Ability: Moments before disaster Type: mid Triggered Event: "Hey, My name is Stevan." Effect: Greatly increases the perception of time for a fraction of a second.
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“Aunt Keren?”
“Hmm?”
“I want to get stronger.”
“For what?”
‘To avenge my mother’ would have been Fates answer, but the presence of the murderer herself sitting next to her is not a good time to tell the truth.
“To “take care” of my sister.” She answered, to which Seraphine did not respond.
Keren smiled, “Good, you should eat more then.”
They are currently at the ground level of the inn, where Fate could see a lot of adventurers coming in and out to eat and gossip.
She reflexively covered her head further.
“Relax girl.” Keren noticed, “ You can hide your horns but you can’t close your eyes forever. Besides we are adventurers, we wouldn’t care if you’re a beastfolk or a Demon as long as you can swing a sword.” She commented and placed a small piece of meat on her mouth. Fate did not expect the loudmouth to be a light eater.
She then looked at Seraphine who is stuffing everything she sees like it was the first time she ever tasted food.
‘Looks can be deceiving.’ She thought.
It has been two days since Fate woke up. She hadn’t really adjusted to her new life, but one thing is clear.
‘I still hate them.’
In that two days, she learned that Keren was actually not a bad person, just an adventurer with a massive debt, while Seraphine is a pretty awkward fellow who believes in everything, no matter how ridiculous.
Unlike her initial impression, they were, in fact, not evil.
But that doesn’t mean they are off the hook. A slaver is a slaver, and her mothers murderer is still the murderer.
‘Gain their trust, then kill them.’ Was her thought process, ‘ But I still needed strength. Aunt Keren is more than capable enough to swat me with a finger.’
She looked down at the variety of food on their round wooden table, “Mother said that the way to increase ranks is to eat food, but why?” She mumbled.
“Because you are forming your core.” Keren mentions, overhearing her question, “Each race don’t just create a core from birth. Instead, it’s usually formed overtime until its made when you are around middle aged. It can be sped up though by eating food with energy properties. Hence, the first realm is called Core Formation, along with ten stages indicating how much you have developed your core.”
“Energy properties?” Seraphine intervened.
“Yes, all things come with energy, and everything we do cost energy. Running, eating, casting abilities, and many more all cost energy. The amount usually depends on your realm and rank. Have you two never been taught?” She asked.
“No. Both of us only play all day.” Fate quickly answered before Seraphine could.
She intends to keep her persona as the sister since telling the truth might make Seraphine kill her.
She looked at her supposed sister and found her in deep thought, then continued swallowing all the food at breakneck speed.
Since Keren seemed to be willing to answer more questions. There is one thing Fate was curious about too.
“Why aren’t there stronger people?” she asked, “If eating is the only requirement, then why is everyone seemed weaker than you?”
Aunt Keren smiled, “Thanks for the compliment, but trust me when I say there are a lot of bigger fish than me in the ocean.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. All these people are still weaker than you.” She gestured at the crowd coming in and out of the inn. Some seemed to have heard her claim but went back to their business after noticing Keren.
“Do you really want to know the truth?” Keren challenged and looked her in the eyes.
“Yes” Fate answered, ‘I have to know or I won’t surpass you.’
“Because society is cruel, little lamb. The amount needed to eat just to increase your rank is astonishing, let alone crossing a realm. I was simply lucky I had an incredibly powerful companion to help me and your father in the past. She was a very kind friend. Besides, there are a different set of requirements in other realms you know. Any common person would most likely just give up or they would be financially ruined, emotionaly tired, and in some circumstances, dead.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Fate was about to speak again, but Kerens hand reached into her lips to shush, prompting her to keep quiet until she is done.
“You said that taking care of your sister was your reason to get stronger, correct?” She asks, to which Fate nodded.
Keren smiled, “Then you will never achieve that, and will always be one step behind.”
‘huh?’ was Fates lingering thought. Even Seraphine seemed to have stopped eating and looked at Keren to listen.
“Why?” both of them asked.
“Look, It’s not a bad thing.” She said while standing up to collect the dishes, “If both of you want to get stronger, then one fundamental thing you have to realize is that the road to power, to cultivation, is an incredibly hard and very long journey.”
Fate helped collecting the plates as well, while Seraphine simply sat. When they were done, Keren prompted them to follow her outside.
“Look around you.” She said.
Both Fate and Seraphine observed their surroundings, and what they saw was the same street they viewed from the inn.
She sees various people of different shapes and sizes, walking, living like how they are supposed to. She sees young noblewomen trying a cup of a fancy drink. Some city guards patrolling while the others sat down to be lazy. Vendors shouting their special products that looked exactly the same as the others. Thugs secretly mugging people in broad daylight. Beggars, running for their lives to steal a purse, to get one more day just to survive.
To Fate it was quite a weird spectacle the first time she saw the outside. She never had this sort of crowds in her village, where so many things happen all at once, but now that she got accustomed, it feels like no big deal at all. Seraphine doesn’t seem to react much to the surroundings either.
“They are all living normally though.” Fate pointed out.
“That’s exactly the point.” Keren explained, “All these people, all these citizens, they all have a goal, a dream.”
Seraphine and Fate looked at Keren who was still observing the crowd.
“And?” Seraphine asked.
Keren looked at both of them, “And what do you think they dream about? Becoming a king? Slaying a dragon? No, it’s just to live a good life, to have a partner, to die without regrets.” She continued “That is not a bad dream. It can definitely be achieved, it is, in essence, realistic, but that is exactly what held them back.”
Fate doesn’t know if she was hallucinating, but Kerens eyes seemed to glow brighter.
“Remember this you two. If you are going to dream, then you better dream big. It doesn’t matter if you never achieve it, it doesn’t matter if its impossible. What matters are the steps you take along the way. Do not believe that you will only be met with disappointment, because that is far better than giving up before you try, to die without knowing what could have been.”
“But what if it was all for nothing?” Fate asked.
Keren smiled even brighter, “Trust me when I say that a commoner who dreams of becoming a king will not waste the money he accumulated to get there. He may not become a king, but his hard effort should at least make him richer than everyone else. Living a good life would have been easy by then if he ever chooses to give up”
“And succeeding?” Seraphine intervened.
“Well, you could aim higher, or you can try a different path. The point is to find a dream that you will always pursue throughout your journey for power, to remind yourself why you wanted to be stronger in the first place, lest you might stagnate and decide to simply stop.”
They arrived back at the The Radiant church’s Cathedral, where the crowd seemed to have been thinned out enough to see some priests sleeping on the spot due to sheer exhaustion.
“Anyways, enough about this, we still have to talk to you-“
Fate had a splitting headache assault her out of nowhere, then she heard a command that she did not immediatley understand before it faded away as fast as it appeared.
When she opened her eyes, she saw chaos erupt as the priests and adventurers scatter to find the source of the ability.
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“Go outside and destroy everything on sight.” Verum demanded to his new undead.
“As you command my king.” Kreig responded as he left along with a giant jawless lion.
“Do you feel bad?” Verum asked Stevan, “ A lot of my subordinates in the past tend to disagree with me sending their juniors to death.”
“He more than deserves to die twice Lord Verum.” Stevan explained, “There was an incident in the past that resulted in a massive debt from him. Me and Keren were previously at his mercy, but now that he is as dead as he can be, I am actually extremely glad.”
They were now running around the mansion, collecting as much of the expensive items as they could. Held in Stevans arms is a small box the size of his head, but inside it contained a large space, where he is currently shoving as many of the small items as he could, Krieg called it the [Prized Candy Box].
Suddenly, Verum felt a ripple in spacetime, “Oh gods, the priest lady from before is entering directly to the mansion! Quickly hide!”
Even if she knew him. Verum still doubt that he could come up with a brilliant lie on the spot for an excuse to be here.
Stevan immediately hid behind the thick, red window curtains, which was enough time before the fabric of reality broke again like glass. They both then saw Marie come out with a different outfit this time. Her white clothes now had steaks of gold that shines brightly, her head is equipped with a shining golden crown with the Radiant symbol in the middle, and her hands held a staff with a floating crystal ball.
Verum guessed it must be her combat items. Despite technically not being practical as it protects nothing, It must have contained abilites like the [Prized Candy Box], or it might be her personal gear, items that are worn for a long time will get accustomed to the persons energy, imitating the users skill and enhancing the imitated skill if worn.
This reminded him of his ethereal torn book at his waist, currently unusable until he finds the other pages, he was so happy the devourer decided to give it back to him instead if eating it.
Anyways, Marie looked around and paused for a long second at their direction before walking away in a slow manner.
‘What is with that pause? Stevan was clearly well hidden.’ Verum confusedly though to himself, then ignored it anyway. ‘Whatever, If she finds me out then Il convince her to keep it a secret. If she refuses then only death would await.’
Seeing her take a turn and dissappear, Verum quickly prompted his lucky undead to find the basement.
“Why?” Stevan asked, “I’m sure we have enough valuables to get rich.”
“This is why you’re not getting anymore abilities idiot.” Verum scolded, “Don’t ever take the easy route or else you will never grow! Besides, Krieg is some type of animal collector so he would most likely have a lot of energy rich food. Don’t you want your kids to get stronger?”
Stevan shrugged, “I’m fine if they don’t.”
“Just do it!”
“Okay.”
As he ran around the mansion trying to find that hidden room. The Capital desperately prepares itself from a horde of emerging monsters while dealing with the undead leader.
Meanwhile, a prince with long ears slowly walked into the front gates of Sydney. He smiled as he noticed several powerful presences occupy some parts of the kingdom.
He hoped that they could give him a good fight. Especially the so-called princess of dark winds.
“I hope my trip to this lower world doesn’t go to waste. It would be a shame if they can’t even put up a challenge.” He said while entering a soon to be battlefield of humans and monsters.