Volume 0 Chapter 2

A man in a black cloak stood in front of the desk of a white-bearded old man. The room was pitch black, and the only lighting source was the flickering candle sitting on top of the desk.

"How are things going?" The old man asked.

"Sources reported that the kingdom is in preparation for the war with the Goblins. Generals have been recruiting masses of people since last month. To this date, Highborn has a total of a hundred thousand troops ready to march forward to attack the Goblins. I also heard Grand General Aoblue will be leading the vanguard." The man in black cloak replied.

"I see... What about Project Metamorphosis?" The old man asked.

"The current set of subjects aren't proving to do well, much like the ones before. Most of them died during the first stage of the process. A few made it to the second stage, but their fate ended up the same as the first. There are currently seven subjects who are still struggling at the second stage. Only time will tell whether they'll succeed or not." The man reported.

The old man strokes his beard and contemplated the organization's next action.

Project Metamorphosis is the organization’s greatest plan to transform human into superhuman. Their intel made them believe that Goblins function differently from humans. Their organs and skeletal structure allows the Goblins to move faster and nimbler than the average human.

Goblins weren’t the only race that the Kingdom of Highborn discovered. Trolls, massive beings that were discovered during the encounter with the Goblins, possessed regenerative abilities that allowed their bodies to regrow limbs or heal wounds over time.

When the old man took these abilities into consideration, he figured that humans were at a heavy disadvantage in terms of physical properties. Durability, strength, agility – humans were lacking in some way or another. He also took into consideration the possibility of hidden races lying past the Goblin lands. The only thing that humans had going for them was the awakening of their innate powers upon the discovery of mana – Bloodborn.

The old man believed that as long as the superhumans he created can activate their Bloodborn, then they’ll surely secure the future of humanity.

“Let us see how they’re holding up.” The old man grabbed his cane and stood up.

“Yes, Masked.” The man wearing a black coat replied and lead him to the private sector containing the subjects.

The private sector, labeled “Sector #0,” was located in the deepest part of their hideout. Only a few selected individuals are allowed to even approach this place. Golem, artificial sentry created from boulders and bounded by magic, were overseeing the entrance of Sector #0. They were non-sentient beings that can only operate on the commands of their creator.

Upon arriving at the entrance, the twenty-meter golem parted ways and clear a path to Sector #0. The man with a black coat navigated the way to the section where the subjects were slumbering.

Blue flames floating in the air illuminated the dark Sector #0. One area had saws, knives, and medical tools that were stain in blood.  The concentrated stench of blood in the air would make one nauseated enough to puke. However, the two of them were used to this smell and scene.

Another area that was dimly lit was the containment pods of the subjects. Out of the seven pods, only four were still lit with a blue light.

“I see… It looks like we won’t have to wait much longer. It’s a shame that three had already died, but the other four are still clinging onto their lives.” The old man quietly said while hoping that the remaining four would survive.

It was just then that the ground and walls trembled slightly. Sounds of rocks falling and metals clashing echoed faintly to Sector #0. The most abundant sound of all was the eerie sound of people screaming.

“It seems that they’ve finally found us. I’ll proceed according to plan and hoped that we’ll make it out of this alive.” The man wearing a black coat faced the entrance and exited the room.

I must have the worst luck to have been found out at such a crucial moment. The old man held his hand in front of his face and many blue orbs gathered to condensed into a mask.

He took out a scroll with a white sealed on it. Once he broke the seal, the scroll flashed and burned, leaving fallen ashes on the floor. The light from the scroll coated the room and prevented it from shaking again.

This should prevent the vibrations from interrupting the four. The old man supported his body with his cane and walked out of the room.

An hour later, the sounds of people screaming and rocks falling came to a silence. Instead, what replace the previous sound were the sounds of footsteps thundering through the hallway of Sector #0.

“Halt!” A man wearing a deep blue armor commanded his army to stop their movements in front of a stone golem.

The hallway they were in had white walls, floors, and ceiling. It was like night and day comparing the hallway and Sector #0. The hallway was big enough to fit thousands of people comfortably.

“Aoblue, that must be the one who kidnapped all of those children!” A man dressed in a long robe with a pointy top hat shouted.

“Calm down Majes, we don’t know if your nephew is being contained here. Judging by how heavily guarded this place is, you can rest assure that your answer lies behind that door.” Aoblue reassured his old friend and raised his sword.

“Knights of Highborn! Advance ten meters! Casters, began enchanting the frontlines with physical resistance! Rangers, use explosive ammunitions and attack the limbs of the golem! Our mission lies beyond that door! Everyone, hang in there! This is the last step we need to take!” Aoblue commanded his troops. He tried his best to encourage the already fatigue army that accompanied him on this mission.

The old man riding on the golem stared in amusement at the tiny ants trying their best to take down a lion.

The knights advanced with the protection of magic from the casters in the back line. Rangers unleashed a torrent of explosive arrows that attacked the knees of the golem.

“Knights, hold your position! Casters, take ten steps back and began casting [Fireball] at the golem!” Aoblue commanded.

The golem received damage from the incoming attacks by the rangers, but it didn’t flinch at all. Aoblue was somewhat familiar with artificial sentry types like golems, and thought that it was because they couldn’t feel anything.

The next incoming wave of attacks combined the ranger’s explosive ammunition with the caster’s [Fireball] spell. The knights stood at the front line and watched in awe at the amazing firework being displayed.

“Is that all you got, boy?” The old man wearing a mask sneered.

The golem kicked its right leg outwards to attack the troops of Highborn. Even with the help of magical enhancement properties, the knights found it difficult to withstood the incoming attack. Some were blown away from the sheer force of the kick. The ones who held their ground fell to their knees, coughing due to the dust kicked up from the kick.

The front lines will be in danger from the next attack. It seems like they can only take one hit from it… I need to buy them time so they can get on their feet! Aoblue pondered his next course of action.

The golem sweep with its left leg, targeting the fallen knights who were still picking up their shields and swords.

“[Black Hole]” Aoblue took out a scroll with a black seal, pointed it at the incoming left leg of the golem, and broke it. Like an arrow flying from a bow, the scroll shot out from Aoblue’s hand and hit the left leg of the golem.

A tiny black hole appeared and the left leg gravitated towards it. The suction from the black hole devoured the entire leg before completely disappearing in a matter of seconds.

“Oh? You’d actually use such a rare scroll for their sake? What a foolish decision, boy. One should think of all possibilities before acting.” The old man wearing a masked criticized Aoblue’s action.

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The old man jumped off from the golem who is now falling due to a missing leg. The twenty meter dropped may seem scary, but the masked man floated down gently onto the ground.

He tapped his cane on the ground once, and the pieces of boulders from the golem completely separated. Then, they began floating in the air, all facing towards the direction of the Highborn’s troops.

“Majes!” Aoblue realized the masked man’s intention and shouted for his friend’s help.

“I got it!” Majes began chanting furiously and quickly.

The boulders floating in the air all began to launch towards the Highborn troops in a terrorizing manner. The knights, casters, and rangers all had a look of disbelief on their face. The color of their skin became paler as the boulders approached them.

“[Mana Bubble]” Majes finally finished his chant, and a blue bubble enveloped the entire troops of Highborn.

The rocks began hammering away at the bubble. Just when the Highborn troops believe that the bubble was about to burst, Aoblue launched to the sky and deflected the boulders with the help of [Mana Bubble]. The ground shook slightly as Aoblue kicked the boulders to the ground. The bubble that protected them slowly faded away a few seconds later.

“Casters, prepare [Magic Missiles] and wait for my command! Rangers, barrage him with your arrows! Knights, on me!” Aoblue gave orders to his troops and step forward to the front line.

The rangers aimed their bows, crossbows, and slingshots towards the ceiling and unleashed their attacks.

Facing the barrage of attacks, the masked old man pointed his cane high in the air towards the incoming arrow.

“[Wings of Avalon]” Two enormous white feathery wing emerged and enveloped the barrage of arrows. It then continues swerving around in the air to block the additional arrows that would harm its master.

Aoblue led his remaining knights towards the masked man. He knew that someone who is capable of controlling a golem wouldn’t fall to a barrage of arrows. Rather, the barrage of arrows was made to serve as a distraction, and to force the masked old man to reveal his abilities.

Facing the approaching Grand General Aoblue and his knights, the masked old man smiled and tap his cane onto the ground.

Cracks ran through the floor, creating a line between the Highborn army and the masked old man. The floor on the side of the masked person began to gradually elevate ten meters high.

“No you don’t! [Terrestrial Devastation]” Majes took out a scroll with a green seal and pointed it at the rising floor. He broke the seal and the scroll unleashed a myriad of condensed mana arrows towards the elevated floor.

The arrows exploded upon contact, and the floor began to form cracks.

“[Iron Sand Style: Piercing Sand]!” Seeing the newly form cracks spreading out like a spider’s web, Aoblue threw his sword and the whole floor beneath the masked man broke into many fragments.

“Now! Casters! Hit him while he’s still in the air!” Aoblue gave the order and the casters complied with their [Magic Missiles]. Small rays of purple light shot out from the staves and wands of the casters. They all move around the air sporadically, dodging the enormous wings in the air and the falling rocks, before converging onto one point – the masked old man. Explosive sounds rang out and the casters all wore happy faces. The rangers and knights held their position and awaited Aoblue to give the victory shout.

One caster using [Magic Missiles] wouldn’t be lethal, but if you multiply the amount of casters, then it can prove to be devastating.

Aoblue decided to use [Magic Missiles] instead of [Fireball] because the average incantation time is a lot shorter, and the magic seeks out its prey instead of moving in a linear motion.

The dust from the explosion soon departed, revealing a burnt figure lying on the ground.

“We’ve won! Victory is ours!” The knights shouted and lifted their swords and shields into the air. The rangers all let out a heavy sigh and thanked that their casualty from the mission wasn’t too heavy. Likewise, the casters fell to the ground from exhaustion. The amount of mana they used since the start of the day was too taxing. It was a miracle that they were able to still cast spells despite an action packed day.

Aoblue walked over and patted Majes’ shoulder. He expected to see a face of excitement, but was immediately confused when he saw the bewilderment Majes.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you excited to see your nephew?” Aoblue asked.

“I am, but… You may not understand this because you don’t specialize in magic, but the spell, [Wings of Avalon], is a 7th tier magic told in fairy tales.” Majes said with a grim face.

“Meaning?” Aoblue asked.

“[Fireball] and [Magic Missiles] are 1st tier magic. Do you get it now? How can someone who reached the heights of 7th tier lose to magic from the 1st tier?” Majes rhetorically asked.

Aoblue finally understood what Majes was hinting at. Shivers creeped down his spine as he thought of the possibility of Majes’ theory being true.

Suddenly, the burnt body lying on the ground shot into the air. Majes and Aoblue immediately noticed the body because they had an uneasy feeling about the death of the old masked man.

The body broke apart in two, revealing a black sphere that expanded and soon enveloped the entire area of the hallway.

“Aegis!” Aoblue quickly lifted his shield and shouted.

“[Gaia’s Embrace]!” Majes took out a scroll with a white seal and broke it. The scroll burned to ashes, and a dense layer of magic coated around Majes body. However, this process took too long, and Majes left arm was caught in the area of the black sphere.

The black sphere appeared and disappeared in a matter of seconds.

Aoblue examined his surrounding and saw the worst situation possible – the destruction of his troops. He expected his troops to take a heavy hit, but it was worse than he’d imagine. Black scorch marks outlined the bodies of his old subordinates. There weren’t any bodies lying around. He never heard a single scream of terror either. It all happened too fast. The last thing he remembered was the smiling faces that his subordinates wore so proudly.

Looking to his side, he saw his old friend with a missing arm. Aoblue frantically looked around for Majes’ missing arm, but he couldn’t find it. He faced Majes with a horrifying expression and at a loss for words.

“It’s ok…” Majes patted Aoblue’s shoulder with his right arm.

Aoblue stared at the excessive amount of blood dripping onto the ground from Majes' arm. He knew as much as Majes that they should always have the mission as their top priority. However, he couldn’t help but think that they should retreat and get his friend to the hospital.

The door to the next room was completely evaporated. Not a single piece of it can be seen anywhere.

Majes struggled his way to the next room, and Aoblue followed the trail of blood closely behind.

Blue flames floating in the air dimly lit the pitch black room.

Aoblue and Majes noticed four pods illuminated with a blue light and hurried their way there.

He examined the first pod and his heart sunk deeply. This wasn’t his nephew. He slowly examined the next one and the one after that, each time feeling his hopes drifting further and further away. Finally, it’s as if all his life had been rejuvenated when his eyes fell upon a slumbering boy in the last containment pod.

“Yin… I’ve finally found you…” Majes softly said. He fell to his knees and rain began to flow from his eyes to his cheek.

Aoblue silently stood there patiently waiting for his friend.