ARC 1: Encounter with a God

He had been worried, worried about his granddaughters’ wellbeing. He had been a very doting grandfather to the both of them. After their parents died, he had assumed the role of guardian to the two little kids. He knew of the pain of losing their parents, he knew of the pain they were going through. To ease the pain even a little, he tried his best to give them everything that they wanted. He spoiled them of all the luxury available. And now, they both grew up as very beautiful ladies—but with bad personalities.

The older of the two, Erika, had a very short temper which she usually lashed out on the servants. She had this concept that everyone below her were insects, after all, she was the scion of the House of Rein—one of the four houses that held the greatest power in the whole kingdom.

On the other hand, the youngest one took after her big sister. For her, her sister was her everything; the goal she wanted to achieve. Following such concept, she took the same steps as her sister; doing the same inhuman acts her sister loved to commit.

The two of them were usually on a rampage, two beautiful young ladies on the loose. The House of Rein had eventually become a house famous for its inhumane acts against the slaves and the commoners. Of course, all of the blame went to the head of the family, Aldrich Boyar Rein.

Aldrich Boyar Rein had eventually gone as far as hiring personality guidance counselors in order to reform his misbehaving younglings, but all of it was for naught since even the hired counselors couldn’t handle the young ladies of the House of Rein. Aldrich himself couldn’t bring himself to reform his granddaughters. He was afraid that it would make their hearts fade away from him. The head of The House of Rein was a very doting grandfather indeed.

While thinking such thoughts, the carriage he was riding on suddenly came to a halt.

“My Lord, there seems to be a peasant sprawled on the road, blocking our way.”

The coachman informed Aldrich, who was then stroking his ash white beard that gave the appearance of a man in his 80s. His silver coat lined with light brown fur had an engraved symbol of a trident and a silver-golden wing—the insignia of the House of Rein.

They were actually on their way back to the manor which was about two weeks by carriage from their current spot. Currently, they were in a place called the Twin Thorns, a long road that encompassed the whole Reneva Mountain range and were split in half by a giant fissure. A single lane of the road was wide enough for six carriages to pass side-by-side. It’s a place that was commonly swarming with monsters.

Concerned about their Lord’s safety, two guards went forward to remove the obstacle in the road. If he was alive, they would ask their Lord for further instructions. If dead, they would throw it towards the side of the road—letting the monsters feast upon the body.

Upon arrival at the place the man was sprawled, the guards noticed—it was faint, but the man was still breathing. His tattered clothing was covered in mud and his whole body was covered with scratches and injuries. The man was close to dying, but he was definitely alive.

“Lord, the peasant is still breathing. He is on a state that he will die if left alone. What do you command us to do Lord?”

A man with innumerable wrinkles that screams of old age lightly bowed towards Aldrich. He was wearing a brown corset covered by a surcoat bound to his lower garb by a brooch. Alongside him were two guards with bulky appearance wearing the same apparel. On their backs was a broad sword.

“Carry the man to the carriage and see if you could do anything to nurse his injuries Gaston.” Lord Aldrich said as he glanced towards the winding path before him. Sighing in frustration as he remembered his misbehaving granddaughters, he leaned his back on the carriages’ couch.

“As you command my Lord.” Gaston bent his body in reverence towards the bearded man. He then ushered the bulky men to carry the injured towards the carriage.

There were 6 carriages in total. The first one contained the vanguard forces composed of four bulky men with a broadsword each on their backs. The second one was where Lord Aldrich Rein resided along with his two guards and Gaston. The third and the fourth were the carriage that carried the servants. The fifth one contained all the consumable resources. Lastly, the sixth one contained guards which appeared to be less bulky than those on the vanguard.

Such a secured type of approach was required when crossing the Twin Thorns, a monster infested area. One would have no choice but to go through here if he wanted to cross the Reneva Mountains. After all, it’s safer because the monsters on the Reneva Mountains itself were on a different scale than those found on the road.

On the third carriage, Gaston stripped the man of his clothes and cleansed him with clean water. Afterwards he spread over a green ointment onto the man’s injuries.

“The injuries are actually lighter than they looked. This kind of injury is not enough to be actually life threatening. I wonder why he is in such a state; he seems to have swum in a mud pool or something. And that body… it’s severely malnourished.” Gaston murmured. He then wrapped the injuries with bandage.

The man, which appeared to be around his late teens, had pale skin which appeared to be devoid of any blood and an ash-brown hair that flowed down till his shoulders. His body had manifestations of severe lack of nutrients and fat—it was thin to the point that the outlines of the bones were clearly visible.

After the treatment, Gaston then began to feed the man liquefied form rice resembling porridge which was mixed with different herbs.

Gaston took care of the man daily as per his Lord’s request. The cycle continued for five days until the man had finally regained his consciousness.

The man slowly opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. Staring at the metallic wall, he seemed to have noticed that he was inside a moving vehicle—a carriage. Beside him was a man with innumerable wrinkles that one wouldn’t be able to approximate of his age. But one thing was sure; it was that he was really old to the point of being called ancient. Beside the old man was another old guy with long ash-white beard. The garment that covered his body was embedded with an image of a trident and a silver-golden wing.

“It’s good that you have finally regained your consciousness. I am glad.” The man with the silver cloak spoke. His warm smile formed wrinkles upon his age-old face.

“……………………………………”

“I see, you must have been unable to speak yet. Do not force yourself. After all, you have been unconscious for five days.”

The man was silent during the whole ordeal. His grey eyes were staring directly at the two men in front of him. He sensed no hostility from the two, rather he felt the opposite.

Grey eyes and slit like black pupils. Such eyes are sure rare in this area. I heard that the Lukan tribe in the Kingdom of Ametris has eyes like that. He must have come from a very far kingdom. I also heard that the Lukan tribe is a peaceful one, so I guess there is nothing to worry about.

“Very well, I must leave you to recuperate in here. We will be arriving in my manor in a week or so. I’m sure you would love our city. After all, it’s a city famous for being the most beautiful city in the whole kingdom.” The bearded man said as he slowly opened the steel carriage door. Glancing at the injured man, his eyes twinkled for an instant. He then got down from the carriage.

With Lord Aldrich gone, Gaston handed the man a bowl containing a light green liquid with some herb-like stuffs floating on top of it.

“Its Cocofish and Rice soup. It’s good for your health. It also has all the necessary ingredients to shape back your body.” Gaston said as he offered the bowl towards the man.

The man with grey eyes then accepted the bowl and began drinking from it. In just a mere moments, the bowl was scraped clean of its contents.

“HAHAHA! You’re quite the hungry one aren’t you? We have made plenty of those so you could have as much as you want. I’m sure your body is aching for nutrition.” Gaston lightheartedly laughed and brought out a big ivory jar resembling porcelain. He then began to scoop more soup into the man’s bowl.

“Here, keep eating to your heart’s content. By the way, may I know who you are and what happened to you?” The ancient man inquired. Still smiling from ear to ear, he patiently waited for the man’s answer.

“…………………………”

“Not in the mood to talk eh? I understand. Just keep eating and let this old man do all the conversations! HAHAHA!” Gaston chuckled. He then poured another set of porridge to the man’s bowl.

“…………………………”

“Did you know that I was a former mercenary? I don’t like to brag but I have even hunted down a rank A Crescent Wolf with my party members back in the day. Ahhh…such wonderful memories! Listen, back in my younger days….”

Gaston kept his one sided conversation going. The man on the other hand kept on binge eating the food handed to him. He just sat there, quietly listening to the old man in front of him telling him about the glories of his younger days. By the time Gaston had finished his life’s story, the man had eaten three dozen bowls full of soup.

****

Three days after regaining consciousness, the man seemed to have regained his vitality. He was now able to stand and walk. When the carriages stopped to prepare food or camp for the night, he did some stretching and a couple of light work outs. Aldrich and Gaston were glad of the improvement of the man’s condition.

On the fourth day after the man regained his consciousness, the carriage was suddenly assaulted by monsters. Being attacked was a usual occurrence, and the vanguards quickly disposed of the enemies, but this time seemed different. Instead of the usual one or two monsters attacking the convoy, packs of monsters were present.

Long furs that draped till half the body, it was a renowned monster with the head of a wolf and the body of a scorpion—Crisorps. They were blood seeking creatures feared for their hard carapace and poisonous tail. They usually attack in packs and were the Grim Rippers of the Reneva Mountains.

Reneva Mountains was heralded as a dangerous zone because of these creatures. With a body length of about 2 meters, agility of a wolf, hard carapace and the poisonous abilities of a scorpion, each of these monsters were on rank C++. Around a hundred of these creatures were surrounding the convoy.

“Those monsters shouldn’t be here!” Gaston shrieked in astonishment. The Crisorps were usually found deep inside the Reneva Mountains. “Protect our Lord!”

The vanguard forces along with the rear immediately formed a ring of protection at the second carriage—where Lord Aldrich was at. It was discussed that in an emergency, the top priority will be the life of the head of the House of Rein.

Contrary to what the guards were hoping for, Lord Aldrich immediately went out of the carriage.

“All non-combatants! Come here with me! Get inside the circle!” Lord Aldrich yelled for everyone to hear. Even in such a situation he had still chosen to save his servants. He then looked towards Gaston; silently conveying his message.

Gaston ushered for everyone to get inside the encirclement of soldiers just like what their Lord had ordered. The man with grey eyes was brought inside along with the rest of the servants.

“My Lord, I suggest that we cast a teleportation spell immediately.” Gaston spoke in a trembling voice. He then pulled out a red scroll from his rear. The letters embossed inside were glimmering in a golden hue.

“I agree. We can’t hope to beat all of this Crisorps by ourselves. Just a single one of these creatures is hard to kill already.” Lord Aldrich said. He then took out an ornamental dagger that immediately blazed after it was taken out of the scabbard. Gaston glanced at it with a squinted expression.

“That’s right my Lord. But you see… we only have a single red scroll with us... you should use it to escape my Lord. The city is only around 3-4 days from here. By luck, you might be able to reach a guard post stationed near the border.”

“That’s absurd! I would never leave my fellow men to die while I flee alone! My honor as the head of the House of Rein would never permit myself to do such an act!” The bearded man thumped his fist at the metallic wall of the carriage.

Lord Aldrich was ridiculed by the idea, but he knew that his faithful servant Gaston wanted nothing but his safety. He also knew that it was not the servants or the guards’ fault that only a single red scroll was all they could bring.

In the continent of Ruan, teleportation scrolls were a luxury. Their range was based on their color with green as lowest and with red as the highest. Green scrolls could move a person up to 500 meters, yellow scrolls could move someone up to 1.5 kilometers, and the red one could teleport a person for up to 3 kilometers. That was the limit of a teleportation scroll. After all, teleportation was a complex magic that enabled one to move an entire being to another location without distorting the body.

Another limit of the teleportation magic was that it took an astronomical amount of mana to move a body from one location to another. Teleportation magicians number in less than a hundred in the whole continent, and those capable of creating red scrolls were fewer than ten.

Another reason why teleportation was such a luxury was that in order to create a red scroll, one needed Auromicum ore—an ore capable of storing vast amounts of magic. Just a single ore costs around 2000~2500 gold coins and one needed three of those in order to create the best scroll for teleportation magic of the highest rank.

It was a given that Lord Aldrich would be the one to use the single red scroll because his safety was top priority, but to everyone’s dismay, their Lord stubbornly refused to do so. And they all knew of how stubborn those with the blood of Rein could be.

“I was a warrior of B+ rank back in my days! Instead of fleeing from here, I will help you dispose of these abominable creatures instead!” Lord Aldrich grinned, his eyes emanated resolve. But one could clearly see that even standing for too long was a strain to his old body. Everyone knew that their Lord was suffering from a severe incurable disease. Lord Aldrich stubbornly flailed around the blazing dagger.

“My Lord, please get inside the carriage. It is the safest place here right now. We will respect your decision but please promise us Lord, if things go bad, please use this scroll to escape this place. Please Lord… you must survive.” Gaston handed Lord Aldrich the red scroll. His voice was full of conviction. It was the voice and the look of a man resolved in himself to protect his Lord with all he’s got.

Lord Aldrich understood the man’s intentions and replied by giving a slight nod.

“Alright men! Let’s show these monsters that we will not go down without a fight! All rear guards will surround the carriage while the vanguards are to confront the enemies directly!” Gaston yelled. The guards gripped their broadswords.

They all knew that they could not hope to defeat all of those creatures which numbered around a hundred even with the elite vanguards composed of B rankers. The best they could probably do was to prolong the fight and decapitate about a third of them. The vanguards infused their mana towards their broadswords. A light green hue began to envelope the sharp corners of the blade. They then immediately charged towards the Crisorps.

But then…

~Shhhhhhwwwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiingg------------------Flash!

A crimson-black light suddenly covered their whole vision. Everyone shuddered from the sudden pressure brought forth in the surroundings. The servants and the rear guards fell with their face flat on the ground from the pressure. Gaston along with the vanguards fell on their knees.

The pressure lasted for only about five seconds or so, but it seemed like an eternity to those who experienced it. An insane nausea was brought forth after the pressure was released. Most of the servants started vomiting on the spot. Countless trickles of sweat were evident on everyone’s bodies.

The pressure was a phenomenon that caused everyone to be mortified. But what shocked everyone the most was the scene surrounding them after the pressure was lifted and the crimson-black apparition was gone.

The scene was that of carnage.

The Crisorps were butchered beyond recognition. Red-green substances were splattered on the forest floor and on the side of the road. Grey-black tiny pieces of what seemed to be the remnants of the carapaces were scattered all over. If one hadn’t met the Crisorps, one would not have been able to guess the identity of the massacred monsters.

“Wha?!” Everyone was unable to believe the unfolded scenario. Open-mouthed, they all stared at the remnants of the feared monsters.

Perpetual silence enveloped the group for a while.

No one knew what happened or who did it. But one thing was for sure—no one died on their part. Everyone will be able to go home safely. Whatever happened was beyond anyone’s understanding, and so they just continued with their journey towards the city. Whoever or whatever did it, they were very thankful to them.

****

It had been two weeks since the incident and the whole party was able to arrive at the manor inside the city. The manor was located at the Nobles’ district which was enclosed by a three layer barricade of walls. Outside the third layer was the commoner’s district which was separated into five regions. On the third layer was the residence of the lower to middle rank nobilities, on the second layer was the higher rank nobilities—wherein the House of Rein was situated, and on the first was the Royal district where the King and his family lived. It was also where the palace was situated.

The manor was located in the city of Rofulsa, the city known as the most beautiful in the whole Kingdom of Tarus. It was also the Royal Capital of the Kingdom.

Gaston was busy preparing for the arrival of his Lord’s granddaughters. It’s an extravagant welcoming considering how doting the head of the house was. Everyone was busy preparing for the upcoming feast.

Lately, Gaston had been puzzled by his Lord Aldrich’s orders. He had given order to all the servants in the manor to treat the peasant they have rescued along the way with respect. Not only that, he had ordered for the chefs to cook the best kinds of food for the man; he even went as far as to give one of the best room for the man to use. The room was actually his granddaughter Erika’s favorite. His Lord knew of the lady’s temper but still chose to give the room to the man.

The man, on the other hand still hadn’t spoken a single word. No matter who tried to speak to him, he never bothered to utter even a single reply. When asked some questions, he just nodded slightly or shook his head. Everyone therefore came to the conclusion that the man cannot speak.

The grey-eyed man had regained some weight. Due to the Lord’s orders, he was able to eat as much food as he wanted—such a privilege was given to a peasant. He wholeheartedly ate to his heart’s content and was able to eat good food equivalent to around four persons per meal.

One wouldn’t have been able to expect that the man who used to be so skinny a few weeks ago was the same man. After being well fed, his well-toned body coupled with his towering height of 185 cm was now evident.

Once in a while, the man was seen sitting crossed leg in the garden area with his eyes closed like he was in a deep trance or meditation.

****

Lord Aldrich was known as the man who had made the House of Rein what they were now.

They were formerly from the lower class nobility, but with the leadership of Lord Aldrich, the House of Rein was able to move up the ladder. In just 10 years since he assumed the position of Head, the House of Rein had become one of the four pillar houses of the kingdom.

He was a man known for his great wisdom and compassion. He was even given the name ‘Grand’; a name given only to those who have proven themselves a great worth to the whole kingdom. Moreover, he was no fool. During the time they were attacked by the Crisorps, he had witnessed it all.

In the carriage he was in, there was a fortified window wherein he was able to monitor his surroundings. During the time the vanguards were finished infusing their broadswords with mana, he saw the peasant they have saved do something.

From the grey-eyed man, crimson-black precipitates came cruising upwards. Countless minute particles immediately appeared and surrounded the whole vicinity. It was just an instant, as quick as a flicker of light, but he was sure. He was sure that the crimson-black substance was from the man itself. And he knew that the surreal phenomenon—the massacre of the Crisorps was done by the same person.

He doesn’t know the specifics on how all of it happened, after all, the pressure that came after the crimson-black material appeared also made him fall down to his knees. One thing was sure though, the man they have thought to be a peasant was at least rank A in terms of combat prowess, or perhaps even greater. That’s why once they had arrived at the manor, he immediately ordered the servants to treat the man as a VIP.

Everyone knew that a rank A warrior was as scarce as a grain of rice in a sandy beach. Just a single one of these warriors was enough to influence the battle field. After all, a single rank A warrior was equivalent to a thousand or two soldiers.

All the servants were puzzled by their Lord’s orders but still complied. The Lord’s orders are absolute and there was no room for further questioning.

~Knock knock

“My Lord, Lady Erika and Lady Sel had arrived.”

A servant wearing black complete set of tuxedo informed Lord Aldrich.

Lord Aldrich immediately stood from his chair, his eyes beaming with happiness. He then impetuously went down the spiral staircase and fled towards the manor’s entrance. He then yelled out of joy from seeing the two ladies.

“Erika!~ Sel!” Lord Aldrich squeaked.

The bearded man dashed forward with his arms open wide as if saying ‘come embrace your grandpa’. Suddenly, a lightning-like kick was sent towards the man’s abdomen. He groaned in pain. Still smiling from ear to ear, his eyes danced back and forth at the two figures in front of him.

“You haven’t learned your lesson yet huh you pervert old man?”

“Yeah pervert old man!”

The lady that kicked the old man was wearing a light blue dress with white frills. Her dark-silver hair flowed down till her waist as her sapphire eyes looked directly at the man groaning in pain in front of her. Just a single glance from that embodiment of perfect beauty was enough to drive any man insane.

“Oh my lovely Erika. Same as always. You know that grandpa really missed you so much. Now come here and let me embrace you, oh lovely you~” Lord Aldrich slowly walked towards the grimacing lady. Stretching out his hands, he was then again kicked by the peeved lady.

“Hey don’t touch my great sister you dirty old coot. Don’t you dare!”

The girl next to Erika spoke while glaring at Lord Aldrich. Her eyes were of sapphire color, the same as her sister’s. Her silver-black hair also flowed down up to her waist. She was wearing a yellow dress with a black overcoat. She almost resembled her older sister except for the tiny mole on her left cheek and her thinner and lower stature.

“Oh Sel! How I missed you so much! So how is the entrance examination to Grimfort?” The old man asked while grimacing in pain. The series of kicks was an expected occurrence.

“Of course I passed the test. I have the blood of the Rein after all. Hmph!” Sel puffed her cheeks while blushing. Contrary to her first image, she seemed to be a shy one.

“That’s great! Now the two ladies of the House of Rein are attending the most prestigious school in the whole kingdom! HAHAHAH. I’ve prepared a feast for the two of you. Come~” Lord Aldrich ushered for the two of them to follow him to the dining hall.

A dark brown wooden exquisite table with the length of about 15 meters was filled with delicacies that filled the room with delicious aroma. A grand chandelier in the middle of the hall was adorned on top with ivory white candles. The blazing flames were flickering—brightly illuminating the various paintings of famous artists that decorated the wall. Just from a glance, one could see the luxurious banquet prepared by the doting grandfather.

Everything would have been a perfect welcome if not for the appearance of a man with ash-brown hair binge eating at the corner of the hall. The hair that flowed down till his shoulder covered his face. The man kept stuffing food into his mouth one after another.

The ravenous appearance coupled with the baggy garment made the sisters fall back a step.

“Gross.” Sel said as she took a step back. She then covered her nose in disgust.

“What is a peasant doing here grandpa?!”Erike hollered. Grabbing the nearest thing to her, he threw an ivory white porcelain plate towards the stranger.

Thankfully, Lord Aldrich was able to divert the trajectory by slightly tapping the hand that threw it.

“Hey what are you doing? I know that you may find it gross or whatever you may want to call it, but it’s not right to suddenly throw such things to another person!” Lord Aldrich shook on his feet. Trickles of sweat formed on his forehead. What would have had happened if those plates had hit the man? He shuddered just from the thought.

“Whatever old geezer~.” Erika retorted.

“H-hey Erika! Sel!”

Erika with her little sister on her side, walked towards the man. Loads of leftovers were seen as they passed through the long exquisite table. The man seemed to have already eaten a great portion of the food.

With her hands on her waist and a smug look on her face, she then stared at the man, scrutinizing him from head to toe before speaking.

“You!!! Who are you?! And how dare you eat my food filthy maggot?!” Erika glared at the man in front of her. She had been disgusted at the ill-mannered demeanor of the man binge eating at the exquisite long table.

“………………………………”

The man glanced at her, his grey eyes with its slit like black pupils were half covered by his ash-brown, but without a doubt he was looking directly at her eyes. He then broke contact and resumed stuffing food into his mouth.

Erika shuddered but immediately recovered her fake composure.

“Y-you should speak a-atleast when spoken to! Cough! Cough!~” She faked a cough trying to hide her embarrassment from stuttering in front of the man.

“…………………….”

“V-very well I am a generous person so I’ll let you eat a portion of the food!” Erika then walked towards the other side of the long table and sat on mahogany chair. Her sister Sel followed after her.

“Nee~ is it really okay?” Sel squinted her eyebrows and puffed her cheeks.

“Quiet! It’s a waste of time if we associate ourselves with a beggar.”

“…..If big sister says so.”

With a relieved smile, Lord Aldrich watched the situation before him. He was actually ready to immediately kneel and beg for forgiveness towards the man if ever his granddaughters angered him. He knew that he could do nothing if the man chose to do…the unthinkable. His pride and honor was worth nothing if he could save the two of them. He nearly got a heart attack when he saw Erika confront the man.

While thanking the heavens, he then immediately assumed a merry smile and walked towards his most precious family.

“So how’s it in Grimfort?” Lord Aldrich asked. He then sat beside the two ladies.

Erika who by then was wiping her lips with a napkin glanced sideways towards her grandfather. Her sapphire eyes were like a jewel—it resembled her mother’s eyes so much.

“Just the usual. Nothing special occurred this year. I have actually been promoted to Intermediate Speed Magic Class. As for the special class that’s offered when you’ve reached the Blue rank, I’ve chosen Beginner Alchemy.”

“Ooh~ alchemy huh? That reminds me. Your mother was one of the greatest alchemists in the whole kingdom, and now it seems like your taking after her steps. HAHAHA!”

Lord Aldrich laugh echoed throughout the whole room. Occasional grins could be seen forming on his face. He then sipped his wine.

“Of course. I wouldn’t settle for less. I’ll become an alchemist as great as mother.” Erika declared. She clenched her fist as if trying to materialize her resolve. Great determination and ambition was seen in her sapphire eyes.

“Sel will become an alchemist too! I promise!” Sel loudly declared while clenching her fist like her big sister.

“HAHAHAHA! Of course my dear, of course! Your grandpa will help you with everything that you need so don’t worry. HAHAHAHA!”

“Oh by the way grandpa, do you know of an artifact called the Obsidian Marifei?” Erika nonchalantly asked as she sliced the steak on her plate.

Lord Aldrich immediately became silent. His eyes that were previously laughing were now filled with a serious expression. He began stroking his ash-white beard. It seemed to be a habit of his whenever he was pondering on some things.

“Where did you hear that name from?” He inquisitively asked.

Erika and Sel were surprised by the sudden change in their grandpa’s demeanor. They knew of how great their grandfather Lord Aldrich actually was even though when he’s with them, he tried not to show them his serious side.

“It seems that one of our professors obtained a portion of it when he was exploring a labyrinth. I heard him and another professor talk about it.” Erika replied.

“Did you tell anyone about what you’ve heard?” Lord Aldrich was aghast. Subtly huffing, he leaned closer to Erika.

“No, I haven’t why?”

Lord Aldrich breathed a big sigh of relief.

“Good. Listen and please, please take seriously what I will tell the two of you. Never speak those words to anyone again. It’s dangerous to speak about it in public. You understand?” The old man stated in a very serious tone.

There was a brief silence before the two of them slightly nodded their head. They both knew that when their grandfather becomes serious, it’s better not to oppose him. Only a matter of great importance was enough to make him become serious in front of his most precious granddaughters.

“Could you tell us what it is grandpa?” Sel tilted her head.

“No. It’s better if you don’t know. Trust me; it’s for your own good.”

“………………………”

“What’s with the serious face? This is a feast I made for the two of you! Eat! HAHAHAHAHA!”

Lord Aldrich then began stuffing his face with food, making him look like an idiot. He then began to make faces in front of the two ladies.

“HAHAHAH grandpa! Stop that! HAHAHAHA!”

The boisterous laughter went on for a while until a soft and calm but cold voice broke through the laughter.

“Where is the Obsidian Marifei? Take me to it.”

It was a voice Lord Aldrich had never heard before. It carried a cold sensation throughout the whole body on those who heard it. With trickles of sweat forming on his wrinkled forehead, he turned towards the owner of the voice.

Standing near him was a familiar face; grey eyes, ash-brown hair, and with a baggy clothing.

“You can actually speak?”

****

At a very young age he was already regarded as a genius.

He was like a sponge—absorbing everything taught to him in an instant. Things that took others decades to learn, he learned them in a day or two. By the age of seven, he had already mastered the art of Hiryu. It was a technique that enabled one to manipulate blood; therefore all beings with blood were within one’s grasp if one was able to master the technique. One was literally able to rule over all living beings.

Mastering the art at such a young age, he was heralded as the youngest and best warrior of the entire clan. Everyone was in awe of him. His parents and siblings were proud of him.

He became conceited.

He thought he could do everything.

He felt like challenging the Gods themselves.

He performed the forbidden technique thinking that his genius self could compensate for his lack of experience.

He lost control of himself one rainy evening.

Blood.

The evening rain was tainted red with the blood of his entire clan.

He woke up from the deep trance he was in.

Screaming at the top of his lungs, he began cursing his self.

If only he could undo the past.

He then began searching for a way. Forsaking his humanity, he massacred everything that stood between him and his goal.

He heard of a certain rumor that a Drake called Ourougas had an artifact that enabled one to revert back time. He challenged the legendary monster. Destroying everything along with half of the entire mountain, he was finally able to defeat it.

The artifact was nowhere to be found.

He continued his journey. He would not stop until he found it.

Wandering around the continent for years, he then stumbled upon information that the Ogre’s in the vast Nerie Forest possibly had what he was looking for.

After sweeping the forest of all Ogres he encountered along the way, he was suddenly assaulted by an army. He had no idea what they wanted with him, but their hostility was enough for him to annihilate them. He would not tolerate those that stood between him and his goal. Those that fled away from the battle field, he spared them. But those that confronted him, he showed them no mercy.

A bearded guy wearing exquisite garment and a diamond embedded scabbard walked towards him. The guy then asked him of something he has no idea about. The man was crying. Feeling the guy’s resolve, he complied by giving a short answer.

The guy was hostile so he killed him.

After sweeping the entire army, he then proceeded deeper into the forest.

He then encountered groups of black Ogre’s. The guys gave quite a fight but were soon also killed.

He was tired. No matter how much of a genius he was, he still had the body of a human. Reaching the end of Forest, what he found was a mountain of gold, an amount so astronomical that one would be able to buy an entire kingdom.

He left the place without looting a single coin from the mountain of treasure.

What value was gold anyway?

It could never undo the past. It could never revert back what he had done.

Even though tired, he continued his arduous journey. Without resting, he walked towards his next destination. Reneva Mountains.

He heard that a certain Trent there protected a certain item regarded as the tome of knowledge. With it he may be able to find what he was looking for.

He reached the peak of the great mountain. Along the way, he encountered various kinds of monsters. He slaughtered them all. Some monsters resembling a scorpion with the body of a wolf ran away from him due to great fear. He intruded into their territory but they still chose to abandon the place in exchange of preserving their lives.

At the peak, he found the Trent he was looking for. With a height of a hundred meters, its trunk was as thick as three average buildings combined.

A dim light was seeping through a hole in its center. Dodging the Trent’s furious strikes, he entered the hole. Inside was a blue swirling orb.

His hand reached towards it.

~Swhhwaaanggggggggg

His mind was filled by different kinds of information.

He picked the one he was looking for.

Obsidian Marifei.

An artifact created by Auborn the God of Lightning. The God used it to move its body from the Human realm to the Ethereal realm. Tiny fragments of the artifact were left behind by the God during the transition of moving his body from a world to another. According to the tome of knowledge, if a mortal used it, it was possible to revert back time depending on the mana of the user.

Further information revealed the three locations the artifact was in. The nearest one was at a labyrinth in a city called Seda. It was the city adjacent to the Kingdom of Tarus.

He had no time to rest. Or rather he did not want to.

He needed to revert back time. He did not want to be haunted by those memories anymore.

Walking towards the city of Seda, the accumulated fatigue started kicking in.

He couldn’t feel his legs anymore. Various cuts and injuries have accumulated all throughout his journey.

He needed to rest, but still he walked forward.

The light in his eyes gradually dimmed.

Falling down to his knees…

He lost consciousness.

When he woke up, two old guys were looking in his direction. He felt no hostility from them. Rather, he felt the opposite. The bearded old guy talked to him about something. He doesn’t care and refused to answer. Afterwards, the guy left. The remaining old guy then handed him some food. It had been a month or so since he last ate and so he immediately accepted the offer.

The old guy continued speaking about trivial things. He was not interested so he just continued eating.

Later on, they were attacked by a scorpion-like monster. He remembered those guys. ‘So they fled to this place’ he thought.

The monsters seemed to be impending the convoy’s progress. He got irritated. He wanted to get to the city of Seda immediately. Luckily, the convoy seemed to be going towards the same direction.

He wanted to get there a fast a possible and so he slaughtered them.

Afterwards he arrived at a beautiful city. The city was the most beautiful one he had seen in his entire life. The convoy then entered a very large manor filled with servants. He was given good food and lodgings. He wanted to leave at once but then realized that his body was not fully healed yet. Years of wandering around the continent had left his body with great damage. He knew that travelling was impossible with his current body, and so he decided to stay for a while.

Frequently, he meditated in a quiet area to recirculate his mana properly. After every meditation, his body becomes frenzied for food. And so he ate. He ate until his body was satisfied.

A woman and her little sister saw her eating the food on the table.

She was angered.

He wondered to himself what she was so angry about.

She tried to throw an object at him. It didn’t hit him and so he let it brush by.

She walked towards him with her hostility clearly emanating. He took a glance towards her. He would not forgive her if she wanted to become his enemy.

She backed off after saying some things.

He decided to ignore her.

Then he heard a familiar word coming from her mouth. It was a word that held so much importance to him. To him it was his everything.

He approached the group of three huddled together.

He needs it.

He wants it.

“Where is the Obsidian Marifei? Take me to it.”