Chapter 15. A bug.

“Ah another sunny day!” I say while walking outside.

“Well let’s start such a nice day with a good run.” I say as I am warming up my muscles before starting my training.

“Ah wait, Asger!” Shouts my father from the barn.

“Huh? What happened?” I turn back to the side from where I heard a voice.

“Do you need my help with something?” I add as I am beginning to walk towards him.

“No, I just wanted to give you something.” He has a big smile.

I notice that he is carrying something wrapped in a old cloth.

“What’s that?” I ask with a puzzled expression.

“When I was about your age my father made me an axe. So now I am giving it to you. Since a real one is too big and that dagger… Well anyways take it.”

“Wow thanks. It was made by grandpa?”

‘I know mothers parents are still alive, since we went to them few times. But now that I think, father never mentioned about his.’ I got a bit curious but still my whole attention on the package.

Father unwraps the cloth and gives it to me.

As I am holding this small axe, I feel that it is perfect for the current me. Even more its has quite a beautiful fire carvings on both sides of it.

I touch it’s edge and notice that it is remarkably sharp considering it’s age.

As father sees me occupied with his gift. He speaks with a bit of nostalgia in his voice: “Yeah, my father is one of the best blacksmiths in the North. When he was young he traveled the wide world. And in one of his journeys he made a dwarf friends, which taught to him an art of blacksmithing. And today he lives in a village of Gilja.”

Even though I am interested in my gift, but this is a rare chance to hear about this awesome grandpa.

“Gilja?” I ask my father hoping for him to continue.

“Yes. It is one of the Last line villages. If you take the northern road from Geirland you will find it.” Explained dad.

“You see he says that it’s too boring to live here…” My father almost snorts in the end of his sentence. But holds back and continues. “Even if he is a stubborn, old fool he at least makes a decent equipment.”

‘I was planning to see this Last line in future. But now I am definitely going and Gilja will be my destination.” I thought with a burning wish to meet my grandfather.

“Well I held you back from your training too long.”

“Thanks for the gift. I will definitely use it when the time comes.” I say looking at my father with a big smile.

He suddenly started to laugh as he was already going back to the barn. But before going to far said: “It is a good weapon. Just watch over it and try not to hit any rocks with it.”

“Don’t worry!” I say loud enough for him to hear.

‘Somehow I feel, like I just got an expensive heirloom.’

I tie this axe at my right side to the same belt, which is holding dagger on my left and after taking a few deep breath I start my daily exercise.

Even if I call it an exercise, I simply run for a half of day until dinner. Other half I study magic.

‘It’s been almost two months from that day when I found a cave. Time sure flies by.’

‘At first I thought magic is hard to learn. But I was wrong. Basics are quite simple. The problem is that you need a lot of patience and time. Since you require to build something like a pathways in your body before being able to use magic. At least that’s what was written in a book.’ It helps me to pass my time faster if I think over what happened or make strategies for the future.

‘Since that book was written by a human magician it is hard to tell how much I can trust it. But apparently at least humans need from about 4 to 6 months to learn a second step.’

First step is being able to feel inner energy. It takes only day or few.

Second step takes much longer. Since you need to keep moving that energy in one part of your body until it can finally flow easily and in the end manifest outside.

‘I am not really sure, but I think, yesterday I almost succeeded in forming my element… So two months might be enough to me. Meaning it will take 10 more until I finish training the rest of my body (both legs, other arm, torso and my head).’

Well I wanted to train my whole body, but it didn’t take long, until I understood that it is impossible. Since it was as if trying to solve two puzzles at the same time.

As I was deep in thought, time just flew by me.

“I should probably turn around and start heading back, if I want to be on time, for dinner.” I say after taking a look at the position of the sun.

‘And another half of day almost gone.’ In reality I am more worried about the other half.

I have stopped going to the cave after about a month. Reason for that is a huge core consumption. Since to keep the lights on I need to use one rats core for one full day.

After more than a half of my loot just disappeared I decided to find other places for my meditation. Sometimes I use barn or house and sometimes I simply sit under the tree.

As I keep running and breathing rhythmically, I suddenly remember: ‘Ah right… Tomorrow is again that day.’

‘I really don’t want to go to class anymore…’

‘I know that Elise told me a huge secret, but I gave my word! Am I so distrustful? Yes, I know. I was angry at the beginning. Of course it’s not because I took a GIRL seriously as my rival, after all they are strong, but because I was misled! And really not because of the rival thing…’

‘Either way what matters is her constant attention on me. It is driving me crazy. Every time I turn towards her she tries to fake it as if looking somewhere else. But when I take my eyes off of her, I can feel her glare returning as my whole skin becomes really prickly. I even feel her stare after the class while walking home…’

‘Maybe I am getting paranoid or maybe I am simply going crazy…’ My wishful thinking.

‘I can think what ever I want. But deep down I know what is going on. Haaa…’ With a tired look I let out a sigh.

‘I got a STALKER!’ If at the moment you looked at me from a side you would notice a disgust written all over my face.

‘I must be extra careful! Otherwise I might end up with a dagger in my back for slipping a wrong word in a wrong context.’ While running home, I nod to myself.

‘Somehow class loses it’s fun when you need to be afraid for your life. But still I kept on going for one thing. That is points in presence. Her glare is so intense that I get even one point for every two classes.’

‘But this is truly a training from hell. It is so hard, that after only getting my first point I already tried to give up.’

I called Elise away from others and told here: “Don’t worry! You can trust me. No matter how much I am tortured, I will never tell them your secret!”

As I was saying that, I used as a strong voice as I could. Since making her believe in me was the point of this conversation.

She stood for a few seconds simply looking straight at my eyes. And after putting her arm on my shoulder without breaking the eye contact she said: “I believe in you.”

Without saying anything else she walked away with a big smile on her face.

‘And with this it was finally over… This is what I want to say… So why is it that the next time we met her glare has even intensified? Did I do something wrong?’ I started to wonder.

‘Ahhhh!!!! How much longer do I need to suffer this? How much longer do I need to wake up in the middle of night, drenched in a cold sweat from a nightmare?’ My expression got really tired

‘I must have really pissed off someone important in one of my past life’s. To be so unlucky … Why can’t I live my life in peace?’

*Author note: I got a feeling to explain this part. The thing is I don’t really tolerate a perverted mc’s in a child bodies (somehow it doesn’t sit well with me). Theory for this is he used to be a loner so not really good at reading other people feelings also…Damn I got to censor this, don’t want to spoil… *

Still cursing myself for all the unlucky things and misery, I finally came back home.

“Ah Asger, good I have almost prepared dinner so wait a bit.” Said my mother when she noticed me coming inside.

“Ok! Call me when it’s done. I will be sitting outside.”

After my little sister was born, house became really cramped. So I try to spend as much time outside as I can get.

By the wall of our house there is a simple wooden bench. I walk to it and sit down.

‘Might as well train my magic.’ I decide to not waste time.

At the beginning I needed to imagine waves of water. But after so many tries it became simpler. I only need to push energy from deep inside of me towards my arm. To get the same tingling sensation in my palm.

So like all the other times, I poured this strange, imaginable energy, since I can’t feel it, to my hand. And like all the rest of times, this tingling at my palm was the only indicator showing that I succeeded.

That is until today.

“Arghhh! What is this?” I said through gritted teeth as a burning pain ran through my whole arm.

“MMmmm… This is the first… Argghhhhhh…. Don’t tell me I done something wrong and damaged it?”

I move my arm to examine it.

“Well at least I can still move it. And this pain is starting to lessen.”

“That scared me a lot. I wonder what just happened?” I say while looking at my hand.

“…”

“Could this mean that I succeeded?” I gulp down all saliva in my mouth as an extraordinary idea came to me.

‘Calm down and concentrate.’

I look at my hand intensely while holding it in front of my face.

‘One more time let’s move the energy to my palm.’ I think as I am gently as possible moving this imaginable force to my arm.

There is no tingling, but I can clearly see the difference. As a small lightning bolts start to run between my fingers.

“Ha ha ha! This is awesome. I am a friging Gandalf.” I say as a huge joy floods me.

NotificationYou have gained a new Title

“What?” Suddenly appeared screen took me by surprise.

‘’

Status WindowLevel65RaceNorthmenStrength569Defense399Vitality110Intelligence253Stamina242Vigor184Agility157Presence26ResistanceWater0%Earth0%Ice7%Fire0%Lightning5%Darkness0%Nature0%Wind0%Poison0%Alcohol0%*Titles*

‘’

*Titles*Blessed; The last one standing; Son of Thunder; Magical knight

“Magical knight? In what way do I look like a knight?” I almost shout at the screen.

*Snap*

I make a snapping sound with my fingers as I say: “I know what this is. It’s a fucking bug…”

‘’

“Tch! Anyway let’s take a look at it.”

‘’

Magical knightYou are one of the few, who can wield a sword and fire bolts of magic. Even thought you are great at both, you are master at none. But combining them makes you a force to be reckoned with.

+50 strength; +50 intelligence.

“Knight… Sword… Nonsense like this is what makes you want to quit!” Anger runs through me.

“Stupid bugs… Well at least it gives some nice stats.”

“Asger, dinner is ready!” I hear my mother shouting.

“Yes…” I answer in a tired voice.

== End of chapter 15 ==

Thanks *bludvein* for pointing out my mistake.

About his weapon I came to a conclusion. He will have 2 small axes for throwing and speed, but also he will have a two handed battle axe for bigger opponents (smaller one’s will be at his side while bigger one on his back)

My plan was to release this chapter yesterday and by tomorrow make another one. But shit happened as yesterday my car’s side mirror got knocked off… So I spent yesterday about 5 hours going through scrap yards looking for a replacement. Sadly my car is really old so I failed. Since I live in a eastern Europe ordering a new mirror is a bit too expensive In other words I might not make another chapter by tomorrow.