Henry felt warmth surround him. Even when he tried to open his eyes he felt it was jam shut. Suddenly someone grabbed him by his neck and pulled him out. It felt like he was taken out of a wet sack.
'Eewh.' The smell of blood suddenly assaulted his nose. It felt like there was mucus all over his body. Although he could tell someone was feeling him and flipped him upside down, Henry was too stunned to understand what was happening.
"#### #####"
"## #### ###### ####"
'What the hell are you all shouting?' Henry thought.
Suddenly, a hand went ahead and smacked hard on his bump. Henry tried screaming, 'that hurts' but all that came out was a loud 'ehhhhhhhhh'. The sudden smack on the bump made him open and squint his eyes a little and he was introduced to a sight that no earthling would ever forget.
In the midst of his scream, he noticed the place he was at. It looks like a village clinic with staff who all wore mediocre clothes. Even who appeared to be the doctor had an elaborate gown with a small cane by her side. He found himself staring at a woman on the table. She was laying in a pool of blood and had laboured breathing. There was a slight smile on her tired face. Henry kept staring at the things that caused him most distress wide-eyed.
'Are those horns?'
Henry's eyes bulged out wide open staring at the horns on his mom's head. They gave her an intimidating look. Although it was harder for him to get over it, he soon focused on other things surrounding him.
The room was quite congested even with just four people in it. From the look of it, it looked like a medieval village house that he often saw in dramas. The woman who appeared to be the doctor said something to the women standing behind presumably discussing the newborn's health. He saw his mom parking her ears at the doctor keenly listening to her. Her worries soon disappeared, letting Henry figure out he was in good health.
When he arrived at this new world, Henry was in shock. It's almost been a month since his birth. Even with a little difficulty, he was able to recognise a few words but speaking was still hard since his vocal cords were only developing. Henry was happily growing up drinking good quality milk.
In the evening and Henry was forced to sleep back in his cradle. Although letting him sleep early was a good thing the intent was slightly different. Henry knew he was being forced to sleep so that his mom could take care of his father when he came back after a busy day's work. He didn't mind. It reminded him back of his previous life coming back home completely burned out. He could have so used a female's companionship back then. Thinking back Henry felt like an idiot.
While he was lying down waiting for his mom to come back and feed him, he was a good boy and never cried for milk, suddenly, a strange voice echoed in his head.
'''Activation Complete.
Otherworldly Personal System is now active.
Host Detected: Unnamed Demihuman
Age: 0 years 1 month
'System entering hibernation.'''
Just as how sudden the voice came it quieted down just as fast.
'A system? Haha great!' Henry was overjoyed. 'But why am I unnamed?' As Henry kept thinking about it, he recalled how his parents had never called him by a name. It was almost as if they never bothered to name him. 'Am I missing something?'
Time passed by much faster than he had expected. Every day he would dream of hearing the voice of the system but only to be disappointed. It had already been six months since he heard its voice. Henry had slowly learned to speak a few simple sentences. It seemed like the beast blood in him gave him a faster growth rate.
It was on that day he heard his parents talk about the testing ceremony. Apparently, the commoners were only named after they've proven to be of a worthy future. Unless you possess a strong talent be it a scholar or a warrior, you wouldn't have the right to get named. If he is not named at the testing ceremony, the chances were that he would end up living as just another commoner in the village, ploughing fields or raising cattle.
His father had taken a leave from the office for the day. Being a grade two mortal scholar he was appointed to the local administration to do paperwork. He had never heard his mom call father by his name. His mother was just another common unnamed beast person. In the kingdom, names possessed a certain power and it was impolite to use it without any cause. But if both parties were named it would be fine. Henry's world was still within the four walls of the house hence what little knowledge he gained was from the little interactions his mother had with her neighbours. At least he knew his family's social standing was better amongst the villagers albeit being a commoner in the area thanks to his father's named status.
The day was busy as his mother and father prepared to travel to the closest oracle to test Henry's talent. They had to hire a cart which cost them a little as the closest oracle's temple was a few villages away. It would be impossible to travel back and forth in a day had they tried walking.
Henry watched as they picked up two more families on the way. 'Looks like we will be sharing the ride.' The two kids that got on had human parents and Henry felt relief seeing them getting together. He had seen plenty of animes during his bachelor life and had a perception that the beast-men would always be treated as lowly creatures. He even had worried a little seeing the two tiny horns that had budded on his head.
As he travelled along the worn-out path, Henry found many variants of the beastmen tribe. Some had fluffy-haired tails, some had bunny hair tails, some had cat ears and so on. Most of the guards seemed to be a higher variant like the lion men distinguished by the majestic manes they possessed. From the way his father showed them respect, they must be at least third-grade mortal warriors.
It must have taken them at least six hours since the sun was right above their head. They had finally entered the outer region of the small town that houses the oracle temple. The paths were all brick laid and the cart took up a much faster pace compared to when they were on the muddy paths before. There were ample signs of wealth on either side of the path and soon they were able to see the massive town gates that stood ten meters high which also served as the toll gates to the town. There was a small queue in front of the gate and a small pavilion to park the carts. It seemed like carts weren't allowed at least for the commoners within the town.
Henry's parents alighted from the cart along with the other two families. His father gave some coins to the coachman so he could park at the pavilion for a day and joined the others waiting in the queue.
"Purpose of visit?" Asked a soldier at the gate when it was finally their turn.
"We came for my son's testing." Said Henry's father respectfully handing over a token that served as an id.
"It's 5 silver per head. Kids are exempt. You may enter after paying at the counter." The soldier pointed towards the barred window on the side through which you could see a lady sitting inside. His father paid the 10 silver coins toll and entered the town with the mother and Henry in tow. Although his mother must have been in her early twenties, from the way she moved, it was evident that she hadn't been to a town in a long time. There was excitement in her eyes as she kept looking at the stalls on either side of the streets.
Henry's dad rushed her and the kid to the massive building in the middle of the town. There were doors out front with armed guards standing outside. Henry's father approached the guards and sought permission to enter the building.
The three entered the building and soon were led to the central hall. A young lady was sitting at the back of the hall at an elected platform. Henry's father approached the lady and gave a slight bow while his mother stood back. Her back was a little stiff from nervousness.
"Bring the child over." The lady got up from her seat and walked towards the little platform towards the side. Henry's mom brought him over to the lady's side and helped her to place him on the platform and then fell back behind her husband, her head lowered praying for her kid. The oracle lady started to cast a few spells as a light screen soon appeared above the platform.
"Not bad," said the lady as she went through the figures reading it out for the parents to hear. A small token was ejected from the platform which had the recorded talents of the kid and in future would become his primary ID card.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"Looks like the kid is indeed a little talented. Not bad for a no-name's offspring." She said as she continued reading out the rest of the data. In the continent, the kid's talents heavily depended on the maternal side's talent.
"Name: Henry"
"Earth element low-grade talent."
"Fire element low-grade talent."
"Water element low-grade talent."
"Wind element low-grade talent."
"Looks like we will have a low-grade four-element mage soon." The lady said, continuing to read through.
"Mid-grade physical talent."
"A mid-grade physical talent and four low-grade magic talents. Looks like you will grow up decently. Looks like you two have a good kid." She said handing over the token to Henry's dad. Henry's mom, who was already elated hearing her son was named, came over, picked him up and went back to her husband's side. The lady oracle smiled seeing the elated mother.
"Nurture him well. He has a higher chance to become a low level noble if he claims enough merits in the future." She finally said dismissing the two eager parents and the kid walking back to her high seat. Her gentle and happy face soon gleamed indifferently as she kept staring at the blank wall waiting for the next kid to be tested.
The three came out exceedingly happy. They hadn't expected their son to have magical talent. Although Henry had a higher physical grade talent, it was common in the kingdom whereas the magical talent was relatively rare. Since Henry had a decent physical talent and some magic talent it would be possible for him to become a dual cultivator and if he had enough military merit, it wouldn't be impossible to even become a Baron in the future.
After the three got out, they walked toward the restaurant to buy some food. After buying a few pork ribs, they went back outside and looked for their coachman. The other two families were done and were waiting beside the cart. They all got on and returned to the village.
It was almost nighttime when they had reached home. Henry's mom tucked him in the bed and went back to her room. Henry was about to drift back to sleep when a familiar voice rang out in his head.
***
'''Otherworldly Personal System is now active.
Host: Henry
Major Bloodline: Human (80%)
Minor Bloodlines: Bos (20%)
Age: 6 months
Nature Elements: Earth (0/9), Fire (0/9), Water (0/9), Wind (0/9)
Body: Mortal (0/9)
Host Assessment Complete.'''
***
'It happened again! I wasn't hallucinating!' Henry was overjoyed. Although his body was still only 6 months old, being a half beastman, he had already grown to be at least as big as a 3-year-old kid. Henry slept that night dreaming about how he would conquer the world while his parents lost their sleep figuring out how they could nurture their little kid.
It had been four years since the birth of Henry Roberson. In the new world, all named kids were required to start their schooling by Gods' decree. Although Henry had no idea what to expect, his parents had already taken him over to the admission test that was about to start. Henry had the frame of an eight-year-old even though he was only four years this year. By that time, he had already developed a grade 2 body and even comprehended a few mortal grade one spells thanks to his system helping him out.
His father, Flamel, was standing by his side along with his mother both waiting on Henry's turn for testing. They had travelled back to the town a few times during the past three years since Henry had shown his talents by casting a few elementary spells, to buy a few books for him to learn. Due to the higher cost of magic items, it had cost his parents a considerable amount of money to buy them for Henry.
Although Henry was a named being, within the kingdom there were a considerably high number of kids born with a named status making it difficult for them all to be nurtured. Hence the academies and schools preferred to only pick up the best talents they could find.
"Henry, Horned Dog Village." A loud voice echoed calling out his name.
"Go on. It's your turn." Flamel pushed Henry forward from behind. "Don't forget to come visit us back home often once you get selected." Although Flamel knew how much of an impossibility it was, he still said it. Hearing what her husband said, Henry's mom shed a few tears. "Be careful and study well." She whispered slowly to him as Henry slowly approached the podium. Behind it was the covered testing grounds.
The testing area was always covered up to prevent the later contestants from figuring out what was different each year. Those who failed to rise to the bar were also kept behind until the results were published. The ones that passed were immediately sent over to the school ground after the results were announced to limit the leakage of details. This was because the test often carried over through multiple days.
The instructor took Henry's token and went through the details. He looked over at the kid.
"Not bad. Let's see how much magic power you can muster."
There were ten elementary magic elements in this world. Magicians that possessed more than one element were rare. Henry being a quad element mage made him an extremely rare, one in a 100,000 genius. Had he had a high magical talent, he would have been snatched by the kingdom right at birth. It was hard to train a multiple-element mage. Adding to the fact that Henry had four elements and only low-grade talent, it was certain that he wouldn't be able to achieve much without a miracle or two happening.
The instructor brought Henry to the inner room and was forced to hold a core orb that tested the magic output. The ore provided a result based on the magic output ranging from red to violet with violet being the peak it can measure. A common mage required a yellow rating while a two-element mage required at least orange. Without at least a red rating it was impossible to enter any schools as they considered training them a pain.
As Henry focused on the orb, it emitted a dim red glow, barely letting him pass. Henry sighed in relief. He knew his parents desperately looked forward to him being a noble one day. The school was the foundation to a great future and had he failed to get admission he knew they would both fall into despair.
"Barely made it. Alright, head over to the soul check station." He pointed Henry to a young lady standing by a strange device. He walked towards it.
"Come over and sit here." She pointed at the bench right next to her with a few cables hanging down from the ceiling.
"This is a soul strength measuring device. Hop over it and let me plug you in." She said enthusiastically.
Henry pulled himself up to the bench and laid down while The lady placed the cables over him. Soon the devices activated and a mercury thermometer like meter on the bench rose to indicate a reading of 32.
"Not bad. Definitely strong enough compared to your peers. Alright go through the right side door and wait for your ranking and results. She unclamped the tubes and let Henry sit up.
As soon as Henry walked out, the system went off with a message.
'''Ding! You picked up residue fire element vapour. Merging the vapour with the fire element drop complete. Fire element drop expanded by 0.2.
Nature elements: Earth (2.1/9), Fire (2.7/9), Water (1.7/9), Wind (2.2/9)
Body: Mortal (2/9)'''
"Looks like she was a fire mage. Must be a strong one." Henry, who had already become a grade 2 fire mage thanks to his system picking up elements from the surrounding was genuinely surprised. Most fire element mages were hot-tempered and difficult to mingle with. On the contrary, this lady was simple and easy to talk to. Such a contrast would easily take someone by surprise.
Before he could move out of the room, the notification went off again.
'''Ding! You picked up residue water element moisture. Merging the moisture with the water element drop complete. Water element drop expanded by 0.5.
Nature elements: Earth (2.1/9), Fire (2.7/9), Water (2.2/9), Wind (2.2/9)
Body: Mortal (2/9)'''
"No wonder. She was a stronger water element user." Henry smiled inwardly as he walked out through the right door. He settled down on a bench right next to a girl who came along with him from the village. She was called Anna, a light element mage. They both exchanged a smile and then waited patiently for the results with the rest of the kids.
The event soon ended. Being a backwater town, there weren't that many named kids, to begin with. Given the scarcity of natural elements, birthing strong people was just an impossible dream. Even obtaining 30-35 named kids should be considered a miracle.
The two instructors walked in and told them to join the rest in the front courtyard. Soon, they would call out the rankers who have to join them back to the school while the remaining would have to go back to their homes.
The crowd behind the courtyard became restless as they all looked forward to the ranking of the kids.
Amanda, stone crushing village, 1st.
Zack, perpetual forest village, 2nd.
Nider, roaming hawk village, 3rd.
…
…
Anna, Horned dog village, 22nd.
…
…
Henry, Horned dog village, 28th.
…
…
Muller, Berserk beast village, 32nd.
Jasmine, roaming hawk village, 33rd.
"That is all. The ones who have made it through can come and join us at the airlift. Others can disperse back home and wait for the next school test that will happen in few days.” The male instructor said as he walked back to the tent followed by the lady. Since Henry had already passed the test, all he could do was wave back at his parents before following the two leading instructors. Tears became rivers as his parents finally said their goodbye to Henry. They knew it would be a long time before they could meet again.
All the students who passed were asked to wait in a room for instruction by the mentors. The lady walked forwards and introduced herself.
"I'm Alice from the Flowing Water Covenant and this is Mr Fredrick. Since all of you have already passed the initial screening, the next stage is to pick a suitable school for you to enrol in. We will be leaving for Minion City first so that you can go through the exhibition event and pick a school that suits you. If there are no more questions we should leave soon."
After a short introduction, Alice moved towards the back to open a magic teleportation circle to Minion. Seeing the teleportation circle for the first time, the students' jaws opened wide in awe. Alice turned around and said with a grin, "You didn't think we would be flying out did you?"
*****