"Status Menu open!"

[Status Menu]

[Name: Zeref Amara]

[Species: Human]

[Level: 57]

[Exp: 34,500/ 58,000]

[Mana Pool: Stage 5]

[HP: 5700]

[MP: 5000]

[Strength: 40]

[Stamina: 49]

[Agility: 52]

[Defence/ Durability: 48]

[Weakness: Increased damage taken from Earth Magic, Nature Magic and when consuming Eggs]

[Affinity/ Perks: Lightning Magic, Fire Magic, Ice Magic, Gravity Magic.

Immune to Lightning magic attacks and Mental attacks

Resistance against fire and ice magic

Fast healing

Heightened Senses

Sixth Sense [Echo Location using mana instead of sound waves] ]

[Skills Menu:]

[General Skills:]

[Inspect Skill: Level MAX]

[Seikuken: Level 35]

[Lightning Mana Skills:]

[Lightning Aura: Level 54]

[Lightning Cloak: Level 24]

[Indra's Blade: Level 42]

[Lightning Gauntlets: Level 46]

[Indra's arrow: Level 44 ]

[Godspeed: Level 20]

[Skill Locked: ???]

[Skill Locked: ???]

[Do you want to see your skills for your other Elements: Gravity, Fire and Ice?]

[Yes/No]

"No." I uttered. "Status Menu and Skill Menu Close."

I lay down on my bed, hands behind my head staring up at the white ceiling. 8 years had passed just like that huh? My growth was good and steady I guess.

The dream about the announcement of the candidate games remained vivid in my brain. It occurred 3 days ago. Around a round table there were about 14 people, all wearing hoods and dark robes; I could tell there were both men and women there. The last monarch said something about the 'growth period'; this period should last about 10 years, so by the time I became 22, the next stage of the candidate tournament would begin. In these 10 years I had to reach S rank; even this life was going to be stressful.

I got up shaking away those thoughts and walked to the mirror, My body was now that of a teenager, thank god! Not that of a small infant any longer. I examined my face, as I tilted my head around looking at the different angles. Damn! I'm hairy! I hadn't cut my hair once, so my brown hair made me look more like a girl than a boy. I really should cut my hair. I spent my 8 years training with my teachers, day after day, with no break in a solitary dimension that was owned by Gramps, occasionally they'd take me to a chrono chamber too for sparring practice (a place where time is fastened inside to multiply the fruits of training, while time on the outside goes normally).

I had only gotten back from that dimension to the village this morning. During these 8 years I barely had time to cut my hair or look at my body, so I really didn't realise how much my body changed till now. I was about 5'6ish now, pretty tall, and my muscles were very slim but toned. I wasn't that frail and weak infant anymore. Over the 8 years I had received all the techniques of my masters and special educational classes on Mana manipulation and basic school tutoring so I didn't miss out on anything, while I skipped the Primary school. What a blessing that was!

I learned many new things and improved my martial arts adding the art of killing into it. My dual short sword techniques were also revised and reformed. I was definitely stronger than in my previous life too. However, I really missed my demon form, that sensational feeling of power surging through one's veins and letting one move beyond the potentials of a basic human, I really missed that feeling.

I looked at the clock, 11am! Crap! I hadn't done my Compulsory quest yet. I looked at the top right corner of my vision. When I reached Level 3, I started receiving daily quests which I had to get done before 12 am, if not I'd receive punishments. Debuffs! Punishments varied but normally one of my main stats was halved, which was a great nuisance. Every 10 levels these quests got progressively harder and harder.

"Quests Menu Open."

[Quests Menu:]

[General Quests: None]

[Compulsory Quests:0/20 Km ran

0/300 Push ups

0/300 Sit ups

0/300 Squats

0/30 min meditation]

[Rewards: 5000 Exp]

I had exactly 1 hour to do all these. Crap!

"Quests Menu Close."

I immediately got down to the floor and started doing my push ups, sit ups and squats. After about 10 minutes I was done. That left me with 50 minutes to finish my 20Km run and half an hour meditation. I decided to meditate first and for my run I decided I would cheat a little. After my meditation and mana gathering was done I activated my most powerful skill: Godspeed!

Godspeed was one of the recent skills I unlocked so I barely had time to level up the skill, levelling up skills took a lot of time, with constant use only did skills level up. Anyhow, I activated Godspeed, and My hair rose up and violent lightning bolts were forming around my body, moving like snakes. Time slowed around me as I moved, I left a thunderclap moving faster than the speed of sound, I broke the sound barrier.

However, this took 500MP per second and put a huge toll on my body, a huge price to pay. That didn't matter though, I wasn't fighting right now so I didn't need to worry about my MP, I just wanted to let loose and use the skill for fun, I stopped using the skill and did some calculations in my head; Am I stupid?

If I ran at 1.25 times the speed of sound and my mana depleted 500 MP/s, I still wouldn't make it due to exhaustion. I could run for about 10 seconds max before my mana depleted; now for the distance covered, the speed of sound is roughly 340 m/s, but I can travel 25% faster than that, so in conclusion I could theoretically cover 425 metres in a second.

That leads to me covering 4.25km in 10 seconds max, I'm still 15.75km short from my goal and I'd most likely not have enough energy to even run the rest. Therefore, I decided to use the more rational method, just use my lightning aura for a 30% boost in my natural speed and run the 20km. My average running speed without the lightning aura boost was 20m/s, so it should take me roughly under 15 minutes to run the 20km. Perfect! And so I headed out.

**

"You're finally back. Where were you kiddo?" Gramps spoke inviting me in, as I entered into the house still huffing and puffing. Everyone was at the table. Including mum! A burst of joy ran circles around my heart. When was the last time I saw her beautiful face?

"Mum! It's been so long!" I shrieked overzealously as I ran to hug my mother for the first time in 8 years. She had left me abruptly after my father's death, to this day I don't know why.

"I've missed you so much too. I am so sorry for leaving you like that, what an unmotherly thing to do!" she scolded herself as she wept and hugged me. Seeing her brought back memories of the past and our days together with Father. I clenched her tightly in my arms.

"I will never let anyone harm my family ever again." I said with a smile, trying to comfort her.

"Hey let us join in too!" the hunched assassin spoke as he joined the two and leapt in for the hug.

"I'm here too you know!" Miss Elena spoke in glee, moving to the other side of where the hunched assassin was and joined the large hug. At this rate I was going to be squished.

"Hahahaha! You young ones, let me show you what a hug really is!" Gramps smiled suspiciously. NOoo! We're dead if he joins us! AAAggghhh!!

**

"Okay, that's enough back to the real task at hand. Zeref sit down, we were discussing something while you were out, it's very important." Gramps spoke, I sat down accordingly and listened, "It's time for you to go to school, High School to be exact."

"School? I thought I didn't have to go to school?" I questioned.

"Sorry kid, it's not our choice, your mother insisted you see more of the outside world now and be a normal person; she knows you were training for revenge but you have to remember your age, you're still 12."Gramps replied, folding his arms like he had nothing to do with this.

Miss Elena gave me a wry smile, "As a bonus You'll be going to the same academy as Malia."

"Wait, How's that a bonus? What are you trying to imply woman." I replied straight away at the cunning women.

"There's no choice kid, it's your mother's orders, no discussion needed, you'll be going to school starting in 2 days, since you've already missed 1 year of the Academy, you'll have to join and adjust, i have no doubts you will be fine." Gramps replied, stroking his beard.

"That's not the problem, I just don't want t-" My complaint was cut off by Gramps.

"Well that's decided, now let's get shopping! You need stuff for the academy, you're going to be going there soon." Gramps laughed ignoring me.

"Fine. Can I just ask what's the name of the academy?" I queried, finally accepting my fate.

"Xanxus Academy of Magic." the hunched assassin replied.

"Whaaaat! You run an academy?! But I don't want to be an assassin." I said out of surprise.

"Don't be stupid you fool!" the hunched assassin got up and wacked my head downwards with his fists. Ow man! "What's wrong with being an assassin, it's a well feared title, plus my academy is not just for aspiring assassins, my academy is prestigious and teaches all variants of magic. That's not all the reputation of my academy is so great, many people from different races know it and send their children there to learn. Don't make assumptions before you've even gone there." he snapped back at me. So Mr Xanxus was an extremely famous person whilst also being an assassin.

"Okay, I'm sorry." I replied back.

"I mean you can always join the military, I'll make sure to make a good soldier out of you..." Miss Elena spoke while sipping her coffee.

"Who do you think you are deciding that, you ironing board." the hunched assassin started.

"I'm not deciding on it. I'm simply suggesting it." Miss Elena shrugged.

"Well, don't! The boy doesn't need to join the fricking military like an average bimbo." Xanxus rolled his eyes. Instead of saying something back, Miss Elena shot her middle finger up at him. I laughed when Xanxus tried to bite her finger like a rabid dog. "AH-OW! You wild animal!" Miss Elena yanked her hand back and cradled it. "Big disgusting baldy… might get rabies" she complained under her breath.

Not this again! I shook my head. They were like little kids. Mother chuckled at their small fight.

"What is it with you and my baldness, hahahaha! Is it cause my head is rounder than your chest." he laughed uncontrollably like a madman. I won't lie, that was pretty funny, so I laughed fake coughing in between, trying to show that I was neutral in all of this.

"You've gone and done it now, I'm going to send you to Martha!" She shouted, as wind started to gather up around her.

"Come at me you old hag!" The hunched assassin finally stood up straight and his hands began to freeze due to his ice mana manipulation. In the 8 years, I sparred with them a dozen times. Both of them were powerful. Mr Xanxus was at Level 67 while Miss Elena was Level 64. Gramps was the highest at level 78. I wasn't that far behind in terms of strength. Except for the fact that my ice and fire powers weren't that fully developed and I couldn't use it as well as my gravity and lightning.

Their argument was escalating into a brawl now, both Miss Elena and Mr Xanxus were exercising their mana. I went to my mother's side just in case.

"Aaaaaghhhh!" they both screamed their battle cries, as they threw a straight punch at each other. However their punches didn't reach each other. Gramps appeared in between the two and stopped both their fists with 1 finger. Cool!

"Okay, that's playtime over, Xanxus take Zeref to town and buy the stuff he needs, make sure you get him a weapon too." Gramps spoke sternly, "Now go."

"Fine old man, Zeref come with me, we're going to town." as he said that he reached into his pocket and took out a green portal, I had bad experiences with portals. Not again.

He threw the device to the ground and a portal formed; he jumped straight in and I followed.

"Bye everyone, see you guys in a bit." I said before jumping into the portal. They all waved back, even Miss Elena waved sourly.

[You have entered a Green Portal]