11. Truth and Bonds

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The Endless void.

The place where I was stuck for countless years.

Yet here I am again.

Was it all a dream?

No! I won’t believe such a thing.

“You don’t have to panic”

An ethereal voice came from behind me.

I turn around and I saw something that can be said to have only been seen in stories.

It had large black wings, a body made of Ice like a sculpture, its eyes were blood red and the beak was pure black, the creature seemed to shine in the black endless void.

“You are the Ice Crow. Aren’t you?”

“Why do you think that”

The same voice as before entered my ears, but the crow wasn’t talking with its mouth. It felt like his intentions were sent into my mind.

I was confused at its question.

“It might be because you look like a crow, and I am accepting your legacy right now.”

As if ignoring my answer, the Ice Crow’s wings started to shine in a blue color and the blue light covered me. I felt like I was going to be sent back to the world again. But before I was gone I heard the ethereal voice say something.

“I am leaving everything in your hands, Chosen One.”

“What now?”

Before I knew it, I appeared again in the real world.

*Huph*

I started panting crazily and felt like my mind was out of oxygen.

I looked around and saw the old man at near my shoulder, he was moving his mouth, but I couldn’t hear anything.

My consciousness was leaving my body. The old man put something in my mouth, it looked like a potion. I hurriedly drank the entire green liquid inside. Suddenly everything felt more clear and I could hear the old man talking to me.

“Are you alright brat?”

“Yes ..probably.”

“You did it brat! You succeeded.”

“How can you know?” I asked.

“You are not dead are you?”

“Unless this is hell, no.” I shrugged.

“Are you implying something brat?” He looked at me suspiciously.

“No.”

He looked at me and said with a smile.

“It’s good you’re alive brat, it would have been a bother to look for another successor.”

I was speechless…. But I couldn’t be bothered to reply to the old man.

And looked at my interface and I was very surprised at the new notifications.

Gained the legacy of the [Ice Crow Bloodline]

[Level up]

[Level up]

Warning! The essence of the two races are colliding, there is a risk of death. The essences are overheating

Warning! Warning!

Another part of the The Devouring Snake Ring has been unlocked!

[ Middle Demon ] and [ Ice Crow ] have merged.

Changed Race to [ Crowic Ice Demon ]

[ Level up ]

Acquired the abilities of the [ Ice Crow ]

Ice Crow Magic

Crow Contract

Crow Transformation

Feather Materialization

Ice Affinity - Max —> Divine

Gained Space Affinity - ????

Gained Title [ The Chosen Crow ]

After I read all of them. The grin in my face couldn’t be stopped and soon that grin couldn’t help but turn into laughter.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

“Hahahahahaha” I laughed like a maniac, but that wasn’t for long as I felt pain coming at me.

A lot of pain!

Again.!

I looked at the old man and he didn’t do anything and just watched.

He looked at me and said.

“Don’t resist, what you are going through right now, is a premature evolution, so that your body is used to the [Ice Crow Bloodline]”

I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes. Just like the last time I evolved, however this time, pain accompanied me. I was enveloped by a black cocoon and my consciousness left me.

….

….

….

…..

I woke up to the sound of lightning and looked around. I was laying in the thread-made bed I made earlier and a blanked was covering me. I looked at my left and saw the old man staring at me while sipping tea from his teacup.

“What ?” I looked at him.

“It’s been a while brat, I thought this place was going to be perished before you woke up.”

I looked at him confused, “A while? How long was I out?”

The old man looked like he was thinking for a bit before answering, “hmm maybe three or four weeks”

“Weeks?”

I stood up from my bed.

“Yes, it’s seems your body wasn’t really at its best after you obtained the legacy.”

A sudden influx of memories came to my brain, giving me one second of migraine.

I got serious and instinctively used [Magic Intent] as I looked at him.

“Did you know that I could have died.”

He looked at me and gave a casual response.

“Didn’t I already tell you? You might die.”

“Thats not what I meant!”

“Then what did you mean?”

“Even If I obtained the legacy of the [Ice Crow]. There was only little chance I could survive, why didn’t you tell me ?”

I look at him angrily. He sipped his tea once more and put it on the table near him.

“I just believed in you.”

Believe?

“Bullshit!” I yelled.

“That’s enough brat!”

He slammed his hand on the table, breaking it in half and spilled the remaining tea that was left on the teacup all over the place.

He looked at the mess he had done and sighed.

Sigh

“I am out of time brat, this place is falling apart. I had no choice.”

I stopped my mana from releasing out of me and said to him, “Explain!”

He looked at the window.

“Right now, the place is destroying itself. Its entire purpose was to find my successor and now that you have become my successor it will break apart.”

“What does that have to do with my potential death?” I asked confused, still angry.

“You see, I might have lied about something, I-“

“You are not dead” I interrupted.

He looked shocked, “H-How did you know?”

I looked at him with a deadpan expression.

“If the [Ice Crow Bloodline] is as precious as you make it to be, there is no way a mere clone and just a little portion of the soul could impart the essence of the bloodline.”

He was surprised at my answer.

“So you did read some books?”

“No, that’s pure logic.”

I fired back but didn’t let him say anything.

“So why did you do it ?” I ask.

He looked at me and helplessly said.

“Family” He said and then continued.

“In the centuries I have lived, I have made quite a few enemies, and now that I have reached my potential, I won’t be able to protect my family, so I made it my job to find someone with more potential then mine so he can help my ..dilemma.”

“What do you mean reached my potential?” I looked at him.

“Before I became the successor of the [Ice Crow Bloodline] I was just the failure of my family, I had no talent in anything I did. And my class is [ Failure ]. Before you ask what that is, I will tell you. The class [ Failure ] is something given to those who don’t have any capability of having a class. So I didn’t have any potential and got marked as the ‘Failed Heir of the Count’ in the noble society, until… I met my teacher, apparently he saw my potential for ice and took me into his wing, transforming me from a ‘Failed Heir’ to the student of an [ Archmage ].”

He stopped to catch his breath and looked toward the window in nostalgia and continued.

“Because I don’t have the capability to have a class, my potential could only reach the level of [ Archmage ] just like my teacher, and the only reason for that was because I only focused solely on my Ice Magic. My teacher also had the class [ Spirit Summoner ] and he also had skills that he gained from that class, so he didn’t solely focus on Ice Magic like I did. I have reached the pinnacle of what I could in my lifetime so I created this place to find someone who can breakthrough that pinnacle, and that is you, Leonidas!, I know what I did to you was unfair, but my family could be extinct anytime now by forces greater then I. You don’t need to forgive me, but at least protect my family from them.”

I heard every word that came out of his mouth and I could tell that he wasn’t lying and felt his emotions as he spoke.

I calmed down

“There is no need for me to forgive you, I don’t hate you old man. You gave me the chance to become stronger, and I took it, I might have been too hard on you so ..I’m sorry and thank you for the opportunity.”

I spoke to him with assurance.

He nodded. But then when things got quiet he said,

“Maybe you should leave before things get bad, don’t you think?.”

I blinked.

“You are not going to come with me ?”

He looked at me and smiled softly as he spoke.

“The moment I gave you my essence, I was guaranteed …to die within the month.”

For reasons unknown to me I bit my lip, causing it to bleed. The old man saw this and did something I didn’t expect …. He hugged me.

Since when was the last time someone hugged me ?

I didn’t refuse or pushed him away and instead hugged him back. I didn’t know why, but even though I haven’t known him for a long time, I felt a connection between me and him.

He was like the ..naughty grandparent I never had.

“Are you thinking something bad about me brat?”

A naughty grandparent with a sharp intuition.

“Is there anything else you want to say to me, ol’ man?”

He broke off the hug and responded, “Just live without limits, and look after my family, especially Lana, she is a feisty one, Oh! And one more thing, can you keep my body in your spatial ring and bury me at my home.”

“Sure ol’ man, I Promise” I nodded and promised to take care of his wishes.

He also blinked twice, confused about something.

“I thought it was a skip of the tounge the first time you said it but now you said it a second time?”

“What are you talking about?” I didn’t know what he was talking about.

“Since when did you call me ol’ man, without a ‘d’?” He asked with interest

I grinned at the question and said enthusiastically.

“Well, before I called you with a ‘d’ which stood for dumbass, but I changed my mind about you, aren’t you thankful?”

The room was in silence, the complete opposite of the sounds of thunder and earthquakes outside the tower.

..

We both started laughing.

“Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha”

“Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha”

We were having the time of our lives as we laughed in joy .

Unknowingly, at some point both of us started crying in the midst of the laughter as tears dropped on the floor.

I wipe my tears and look at him.

“I am going to miss you ol’ man”

“I’m going to miss you too brat, from wherever I am going to be.”

He finished his statement and then opened a portal in his right.

Cough Cough

He started coughing up blood and his face started to get paler by the second.

“My time is running out. Here!”

He took off his ring and gave it to me.

“Keep it”

I put it in my finger.

Cough

His state started to deteriorate and almost fell if I didn’t catch him in time. I brought him to the thread bed and gently placed him there.

His eyes fluttered open and shut as he spoke.

“So this is how it feels to die! It’s quite free and peaceful.”

He looked like he has started to walk for the first time.

He looked …happy.

“I am glad you like it.” I said as softly as I could as to not stutter.

“Indeed, Freedom at last!”

His eyes closed and his heart stopped.

He died.

A tear came out of my eye as I watched him draw his last breath.

“As the crows mourn for you and the pigeons sing, may you remain in the hearts of your loved ones as you leave..

“Goodbye, may you rest peacefully…”