Happy new year!

I hope you all had a good a 2015 as I did (hopefully better!), and wish you all the best for 2016! I hope to be more consistent with this novel in 2016. My goal a couple months ago was to get to chapter 50 by today. Well, I kinda missed by more than half. Oh well. I do actually have another chapter written, but I want some feedback please!

I love the people who consistently thank me for chapters, it makes me feel good on the inside.

Anyways, back to the main topic. I know my story has little to no plot... well. That wasn't intentional, but you know, some things just kinda happen... but I would like for you readers to give me insight on to what I could possibly do better. I love reading comments... actually I just love to read.

That's enough talking! Chapter time!

Chapter 23: Greatest Enemy

Five days have passed since I first absorbed spatial energy.

I have found that it is almost impossible to understand what spatial energy is fully capable of because it has a mind of its own and does as it pleases. Even if I try to manipulate it, it just moves around my body freely, this is, of course, when it is trying to do something, when it is ‘resting’ I can move it to my will.

I called the time when it stops moving ‘resting’ because it does absolutely nothing during this time. I have full control over its effects, but I am not able to discover its uses that are available to me. I’ve deemed the moments when they are moving on their own, ‘active’.

When the spatial energy is ‘active’ I can just do my own thing and the spatial energy will cultivate for me.

The ‘active’ time lasts for about 10 hours while ‘resting’ lasts for 4 hours. It doesn’t line up with the days very nicely, but it works for what I am doing.

I have not been able to talk to those mysterious figures nor Mr. Spatial Energy. Despite having the crystal back in my possession, I have yet to discover any changes to it, even though it has travelled across worlds.

I lay on the ground and hold the crystal above my head, with it dangling from its chain. This crystal brings back so many memories.

I remember one year after getting the crystal from those mysterious figures, I was just travelling around the continent trying to learn the information that was injected into my head. I had already started to use the technique and my body was much stronger than those at the same level as myself, and most monsters would look at me with eyes of longing.

I still don’t understand it, but I was rarely attacked by monsters. The only times I were attacked was when I accidentally wandered into high ranking monster’s territory.

After a while of travelling I came across a small village that was similar to the village I was born in. It was surrounded by fields of assorted crops, and the villagers were in the middle of harvesting the majority of their crops.

I wander slowly into the village on foot.

A nearby child shouts to an older man that is talking to a group of small children further away, “Someone is entering the village!”

The older man walks to meet me on the road, “Why hello there traveler, my name is Bastion, I am the head of this village. Pleased to meet you.”

I was wearing a large black cloak that covered my eyes from the hot sun. In order to properly greet the man I lowered my hood, “Nice to meet you, my name is not needed as I am just a mere wanderer. However I was wondering if it would be too much trouble for a meal and a place to stay. I do not have normal currency, but I can pay using monster materials.”

The older man, Bastion, laughs slightly and nods, “Of course you can stay, and no need to go out and hunt monsters just to pay for one night. I’ll just ask that you help with the harvest for the day. At the end of every day of harvesting we always have a large meal with everyone in the village.”

I take off the black cloak completely and throw it to my left with my right hand, but before it even has a chance to go very far it disappears, “I’d love to help out. I needed a good workout today anyways.”

Bastion’s jaw drops, “Where did the cloak go?” He was shaking in fear.

I wave my right hand slightly and a hardened bottle made of monster skin appears, “It is simple magic. Only have to be at the fifth realm to use it.”

Bastion starts to wobble, “F-f-fifth realm… simple?”

I grab on to his shoulder to stop him from falling over, “What realm I’m at is a secret, but I will gladly accept to help you with the fields. What should I do?”

Bastion wipes the cold sweat from his brow, “There’s no way we could ask someone with a status such as yours for help tending to fields. It would be disrespectful!”

I shake my head slightly as I back away again, “No need to treat me any differently from a normal wanderer. I haven’t even been to a small town for quite some time now. Let me at least help earn my keep.”

Bastion makes a complicated expression, “Would you like me to keep it a secret from the other villagers, or do you not care?”

I shrug my shoulders, “So where would you like my help?”

Bastions sighs, “I see, I will make the decision myself. It would be great if you could harvest the wheat field to the west.” He looks up into the sky, “Our goal was to get halfway through harvesting the wheat field by the end of today. It is midday now, so if you could help them finish up with that. Do you know how to harvest wheat?”

I shake my head, “Sorry I don’t, if it isn’t too much trouble could I get you to teach me?”

Bastion laughs with a light smile on his face, “Of course I can. How old are you?”

I smile, “I am 31 years old.”

Bastion smiles back at me, “So to harvest wheat you need to cut it at the base of the plant a bit off the ground. Then after you gather an armful, tie it up with some string and put it in the pile with the other ones.”

I nod after listening to the short instructions, “Okay, I think I get it. I should be able to finish in less than time than it takes to kill a forest rabbit. Do you mind if I harvest the entire field?”

Bastion’s head falls as he sighs, “Do what you want, just don’t hurt anyone from the village please. Also, if you do that much I won’t know how to repay you.”

I wave my hand as I walk towards the wheat field, “No need, I’ll just join you for food and rest here for the night.”

I can hear the old man sigh as I walk away from him.

I arrive at the field and see a couple villagers swinging harvesting scythes. One villager notices me and walks over, “Hello there stranger, what brings you to this ‘ere field?”

I scratch my head, “Village head Bastion asked me to come help you guys. I am just a simple wanderer that needs to work for his food.”

The villager nods cheerfully, “The more the merrier! There ‘re some extra scythes over in the tool shed, and some string is on the top shelf behind the pots.”

I shake my head, “I have an idea to harvest this field almost instantly. All you’ll need to do is tie the bundles. I could probably stack them too, what do you think?”

The villager tilts his head, “What ‘re you talkin’ ‘bout?”

I point to the villagers in the field, “Is it possible for you to call everyone here? It would be dangerous if the stayed there once I started working.” The villager frowns and as he looks like he is about to refuse but I continue to talk, “Could you please, these villager’s lives will be at risk and they might die if you don’t call them out of the field, it will be worth your time. Trust me.”

He sighs and turns to the field and starts to yell, “Come ‘ere guys, this wanderer is going to harvest this whole field fer us!”

The villagers, male and female alike all start to slowly wander towards me. I smile slightly as they all look confused. The first villager I talked to puts his hand on my shoulder with a smile on his face, “Show us what yur made of!”

I snap my fingers as I see that all of the villagers are out of the field.

[Wind of a Thousand Blades]

This technique is one of the most powerful techniques I can use at the seventh realm.

Wind rushes through the field and the villagers will see it as a strong gust but those with trained eyes will see that there are small distortions in the breeze that are heading towards the wheat field. All of the wheat flies into the air as I snap my fingers again.

[Barrier]

The wheat is collected into several spherical barriers that I just created. They are shrink causing the wheat to gather into confined areas. I lower the barriers to the ground without moving my body an inch.

The villagers’ cheers almost deafen me as the wheat touches the ground and the barriers are dispersed.

“Thanks fer doing that! This saves us so much time!” The first villager rushes towards one of the stacks and starts to bundle it.

Bastion walks up beside me and laughs, “That’s some might powerful magic you have. Are you a mage from the Mage Empire?”

I shake my head and let out a small laugh, “Something like that.”

After that, the entire village gave me their thanks. The entire wheat field was harvested in a quarter of the time, leaving them time to work on the other crops.

Bastions walks over after all the food is gone from the makeshift tables that were set up, “You really help us out today, will you give us your name so we can tell stories to the children so they try and become as strong as you?”

I laugh, “My name is Ryusei. Don’t make the story too fancy, I’ve never liked fancy things. I just help people because I feel like it, I don’t need to be thanked or worshipped in any way for it.”

Bastion laughs, “You’re a good person. You know that?”

I shrug my shoulders, “I wonder about that.”

I slowly open my eyes. I fell asleep while remembering the scene from my previous life. I remember that village was expanded and made into the main farming village for the castle town after I became emperor. Bastion was so surprised when I came back to the village with so many supplies.

He wouldn’t stop thanking me, I even made him head of agriculture within the castle. He had a wife and three kids. Two boys and one girl. He was such a nice man, I wonder if he survived that whole ordeal in the other world.

My stomach growls loudly and my vision darkens slightly as I try to sit up. The human body really is so weak.

I lean myself against the corner of the small room and smile slightly. I am at the very peak of the A rank of the second realm. Just a little more and I will reach the third realm to pass this trial!

-Two days later-

C rank of the third realm! I made it!

My body makes a couple of strange cracking noises as I crawl towards the cube.

I pour energy into it. My consciousness slowly starts to fade. It has only been seven days…

Why am I so out of it? My calculations shouldn’t have been wrong…

Maybe it is because I was cultivating, causing my body to use more nutrients. Ranking up probably didn’t help my situation either.

This was supposed to be a happy occasion.

The cube disappears completely after it has been fully filled and the room immediately changes.

It was a large room like the first trial room, just with a different puzzle that looked much, much harder.

I drop onto the ground as my vision slowly starts to fade. Ahead of me was a group of people with surprised expressions.

The last words I heard were: “Capture him now!”