Squad Ophelia, affiliated with The Holy Light, is a future team that played a vital role in the war. With Ryse Kard as the leader, they protected citizens as their main priority and repelled intruders.
I still remember it as clear as yesterday.
The intruders were exceptionally powerful. In two weeks, they broke through the first line of defence and went straight for the capital during the absence of the empire's trump card.
When the walls surrounding the capital collapsed back then, I hadn't manifested "Aura", a type of mana mastery for swordsmen, and thus was about to be crushed by a giant rock before Ryse blasted it to pieces.
I am thankful but harboured jealousy for his talent.
...
If he dies, future casualties will rise.
...
'I'm sorry, Ryse." I mumble.
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Fate: 2200 ->42200
Full extraction is now available. Full extraction can be activated once every month.
Extract from Ryse Kard?
[Yes][No]
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Yes?
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Talent:
-Sword Tier 3->6
You've obtained the attribute:
-Holy Tier 2
A full integration procedure is required. Find a place of safety before proceeding. The procedure will take 6 hours.
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It's time for me to return.
I take one last glance at Ryse and sigh. Wrapping the cloth around my head, I make my escape from the scene.
Back at home, I head to bed after washing myself.
As I stare at the ceiling, I bring up the status panel.
----------------
Loi Krist
Fate: 42200
Role: Background Character
Talent:
-Sword Tier 6
Attributes:
-Holy Tier 2
[Integrate]
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Integration process initiated.
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!!!!!
Shape intense pain erupts from my chest, ricocheting to every corner of my body. The weight of ten thousand sword stabs rains upon my consciousness.
"ARGHHH!!!" I couldn't hold back a scream. My body suffers involuntary convulsions as it rapidly breaks apart.
"Loi?!" The sound of my mother bursting into the room echoes.
"Loi? Loi!!"
Her voice travels even further as I sink into a deep void.
==================================
"Is...okay?"
"Yes...he..."
Bits and patches of muffled conversation ring in my ears.
My hearing recovers when I attempt to open my eyes.
"Loi!" My mother jumps to my side, holding my hand.
Beside her is a young healer priest in white robes from The Holy Light. On the robe is the crest of The Holy Light, a yellow circle intersecting a cross.
"Huh? What happened?" I ask the priest.
He glances at my mother and says "Madam called us in the middle of the night. At the start, your body was in tatters. I tried what I could do but nothing worked until your body began to repair itself."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The priest looks at my body in confusion, squeezing his eyes. "I...don't know what happened. Your current body is in perfect condition, in fact, ideal."
His explanation enlightens what "integration" means.
Damn...things have become complicated. How would I explain this?
"Just in case, breathe this." a young child wearing a similar uniform brings a plate of blue dust. The priest brings the plate to my nose and I inhale as instructed.
"How are you feeling? Anything different or painful?" The priest asks.
I shake my head.
The priest scratches his head. "Uh...no parasites, no poison, no curse, no demonic corruption, there's nothing malicious I can find. I...don't know what's going on but it's good that you are getting better."
My mother thanks the priest and pays the necessary coins before they leave.
I get up and gaze at my body in the mirror.
"What the fuck?" I mumble.
Well-toned and consistent muscles optimal for fighting that require years of training magically appear on my body. I've grown taller too.
*Tap Tap Tap*
I can hear my mother's nervous light footsteps pacing around the door. My sight extends to even a speck of mould at the corner of the roof.
Unlike the spark of inspiration at tier three, sword tier six completely reshaped my entire body and senses.
My mother walks to me in the bathroom. "Loi...we need to talk."
I follow her to the dining table and we sit across each other.
"Loi...is there something going on?" My mother asks. "I've been observing you for the past few days. You act very...mature...and those eyes...why do they seem so sad?"
...
"Is something going on at the academy? What's wrong?"
"I...don't know what's going on either. I can't explain." I say. In addition, I don't want my mother to be aware of my sins.
"Believe me, I wish to tell you everything. But I'm afraid...of the consequences."
My mother gazes down solemnly. She closes her eyes and ponders. "Are you sure nothing is going on? We can help you."
"Yes."
...
"Fine. You don't need to explain. However, tell me what I can do to help." My mother locks eye contact with me.
I smile gently. "Be healthy and safe. That's all I ask."
For a moment, she can see genuine sincerity in my eyes.
My mother returns the smile and nods. "I will but only if you do too."
"Alright."
That's the first lie I told my mother since my regression. The insurmountable amount of danger I will get into takes the nine lives of a cat.
My siblings wake up shortly after and we end our short talk. I immediately start training after breakfast and head into the woods without my wooden sword.
This time, I will train my internal arts. Internal arts consist of one's internal power while external arts are physical strength.
I find an empty patch of dry dirt and sit down with my legs crossed. Placing my palms upwards on both my lap, I begin to relax every part of my body.
"Phew..."
Past experiences easily shut off distractions as my breathing stabilises. My mind slowly drifts away into transcendence.
...
...
An image of a sword draws itself in my mind. Without hesitation, I take the sword and begin training in the dream world, unrestricted by physical limitations.
The first step of Aura manifestation is usually the hardest. It begins with developing a sense of feeling mana in the surrounding atmosphere and cannot be taught.
You simply have to "believe" that you can feel mana. Thus with such vague instructions, many fail to fathom the first step.
Yet through persistence and focus, one will develop a tingling and mysterious feeling eventually. It cannot be described. The process of awakening varies from person to person. Just like the sense of touch is something "naturally developed" without explanation.
(Author's note: This is a fantasy world with advancement based on magic. There is little scientific technology advancement and therefore little biology investigations. Usually, biology investigations in this era involve live unorthodox human experiments. It's natural for Loi to not know what the somatosensory system is.)
Hm?
Blue little lights appear one after another in my dream world, lighting up the void. Each little ball of light flows randomly, either congregating as a group or travelling alone.
I open my eyes to recognise a familiar substance in the air. It's mana.
Looking at the sky, it's only noon. Less than three hours passed.
!
"It took me four years to feel mana...even with my past experiences, I shouldn't awaken this quickly," I mumble.
...Bits of happiness relentlessly invade my mind and I quickly remind myself of my origin and the consequences of my growth.
"I'm nothing special. I'm just growing at the cost of people's lives, effectively plundering them just like the past me."
The next step is to absorb and store the mana. I attempt to gather mana in my palm just for it to abruptly burst and dissipate. I try again for two more hours before ending my training for the day. The toll on the mind is high.
I stretch my arm as I walk back to the cabin for a late lunch. On the way, I attempt to convert mana in the air to holy mana to be met with embarrassing failures.
"Well, this is to be expected..."
The attributes of a person are an innate gift, the type of mana most compatible.
Right...there isn't any notification of Karma. Is Ryse still alive? I hope so...even if he lost everything, he is still a minor character.
My thoughts are proven the very next day.
An explosion broke out at one of the orphan dormitories. No one survived the fire.
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You obtained 2091 Karma
Destiny has altered its course.
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This message pops up at breakfast the next day. At the same time, panels appear above my family without warning.
-----------------
Mane Krist
Fate: 40
Role: Background Character
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Lee Krist
Fate: 20
Role: Background Character
Talent:
-Dagger Tier 1
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Christina Krist
Fate: 100
Role: Background Character
Talent:
-Magic Tier 2
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Monica Krist(Note: The mother of Loi)
Fate: 190
Role: Background Character
Talent:
-Magic Tier 3
-----------------
Their fate decreased?!
"Loi? What's up? Why does it seem like you just saw a ghost?" My mother asks me.
"I..."
Fuck...fates can increase or decrease because of my actions. It makes sense. It's "fate". Without fate, people will die. With that logic, when the future changes, so will everyone's fate.
Shit!