill Tome (Epic) x2 Awakened 80% and more of the dragon blood -Skill Tome (Epic) -Skill Tome (Legendary) Awakened 90% and more of the dragon blood -Skill Tome (Legendary) -Soul Iron ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zeke was overwhelmed with the rewards he got from his quest. He felt excited about the feeling of getting a bunch of new skills again. However, when he saw the last reward, he couldn''t help but get confused. ''System, what''s that last item? Soul Iron?'' Zeke looked into his inventory only to find a large violet-colored ingot. It looked like a colored metal but it exuded a heavy and mysterious feeling. *That''s a kind of iron rarely seen even in the ancient times. It''s a type of metal that most blacksmiths use when they were forging magic weapons.* ''Magic Weapons?'' *Yes, Zeke. These weapons are a notch higher than common weapons as they possess a suitable body for mana application. This means that when the user injects or coats the Magic Weapon with mana, it would be able to exert much more than common weapons. Soul Iron is a kind of metal used to make weapons that are meant for Magicians. It can absorb and hold magic like no other metal could do. In your current day and age, I assume this kind of metal is extinct. After all, only nobles in the ancient times could have a piece of it.* Zeke was shocked about the value of the violet-colord ingot. However, he knew he couldn''t do much about it right now so he brushed past it. He turned his attention towards the pile of books scattered in his inventory. ''System, open all the uncommon spells for me.'' *Yes, Zeke. Consuming Skill Tome (Uncommon) x3.* After a while, information popped up in Zeke''s mind. The spells he got were named Frost Orb, Air Blaze, and Fiery Arrow. Frost Orb forms orbs conjured with Ice to launch towards the enemy. Air Blaze is an upgrade to Wind Blade wherein the gust of wind would have a shred of fire-attributed mana, making it sharper and more destructive. Fiery Arrow is as the name implies, arrows formed from fire which can be launched at will. These three spells were all suitable for Tier 2 Magicians, so Zeke planned on studying all of it since he felt like his other spells were lacking now. He realized that only magic of the same tier could fully unleash the power of the magician. ''System, the epic one?'' *Yes, Zeke. Consuming Skill Tome (Epic) x3.* The skill Zeke got from the Epic one was called Shroud. It was a spell which procures a smokescreen around the user. It can also vary in element depending on the user''s choices. Zeke knew this was good for distractions and for fleeing. The second Epic Skill he got pleased Zeke. Its name was Hymn of Light, and unsurprisingly, it was a light-based spell. What pleased Zeke was that it was a spell meant for group support. It conjures a barrier of light to people to deflect attacks coming from all directions. The third Epic Skill was called Divine Sense. It was an auxiliary skill that utilizes a person''s soul to scour the surrounding areas. The range and effectiveness of the skill are based on the strength of the caster''s soul. With Zeke''s powerful soul, it was natural for him to be pleased by this spell. ''Alright. System, open the Legendaries!'' *Yes, Zeke. Consuming Skill Tome (Legendary) x2.* Very soon, another wave of information thrice as big as the previous ones appeared in Zeke''s mind. The first Legendary Skill he got was called Puppet Queen Marionette''s Fantoccini. This was an extremely peculiar and downright unethical spell that controls people just like how a marionettist controls a marionette. When cast on a willing subject, Zeke could control their movements as if he''s the one possessing the body. Based from what he had previously read, techniques like these were often associated to the Demon races. However, in the passage of time, these became rarer and rarer as experts die and their predecessors fail in living up the techniques'' full glory. This resulted in less and less variant spells and techniques, slowly making the previously diverse world a linear place. When Zeke read the information included within the spell, he couldn''t help but knit his brows. This spell, for him, could also be called slavery, to put it simply. The [Puppet Queen Marionette''s Fantoccini]''s specialty lay on its soul bounding technique. Once Zeke cast it on a person whose mind is unguarded, he could basically make the target his/her slave. If the targets became soul bound to him, they could not disobey Zeke''s will. However, this is not the spell''s only trick. The main effect of the spell is that the puppeteer can actually control his ''puppets'' specific moves once cast. It would be like the puppeteer is actually the puppet himself, and even Zeke would share vision with his puppet. That was what made the [Puppet Queen Marionette''s Fantoccini] worth its legendary rating from the system. Zeke felt mixed emotions regarding this skill. In one hand, it didn''t feel right to enslave someone and strip them of their will but on the other hand, Zeke felt it''d be a good spell with limitless potential and usage. In the end, Zeke thought of it as a positive thing seeing as any power is good as long as its used in the right and suitable way. The second one excited Zeke the most. The name of the skill was Grand Sorcerer Ziva''s Mana Manipulation. Although the name itself sound common, it was actually one of the most advanced techniques that only magicians of Tier 5 and above can use. [Grand Sorcerer Ziva''s Mana Manipulation] makes it so Zeke could literally manipulate mana in an area around him at will. This wasn''t like the common practice where magicians cast a spell because this type of manipulation affects the surrounding external mana. Magicians of Tier 1 to 4 could only will and release mana out of their mana core. At most, they could influence the surrounding mana but not to the extent of directly using it at will. [Grand Sorcerer Ziva''s Mana Manipulation] however made it possible for a Tier 2 like Zeke to achieve what only Tier 5 Magicians and above could do. Without hesitation, Zeke immediately tried using it. However, to his surprise, it was actually not that easy! When he tried to control the surrounding mana, he felt like a father trying to tell his rebellious child to do something. The surrounding mana seemed to have a will of its own and it faced Zeke''s request with refusal. Zeke was slightly surprised by this, but he felt it was natural considering he''s just a measly Tier 2 right now. He also tried it without prior understanding of the Mana Manipulation so he realized that for this to work, he had to adapt and earnestly learn [Grand Sorcerer Ziva''s Mana Manipulation] to a high enough level to be able to bend mana to his will. Without this skill, Zeke would not have even the tiny chance of success in controlling and manipulating mana as it was just impossible without a certain amount of strength required to deter the surrounding mana''s will. Zeke immediately cast [Wisdom King''s Grace] on [Grand Sorcerer Ziva''s Mana Manipulation], instantly leveling it up to lvl 5. With that, various comprehensions and informations surged inside Zeke as he received guidance in how to manipulate mana without reaching the ''certain strength needed''. This time, Zeke maintained his calmness. He didn''t get too excited as he willed only a strand of mana to move. With a thought, a strand of mana near Zeke actually moved and followed through as it launched towards the distance. After around 20 meters, Zeke''s control dispersed as the strand of mana also stopped moving. ''It seems 20 meters is the limit, huh.'' Zeke smiled bitterly. The spell not only required the soul to be strong, but the user''s comprehension towards it also needs to be on par. If one of the two falls behind, it will severely limit the spell. This was exactly what Zeke''s facing right now: although he has a strong soul, his comprehension towards the spell was pitifully weak such that he could only control it inside 30 meters. As Zeke''s comprehension towards it increases, the maximum range and territory will also naturally increase. After pondering for some time, Zeke felt it''d be best to learn the old man''s collection of spells later. After all, the items weren''t like his skill tomes where he could immediately learn it once he ''consumed'' it. *Zeke, do you remember your Mad Dragon''s trait? You could absorb the blood essence and energy of this corpse.* Zeke looked at the corpse. He felt disgusted by the thought of ''devouring'' the gruesome sight he was seeing. However, before he could refuse, he heard system''s words. *If you''re thinking about literally devouring it, fret not. There is a method included within your new memories to siphon the corpses'' energies without you actually touching them.* When Zeke heard this, he immediately scoured through his memories. After a few seconds, he found an incantation of some sort that he previously dismissed as ''useless''. Zeke chanted some incomprehensible words while facing the corpse of the old man. While chanting, the old man''s corpse suddenly vibrated and started to wilt and dry up. Faint red strands that seem like blood yet not floated above it as it charged straight towards Zeke. The process only took a few seconds, and by now, the corpse was already all dried up. It looked like a skeleton that had a layer of skin covering it. Strange enough, there was not even a drop of blood present around it. The corpse looked like it had been dead for a hundred years ago after Zeke absorbed it. The strands of red energy went inside Zeke''s body as it evenly distributed itself and headed towards every part of Zeke''s body. Zeke felt his body go numb for a second before feeling a surge of energy as well as a tinge of pain. He felt his body surge with power as his whole body underwent a small increase in sheer strength. ''It increased my strength for quite a bit, huh.'' *Yes, Zeke. To be precise, it added close to a hundred points of stat on your Strength and Agility, as well as twenty or so points on your Int.* Zeke was schocked about the increase in strength. He had only absorbed the energy of one person, but it already increased his stat by a hundred. Would that mean that every ten people he absorbs, he''d get almost 70% of his current stats? *No, Zeke. It was just that the corpse you absorbed had attained quite a level in power. He was a Tier 3 Magician but he also practiced Body Enhancement. If it weren''t for the Formless Poison, you wouldn''t even mortally injure him. His own energy almost amounted to three times the amount of yours, so assuming you killed atleast ten creatures with the same strength as you, it would only add at most 50% of your current stat.* Zeke nodded. He understood it since even he felt it was absurd to earn as much as that for every kill. He forgot the fact that he could not even injure the old man in his peak. Also, Zeke took in the fact that a person as strong as him would obviously be hard to kill, so the thought of absorbing ten Zekes-worth of energy was impossible for the time being. Before turning around, Zeke noticed a tucked letter fall off the old man''s robe as his body wilted. It was a formal letter that had a seal of a crow as well as blood smeared all over it. Zeke picked it up and opened it, revealing a beast fur that had writings in it. It had blood smeared all over it so Zeke couldn''t understand the whole contents of the letter but Zeke vaguely read the words ''part'', ''treasure'' and ''Duke'' written in it. He couldn''t make heads or tails of it so he just stored it in his inventory. There was also a brass key inside the letter that Zeke also didn''t know the purpose of so he also stored it alongside the letter. After a few more minutes of checking his current strength, Zeke decided to head down towards the next room. When he reached the staircase, he noticed to his surprise that it was now made of stone. Previously, the walls and floor were only made from hardened soil, but now, it was replaced with smooth stone walls and stairs. Zeke became stern as he vaguely guessed that this place should be more special than the previous rooms he entered. When Zeke reached the end of the stairs, he could see a magnificent-looking wooden door with intricate carvings of obscure faces with horn protruding in their forehead. There was also carvings of human figures as well as other animals like birds and horses on the walls beside the door. The entire scene looked grandiose as Zeke even felt slight pressure emanating from it. The door''s form was just like any other household door except it was almost thrice as big as well as the magnificent looking carvings and designs all around it. When Zeke tried to open it, he found out that it wouldn''t budge even with his strength. Zeke tried to push it with his full power but it didn''t even move an inch. Zeke was confused. It was clearly just a wooden door, how as it this sturdy? After a few more tries, Zeke gave up on forcing his way in. He tried to look for other methods as he gazed around the door hoping to find a secret button or mechanism. After a while of fumbling and touching the perimeter of the door, there wasn''t a single button or anything out of the ordinary. It was just a magnificent-looking wooden door in Zeke''s eyes. ''Hmmm.... locked...'' Zeke thought for a bit before facepalming. He was so immersed that he forgot the basic opening of door which was through the door knob. Sure enough, there really was a keyhole in it. Zeke smiled bitterly as he thought of his weird actions earlier. However, the new problem for Zeke was the location of the key. He guessed that this door should and could only be opened using the right key since even his full strength ram couldn''t even make the door budge. It was as if the wooden door was actually a sturdy and impenetrable wall. After a few seconds of pondering, Zeke facepalmed again. He took out the brass key he got earlier and he inserted it to the keyhole. To his surprise, it actually went in! ''Damn, I think too much.'' Suddenly, the key disappeared as Zeke saw his entire being get ripped apart. Although it didn''t hurt, it was still a bad sight for Zeke to see his own body get torn around. Soon, Zeke vanished from his spot while the place he was in returned to its usual silent atmosphere. Zeke couldn''t handle the bright light that flashed earlier as he closed his eyes. When he opened it again, he found out that there was no door in front of him anymore. When looking around, Zeke saw the door in his back, but its designs were now mirrored. Zeke realized that he was teleported inside the room by using the key as he immediately became stern. He looked around and surveyed the surroundings while also drawing out his sword and readying it for battle. The room was filled by light as yellow orbs lit up the left and right walls of the room. The orbs were floating above a protruding slab as it emanated yellow light throughout the whole room. In front of Zeke was a big box that was as tall as half of Zeke''s body. It was laying there in the back part of the room with no obstructions to it and Zeke whatsoever. 68 Stone Figure Zeke felt suspicious about it but he insisted on walking forward, his sword placed in front of him. He hadn''t lowered his vigilance as the entire situation was just very very weird for him. He cast [Divine Sense] and enveloped the whole room. However, he couldn''t find anything besides the fact that the yellow balls were formed from mana and that the whole room was filled with dense red-colored mana. Zeke guessed that either his comprehension of [Divine Sense] is abysmal, or the room was just too advanced for his meager skill to pierce through. When he got to the middle part of the room, the light suddenly turned into light red as wails and cries resounded all around Zeke. It was loud and filled with an evil presence that made Zeke''s expression ugly. Suddenly, a hand as big as Zeke''s whole body appeared from the ground in front of Zeke as it smashed towards him in full force. Seeing this, Zeke immediately dodged to the side while also striking the gigantic hand with a fireball. He tested the hand''s defense first to get a rough estimate of its toughness. However, to his surprise, his fireball couldn''t even make a single dent! Even though it wasn''t his full-powered strike, it still contains the strength of a standard Tier 2 Magician. Yet, it didn''t even leave a single dent on the stone hand. It was enough for Zeke to realize that he couldn''t afford to underestimate this. As he rolled backward and made some distance from the giant hand, Zeke saw the giant hand recede back to the ground. A second after, a figure emerged from the ground itself. It had the figure of a human taller than Zeke but its whole body was made of stone. It didn''t possess any facial feature except for a small hole in the middle of its head. It flickered with red light as it stood there motionless while facing Zeke. Although the figure laid there motionless, Zeke couldn''t help but feel a tinge of fear when looking at it. He didn''t know if it was because of the difference in strength or if it was innately exuding a fearful aura. He didn''t wait for it to initiate as he conjured an arrow made of fire above each of his hand. After a second, the fire arrow launched towards the stone figure with astonishing speed, as if it was fired from a bow. Zeke saw the figure did not even budge an inch after seeing his arrows, and he couldn''t help but furrow his brows due to the peculiar situation. Sure enough, Zeke really guessed it right. The figure, instead of dodging, held his arm in front of his body. It planned on directly defending against the two arrows with just his one arm. Soon, when the arrows landed on the figure''s palm, it was as if they hit a brick wall as the two arrows just struck something impenetrable. It crashed while slowly dissipating after it landed on the figure''s palm. When both arrows dispersed, Zeke could see a burnt part of the figure''s hand but instead of feeling joy, Zeke frowned. He didn''t expect that a [Fire Arrow], a spell suitable to unleash the full prowess of a Tier 2, couldn''t even deal significant damage to the figure. Although its palm was burnt, it was insignificant and it didn''t reduce the figure''s combat prowess at all. While Zeke was pondering, he felt a chill in his right. By instinct, he moved to the left slightly. Unknowingly, he influence the flow of mana around him, vaguely assisting him in moving to the left. This shocked Zeke since he didn''t expect [Sorcerer King Ziva''s Mana Manipulation] to be used like that. He wanted to experiment it again but he knew it was not the right time. When he looked back, he saw a palm-sized rock deeply lodged on the wall. Zeke knew it was what caused him chills. However, besides getting serious, he felt shocked inwardly by the strong force behind the rock to be able to pierce through the room. He didn''t dare dally anymore as he raised his vigilance to the limit while condensing a fireball in his left hand. When it formed, it suddenly became black as he launched it towards the figure. He hoped that by using his Heavenly Flame, he could deal much more damage than using a common fire. The outcome pleased Zeke. When the black fireball landed on the figure''s palm, it suddenly burst into smaller fireballs as it clung on the figure''s whole arm. The black flames then enveloped the entirety of the figure''s arm. Before it could reach the figure''s body though, the burning arm suddenly detached off the figure''s body. To Zeke''s horror, the severed burnt arm got swallowed by the ground beneath the figure, who didn''t even move nor react. The lost arm then started to regrow at a visible rate. Zeke didn''t wait for it to happen as he immediately conjured a black fireball again. Due to having practically no experience in using Dragon Force, Zeke still struggled for a bit before properly utilizing it, hence he could only form one Heavenly Flame Fireball at most. As he gets proficient in mixing it with mana, he could naturally form more and more. Seeing the incoming black fireball, the figure didn''t hesitate and received it with its other arm. As its burnt arm fell off, the other arm was already back. Zeke frowned and was even slightly surprised by how fast the figure''s recovery is. He couldn''t afford to continue using the Heavenly Flame''s power again as he already expended 30% of his Dragon Force just for the two fireballs earlier. He then switched to the Battle Dragon''s power, [Keen Judgement]. Suddenly, Zeke felt his entire body fill with intense battle intent that enveloped the entire room. Right now, if there was someone looking at Zeke, he/she would definitely be intimidate by Zeke''s current imposing aura if his soul is weak. Suddenly, a thought projection appeared in Zeke''s consciousness. In it, there was multiple illusory figures that heavily resemble the figure Zeke was currently fighting. Right now, there was only two moving projections with one of them launching a giant stone hand towards the illusory Zeke. The other one seemed to control countless small rocks as it hit straight towards another illusory Zeke. While watching the scene unfold, Zeke felt his mind lighten up as his gaze towards the figure changed from that of slight fear to a calm and deep gaze. He was currently fighting the figure in his mind while he was currently dodging the rocks that the figure was launching in reality. After a few more seconds, Zeke already consumed 50% more of his Dragon Force. He couldn''t afford to lose more as he immediately stopped using [Keen Judgement]. However, even though he already stopped it, Zeke seemed like he already knew the figure like the back of his hand. After multiple attempts inside his mind, Zeke had already found a way to deal with the figure. He immediately cast [Divine Sense] and soon enough, [Keen Judgement] didn''t fail him. In his illusory world inside his consciousness, he vaguely realized that although the figure seemed invincible and indestructible, it definitely had a weakness. Sure enough, when he sensed the whole figure, he could see it covered with dark red while there was a small part inside its body that shone a different shade of red. Instead of dark red, that small circle exuded a light red color while his sense could feel a hint of uneasiness whenever he tried to sense it. Based from the Battle Dragon''s experiences, he knew this kind of enemies. It was exactly like the Undying Lion that Zeke fought in the outskirts! Although they looked invincible and unkillable, they had a glaring weakness which is their source of energy. Zeke didn''t know what exactly it is but he concluded that it must be like a mana core that supplies their whole body, keeping it intact as well as regenerating the damaged parts. In the case of the undying lion, Zeke didn''t know why the lion didn''t recover its previous appearance, but he guessed that the two demons he killed earlier must''ve tampered with it, causing its appearance and behavior to warp into that of a mindless undying. Without hesitation, Zeke held his sword as his body suddenly became slimmer and slimmer while a surge of power erupted from his whole body. Zeke had activated the Mad Dragon''s skill as he executed [Jaguar Step]. Using his physically enhanced body, Zeke felt it became easier to do as he hurled himself towards the figure in a blur. Then, faint traces of fiery red mana coated his sword as he swung it towards the figure''s head. He had utilized his Formless Style''s Firebreath Sword combined with Dance of Death, making his attack not only possess a sharp aura, but it was also fast and with the intent to kill. As the circle of light red mana was located in the figure''s head just behind the hole in its face, Zeke planned on severing the source of energy so the body would not recover. However, to his surprise, the figure actually reacted to his strike not by defending or blocking, but by moving the hole in the middle of its head towards its body. When the sword passed through the figure''s head, the light red circle had already moved to the stomach. Although the figure''s head got cut off, it immediately started to regrow as the head on the ground got slowly absorbed back to the ground. Zeke was surprised about the monster''s self-awareness. It could actually devise such a plan like that? However, he didn''t have time to waste in applauding it as he immediately swung his sword many times in just a span of a few seconds towards the figure''s upper body. With the Mad Dragon''s increase in explosiveness in strength, Zeke''s speed and strength right now was beyond what he could do before. It clearly surpassed Zeke''s normal stats as it was just so fast that even Zeke found it hard to adapt to such a change in his body. Although he felt weird, he was ecstatic to find out about the potential of the Mad Dragon''s skill. It seemed to boost his melee prowess by quite a lot considering compressing his muscles actually gave him a huge boost in strength and speed. The dogfight between the figure and Zeke lasted for a minute before the figure was forced to retreat due to the impending danger of the core. It seemed to have sensed that Zeke already knew of its weakness as it fled and ran around the room while waiting for its whole body to regrow. Due to Zeke''s overwhelming amount of attacks, the figure could only retreat for some time before fighting again just so it could regrow the parts cut or damaged by Zeke''s flurry of sword strikes. After a minute, Zeke felt his muscles go sore and tired but he paid no attention to it as he forcefully pushed his bodies'' speed to the limit. The figure was now currently panicking. It couldn''t fend off Zeke while it received injuries more than what it could recover. At that rate, the figure would really be doomed after a few minutes. However, it didn''t leave. Or rather, Zeke didn''t know if it could even leave considering the entrance he went it was not a simple door but actually a kind of teleporting formation. After another minute, Zeke finally severed all of the figure''s limb and other parts. The light red core inside was still located in the stomach after all that''s happened so Zeke immediately tried to pierce through and destroy it. However, before he could even do it, the light red circle inside the figure went out and without hesitation, it charged towards the chest. Zeke furrowed his brows and was about to chase it off when he suddenly became shocked by what he saw. The ''mana core'' of the figure actually gradually vanished as strands of it went straight to the chest! 69 Z Zeke''s brows furrowed when he saw the mana core vanish into the chest. He didn''t even see the chest open as the mana core just disappeared like it was absorbed by the chest itself. Just as Zeke was pondering whether it was a good thing or not, the whole room''s stifling atmosphere came to a halt, replaced by serenity and calmness, which greatly shocked Zeke. Just earlier, he could sense that the whole place was teeming with evil aura but now it all vanished in just a split second. A loud noise could be heard as the big chest near the middle of the room suddenly opened. The chest itself looked very normal albeit very big while it also didn''t emanate any sort of aura. Zeke didn''t dare lower his vigilance even when approaching the chest because he didn''t know if the chest is really safe or if it''s some sort of scheme or trick designed as a last resort. He strengthened his bones with mana as well as put up a faint barrier of mana around his body while he was checking the chest with his [Divine Sense]. After seeing no abnormalities and even no fluctuation of mana, Zeke decided to quicken his steps without withdrawing his defenses. As he looked inside the chest, there was only a single ring along with 2 rolled-papers. Zeke knew it was a spatial ring while the letter should be the will of someone. He was in no hurry to check the contents of the ring so he unfurled one of the letters first. The contents of the letter were not that long. It mentioned the person buried in the place Zeke was in as well as some of his past. This whole place that Zeke stumbled in was actually an underground resting place for ''heretics''. The leader and the one who wrote the letter was someone called Z. According to his letter, he was a descendant of the Insane Dragon who sought peace and to repair their connection to the Dragon Empire. He didn''t like that his bloodline was being oppressed and prejudiced against. Instead of persuading the empire by talking, Z decided to take it upon himself and earn his kin''s freedom by earning enough merit to pardon them of their punishment. He scoured the whole Dragon Continent for troublemakers and completed a lot of quests issued by the Empire but in the end, it still wasn''t enough. Eventually, he found a Greater Demon (a Demon comparable to a Tier 5) meditating in a remote mountain range. After a bloody battle, he managed to kill the demon at the cost of one of his eye and serious injuries. He planned on presenting it to the Dragon Empire but he was intercepted by a noble from Shallow Cloud Range with the surname Valt. He only figured this out when he glanced at his attacker''s pendant, which had the word ''Valt'' engraved. Although he managed to escape, he knew he won''t last long so he decided to pass it off to someone in the future. He and his loyal subordinates created this big mausoleum to serve as Z''s final resting place. He only hoped that the person who gets it is a Dragonborn and will tell the Emperor about Z''s contributions as well as his wish to liberate his kin. To further ensure that his hopes would come true, Z, with his measly knowledge regarding formations, made a simple formation in his room. This formation utilizes the sturdy walls and floor to form a golem that possesses the might of a Tier 5. Under normal circumstances, this would''ve been deadly for Zeke if it weren''t for Z''s special tampering. He made it so that when the golem senses a living being that possesses Dragon Force, the golem''s own mana core and prowess would drop down to Tier 3, giving some room for weaker Dragonborns. If it weren''t for this, Zeke knew he would have no chance injuring much less killing the golem earlier. In the second letter, there were two different handwritings. The first half had the same handwriting as the first letter while the second half was different. Strange enough, both handwritings describe the contents of the spatial ring. Zeke then reached out for the spatial ring inside the chest. After a few seconds of establishing connection with it, Zeke took out a pile of books. These books were the comprehensions, battle experiences, and some dragon skills that Z and his subordinates had in the past. Zeke realized that the second handwriting must''ve been one of the subordinates who remained here to guard their leader''s inheritance. Then, as if a light bulb lit inside Zeke''s head, he couldn''t help but admire Z''s subordinates for a bit. ''The skeletons in the previous rooms should be that Z''s subordinates. Even in death, they continued to protect him, huh.'' Zeke concluded that Z''s subordinates must''ve cast some sort of formation in the previous rooms, making it so their bodies would still continue to act upon its instincts even after death, technically making their corpse serve as guards as well. Zeke skimmed through the titles of the books. A small part of it were the subordinate''s comprehensions and experiences, while most of it were Z''s past experiences and battle skills. Out of all the books, there were three that specifically required the bloodline of the Insane Dragon''s descendant. ''I almost forgot. Isn''t my bloodline a descendant of Insane Dragon? Wouldn''t it mean I''m a wretched one too?'' Zeke couldn''t help but feel a slight headache after thinking about it. He felt like it''d cause him problems if news of his Mad Dragon Bloodline gets out. He then set the matter aside. He decided he needed to understand the situation first before thinking about solutions. Very soon, Zeke skimmed through all the titles of the books. He felt like it was already a great harvest for him to learn of some of the seniors'' battle experiences. Since Z traveled and battled many people back then, wouldn''t it mean that his battle experiences are very rich? This was already a great boon for Zeke who only lacked experiences and battle knowledge to fully utilize his strength. Zeke then pulled out a small bottle. According to the letter, this bottle contains the compressed form of the Formless Poison. It was in the form of a clear liquid and if one were to look closer, they would find countless small wriggling organisms inside. These organisms weren''t really living organisms, but rather the true form of the condensed Formless Poison. Also, according to the letter, one would only need a drop or two of the Formless Poison inside to envelop a radius of a hundred meters. With the bottle containing a liter of it, Zeke could basically envelop thousands of meters or even kilometers if all of it is used. *Zeke, do you remember about the siphoning ability of the Mad Dragon?* ''Hm? Yes, why?'' *You can use its siphoning ability to that bottle and integrate the Formless Poison to your Virulent Plague Dragon''s poison arsenal.* Zeke was shocked. Even this is possible? *No, Zeke. What I said was merely one of the two ways of integrating that Formless Poison to your Virulent Plague''s poison arsenal. Based on the information about the Virulent Plague, it''s one of the top-ranking poison amongst the poison of dragons. Not only is it powerful, but it was also dominant. With that being said, you can integrate any poison weaker than the virulent plague into your body, making it a reservoir of lower-ranked poison. This trait is also present on the other two dragons of the top three most deadly poisonous dragons. It''s just that with their pride as one of the carriers of the deadliest poisons, they disdain any sort of poison under theirs. However, with your current strength, the Formless Poison would indeed help you a lot considering your Virulent Plague isn''t that powerful and mature yet. The method I recommend is by using the Mad Dragon''s siphoning technique instead of manually refining it and integrating it to your Dragon Force.* Zeke nodded. Indeed, he knew that although the poison he had right now is powerful, it could, at most, kill people a tier above him. If he encountered Tier 4 Magicians, they could definitely resist his poison with ease. Zeke didn''t hesitate anymore as he immediately chanted the incantation. A few seconds later, a strand of Formless Poison kept pouring out of the bottle and into Zeke''s forehead. When the poison went inside him, he immediately guided it towards the faint dragon head around his mana core. When it entered the faint dragon head, it immediately got sucked in and mixed with the greenish part of the dragon head. It then swam along with the green liquid obediently like a meek lamb. *Congratulations, Zeke. You now have another good poison to use in the future. Although it''s limited, it should help you deal with some dangers.* Zeke agreed. Indeed, the Formless Poison was now one of his countless trump cards. Zeke then pulled out another jade bottle. This one was slightly larger than the bottle of Formless Poison and it also surged with energy the moment Zeke took it out. When Zeke felt the overwhelming energy, his eyes narrowed as his expression was filled with shock. ''Blood Essence!'' Zeke also felt a sense of familiarity lingering within the bottle. *Zeke, this blood essence is particularly beneficial to you. Did you sense it?* Zeke nodded. ''This should be the blood essence of a descendant of the Insane Dragon, just like me. No wonder I sense some sort of familiarity when I took it out. Perhaps this is that Z''s blood essence? He''s the only one who was mentioned as a descendant, right?'' Zeke sank in his thoughts. He knew it would be hard to siphon and absorb this blood essence as it was just teeming with vitality and power. It was countless times stronger than the current him so refining it would take a very long time. Zeke decided to set it aside as he planned on absorbing it in the future. Zeke then pulled out the remaining item besides some gold coins. It was an ordinary coffin that was twice as big as Zeke. It towered in front of Zeke as an evil presence seeped out of the coffin. The presence was so powerful that even the coffin couldn''t prevent all of it from leaking. Zeke didn''t dare underestimate the content of the coffin as even its evil presence is already powerful. He immediately coated himself with thick mana as he slowly opened the lid. For safety precautions, he even cast [Divine Sense] to watch out for mana fluctuations while in the process of opening. The evil presence immediately became even more powerful. It became thrice as powerful as when it was closed that even Zeke found difficulties in breathing. He thickened his [Mana Skin] as he mustered up the courage to look inside. There, he was deeply shocked when he saw two compartments inside the big coffin, with each of them having a corpse lying down. The corpse on the left was still intact and Zeke discerned that the oozing presence solely came from this corpse. This corpse had torn white clothes that were stained with dried blood along with two big red horns as big and thick as half of Zeke''s arms. The big humanoid corpse itself was very pale, and aside from the evil presence, it also gave off a faint murderous aura. The other one was a smaller and slightly dried up corpse. This dried up corpse wore a simple red robe with a Mask that had glowing eyes along with a red line that stretched from its left ear up to the right, forming a blood-red line that passes through both of the eye sockets. 70 Zs Full Inheritance The sudden situation stunned Zeke for quite a while. He gazed at the two corpses for a while before realizing who these corpses are. ''That big demon should be the Greater Demon while that dried-up one should be Z?'' Zeke concluded, Based on the vast evil presence and its appearance, Zeke could infer that it should be the corpse of the Greater Demon that Z fought and killed. Meanwhile, the other corpse was too dried up to be recognized, but since Zeke received Z''s blood essence earlier, this should be Z whose body lacked blood essence to even maintain the skin integrity. Also, Zeke felt a familiar presence from the corpse - one that he felt earlier from the bottle. Zeke guessed that when Z died from extracting his own blood essence, his subordinates must''ve placed his corpse here with the Greater Demon, perhaps as proof of his meritorious act. Zeke felt admiration for Z''s bravery and courage to even kill this Greater Demon who could even scare Zeke just with its aura alone. He knew that if it was him facing this Greater Demon, he''d definitely run as far away as possible without even a single thought of fighting. Of course, this thought wouldn''t be applicable if Zeke is as strong as Z or perhaps stronger but for now, this was what Zeke believed. While Zeke was examining both corpses, a blinding light suddenly flashed, making Zeke blink. When he opened his eyes, he saw a circular object currently floating in front of him. It was glowing with white light as it flickered continuously. Zeke felt a certain attachment towards the object as he subconsciously reached for it. It was too late for him to realize his actions as when his palm landed on the glowing object, his vision became blurry while he immediately felt his soul leave his body. A few seconds later, Zeke found himself standing in a full white place. The place he was in didn''t have any sort of organisms and it was only filled with white everywhere. Zeke felt confused for a second before seeing the back of a middle-aged man just a few meters away from him. "I never expected this. No, not at all!" Zeke heard an amicable and warm voice from the direction of the middle-aged man. ''Never expected this?'' The middle-aged man turned around and gazed at Zeke with his eyes that exuded a deep feeling. Although his gaze was to probe Zeke, it didn''t contain any uncomfortable feeling. It was just probing due to curiosity about his ''inheritor''. "I''m amazed you could reach my room and defeat the golem with just your own power. Tell me, how old are you?" The middle-aged man asked. When he sized up Zeke, he was shocked to see that based on his body alone, he could tell that Zeke was no older than 20, perhaps even younger than his estimate. Zeke didn''t feel the need to lie. "Greetings to senior, I''m currently 9 years old, closely approaching 10." The middle-aged man was shocked. The one who reached his inheritance was actually only 10! He struggled to imagine just how this young boy in front of him managed to defeat his subordinates as well as the formation he set. Even though he sensed that Zeke had the same bloodline as him, it was still a Tier 3 Golem after all. How could such a young child defeat such a golem? "Just out of curiosity, how did you manage to reach my room, child?" Zeke scratched his head. "I defeated the skeletons and the golem, senior." "How? Can you tell me what kind of power do you have to defeat my formation?" Zeke didn''t feel the need to reject the middle-aged man''s curiosity-driven questions. He immediately radiated the aura and presence of a Tier 2 Magician. To further sate the man''s curiosity, he even radiated and exuded the malevolent aura of the Mad Dragon, making his aura seem violent and aggressive. After sensing the aura Zeke emitted, The middle-aged man couldn''t help but be shocked by how strong this 10-year old is. Based on the intensity, he could tell that the boy reached Mid Tier 2 while he also sensed a hint of the Mad Dragon''s innate aura. He became even more shocked by the fact that Zeke had a slightly purer bloodline than him as well as the fact that Zeke already awakened and can use the Mad Dragon''s abilities. Strictly speaking, although the middle-aged man had the faint feeling that Zeke had the same bloodline as him, he thought it was still a latent and untapped bloodline but now that he thought about it, he realized even he would find it hard to sense an untapped bloodline. Him sensing Zeke''s could only mean that Zeke had already awakened it. This greatly shocked the middle-aged man. "What a prodigy. In my time, the youngest Dragonborn who awakened was only around 12. You surpass it by almost 3 years. I must say, you''re the one with the highest talent I''ve seen in my entire life." The middle-aged man stopped. "Well, maybe not since I''m already dead but hey, this sliver of my soul still counts, right?" The man then laughed loudly. Even though Zeke felt shocked about the last part, he still didn''t sense any negative emotion from the man. It was as if the man had long since accepted his current situation. Still, it wouldn''t hurt for Zeke to show a bit of worry. "Sliver of your soul? What do you mean, senior?" "You heard it. This body of mine isn''t real and physical. It''s only a manifestation of the sliver of my soul that I left inside my mana core." Zeke was inwardly shocked about the man''s explanation. He couldn''t think of how painful it was to sever his soul while also fusing it inside his mana core. Thinking up to there, Zeke couldn''t help but raise his brows. "Mana Core?" "Yes. Didn''t you know? It was the one you touched outside. The you right now is only a soul projected inside my mana core. Welcome to my humble abode, child." The man smiled. Zeke now realized that flash of light. It dawned on him that his consciousness, or his soul rather, got transported to that glowing white ball, which is apparently the man''s mana core. "May I ask for senior''s name?" The man''s brows shot up as he looked at Zeke suspiciously. "You made it to my tomb without even knowing me?" "..... Mr. Z?" Zeke felt embarrassed. "And here I thought you didn''t read my last letter." The man chuckled. "I read the two letters, senior. I couldn''t recognize you because-" "My corpse is kind of dried up, yes?" "Y-yes." "Ah, I still remember the pain of Merak extracting my blood essence. It was hell, you hear me? hell." The man seemed to reminisce a bad memory as he even trembled for a bit before making a pained face. Just the thought of the pain made the man''s face contort like he was experiencing the pain again. Zeke held the urge to laugh as he looked at the man''s pained face. "I have your blood essence, senior." "Ah, yes. we''ll get to that. First off, just to clarify, are you also one of Insane Dragon''s descendants?" Zeke was confused. Didn''t he already exude his Mad Dragon''s aura? As if sensing Zeke''s confusion, the middle-aged man continued. "I vaguely sensed it earlier. I just wanted to hear it from you directly. That''s all" The man shrugged then lightly laughed. Zeke didn''t know why but nevertheless, he nodded. "Ah. To think the heavens would help me one last time." The man heaved a long sigh, gratefulness filling his tone. It was truly a blessing for him to have someone with the same bloodline as him receive his inheritance. The man felt like the heavens were helping him achieve his final wishes. "Young man, can you promise me one last thing before I disappear from this world?" "As long as it is something I can do, senior. What is it?" The man shook his head. "I don''t think you can, given your current state. I just want you to try it in the future when you have the chance." "Alright, senior. As long as it is within my power." "That''s fine then. Can you promise me you''ll take care of our kinsmen?" Zeke was shocked by the sudden request. He felt that it was too simple of a request for such a generous inheritance. However, he vaguely understood the underlying meaning of that single sentence. "Senior, I don''t know anything about our kinsmen. I''d like to know who I''m dealing with first before promising." Zeke said in a serious tone. He didn''t know their kinsmen at all. Before he pledged, he wanted to know who they are first before accepting such a deal. Who knows if his kinsmen are all criminals? Wouldn''t that mean he needed to protect and take care of bad people? Realizing what Zeke meant, the middle-aged man didn''t get displeased nor angry. Instead, he felt happy. If it was any other kid, he/she might''ve already agreed without hesitation when facing such a great inheritance. However, the boy in front of him was sensible enough to consider the consequences first than blindly accepting. It only showed Zeke''s maturity and how he handles things, which earned the man''s admiration. From then on, he knew entrusting his wish to Zeke would be a blessing considering the boy''s cautiousness and maturity. "Don''t worry, I just want you to make the decision yourself when you meet them in the future." The man smiled. All of a sudden, a piece of the middle-aged man''s palm suddenly turned white before completely disintegrating. Zeke was stunned by this because the man didn''t even show the slightest emotion when seeing that. He just glanced at it without saying anything and sighed, his tone full of sadness and reluctance but without a single hint of despair. Zeke knew the man had already accepted his death based on the fact that he didn''t even feel any despair, just downright sadness. "Looks like it''s time already." "Time for what, senior?" "Nothing. I''m short on time now, so listen carefully." "Across the room, there should be a hidden compartment. Just try to cop the middle part of the wall and it''ll open up. There''s another spatial ring in there that I hid that even my subordinates didn''t know. Inside there, you can find most of my wealth and pills." "Since you''re also a descendant of the Insane Dragon, body enhancement is crucial for your growth. Our strength relies on physical power and brute force. Inside my spatial ring, you''ll find a ton of body strengthening materials and pills. You can use as much as you can but please spare some for our kinsmen." "I couldn''t believe myself when I realized you''re also the same as me. That means all my things are very suitable and beneficial for your growth. There''s my corpse and that bastard demon''s, while there''s also this thing." The man pointed upwards, which prompted Zeke to look up. He couldn''t see anything out of the pure white world, however. "You won''t see anything as we''re inside it right now. I''m referring to my mana core. It''s that white core that was used as the energy source of the formation. Although I don''t know how long it''s been since I''m dead, there should still be an abundant amount of mana left. All of these things happen to be beneficial to us Insane Dragon Descendants." "It just so happens that you, my inheritor, is a descendant as well. You can absorb the energies left inside our bodies as well as the remnant mana inside my mana core. I''m sure it''ll be beneficial to both your mana core as well as your body. It is my wish to get you stronger until you have the power to protect our kin in the future." "Also, there are some rolled-up scrolls inside the ring that contained the elementary level of formations. It also includes this exact formation in this room. It might be useful for you in the future so I advise you to learn at least the basics of it." Even while speaking, the man was slowly evaporating starting from his feet up to his upper body. By now, only his chest up to his head were left. "I''ve said all you need to know. It''s up to you to decide whether to uphold our promise or not." The man said calmly, not minding his disintegrating self. "Why did you separate your treasure? Wouldn''t it be better if you just included that spatial ring inside the chest too?" Zeke couldn''t help but be curious. The man smiled. By now, only his head remained. "I couldn''t be at ease without knowing my inheritor''s bearing. I eventually thought of severing this sliver of my soul and inserting it to my mana core so I could see my inheritor in the future. If you were a distrustful and evil fellow, I would''ve not hesitated and injured your soul right here while detonating the whole formation outside. Only when I know you''re a trustworthy individual will I fully give you my inheritance." The man already had half of his face gone. Before his whole body was gone, Zeke could hear a faint echo from the man''s initial position. "I hope you can do something about our kinsmen''s current situation." "Finally, I can now rest easy knowing my efforts as the vigilante ''Z'' were not in vain. I hope someone takes up the mantle..." It got cut off at the end while Zeke lost vision again. By the time he opened his eyes, he discovered he was back in the room his main body was in. He was currently gripping a small white orb that was now relatively dimmer than before. Zeke felt a myriad of emotions after hearing the man he knew as ''Z''. The man himself didn''t divulge too much personal information but rather stayed true to his persona. Even in the end, he called himself Z as if that was his true name. Zeke felt admiration for the man''s conviction to stay true up until his last sliver of soul. 71 Pills & Materials After a few more minutes of standing there, Zeke bowed in front of Z''s corpse as he headed towards the back of the room. Without hesitation, he immediately copped each and every one of the bricks. After lightly pushing a brick near the middle, the whole wall suddenly trembled before a small section fell off. When Zeke went closer and inspected, he only found a single ring. He reached out to it and after a few seconds of refining, he checked the contents. Inside were a small mound of purple coins, ten pill bottles along with three unfurled scrolls, and some raw materials that Zeke didn''t know of. Although the ring''s total space was a bit small than usual, the items it held were all very valuable. The purple coins almost amounted to a millennium''s worth of a common family''s basic necessities. Although it was a big amount for other people, it was only so-so for Zeke who had a little bit of knowledge about their family''s financial situation. The ten pill bottles were the body tempering pills that Z had mentioned. For caution, Zeke tried to sense the mana fluctuation inside the bottles. After sensing the sealed amount of energy inside, Zeke knew these pill bottles contain precious pills. When he tried to sense the insides, his perception got drowned by the surging energy permeating from pills. Each bottle only had one pill, so Zeke had a total of 10 Body tempering pills. Besides the massive amount of energy permeating inside the bottles, there were also a tinge of evil hidden. If it weren''t for Zeke''s sensitivity towards evil auras, he would''ve not noticed it. This small evil aura can only be detected by those who are sensitive to it like Insane Dragon''s Descendants. If this were to be consumed by a human or any other organism besides evil entities, this strand of evil could corrupt their minds and erode their bodies. In short, it was a heavenly pill for Insane Dragon''s descendants and demons while being a formidable poison for others. Zeke assumed Z must''ve thought of other people pocketing it for themselves before hence why this strand of evil aura is present. After all, he intended to give it to his kinsmen, not for random strangers. *Zeke, this body tempering pill is made from an ancient plant called Starmist Flower. According to the records, these flowers are born from a place heavily nourished by moonlight. Also, its purity is very high that its almost impossible for that Z to concoct it himself. In the first place, he didn''t have any sort of fire to refine it, and even if he did, it would require the fire of Tier 6 or higher magician. That''s how hard it is to concoct this sort of pill. As for the strand of evil energy in every pill, it''s not included in the pill''s recipe at all. I presume that man put it himself, ensuring that only descendants of the Insane Dragon could benefit from these. As for demons, although it could indeed benefit them, that Z might not have expected the demons to know of this place.* ''Yeah. If I was a little bit late, perhaps the two demons earlier would have gotten that inheritance.'' Zeke ''found'' the inheritance coincidentally while the two other demons were trying. If it weren''t for Zeke''s immunity to poisons, he would''ve already died right there and then when he entered the room with the old demon. Zeke then skimmed through the three scrolls. The first two scrolls were all about formations. The first one describes and gives a rough and basic understanding of formations while the second one had all sorts of different formations for different situations. The formation that Z used was a simple but efficient one good for covering or defending a room. Although it was simple, the quality of the materials used affects the power and quality of the formation itself. Due to Z''s rush, he could only use low-quality materials, so even if the golem is a Tier 5, it only possessed basic attacks without even a sliver of awareness. He planned on reading through these if he had the extra time so he stored it first before shifting his attention to the various medicinal herbs lying inside the spatial ring. ''This is a Firecloud Fruit! It seems to be a hundred-year-old herb and from the looks of it, looks like Mr. Z took great care in plucking this one. There''s no residual energy around it, meaning all of its energy is still inside! This is indeed very beneficial for tempering the body!'' Zeke gazed at a dark red fruit emitting small specks of fire around it. ''What''s this? it''s like an Aquatic Pea but why is it red in color?'' Zeke held a small red tear-shaped fruit as he sensed the violent energy inside it. Although the energy in the outer part was violent, the inner part was the opposite. It was calm and silent, as if the energy there is in full harmony with each other. *That''s an AquaEmber Pea, Zeke. It''s formed when an Aquatic Pea gets submerged in hot lava for at least a day. It makes the pea''s outer part fire-attributed while the inside remains water-attributed. This is a great body tempering pill that give a significant boost of power at the cost of a painful absorption.* ''This is a Toxic Woodvine! I remember this one. This utilizes the potent poison to gradually destroy the body while its counterpart, the Vitalized Vine, reforms it into a tougher version. This one is also the same as that last one and its very painful.'' Zeke was frightened and worried about the amount of pain he''d experience after all these. *That''s a Crimson Laceflower, Zeke. It grows near areas with high temperature as it...* *That''s another Firecloud Fruit!* *** Zeke and the system examined all the raw body tempering herbs inside. After a few minutes, Zeke couldn''t help but be excited by the thought of his body after consuming all these. Although he was slightly worried about the amount of pain he''s going to feel, it got drowned by his anticipation. When Zeke couldn''t recognize a plant, the system would chime in and give Zeke a brief description about it and its uses. After knowing about all of the herbs in his possession, Zeke couldn''t help but feel excited. He knew this was an absolute fortune for a Mad Dragon like him who focus on body tempering to unleash their powers. Zeke knew that since he had two high-ranking dragon bloodline inside of him, he needed to nurture each one. He figured that his Lesser Dragon Bloodline will mostly be used while fighting as a magician but he couldn''t pass up the opportunity of increasing his physical strength. Not to mention that besides the increase of his body''s power, Zeke''s own Mad Dragon bloodline would also benefit. Since this bloodline enhanced and relied on the Dragonborn''s physical strength, having high innate strength would mean a higher increase in power when using the Mad Dragon''s skill. ''System, how long till my 10th birthday?'' Zeke asked. He promised his parents that he''d go back to the Imperial Capital before his 10th birthday. Right now, although Zeke didn''t have any concept of time here underground, he thought of asking the system. After all, he too would want to know if the system is capable of determining the time or something like it. *Zeke, there is still approximately more than three more months left before your 10th birthday. The period of time where your consciousness laid inside the mana core was unknown but it should not be a long time.* Zeke nodded inwardly. Since he had already achieved his objective in going here, he didn''t have any matters to do anymore before departing to the Imperial Capital. While pondering, he focused his gaze on the pile of body tempering pills and materials scattered throughout the whole space inside the spatial ring. His eyes lit up as he immediately took out a fist-sized fruit. 72 Power up Zeke took out two of the body tempering materials inside the spatial ring. One was the Firecloud Fruit while the other one was the Aquaember Pea. Zeke pondered on what to devour first. ''Since Firecloud Fruit only contains Fire element, it''d be much easier than Aquaember Pea where Fire and Water coincide.'' Zeke stored the Aquaember first before focusing his gaze on the Firecloud Fruit. After a few minutes of steeling his mind, he chanted the syllables for the devouring. Instead of just directly swallowing it, Zeke utilized the devouring technique of the Mad Dragon. If he were to directly eat it, he wouldn''t be able to absorb the entirety of the energy inside and some will leak out of his body but if he used the innate technique of the Mad Dragon, not only would it absorb 100% of the energy inside, it would also distribute the energy equally throughout the body, saving time for Zeke. Strands of fiery energy seeped out of the fruit one by one as it directly went inside each of Zeke''s body parts starting from his forehead up to his toes. Each strand contained a terrifying amount of energy that even one or two of them is already enough for Zeke to absorb for a day. However, there were more than five strands of energy currently surging towards Zeke''s whole body, filling it with energy. If it were another person besides Zeke that tried to absorb all the energy of the Firecloud Fruit in one go, he/she would probably explode from the overload of energy. While he was absorbing the energy, Zeke felt a tinge of pain all over his body. However, Zeke didn''t pay attention to it as his whole attention was on his whole body. He could already feel that each and every part of his body is slowly brimming with power. However, even though he already felt full with energy, the energy was still going while his body was still getting filled. It felt like his mind and body weren''t in sync. His mind already considered his body full but his body looked like it still wasn''t and continued absorbing the energy. Fortunately, it didn''t last long as the energy converged into one slightly bigger strand that travelled directly through Zeke''s stomach. As if it was done with Zeke''s body, it then started to convert the raw and pure energy of the Firecloud Fruit into pure mana that goes to his Perfect Mana Core, nourishing it greatly. Soon, the strand of energy had noticeably gone thinner while Zeke was still immersed with the feeling of euphoria. Then, a sudden light feeling enveloped Zeke''s body. His mind was on cloud nine as, just like his body, he also felt something pleasant in his stomach. When he inspected it, he found out to his shock that the feeling of pleasure actually came from his Mana Core. He noticed that not only did his mana change in quantity, but it was even purer than earlier. With this, Zeke then got hit by another good news. His Low Tier 2 Mana Core had now risen to Mid Tier 2. Even after breaking through, there was still a thin strand of energy seeping through Zeke''s stomach, continuously nourishing his mana core. By the time the Firecloud Fruit has already completely evaporated, Zeke not only nourished his whole physique but also increased his Mana Core''s tier. Zeke stood up and tried to cast a few of his spells. To his surprise, casting Tier 1 spells like [Fireball] or [Wind Step] not only became easier and more efficient in terms of mana usage, their might also increased. After thinking for a bit, Zeke found it reasonable as his Mana Core was different than others. Not only did it contain quite a lot more mana than others of the same tier, but it can also pump out mana of all elements. Zeke also noticed that his Dragon Force''s overall capacity had increased. Not only that, but the might of his Dragon Force had also increased by a little. He could also discern that the illusory dragon head had become slightly bigger and lifelike. After a few more seconds, Zeke decided to continue absorbing more body tempering materials. Unbeknownst to him, although it felt like a short moment, Zeke actually took a whole day to absorb one body tempering material. However, if the public knew of this as well as the fact that Zeke absorbed 100% of the fruit''s energy, they would find this piece of news shocking and unbelievable. Who would imagine that a 10-year-old could this? The reason people would find this unbelievable is because the notion of absorbing a hundred percent of a raw material''s energy is almost impossible. This is why people would first get the materials to a pill refiner or a medicinal expert to convert it into a pill that could allow them to ingest and absorb almost if not all of the raw material''s energy. Of course, this is easier said than done as pill refiners would need a certain amount of skill and knowledge to be able to make a pill like that. Most of the time, a portion of the energy would be lost but in exchange for that, the pills created would be easier to ingest and less painful than Zeke''s way of absorption. *** A whole month and a half had gone by and Zeke had already absorbed almost half of the raw materials he had. Rare materials like the Firecloud Fruit and Aquatic Pea took Zeke at least a day to fully absorb, while even rarer ones like the Aquaember Pea and Aching Stickweed took Zeke at least two days. He stored the other raw materials in his inventory while Zeke put out a pill bottle. This pill bottle contained one body tempering pill that Zeke felt had multiple times more energy than the materials he absorbed. He had planned on absorbing as much raw materials as he did first to ensure that his body was strong enough to handle the rampaging energy inside the pill. Also, he figured that if he took the pill first, the other raw materials might lose its effectiveness on him so he decided to absorb the raw materials first. Only after absorbing almost half of the materials did Zeke''s body reach a high level enough to reduce the materials'' effectiveness. At first, he noticed that he benefitted greatly from the materials, but the more material he absorbed, the lesser its effect on him. This only meant that Zeke''s body was already strong enough to void the effects of the materials. Since he wouldn''t get any substantial increase anymore, he decided to store it back and move on to the pills. According to his clone back in Dragonsoar City, there were still a month and a half left before Zeke''s 10th birthday. However, Esteban reminded Zeke''s clone that they will depart a week before so he could celebrate his birthday with his parents and to finally introduce him to the whole Flamehaven Royal Family. Since Zeke''s main body is connected to his clone, he naturally received that piece of news as well. With that, he still had almost a month and a week to absorb the pill. Zeke didn''t dally anymore as he poured the pill to his palm and directly swallowed it. It was a direct way of ingesting pills as he knew his Mad Dragon''s absorbing technique wouldn''t decrease its absorbing time. This is because pills are already processed and designed to travel throughout the whole body and equally distribute the energy, whereas raw materials are, well, unprocessed. As the pill went in his stomach, its exterior melted, releasing a terrifying amount of energy inside his body. However, Zeke didn''t feel pain unlike when he absorbed raw materials. The energy of the pill was actually meek and submissive. It was only that its quantity is far more than raw materials that it was considered terrifying. Also, due to its quantity, the time it takes for Zeke to fully absorb it is longer than when he absorbed raw materials. During the process of absorption, Zeke didn''t have the concept of time. His whole attention was focused on the changes in his body. Even after absorbing so many raw materials, Zeke still couldn''t help but be stunned by how his body''s drastically getting strengthened. When he focused, he could faintly feel that each and every cell of his body was being strengthened at a fast pace, while his bones and muscles were being hardened. Also, this increase seemed to be multiple times more effective than a few raw materials combined. When he absorbed raw materials, he also noted that his body didn''t improve this much. After what seemed like an eternity, Zeke opened his eyes. He then let out a loud roar of excitement as he felt the changes inside his body. His body strength had multiplied by almost a fold while his body felt like it was being overwhelmed by boundless vitality and energy. Zeke casually punched and kicked the air to stretch for a bit when he felt like the air was getting ripped apart whenever he moves. It''s been half a month since Zeke started absorbing the pill. He didn''t feel the need to eat or drink since the energy within the pill had already nourished his whole body that it didn''t feel the need to eat anymore. Since Zeke still had a month or so, he thought of devouring one more pill. He then pulled out one more pill out of the nine remaining pill bottles while he immediately swallowed it and ran his absorption technique. This time, the terrifying amount of energy wasn''t as overwhelming as before. Although it was still the same amount as the first one, Zeke''s body had already evolved and can now take in more energy than before so handling the entirety of the pill wasn''t a problem anymore. It went smoothly until Zeke woke up after another half a month. However, instead of feeling joy, Zeke slightly frowned. ''The effects are halved.'' He felt it. Unlike the first one, the second pill only gave him as much as 50% of the benefits of the first one. Although he indeed got stronger again, there was still a 50% loss. Since it''s like that then would consuming a third pill reduce it more? After a few seconds of pondering over it, Zeke calmed his mind and thought of it as possible and reasonable. One, his body and mana core had already improved significantly in the first one, so it was natural for a pill of the same level and power to lose quite a bit of effectiveness when used on a stronger person. Second, it would indeed be unfair and illogical for someone to continuously devour the same pill over and over again and still improve at a constant rate. He remembered something about pills from his book knowledge, and it was that there were some pills that will only work on a person only once or twice, and it would already be impressive if the pill would still have the same effect and potency after three intakes. |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| Ezekiel Flamehaven Male; 9 years old Pure Blooded Half-Dragon Titles: Otherworlder; Unrestrained; Pandora''s Champion; Perfect Mana Core User; Undying; Mass Murderer; Ruler of Dragons; Level: 15(10500/1500) Str: 6850 Agi: 7045 End: 6990 Int: 2450 CP: 6040 Skills: [See System-learned skills] [See Self-taught skills] |¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª| ''I''m a bit strong now, huh.'' After getting tempered from the fights with strong forest beasts, to awakening his two Dragon Bloodlines, to absorbing body tempering materials, Zeke had achieved a massive surge of increase in power. ''Not only my body, but my mana core has also improved. From the looks of it, looks like I''m a Peak Tier 2 now.'' Zeke smiled. Just by consuming two pills and a couple of body tempering materials, he had risen his mana core from Low Tier 2 to Peak Tier 2. If someone were to know about this, they would probably find this hard to believe. After all, breaking through two subtiers in the span of a month could be considered heaven-defying. Most people would take a couple of months or even years for them to even advance in one subtier but Zeke had done so twice in just a month. One could clearly distinguish how fast Zeke''s growth rate is. ''It''s time. Let''s see if you still have the guts to chase me.'' A cold gleam flashed through Zeke''s eyes as he started collecting his things. 73 We meet again In the forest just outside Dragonsoar City. Countless screams could be heard inside the forest while multiple figures wearing light armor could be seen running towards a direction. Each and every one of them were bloodied while some of them even had serious injuries. In the middle of them all, there was a young woman also running, while her face showed intense grief and sadness as well as a tinge of fury. "Young Mistress, go on ahead first! We''ll try to stall them for a bit to buy you time while we catch up later!" The bloodied middle-aged man said to the young woman beside him. His face showed firm determination, while he sternly looked around to the others. Like the middle-aged man, the others also showed a determined expression, as if they steeled themselves for their deaths. "NO! I don''t allow it! Just run along with me! We''ll reach the end of the forest sooner or later! No one''s going to die anymore!" The woman shook her head while he sternly looked at the middle-aged man. "But-" "No buts, Uncle! No one''s dying here anymore! We''ll get out of this alive, alright?!" The woman seemed to be ordering the others, but her tone also had a bit of pleading. *Sigh* "If that''s what you say so. But if worst comes to worst, we''ll stall for you!" The middle-aged man said. Before the woman could even reply, the middle-aged man immediately help up his shield to the back of a young man near them, deflecting what seem to be a wooden spear. "Damn it!" Seeing this, the woman couldn''t help but feel even more despair. She hoped to prevent any more deaths, but it seems like those fellows still haven''t given up on their chase. She and the others could only run towards a direction in hopes of getting out of the forest. **** "Ah, fresh sunlight!" Zeke, who just got out of the underground mausoleum, set up a campfire while he brought out his leftover beast meat from his inventory. Since his inventory prevented any spoilage, all the meat inside were still fresh and hot as though it was just killed. Zeke then roasted some to eat. Initially, he wanted to immediately find the Baleful Earth Primate to test his strength but he decided to postpone it for a bit. When he saw the sky, Zeke couldn''t help but rest for a bit first. Besides, while exiting, he also got quite a bit of quests, so his plan would need to be postponed first. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Situational Quest "Weapon" Find a suitable weapon to use. Condition: -Must be of high quality and is fit for the user''s current strength. Difficulty: C+ Reward: 1000xp Skill Tome x2 (Random) *Optional Rewards (if any) based on performance* ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ''Suitable weapon?'' Of course, weapons are still only external items. Although it could indeed boost a person''s combat prowess, it still depends on the person wielding it. If the person is incompetent, then what''s the use of the weapon''s sharpness? This was just like a comparison between the strong and the weak. A strong person wielding a weak weapon could still single-handedly beat a weak person wielding a strong weapon. No matter what kind of external item is it, it was still dependent on its user''s capabilities. Right now, Zeke was in the category of strong people wielding a weak weapon. Up till now, he had only used common and ordinary weapons. Even so, he still managed to defeat something like the Kingly Serpent or the Undying Lion. It could only be attributed to Zeke''s own powers. If he was already strong without a suitable weapon, then how much more could he be if were to have one? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Situational Progressive Quest "Sheer Power" Achieve 10,000 or more stat points in Strength, Agility, and Endurance. Condition: -Must be 10,000 or more. Difficulty: B- Reward: 10000xp Passive Skill x2 *Optional Rewards (if any) based on performance* ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª This was another quest that Zeke had received when he was in the process of absorbing the second pill''s contents. Zeke didn''t have any opinion about it since he felt like he would still strive for it even without the quest telling him. He could only brush it off in the back of his head since he''s short of time right now. There was also one notification that Zeke felt greatly pleased about. [Your body and senses have improved. [Five Senses] evolved into [Enhanced Five Senses] 0.0%] Along with the increase in strength of Zeke''s whole body, his five senses are also included. This, in turn, made Zeke''s senses be even more powerful and sensitive. If, from before, Zeke could only hear from quite a few meters, then he could now easily hear from tens or even a hundred meters away from him. Also, based on the notification, since it was still 0.0% right now, perhaps he could still improve it in the future, making his senses even more powerful? After a few minutes of eating, Zeke set off in a direction. Zeke was about to randomly pick a direction to go off to before hearing a deafening roar. The roar kept getting louder and louder for Zeke, signifying that the one roaring was getting nearer. Zeke furrowed his brows and sensed the environment around him before shifting his gaze to a hulking figure rushing towards him. A few seconds later, a towering figure appeared in front of Zeke. It was a hulking two and a half meter black gorilla with black spikes protruding in its back. Its crimson red eyes were staring directly at Zeke as if it remembered its prey that escaped back then. Soon, the red eyes emitted a red glow as the gorilla showed a furious and angry expression. The gorilla clearly remembered the small human in front of it, and just thinking about how this puny human escaped from its clutches makes it furious as well as indignant. It had met and hunted quite a few humans before, and none of these humans managed to survive. All of them were beaten to death by the gorilla but somehow, this small human who didn''t seem all that powerful managed to escape its senses for a short period of time. Of course, this ''short period of time'' was already long for a human like Zeke but to this gorilla, it was nothing but a speck. To Zeke''s surprise, it was actually that same big fella he met back then that forced him to escape underground. It was the Baleful Earth Primate, an existence akin to the King of its species. At first, Zeke initially planned on getting even with this guy but since he missed the sunlight as well as the forest''s atmosphere, he decided to just throw it off and count it as a fortuitous encounter. In fact, Zeke was slightly grateful to this gorilla for chasing him since without the pressure, he wouldn''t even have the chance of finding Z''s tomb. Since it was like that, Zeke easily trashed the idea of revenge. However, it was unexpected for him to encounter this same gorilla who even looked like it was the one who wanted to fight. If it''s like that, then Zeke didn''t mind to at least get even with this beast. Both the gorilla and Zeke eyed each other. Just a moment later, A huge fist suddenly charged towards Zeke, and with it contained immense power. Zeke clearly sensed how powerful it is but instead of dodging, he replied with a fist of its own. BOOM! A deafening noise resounded as if two metals clashing with each other. Zeke took a step back while the gorilla managed to hold its ground. However, instead of feeling happy, the gorilla couldn''t help but be stunned when it felt Zeke''s punch. It found it unbelievable that a small human, much smaller than the strong fighters he hunted before, could exert power almost if not equal to its own. In its whole life, it hadn''t met such a strong opponent yet. Usually, when fighting against other beasts inside the forest, the gorilla always overwhelmed its opponent with its herculean strength, while his also high speed made up for a strong combining point. With overwhelming strength and a barrage of attacks, what beast could even withstand such attack? However, the human in front of it actually managed to match its strength in a straightforward punch. It couldn''t possibly imagine how a human, which he thought of as the weakest ''beast'', could exert such strength. Nevertheless, it didn''t have the luxury of time to process this as Zeke suddenly lunged with the same punch. Instead of lunging, it was better to call it teleporting as Zeke instantly teleported directly in front of the gorilla. He had activated Jaguar Step to instantly propel himself towards the Gorilla. The momentum also added to his punch so when the gorilla received it, it felt like it crashed on a hard steel as it staggered two steps backward. It was overwhelmed with shock as it didn''t process how the punch suddenly got stronger than the first one. ''This Jaguar Step is very suitable for adding power to my attacks.'' Zeke also realized it. The moment he executed it, he felt like a cannonball getting shot from his previous position. The impact was increased by so much so the force received by the gorilla was a lot more than the first one where he didn''t have the propelling force of Jaguar Step. The gorilla, seeing as it got forced back, looked at Zeke. It discerned that since Zeke managed to increase its power, it must''ve been because of enhancements of mana. It expected that Zeke would have a sliver of exhaustion in his face but contrary to his expectations, Zeke still looked calm. Besides calmness, Zeke was also inwardly celebrating due to his monstrous power. Before he met with the Baleful Earth Primate, Zeke didn''t know how much stronger he got from his trip. Now that a seemingly invincible beast to him back then was getting beaten by him in just a few punches, He had understood how much he had grown. Safe to say, his strength must''ve increased by two folds or even higher. The gorilla then punched the earth beneath him while a huge earthquake resounded. Then, spikes made of earth appeared while the cluster of spikes moved towards Zeke''s position. Since the gorilla lost to the competition of strength, it decided to compete with Zeke using its own innate ability. Since it was Earth-attributed, it could manipulate the ground and launch attacks just by sending its thought to the ground. Seeing this, Zeke immediately jumped backward as he cast [Earth Wall] in front of him, blocking the incoming spikes. Then, as if sensing the gorilla''s intentions, he ran towards the gorilla while multiple fireballs gradually manifested in his both sides. Unlike before, Zeke''s basic spells were now much more powerful now that he''s a peak Tier 2. The fireball contained much more mana while its destructive radius also increased by quite a lot. It was a beginner Tier 1 Spell that had the full power of a Tier 2. When the fireballs finished forming, Zeke immediately willed it to charge towards the Gorilla while manipulating the outside mana to propel the fireball, increasing its flight speed. The gorilla didn''t expect the fireballs to be so fast that it was too late to block all of it. The wall of earth that it conjured managed to block almost all of the fireballs but two of them managed to break through it, hitting the gorilla''s body. It didn''t expect the power of the fireball as it burned its body hair down. Immediately putting out the fire, it didn''t notice Zeke who was madly charging while holding a sword coated with a frosty aura and electric sparks while faint specks of lightning gathered around his feet. By the time the gorilla noticed, Zeke was already just a few meters. Zeke jumped before getting hit by a spike while his sword glowed with white with snow flakes and electric sparks surrounding it. He then vertically swiped it towards the gorilla who was conjuring a wall of earth in front of it. Although it successfully conjured the wall of earth in front, Zeke''s [Flash fo Lightning] 1st move and [Chilly Aura] managed to slash through the wall, hitting the gorilla. The gorilla then got pushed far back due to the overwhelming strength and power within the sword strike that a gashing wound was left on its chest. Blood trickled down but the gorilla''s ferocious aura still didn''t back down. With a seemingly determined expression, it looked at Zeke as its eyes glowed red. Zeke, sensing the sudden change of the gorilla, got tense. His mana had been emptied by one fourth due to the immense mana cost of [Flash of Lightning]''s first move coupled with [Chilly Aura]. He couldn''t afford to lose more so he immediately triggered his Dragon bloodline. His aura then warped into an overwhelming and vast one, making it feel like a sovereign''s aura. Zeke''s gaze also changed into that of a serious and cold one. With a sword in one hand and ramrod straight back, he looked just like a very young sovereign ruling the world. This time, Zeke completely erupted the overwhelming aura of the Lesser Golden Dragon, which also triggered his title, [Ruler of Dragons]. This made his aura feel very terrifying as well as awe-inspiring. He then formed black fireballs around him as he casually looked at the gorilla. However, the scene next shocked Zeke. The gorilla, sensing the sudden change of aura, went stiff as a board before suddenly kneeling down while lowering his head towards Zeke. This action was very dangerous in the middle of a battle as it exposes the neck of the figure but the gorilla didn''t seem to care. Besides the feeling of overwhelming defeat, there was also a tinge of fear, awe, respect, and ... happiness. The scene baffled Zeke to no end. However, he still didn''t dare drop his guard as he considered the possibility that it was bluffing to get him to lower his guard. "What are you doing?" Zeke tried to converse. He was indeed confused as to why the gorilla suddenly knelt. Just now, it was still willing to fight as if it was ready to die, but now it was defenseless while kneeling. He found it impossible for such a sudden and quick change. Could it be it couldn''t bear the thought of dying yet, hence it begs for mercy? 74 Meeting with humans A minute of silence ensued as both Zeke and the kneeling gorilla stood rooted on their spots. Zeke was at a loss as to what to do. The gorilla can''t seem to speak human language too, so communication is impossible. Just as Zeke was about to attempt conversing again, he heard a voice inside his mind. [Forgive me, oh Noble One''s descendant. This one didn''t know of your bloodline and thus offended you. I am willing to offer my head in exchange for your forgiveness.] The voice inside his head seemed to be apologetic, but Zeke was a bit shocked as the voice sounded a bit... feminine? "You.... can you understand me?" The gorilla didn''t dare to raise its head as it only replied with a telepathic voice. [Yes, oh Noble One. This one learned from other humans who went in my part of the forest. I deeply apologize for my unspeakable actions. Please punish me, oh Noble One!] The gorilla slammed its head to the ground even more that it caved in. Blood was seeping out but the gorilla didn''t bother. Zeke was stumped. He didn''t know what to do with the kneeling gorilla. In one hand, he felt very furious just by the thought of this gorilla pushing him to his limits. However, if it weren''t for this, he wouldn''t have gotten Z''s inheritance. He felt two contrasting emotions. He didn''t decide immediately, but he decided to ask the gorilla first why it surrendered just like that. "Why are you so scared and servile of my bloodline?" [The first Golden Dragon was the one who pardoned this one''s ancestor. Back then, this one''s ancestor was forced to relocate from the Beast Continent due to a sudden rebellion. He didn''t know of the current rules back then, which was the prohibition of transferring from another continent to another. This was apparently a rule jointly set up by the powerful figures of all continents, with one of them being the Golden Dragon. This one''s ancestor wasn''t a high figure back then, so he hadn''t caught wind of the news. When he resided here in this unoccupied forest, he didn''t expect the top figure of Dragon Continent to sense him. He was prepared to beg for forgiveness, but the Golden Dragon paid him no heed and only gave him a condition, which was to avoid harming the younger generations unless they seek harm first.] The gorilla continuously spoke telepathically. Zeke could sense the gorilla''s zeal and worship for its ancestor as well as the Golden Dragon. What puzzle Zeke was that the gorilla''s sense of worship of the Golden Dragon seemed to be larger than that of its own ancestor. ''Just what is this...'' "Why do I feel like you worship my bloodline ancestor more than yours?" While the gorilla mentioned the Golden Dragon and its Ancestor, it couldn''t help but have a zealous tone. Zeke more or less understood this gorilla. He stood there motionless, in deep thought. Sensing the descendant of her savior standing still, the gorilla became even more nervous. [Please, oh Noble One. Please accept my life as an exchange for my unspeakable actions!] Zeke, who was cringing inwardly from the gorilla''s speech, jolted awake when he heard the gorilla''s words. Just as the gorilla raised its hand to chop its own head, Zeke rushed in and lightly slapped the gorilla, shocking it. It''s expression changed from resolution to despair. As it was about to slam its head to the ground again, it heard Zeke''s voice. "Why are you so bent on dying? Also, please stop lowering your head. It feels uncomfortable talking to someone kissing the ground." The gorilla was puzzled, and when it looked up to match Zeke''s gaze from underneath his mask, it didn''t sense an angry stare but a joyful one, as if it was being looked at as a treasure. "Since you want to get punished badly, I have an idea." Hearing this, the gorilla originally attempted to slam its head again but remembering Zeke''s displeasure regarding kowtowing, it didn''t avert its gaze. Zeke couldn''t help but smile brilliantly under his mask. ------------------------ Meanwhile, in another part of the forest. Multiple bloodied figures were running towards the direction of Zeke. It was the group with a young woman in the middle. However, compared to earlier, they were clearly missing some members. The woman seemed to be too exhausted, but a look of determination could be seen on her face. Even though she wanted to take a rest now, she didn''t want to be a burden to her group. Since they themselves held on, why should she not? As she was pondering, a scream could be heard from behind. When she looked behind, she saw one of her clansmen sprawled on the ground with a small spear lodged in his leg. The others looked back too, and when they saw another one of their clansmen getting severely injured, some couldn''t help but shed tears. Along the way, they''ve lost almost a dozen of their clansmen from getting hit by those small spears. Albeit not very durable and small in size, the spears were shot in groups. While they could block most of it, a spear or two getting past them couldn''t be avoided. The middle-aged man finally couldn''t take it anymore and stopped dead in his tracks and looked towards the young woman, surprising their whole group. His warped expression softened as he took a quick glance at the other youth beside the woman. "Young Mistress, please just endure for a bit and don''t stop running! I will try my best to hold some of them down while you escape!" Hearing this, the young woman stopped and turned around. Then, along with the youths beside her, she sprinted back beside the middle-aged man. Not to mention the youths, even the middle-aged man didn''t expect such a development. He frowned while he attempted to push her, but the woman stood her ground. "If you''re going to hold them down, then I might as well do it with you!" The young woman declared. She then looked back to the youths and motioned them to start running again. Seeing them standing there without moving even after her signal, she also frowned. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? RUN! DON''T WORRY ABOUT ME!" She bellowed. "What are you saying?! Get over there, Young Mistress!" The middle-aged man started getting angry too. I''m over here risking my life trying to buy time for you, yet you decided to stay with me? The man wanted to yell his thoughts, but seeing his nephew''s determined stare, he knew he couldn''t persuade her anymore and just heaved a heavy sigh. "RUN! We''re going to be fine! Just quickly call my father!" The youths didn''t want to, but when they remembered the thought of calling for reinforcements, they made up their mind and ran. Now, only the middle-aged man, the young woman, and their injured clansman remained. The injured youth fainted from his injury and loss of blood. Although it wasn''t a fatal one, it was the first time the youth experienced such a horrible scene and injury. His mental couldn''t hold on anymore and coupled with his exhausted physical body, the youth finally fainted. "Young Mistress, if I can''t secure your safety, then even if I get out of here alive, your father would kill me." The man bitterly smiled. "What are you saying, uncle? We won''t die here! Stop being pessimistic and cheer up!" The woman joked, but inwardly, she was riddled with guilt. It was for her sake that her house dispatched their group in this forest. Her father, the current patriarch, wanted her to gain some fighting experience. Since this forest was very close to the city, he sent her daughter here along with some of her peers in hopes of honing their skills in fighting. Originally, they were only supposed to hunt on the outskirts. However, when they noticed the absence of beasts, they unanimously decided on going further inside. Indeed, it proved to be a disastrous decision. A few minutes of traveling the inner part of the forest, they got surrounded by a group of monkeys wielding small spears. With her powerful uncle, they managed to get out of the encirclement, but not before another horde of those monkeys came tumbling towards them from one side! Overwhelmed by their sheer number, his uncle immediately ordered their retreat. However, never did they expect the monkeys'' determination to hunt them. For the past ten minutes, they were getting chased incessantly, with their numbers dwindling from the initial 34 to 14 including their uncle. Just thinking about her clansmen who got killed, she couldn''t help but feel angry but guilty at the same time. "Here they come! Young Mistress, prepare for battle!" Even while talking to her Young Mistress, the middle-aged man still paid attention to his surroundings. He had been hearing faint noises a while ago and was already lowering his stance, his vigilance at his highest. The woman gulped. Instantly after that, she took out her dagger and warily looked towards the direction his uncle is facing. She couldn''t help but be sad knowing full well this day might be her last. However, the thought of her clansmen escaping due to her and her uncle''s distraction, she soothed his mind. Still, she still pitied her uncle who was forced to risk his life with her. She could only wish she had the ability to turn back time and reject this small expedition of theirs. However, contrary to expectations, instead of a swarm of monkeys holding spears like they expected, a figure of a masked human appeared from the bushes. The figure''s clothes were stained with blood, but as they looked at his body without a shred of injury, they belatedly realized that perhaps that blood wasn''t the figure''s. 75 Revol After dealing with the Baleful Earth Primate, Zeke had already took note of their current predicament. With confirmation from the Primate itself, Zeke circled their group to try his new strength towards something near the scale of humans. Zeke didn''t count his battle with the Primate since he realized that it was absurd to compare his strength against a Warbeast. The monkeys, on the other hand, were weaker and closer to the normal humans and dragonborns, making them a suitable target for Zeke to compare on. The result was staggeringly surprising for Zeke. With just a casual punch of his, the monkey''s whole head lopped off with its body still in place. Seeing the horrible scene, the other dozens of monkeys got scared out of their wits, and with alarm bells ringing inside their head, they knew what those ringing bells meant: Danger! However, how could Zeke allow them to escape? He immediately executed [Jaguar Step]s and, without suspense, chopped of all the monkeys in less than 3 minutes. It was exactly as the woman and the middle-aged man thought, the blood on his tattered clothes was actually the monkeys'' and not his. When Zeke went out of the bushes and approached them, a monkey''s head consequently rolled along with his figure, presenting itself to the duo. They immediately realized what Zeke did, but due to their shock, their figures stood stiff for a good second or two in front of Zeke. "U-uh, t-thank you-" "T-thank you for the help, good samaritan!" The woman and the middle-aged man still couldn''t process the situation, with the middle-aged man recovering faster than the woman. It seemed like the man already had a bit of experience in situations like these, hence him not having the same amount of shock as the woman. Seeing their polite attitudes, Zeke inwardly nodded. "Well then. I suppose I''m done here. Be careful on your way." Zeke turned back and walked towards the other direction, leaving the two still-surprised fellows behind. However, as he seemed to have remembered something, Zeke turned back and approached them again. After a few seconds, he lightly nodded. "So that''s why.... Hey, are you guys trying to commit suicide?" Zeke jokingly asked. His expression didn''t seem to be half-serious and half comical, which caused the duo to be confused and bewildered by the sudden random question. "I-I don''t k-know why you asked that, good samaritan." The middle-aged man asked. He seemed to have an inkling as to why Zeke asked that, but he didn''t want to believe it. "Didn''t you notice? The monkeys seem to be too determined to catch you." "R-really?" "Oh! Yes yes! Those bunch seem to harbor some grudge towards us when we didn''t even do anything!" "C-could it be...." "Yes. Someone set you up. I smell a faint fragrance of something in your clothes. I don''t know what that is, but I reckon it''s enticing those monkeys." "!!" Before the woman could even form a complete question, Zeke swiftly answered. The man seemed to have stopped denying their situation, anger slowly rising within him. He didn''t seem to question how Zeke noticed it as he was thinking of something else. "Well, it''s not my business so, I''ll go now. Just thought I''d let you know why you experienced that. Be careful!" Zeke then started walking away again. However, their next conversation piqued his interest. "U-uncle, is... is it true?" "*Sigh* Yes, I think. It''s those treacherous bastards!" "Them? but why?!" "We didn''t accept their proposal, so they treated our clan as a hindrance. They must''ve wanted our entire younger generation to perish here!" The man gritted his teeth. It was to the point where a trickle of blood came out of his lips. "But how did they set us up?" "I also don''t know..." The man seemed to be deep in thought. "Ah! Those bastards used that scentless lure!" "What lure?" "Some near-scentless lures that were sold for attracting monsters nearby. It''s not actually scentless, but its aroma is only attractive for monsters a few meters around it. To think they''d set us up like that! Those bastards!" "Just... why? why would they go as far as placing this trap on us? We didn''t even do anything against them!" The woman furiously replied. The loss of more than a dozen of her clansmen made her feel indignant about their situation. "Some bullshit view of them. Just because we didn''t want to join them against the royal family? What the fuck kind of clan do they think they are to oppose a behemoth clan? Are they fucked in the head?" Hearing this part thanks to Zeke''s enhanced hearing, his interest immediately got piqued. What royal family? Are they talking about his family? "What did you say?" The Vira Clan duo got spooked for a second as Zeke suddenly appeared behind the man. "G-good samaritan!" "Repeat what you said earlier." "What?" "That royal family bullshit. Can you tell me about it?" "....Ah!" The man didn''t expect Zeke to hear their conversation, which was supposed to be top-secret and unavailable to common folk. "G-good samaritan, y-you need not interfere with this! I p-promise our clan was in no way involved in their farce! P-please don''t report our clan to the authorities!" The man panickedly replied. It was a desperate attempt to cover up their conversation which contained one of the heaviest topics and punishments in their kingdom. ''What? Did he know I''m a royal?'' Zeke thought. However, he immediately discarded it. It was because it was nigh impossible for someone to recognize him even if he took off his mask. He didn''t really make an appearance with his parents in public so how could these two, whom he didn''t even remember meeting prior, recognize him? "I know. I just want to hear about it. Isn''t it a small price to pay for your lives?" "I-indeed." The man sighed in relief. The woman, who noticed her uncle''s relief, also heaved a sigh. They couldn''t really be blamed for doing so. First, attempting an uprising against the Royal Family is one of if not the heaviest sin to commit in their kingdom. Just by a simple gossip about this, one could get their entire family exterminated especially if there''s hard evidence. If their benefactor decided to leak this news to the Royal Family, although they aren''t part of it, it was inevitable for them to get involved in such murky waters. Zeke accompanied the two to a clearing he previously rested in and roasted some meat for the duo to eat. While cooking, the man narrated to Zeke about their encounter with the Fieran''s. The Fierans'' are only one of the noble houses situated in Dragonsoar City. Although it is the case, with their deep resources, they managed to secure a foothold on the city and made numerous connections with other noble houses. One of which is the man and woman''s clan, the Vira clan. The Fierans, like Zeke''s family, are also Fire Elemental users. Fire was known as one of the elements with the greatest offensive and destructive ability, and this further cause the Fierans'' reputation to soar not because of the people''s admiration, but because of their clan''s immense power in battle. The Vira clan, on the other hand, controls the element of Water. Like their element, their family preferred to be laidback and avoided political conflicts, but due to their status as a noble house, they couldn''t avoid the entirety of it. One of the ones they hadn''t, or couldn''t avoid was the Fieran''s secretive proposal. The proposal sent to them only contained simple words and sentences. It was a request for the Vira to join a secret alliance started by the Fierans with the objective of replacing the Flamehaven as the Royal Family who governs Fire. Their contents revealed how their kind of Fire is on par if not greater in power than the Flamehaven''s and the tempting reward of money and land if successful. To prevent leakage and proof, their letters of proposal were sent as a one-time use crystal, one that would crumble to ashes once used. The Viras rejected due to their peace-loving nature as well as devotion to the Four Royal Families, but the Fierans seemed to have taken it as a provocation and slap of face. Of course, they couldn''t openly declare war on the Viras, so they must''ve decided to just end their younger generation instead. Who would''ve thought that a certain royal managed to save the future of their clan? Zeke inwardly mused. He was indeed surprised about how ballsy and arrogant the Fierans are to attempt to usurp a Royal Family''s thousand-years old position. However, as absurd as it may seem, Zeke still didn''t let down his guard towards the Fierans. He thought that it should be safe to say that someone must''ve been backing the Fierans. Of course, it could also be said that they are just an arrogant bunch who got heavily influenced by their element''s temperament.