I was awake in the mine cave again. This is not a dream. Am I in two different bodies in two different worlds? It is quite clear but what is going on? What am I forgetting? Did the world not destroy? Why can't I remember? I only remember I met my father in a golden armor and nothing more.
[ DOUBLEKEGGER SHADOW MONSTER SYSTEM SUCCESSFULLY COPIED ANIMALISTIC SKILL]
[NEUTRALIZING POISON 31%PROCESSING: UNCOMPLETED]
While I tried to make sense of my screen in front of my eyes and what was going on. I saw the children who were rushing to pick the crystal stones into their baskets another site stopped in their tracks. They rushed towards me with excitement in their eyes.
“Are you okay? Here” A young child walked to me, and she broke her lunch bread in half and passed it to me to eat.
“Thank you for your kindness,” she smiles. Suddenly, other children broke their bread in half and gave it to me. Just then, the Guards walked into the scene. "I see you are not hungry. No dinner for you. Now get back to work, you maggots.” I frown at her action. "You don’t like my actions.” She whips a child to reveal her authority before walking away. I pick up my axe then continue to split the rocks and wait patiently for my system to neutralize the poison.
[PERCEPTIVE VISION SKILL-ACTIVATED]
Like visions Hero's life Memories flood again.
That day, I went to the dorm to treat my wounds from the bullies. It's not like Hero didn't have the power to beat them up but if he does in public. His mana abilities would be revealed to the world.
.........
It was late in the evening after school the same day, and fifteen-year-old Hero finally found some time to himself. Forcing his body into action to train after those boys angered him, he began to walk deeper into the forest before his tired mind could think up any more reasons why it might be better to rest.
Hero found a cool forest spot at the back of Adventurer Academy where he could train. A river would serve his purpose well along the banks, where there would be a clear enough area for him to practice. Hero carved a path through an army of grass, and eventually, as the going was slow- the water came into sight.
It was not a river but a lake, perhaps 50 meters in diameter, with only one side accessible. There was no entrance because the other sides of the lake were hidden by grasses and trees. It would be an oxbow lake given its shape.
The scenery was magnificent, with low sun reflecting off the water and giving the area a warm glow. Ducks navigated the water, some diving deep in search of food. Seconds later, they would return with fish in their mouths.
Hero stood along the bank after making sure no one was around. He stretched his right hand on top of the river and allowed his mana to flow from his core through his veins into the river. The golden Mana merges with the water and suddenly, tiny drops of water elevate into the air like a thousand raindrops from the lake and then combine into a giant water ball in the middle of the lake.
He manipulated it into different shapes, like water hammers, swords, and anything his mind thought of before manipulating it back into the river. He then took a knife and sliced a part of his palm. He combined Mana and his blood, and the blood was like a little stream of water elevated into the air in a blood ball. He tries to manipulate it into a different shape of a sword, but the blood wobbles and refuses to shift shape like the water transformed.
“Tsk! I failed again, why is it easy to manipulate water into different shapes but difficult to manipulate blood in the same way? Is the blood not enough, or is the mana not enough? Why am I having trouble with it". Hero questioned himself with a puzzled look, staring at his blood palm healing at a rapid rate, and a sudden voice replied.
“Beats me, probably because you are not a mage, I am baffled as to why someone like you, who is at the level of an A-class mage, is a student of Adventurer Academy instead of Steam Mage Academy. And what is more baffling is this powerful Mage is the so-called hated failed rank who is unable to neither use Mana nor grow to another level"
Hero is startled and turns his head to look around.
"Who said that? Show yourself. “He shouted.
“I am up here.” Hero traced the female voice to a small wooden house on top of a tree. A lavishly dressed student of notable beauty jumps down from the top of the tree. She had a delicate air above her, with blonde hair that brushed against her full pink lips.
Hero could tell that she was a top student of the mage academy due to her red and yellow suited tunics decorated like those of a top navy army general. Her dark pants were on combat boots, with a decorated rose sword to the side of her waist.
She lifts her head to look at Hero, her captivating blue eyes darting from the floor to Hero's face. Indeed, she was beautiful, but it was not the beauty that caught Neo's attention as the memories played.
It was the fact that she was a replica—the exact imagery of Sandra, his girlfriend from Earth. Hero was shocked and stared at her as she walked towards him.
" Yo...u, you know me?" Questioned Hero
As she walked closer to Hero, she unsheathed her sword and pointed at him.
“Yes, I know you. Everybody knows the story tales of the famous failed ranker who never grew. I should write it into a storybook. Why, do you want to play dumb now as if you don't know who I am? Or did my beauty make you dumb? Well, I know I am beautiful, and guys drool over me however, Depending on your answer, I may not spare your life. Let me remind you of who I am" She leaped towards Hero and pierced her sword straight aimed for Hero's face. Hero unsheathed his sword swiftly and parried against her incoming swing.
“If you saw how powerful my abilities are, then that is the more reason you should not make me your enemy." Hero shouted as he leaped back away from her, but he was shocked as she had vanished from his view. Hero turns his head to look around, but to his shock, a sword enveloped in violent yellow flames descends vertically down on Hero. Hero swung, parrying the sword, almost bending a knee due to the heavy weight of her swing.
Hero could hear the footsteps of this lady move about him at terrifying speed, one moment in every second. A sword would swing. It was too fast, and all he could do was a defensive maneuver as his sword clashed and parried against hers.
"Hellbound," she said, stretching her hand briefly and enchanting a magic spell, and a blast of fire flew towards Hero. Hero stretches his right hand and water from the stream forms a defensive barrier.
“So you can use mana without spells summons. How terrifying. I'm dying to know what else you can do." She said as she posed for an attack when she heard a voice.
“Princess Elena, the king, has summoned you to the palace. There has been another poison assassination attempt on the king’s life and this time. It's through the king's food” Wise the tortoise bows adjusting his professor glasses to his ridges. Hero raised an eyebrow. He had heard of a child prodigy in the king's family. It was her, Elena sheaths her sword and then turns to leave.
“I want you here at this same place by this same time tomorrow. I am curious to know who you might be and why you had to lie. If I don't see you tomorrow, I will announce your story of forbidden blood magic in such a terrible way that every mage and adventurer would haunt you." She walked away with the tortoise.
Suddenly, Hero saw on top of the tortoise's head a crystal glowing star stone. And is System tab pops up.
[HERO MEMORIES- TORTOISE THE WISEMAN]
[AN INHERITOR OF THE FIRST GUARDIAN GREEN PHILOSOPHER STONE- NEPHILEN EBUBE THE GREEN ARMORED GOD, GUARDIAN OF NATURE, AND LORD OF GIANT FOREST]
Fragments of memories came to mind as his thoughts wandered back to the present.
" Yes, I know the first inheritors of the philosopher stone. I just need to find him. Wait what’s the philosopher's stone again?"
……
“Hey, Newbie, the son of the Duke of Northridge, Jefferson Velrick, has summoned you.” suddenly the lady guard and two others called me. At the mention of his name, like a flash, I remembered another intrusive scene flooding into my mind.
.......
After that encounter with the princess, that same day, as the day faded to a sea of starry stars, Hero walked on the busy street unhappy. The princess had discovered who he was. How is he going to break the news to Sabrina and Lucian, who warned him? What did the princess plan to do with this knowledge? Enslave him magically as he did to Wise the tortoise, or should he run? As he walked through the street,
He stopped in front of a tavern inn. The night is illuminated by street lights filled with busy people either selling or just passersby or storytellers. “Maybe I should talk to Historia first" he opened the door and walked into a room made from strong oak woods and a rampart brick stone wall. Numerous amounts of people were eating and Hero walked to the front desk.
" Hey, Historia, your crush is here" a lady waiter whispered to Historia as she adjusted her glasses with a smile.
A beautiful paled-skinned girl with curly orange hair matching her eyes on a laced maid outfit turned around and Hero walked and sat on a front desk.
“What’s up ugly?" Hero waved. She frowns her face.
“What do you want Hero am busy" She dropped a plate of food on the table.
“I just felt we should walk home together today" he replied
" Huh! What's gotten into you? I always wanted to walk home with you but you rejected me every time. Something has happened? Right," She stared directly into Hero's eyes.
“Eat up cutie. When am done, we will talk while walking home" Hero nodded. He was not that hungry however with the food on the table he was. He took a few bites of the food when suddenly two children, one male and one female with long blonde hair reached down their chest in rag clothes. The hair covering one eye and the other made visible to people.
They stared at Hero touching their stomach. Hero tried to ignore them to eat his fill however he ended up giving them the food. They ate with joy and then left. Moment when they were gone, Hero wanting to pay for his food noticed his purse was gone.
“Those damn children" he ran out of the tavern with Historia calling on him.
“I will be right back" walking in the middle of a crowded busy street with his eyes roaming to and fro for them suddenly spot the children pickpocketing several people in the streets.
“Those damn children" he ran after them. The children noticed him. They laughed and ran chased by Hero. They ran through alleys and streets into a lowly corner to a building plaza.
The two kids knock on the wooden door and a Man with a patch on his left eye opens a small window and says." Password" and the children reply.
“When the moon goes to sleep," and the man replies "Next rise is the dawn" and the children reply. “And the knob sun shines brightly on top of the house of ruin" the man shuts the window in the door and opens the door. Hero watching the entire scenario saw the children walk into the house. He arranged himself then walked to the door and knocked as well.
“Password?" The man narrowed his eyes and he replied with the words he heard and the door was open. Hero walked inside and all he saw was the black market of illegal activities. He saw rooms and rooms with different Women having sex with high officials. In other rooms, were drugs, and in other rooms were different gambling activities.
A lustful beautiful woman with seductive purple lipstick almost half naked with some sensitive parts of her body exposed walked toward him and said “Why don't you come into Satan's room? For the right price, the devil will entertain you" Hero's eyes widened to what he just heard, and ran. He saw the children walk to a back door.
Hero ran to the back door, and the door led to a backyard. The moon shone on a two-story warehouse and light illuminated from the door. He heard the sounds of children and the voices of men. Draw by the light, he walked towards it and peeped, he saw a stack of heavy wooden boxes hip to the roof gallery. He hid behind the stacks and saw a bizarre sight.
A gang lord collecting money from different children, those who failed to turn in their quota were punished. He saw a girl not up to twelve who failed to deliver her quota was dragged to a corner and a huge man pulled his trousers and forced himself sexually on the girl. She tried to push him away only to receive a beating. She cried as she felt the man rod painfully inside her and some gang men watched the scene laughing.
Other children not old enough were forced to labor work of compiling drugs and the gang lord said to some cute young girls. “This is what happens if you mix your quota. You will be raped multiple times by my men to open your V and sold to the brothel for a life of prostitution. You will pay with your body. Now if you don't want to end up like that. Now get going and turn your daily quota" Tears streamed on Hero's eyes as he watch the raped girl scream in pain as the man continue to have his way. His eyes turn red and he folds his hand into a fist. His eyes glare.
“I am going to kill them" Suddenly his ears caught the glimpse of a sword swinging behind him aimed at his neck.
2023-11-09 00:44:34
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