Sebas Aren punched his father square in the nose. His hand audibly fractured as his father’s face stiffened, and broke his knuckles.
“FUCk-“ Sebas yelped, grabbing onto his now brolen, bleeding knuckles, and glared at the man.
“What the hell are you made of?”
“Sebas, why do you do this to yourself?”
“Fuck you old man.”
“Just accept the contract.”
“No! I refuse!”
[You have declined subordination contract]
“That’s unfortunate, Ito.”
“Sorry, young master.”
Sebas squared up to Ito, his taloned hand sat at a straight angle, metal arm against his side balled up into a fist.
“Please come with me.”
“Don’t make me kill you Ito, I am leaving.”
“You don’t have to worry about me, young master.”
Ito began by removing his gauntlets, and Sebas scowled at the man, the bridge of his flattened nose began to twitch. A hand reached behind his plated armor and began to mess with buckles and hinges were heard with loud clacks as a giant breastplate lurched forward, trying to escape from the inside the pauldrons sitting atop his shoulders. Ito held his arms up and flipped a sequence of three buckles on each arm that hold up the vambraces. Each and every piece of metal carapace hit the ground with a resounding thunk. Sebas looked at the white haired fake merchant and held his ground with a new position.
Ito stretched his back, and neck, a cracking sound came from both sites and he began cracking his knuckles.
“Would you like to do this the easy way or the hard way, young master Sebas?”
“Oh Ito, you know how much I love making you work.”
“Very good sir.”
Ito dashed forward, and Sebas grabbed the couch that sat across from his father, and twisted his body, slamming the object into Ito Jella with a cascade of cotton that fell from the destroyed object.
Sebas charged through Ito with his shoulder, and began to run for the window, as he closed in on the bay window that showed the increasingly vast oceanfront, the cliffside fall had a twenty story drop at the very least. Glass shattered as Sebas launched his monstrous body through the window, cutting into his body as his metal arm shielded his eyes from the sharp debris.
His fledgling wings flapped in the air, and Sebas reached upwards towards the setting suns that pittered out, leaving an orange ink that permeated the blue sky. Sebas began to spin as his body flew around in a circle as he tried to take to the sky. He clawed towards the sky, his new limbs proved useless and he sank into the black-blue murky sea.
[Notice: 2,569.31 days ago, Aren Estate.]
A young, blonde heir to a nobledom attended a “party” that was more akin to a social gather on a business holiday than that of his birthdate, there were plentiful treats, however none was better than the cake that sat atop a massive pillar where it was being decorated live for all nobility to gawk at and chitter about.
Several children were left to their own devices, some would spar with wooden weapons, notably individuals of the main four houses.
Sebastian Aren, age 10.
Nickolas Trihan, age 11.
Vallien Rirnox, age 13.
Arietta Lightbeinger, age 12.
Nickolas Trihan and Sebas Aren were born for the soul purpose of being rivals, grindstones for one another to grow stronger together as they would fight, spar, and adventure.
However, that changed when the Heir of Trihan prospective potential was revealed, one year ago, Nick Trihan had awakened, revealing the skill: [Ethereal Hand], what was once two swords, became three, and three swords became four, four swords became five, by the age of 11, he was fighting master swordsmen with five blades at once. The only problem is that Nickolas Trihan was merely a teenager, the praise turned to ego that filled in the place that maternal and paternal affection lacked.
He was a bully, arrogant, and spoiled. However this wasn’t to say he wasn’t friends with Sebas, and the other Hiers, they all got along fine. However something happened on the day of celebrations. It could be called a joke that slipped awry.
Sebas Aren, discouraged by his inadequacy towards the other heirs, hung his head down in shame.
“What’s the matter?” Ari Lightbringer asked the sulking Sebas, finding him hidden among the bushes within the courtyard of the Aren Manor.
“Nothing,” Sebas lied to the girl, she wasn’t stupid, she had three times the intellect of him and Nick combined, not to mention Vallien.
“Well, I guess then I’m going to leave you alone then~”
Sebas sulked more, placing his head within his legs.
“Okay, fine, I’ll stay, only if you tell me what’s wrong.” Ari sat down next to Sebas, and offered him a hand. He took the hand, and sat wordlessly while he went through his tantrum.
----------------------------------------
Nickolas Trihan, heir of the Trihan family, stared at the two who sat in the grass, his floating hand skill fought his opponent, Vallien, a Alipothrope; an individual who could transform into a Werefox. Vallien was struggling with the multiple hands that slashed wooden weapons at her, but she noticed the staring at the pathetic Sebas Aren and glorious Ari Lightbringer.
“Why aren’t you taking this seriously?” Vallien asked him, with an ethereal hand in her grasp, two others in her other hand.
Nickolas nodded his head to the pair of kids holding hands.
“What about it?” Vallia asked him, confused about what that could have to do with their sparring.
“It irritates me.”
“Why?” She asked him.
“… I don’t know.”
“Well, why don’t you talk about it with them?”
Nickolas looked over towards her and back towards the pair, who were now talking instead of just Sebas sulking.
“Let’s go back to sparring,” Nickolas said to Vallia, his floating hands picked up another set of weapons, all axes.
----------------------------------------
“So you feel like you’re not strong enough?”
Sebas nodded.
“And it makes you upset when you can’t fight on an equal level with Nick?”
Sebas nodded, again.
“Sebas, that’s okay, he’s had a whole year to practice his skill, but you’re going to get a skill or even a trait of your own! Very soon! And you’ll become just as strong as Nick one day.”
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Sebas looked at the now smiling girl he looked up at the black tattoo that covered her eye, making a long square that ran across her nose and past her eye towards her right temple, platinum white hair shined against the sunlight, almost forcing him to smile back.
Sebas wiped his eyes and nodded, looking up at her, and they both proceeded to reconvene with their friends.
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Monty(Montgomery) Iore Aren, Felesi Selenium Trihan, Kradon Wulf Rirnox, and Vieva Krisia Lightbringer attended the party, where many nobles have already gathered to make connections, however the major four houses sit at the head table.
“Tell me Felesi, what could Nickolas do when Sebastian gains his skill, and destroys your son,” Montgomery Aren says with a sneer.
“You talk a lot of nonsense for someone who already has a late bloomer for a child.”
“Now now, Felesi, he already has a wife, you can’t flirt with Monty in front of all of these lesser nobles,” Kradon stated while ripping into a set of ribs that he was eating.
“Oh shut up pig wolf,” Felesi said with an ire coated in red embarrassed blushing.
“You’re not my wife either, can’t tell me what to do either,” Kradon said.
“Shut up Kradon,” his wife, Gladia said, sat in a chair next to him.
“Yes dear.”
“Well, It is the truth Felesi, he can already keep up with the boy while he has several swords out, Nickolas only had four arms available three days ago, and that match ended in a draw!”
“Oh whatever Aren, I’ll bet my empire that my son can beat your sniveling brat with ease.”
“Really? With his stats?” Kradon asked.
“Does Nickolas have any levels?” Vieva asked.
“He’s level two, and his skills are both at level three!” She boasted.
“You’re on, we’ll bet for a trial period of dissolving one of our families into each other, accept the terms if you can get these two to agree to it.”
“It would be an imbalance of power, but…” Kradon asked, before looking down at his wife, looking for her input.
“I’m not against it,” Vieva began, ”the capital succession issue has been around since the king died, we’ve been fighting, however we all know a war would end up ruining the continent, everywhere on Kladia needs to be united, especially if we have another incident.”
“You mean a… D King?” Monty asked.
“Of course I mean that, I don’t mean anything else!”
“I could probably take a D King,” Kradon said mindlessly.
“You old idiot, you’re hardly level 70, they’re born at level 50 at least,” Felesi said.
“I’m not old, I’ve still got at least a hundred decades in me.”
“Yeah right dog-brain, you’re too scared to even say it.”
“Accept it or don’t, Felesi, I’m willing to merge our families.”
She smirked at him, and pressed accept on her God Window, “You’re going to be my hunting dog Aren, just you wait,” she said playfully.
----------------------------------------
Sebas, his two siblings, Lucien and Elleanor sat at the front of a massive white cake.
Sebas was excited, as were his siblings, who he helped sit near him, several other noble family children lined up the table as well, a mage, who looked very indifferent to the child’s birthday party was tasked with lighting candles for the gaudy pastry.
Off in the shade, Nickolas was slamming a wooden sword into a mannequin, making a downward overhead slash.
A song began, to sing his birth, or celebrate the awakening. Whatever commemoration of inadequacy was established for Sebas Aren was, Nickolas wasn’t a fan of it.
Something… spoke to him.
“You should push him into the cake,” the voice said, “it would be a funny joke, surely they have a backup cake.”
Nickolas looked around in confusion, unsure where the voice came from.
A small snake with five heads had appeared, pure white, with golden eyes. Its tongues flickered as it spoke.
“Nickolas, you’re a special individual, you have five hands, just like how I’m special, and I have five heads.”
“What are you?” He whispered to the creature.
“A friend, or perhaps even a companion… but some call me strength.”
“This sounds like blaspheming temptation.”
“Do you believe in reincarnation?”
“You expect me to believe you were once human?”
“Not me, but you, there’s a way for you to get strong, but don’t you want that stuffy round-faced loser to get what’s coming to him?”
Nickolas, transfixed on the five snake tongues that seemed to flicker in and out in a circle, nodded, and one of his Ethereal Hands launched at an outstanding speed, and sucker punched Sebas in the back of his head, splattering cake all over the guests and Sebas.
He looked around backwards with teary eyes, looking confused, his father confronted him, along with Nickolas’ mother.
Nickolas turned around with clenched fists, and continued to make downward strikes on the wooden mannequin.
“You’re one sadistic bastard, I’ve never seen such an evil smile before.”
A sharp smile was plastered over Nicolas’ face while he quietly snickered at the misfortune.
Sebas was abused several times throughout the day, when he was walking with a full glass, a hand that camouflaged into the ground firmly held his foot, causing an enraged father to storm off from his son so he could change.
“Well played young master.”
When he was dancing with Ari, a translucent hand shoved the pair over, mostly Sebas, and he looked around in confusion while Ari’s father struck him.
“Very sneaky, little lord.”
Every chance he got, he would knock over objects with Sebas taking blame, or smearing sauces on adults due to his “incompetence,” and Sebas was in so much trouble that it almost lost its humor.
He was grounded, planned to be sent to a monastery for a year, losing out on each gift that was bought for him, and forced to write an apology to each and every single person he ruined the day of.
Nicolas and Sebas were at the other end of the courtyard, where an open room arena was built for training or events, not unlike this.
“This is just a friendly match,” Kradon began to say, and the two contestants talked during the rest of his explanation.
“Well Sebas…” Nickolas said.
“Yeah?”
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to fight properly without an awakened gift? You really threw yourself at that cake earlier, and you’ve been tripping all day~” Nick said with a sly grin that crept onto his face, as if there was some joke Sebas was unaware of.
“Don’t worry! I’ll keep up, I promise!” He pumped his fists, and looked his rival in the eyes.
Nick scowled at the boy, and suddenly sneered, placing a hand on his face, covering his eyes, “I should’ve fucked with you more today… there were so many opportunities I hesitated with.”
“What do you mean?”
“You disgust me, you should’ve stayed inside after they went to clean that cake off of you. A pathetic whelp like you deserves to stay out of my spotlight.”
“… what?” Sebas asked with wide and confused eyes.
“I hate you, and I wish I could’ve embarrassed you more in front of Ari, she must think you’re pathetic right about now, someone who crushes every vase around them, she would never hold the hands of some sniveling coward.”
“Nickolas, why are you doing this?” Sebas asked with nearly teary eyes, an anger began to glow on his face.
“Because, you will always be worthless when compared to me, and never become stronger than me, I loathe your existence.”
“Just because I held Ari’s hand?”
“You’re the reason why she has to take care of you, bellyaching about everything, you’re a worthless human who brings embarrassment to the rest of us, I just showed you what you make us feel when you’re around you,” Nickolas pointed towards the stands with a thumbs up.
Sebas looked into the stands, where his friends, Vallia and Ari were giving him a thumbs up in response.
“See?”
“You’re lying.” Sebas growled at him.
“Poor Sebastian, Blaming his weakness on others…”
“Stop it,” Sebas demanded
“That’s why your Mother Killed Herself.”
Sebas went silent and stared at his sparring partner, who walked back to his corner while Sebas stood still, with a strange tinnitus ringing through his ears.
“Bas?”
Sebas looked over with dead eyes to the referee.
“Sebas? Go back to your corner.”
He followed the order the man gave him, but showed little to no emotion, unlike what the man normally saw from the energetic young boy, and Kradon went to go talk to Sebas father, however, when he left the arena, suddenly somewhere, the bell to start the match rang, except that nobody was there.
Nickolas ran forwards, holding five swords in five hands, and all of them struck him in a single strike, slinging him into the dirt outside of the stone tile bounds.
Kradon ran to Sebas side, and checked on him, he stared at Kradon with wide eyes, and before he could properly ask what happened, Nickolas walked next to him, with fake concern plastered on his face asking if he was okay.
“Are you okay Sebas?” Nickolas asked, “I thought you were ready, I heard the bell and went into “sparring mode” heheh.”
“We can call it a false start, I don’t know where the bellboy went, I heard it too… let me go find the guy in charge and complain.”
Sebas scowled, and held a hand up, and sucked his teeth as red blood showed up on his palm.
“Here bud, take this,” Nick said, holding a potion over his head and gently pouring it over his head, missing most of the contusion.
Kradon grabbed his wrist, and snatched him away, “where did you get this?”
“From the medical standby!” Nick said.
He sighed, and Sebas reeled in pain as the wound closed up, he gritted his teeth, and his eyes focused, he stared at Nick.
Nick smiled back, it was an evil, impish grin that signified contempt rather than playful demeanor.
“Fuck…” Kradon said under his breath, “go to your ring corner, I’m going to keep an eye on Sebas.”
“Yes sir~”
----------------------------------------
Kradon kept an eye on Sebas, and besides pain, he made no real efforts at emotion, as if something were on the forefront of his mind, the massive black bruise cleared up quickly thanks to the medium rank potion that was poured on Sebas.
“Do you want to continue sparring?”
Sebas nodded.
“Alright, go to your corner.”
Sebas and Nickolas stood off against eachother, Sebas held a wrathful expression and held his sword limply while daggers were glaring towards Nickolas, his upper lip was turned up in contempt, while in contrast, Nickolas was smiling, calmly, and looking at the people behind him, mainly his father, wishing to embarrass the boy further.
The round began, and Sebas rushed forward, a glorious red light covered his body, signifying an awakening,
[You have Received a Mutant Awakening]
[Rolling Stats]
[Strength: D6… (1)]
[Dexterity: D6… (1)]
[Constitution: D6… (1)]
[Intelligence: D6… (1)]
[Wisdom: D6… (1)]
[Charisma: D6… (1)]
[Worst Luck Imaginable, a gift has been given.]
[Hidden Trait: (Mutation Affinity) has been gained]
[Access. 5 Stat Points are available for Distribution.]
[Strength 1 -> 6]
[Awakened Skill: [Bite] Level 1]
[Pre-awakening training has resulted in the skill: [Lowest-Rank Swordsmanship] Level 3]
Sebas once small arms and legs inflated as his hair shifted from bright golden blonde to shiny ruby red as the awakening aura permeated his body, his body seemed to leave a trail behold him as he ran forward, a single wooden blade held by a small transparent floating hand was swinging for his head, he sent the tip of his blade along with a purple aura that coated his blade. The hand dropped the blade, as it was flung out of the arena, a cross slash of two wooden blades strikes Sebas from above, and misses as he leaps forward, slinging his blade like a spear directly for Nickolas’ throat. Nickolas sneered as the blade was blocked by his swords, his grin built veins in Sebas’ temple and forced him to shove his body directly into Nickolas.
Sebas straddled his sparring partner, throwing his weight overtop of each swordhand, right as Nick was about to get Sebas off of him, a large right hook slugged his jaw from above.
Sebas wailed on him for 12 seconds straight before Kradon was forced to intervene, Sebas continued to slug his now blood soaked fists to his hatred’s now broken nose, blackened eyes, busted jaw, and bleeding cheeks. An ethereal hand tried to push Sebas off of his opponent, but the hand reminded him of everything that happened today, and Sebas roared while his teeth reaped at his sparring partner’s throat, much to the the dismay of the audience’s sudden delight at the first turn of the fight. Screams broke out, the first a gurgled one from Nickolas and the second and the third from the audience stands.
Sebas screamed in rage as he was tackled by Kradon and his father, medical crews were called in for healing, but Sebas already knew the truth.
[You have killed the Player “Nickolas Trihan” Level 2]
[Congratulations]
[Human Level 1 -> 2]
[Human Level 2 -> 3]
[You have killed a Human.]
[The God of Humanity Scorns You.]
[Access. 10 Stat Points are available for Distribution.]
[You will not retain Red Player Status due to the training match.]
“SEBAS WHAT DID YOU DO?” His father yelled into his face.
“YOU’RE A MONSTER, A MONSTER!” Felesi Trihan screamed into his face.
Sebas stared into the sky while chaos erupted around him, emotionally devoid while staring at the five stars in the middle of the sky.
----------------------------------------
[Notice: Perspective Shift; Ito Jella (LV 26)]
“Sir?” Ito asks as he knocks on the door to Montgomery Aren’s Office door.
“You may enter.”
Opening the door, a massive room with pitch black floor of glass opens up to meet a man at an ornate wooden desk, where paperwork is being reviewed.
“Well?”
“Gone.”
“Why?” There is a cold indifference in his voice.
Ito gulps, and responds: “A Kraken appeared, we didn’t see it eat him, but it’s taking most of our manpower, it just showed up shoreside, me and the (Teleporter) are here if you would like to go yourself.”
“What is the estimate?”
“45 to Low 50s.”
“Might as well… expect a pay cut Ito.”
“Yes sir.”
A large star shaped magic circle was created with a symbol(ᚱ) on the four cardinal directions, and a single symbol(ᛖ)placed where they needed to go, and they suddenly vanished.