Chapter 0 – Prologue

Lion Empire, year 1725 of the Spirit Era, at the Border City of Cali.

A young man was repeatedly swinging a hammer inside a smithy, doing his utmost effort to forge a metal hoe despite the perspiration on his face.

With his right hand holding the hammer, his body maintained a stable posture while his arm constantly used great strength to swing the hammer carefully to hit the metal piece in the necessary places so it can take the correct form.

The young man continued swinging the hammer, second after second. He looked fixedly his work as his pair of black eyes reflexed the burning metal, preparing to correct any error which may appear during his work, knowing that a single moment of carelessness is enough to spoil the work of all a day.

His black hair, full of grime, was enough to prove his arduous work, letting everyone know that he was not going to stop if his assignment had not been completed.

For anybody entering the smithy, the image of the youth working projected a feeling of vigor and youthfulness. That, together with the well built body of the boy, showed a steady countenance able to inspire trust from any man or woman close enough to know about him.

An old man sat reclining inside the smithy, his eyes closed with a leaf in his mouth. His scarce white hair covered part of his forehead; giving the impression of being sleepy due to his old age. But if you looked carefully, it was possible to notice that the body of the old man was full of muscle, and his posture, though reclined, was firm and steady like a mountain.

The pair of young and old continued in the smithy, one working and one sleeping, while the sounds of the hammer hitting metal resounded through the place, every clang heralding the completion of a work that surely would be useful for a fortunate farmer in his daily life.

The sounds persisted for a while more, every clanging sound maintained a constant pace, creating a symphony of sounds which unexpectedly would calm at anyone close enough to hear them. But when the listeners felt that the climax of sound was approaching, the hammering stopped abruptly, as if it hadn't have existed from the beginning.

The boy holding the hammer stopped in place, his eyes fixed on the hoe that he just created, looking carefully for any missed detail and hoping for a perfect tool fruit of his hard work.

After a few seconds of careful observation, he exhaled tiredly, a small smile forming in his lips while his body fell in the ground of the smithy, wishing nothing more than a hot bath and a good dream.

“Congratulations boy, it appears that you finally learned almost everything what I can teach you. I don’t think that I can make it better than you if I were in your position.”

“Haha, thanks old man, but I think I’m not there yet. If you ask me then your works are a few times better than mine.”

Opening his eyes at the exact moment when the youth ended, the old man stood up from the chair, walking toward the inside of the shop without looking at the tool recently created. He already knew the quality of the work simply from the sounds generated from the hammer hitting metal.

The youth smiled for a bit more after hearing the compliments of the old man, knowing how rare it was for the man to do it. He reminiced how it was at the beginning when the old man only had critics for the hardworking young man.

Taking a pouch with a few silver coins inside it, the old man threw it towards the youngster, without waiting for him to stand up.

“Take it. That is your salary for this month. Use it well.”

Catching it awkwardly, the youth proceeded to give him his thanks.

“Thanks, old man. I don’t know what I would do without it. You are a lifesaver.”

Then standing up, the youth proceeded to clean his face with the water in a bucket before taking a jacket from a shelf. Guarding the money in a pocket, the youth wore his jacket and walked calmly toward the exit, prepared to end his work for today.

“Oh, right old man, I won’t be coming in the next few days. I just took a commission from the town hall to hunt a few beasts in the forest. Look like they have been causing trouble to some plantations and the farmers asked for help.”

“Is it so? I didn’t understand why you do things like it. That is not like the money you earn from it is better than what you make in the smithy, and the risks are greater too. Moreover, it's unlikely that you have a sort of future with fighting… Whatever, take care in the forest.”

The forest in the commission refers to the lost forest, part of a large forest which covered great part of the continent and connected to various mountains ranges. That forest was known for being full of demonic beasts and unimaginable dangers, taking the lives of many the peoples who enter. But of course, such dangers exist in the profound of the forest, while the more external parts are relatively secure.

Making a difficult expression, the youth responded:

“Don’t say it old man. After all, in this world, it is necessary to learn a bit about fighting, and this commission is pretty safe and a good place for me to acquire experience. As a bonus, I can get a bit of money. What else can I ask for?”

“Ugh… I cannot win against you in arguments… Okay, okay, go away… shoo shoo, I don’t wanna see you anymore for today…”

“Hahaha… Thanks again old man, see you soon.”

Smiling, the youth left the smithy and walked towards a corner of the town where his house was, thinking about his plans for the next few days while looking at the stalls and stores from his surroundings, searching for any interesting thing to buy and bring home.

The Border Town of Cali is a small town ubicated in the borders of the Lion Empire with the Lost Forest, at the east of the continent. Because of its ubication, the town is not very populated, with only a few thousand people, the majority farmers, and crafters with a few peoples coming from time to time to explore the forest; searching for opportunities or in the hopes of obtaining a bit of money.

Walking around the town, the youth continued looking at the different stalls, from time to time going near to some which captured his interest and bargaining with the owner for better prices. The scene carried a peaceful atmosphere only found in towns such as this.

“Impossible! Do you think I am an idiot!? I already know that the old fool Brake paid you today…! How do you dare to say that you are short in money?! I will not low the price any more, chose, or buy it or not!”

“Okay okay owner, I will pay. The price was two silvers, right?”

Taking two silver coins from the pouch, the youth threw it at the man in the stall, receiving the bag with a few groceries inside with his hand.

“Hmph… Come back soon little Aiden, I heard you are going to do a commission in the forest, be careful… Oh right, bring it to little Lia, tell her that it was a gift from my wife.”

Holding the pie the owner gift him with his other hand, the youth, Aiden, bid farewell to the man in the stall, walking unhurriedly in direction to home.

Commission are tasks which are posted from time to time in the town hall with the purpose of solving troubles that cannot be settled for themselves. Normally, commissions go from request to help with the harvest of some farm, at petitions to kill wild beast causing trouble in the surroundings of the town, and in some extreme case, kill demonic beasts.

Different from wild beasts, demonic beasts are animals able to control energy, obtaining superhuman strength and some other strange abilities, making them extremely dangerous to normal humans and causing great tragedies from in some occasions.

Thanks to it, when a demonic beast is seen near a human settlement, a warrior or a team of warriors is sent immediately to chase and kill it.

Said it, Aiden is no strong enough to kill a demonic beast, at least not easily, so when he accepted the commission, it referred to a group of wild beasts causing problems to the farmers.

Reaching a small house in the south of the city, Aiden opened the door with difficulty using his hands occupied with a bag full of various necessities and a delicious looking pie, while at the same time making his presence known to the other habitant of this house.

“Lia!!! I’m home!!!”

While Aiden entered the house and put the different things in a table, a sound of footsteps resounds from the interior of the house and a sixteen years old white-haired girl with green eyes appeared with a bit of sweat falling from her brows and a sweet smile in his beautiful face.

“Welcome home young master, I have already prepared your bath.”

“Thanks Lia, I need one urgently. I am stinking of sweat.”

Taking off his black jacket, Aiden walked toward the bathroom. not ceasing his conversation with Lia meanwhile.

“I brought the things you asked for and a pie the wife of the owner sends you, I don’t think I have forgotten anything.”

“Thanks, young master, I will begin to prepare for the dinner. I think it will ready for when you end your bath.”

“Okay...”

Entering the bath, Aiden begun to think about the different things which happened during the day and the things him must prepare for the following days that he will be spending in the forest. Lost in his thoughts, his body relaxed in the bathtub.

The old man already said it, there is not much more I can learn from the smithy; and though I can continue going to earn money, it is not like I need it very much. But even now I don’t have any idea about how to breakthrough my cultivation.

What the old man said about Aiden don’t having any future like a fighter was right. In this world, fighters and warriors are people who wield energy, receiving superhuman abilities and great longevity together with riches and honor. But if you want to have any future like a fighter you need to have a spirit, doesn't matter in what form. Without a spirit, a human can only to be a mortal for all his life.

When it comes at cultivation, Aiden is very talented, reaching at the peak of core-forming at the age of twelve with an excellent foundation incomparable at many of his peers. But unfortunately, Aiden is unable to go beyond of this point…

… Because his spirit was stolen from him…