Jiran woke up early.

Olive and Cameron lay sleeping, each had created a bed of leaves similar to his own. Dommell hadn't moved a centimeter from where he’d collapsed the previous night.

Someone had set a slab of cooked meat near the obnoxious noble, which was mostly eaten.

Jiran noticed his own meal that Cameron or Olive had cooked, next to him on the ground.

After eating his fill, Jiran examined his injuries, then got up to start his morning routine. The familiar motions Samris had taught him brought a sense of comfort that Jiran had sorely missed the last few days. Even with his partially healed torso causing him pain, he enjoyed himself as he slowly moved through the exercises.

The addition of his mana body’s senses greatly increased the effectiveness of the difficult movement routine. It was like looking through a mirror that showed every muscle movement inside his body. Jiran was able to use this information to correct his form and fine-tune every application of mana.

When he was halfway through his exercises, Cameron came out of the cave and dropped into his own stance beside Jiran. With a nod of greeting the two boys flowed through their own series of movements.

Jiran noticed Cameron’s shoulder looked much better than the previous day. A night’s rest with passive mana healing was truly a cheat code.

Cameron's routine was very similar to Samris’s, although slightly faster and with fewer pauses in the most awkward areas. He also included several leaps and flips that Jiran was interested in adding to his own routine.

By the end, both boys were sweating and breathing hard. Between heavy breaths, Jiran spoke.

“I usually run to the creek and get clean after my warm-up, but we should probably wake the others to talk.”

“I believe that would be for the best,” Cameron responded.

“I’m glad your arm is better.”

“Likewise, your injuries appear to be healing rapidly.”

The two sweaty boys walked into the cave together and woke the others. After everyone was coherent enough for a conversation, Jiran opened the dialog.

“What are your plans now? You three are welcome to stay here, but I need to head back home. I was told I would be picked up today.”

“Oh, can we not accompany you? I was hoping you knew how to get to the nearest city. We could likely find our way from there. Although we don’t have any currency, I’m sure we could manage.” Olive replied.

She had her eyes trained on Jiran’s injuries, an expression of worry painted across her face.

“I’m not the one to ask about you returning with us. That would be up to my lord or master. I don’t see any harm in asking though, you would certainly be safe in their care if they chose to shelter you.”

“Well that settles it, we shall beseech your protectors for aid. At the very least, they may be able to direct us toward the nearest city. Thank you again, Jiran, for all you have done for us.” Olive nodded with respect.

With their plan decided, the four set out toward the training grounds. They reached the river and followed it downstream without any issues. Once they reached the area Samris and he had washed at many times, Jiran paused.

He turned and looked up at the treetops, specifically at the group of monkeys which had been following them since the cave.

“This is it, friends. Thanks for all the meals and fun times.” Jiran waved goodbye to his intelligent neighbors. They said their own version of a goodbye with screeches and beat chests.

The unusually quiet Dommell waved goodbye with his own not-so-polite gesture.

The training grounds were unsurprisingly empty. No sign could be found of Samris or Lenton, so Jiran sat and took out the cube while they waited.

Olive and the others stood away from Jiran, arguing with each other if he had to guess. Their arms flailed in the air and words full of heat that didn't quite reach Jiran’s ears, broke the serenity of the empty field.

Jiran focused on the cube, on his shapings, his mana, and the aura of his mana body. The cube began to float as the first element began to circle around it.

Three more elements quickly followed, and the four weaved a complicated rotation around the cube. Four metal filaments pulled back from the cube one centimeter at a time. The complex series of adjustments Jiran had to make, so none of the colored wires tangled, used every ounce of his concentration.

The outside world vanished as all of his senses were focused on finally revealing the inside of the cube.

As the last filament unraveled, the center revealed a small glass orb. Jiran instinctively reached out and touched the shiny object. Nothing happened, there was no change in himself, the cube, or the orb.

It felt smooth under his touch, and he got the impression there was something to connect with. After Jiran tried a few different methods, a gentle cough roused him from his focus.

Looking up, he found Lenton behind him. The old man's white hair blew gently in the soft breeze.

"Good job, Jiran. I must confess, I did not expect you to unravel a single element of the cube, let alone solve it.

"That training device is far older than even the empire. It was designed to guide higher-tier aspirants through the difficult process of connecting with the energies of Madra.

"It can only have a single owner. When I pass I shall bequeath it to you, as we are the only two in the entire empire to have passed its tests."

What!? Nobody else figured this thing out? Why? It wasn't that hard.

"How is that possible, master? There should be many capable of unraveling this puzzle. it wasn't that hard. It's just four elements!"

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

By the end of his rant, Jiran was nearly yelling at the absurdity of Lenton's statement. He was desperate to hear the reason, he needed to know.

I know I have certain advantages over others with years of memories from Earth. But that just helps with making my shapings a little stronger, a little more efficient. There’s no way that's enough to make me some kind of freaky genius.

I'm Just a kid who got lucky and met Samris and Lenton. Before that I was a nobody, and before that, I was just a data analyst living day to day in a daze. I refuse to believe someone like me can be so amazing.

The desperation in Jirans' expression was a surprise to Lenton. He wasn't sure why the child in front of him had become so upset. Hoping to soothe the boy’s fears, Lenton answered him.

"Jiran, you're still only Tier two, so you can't appreciate how difficult castings are. You will find out when you reach the third Tier.

"The ability to control two castings and two shapings simultaneously is nearly impossible, even with all the advantages of higher tiers.

"Somehow you developed a way to use fire and ice as a shaping. A minor aptitude in either element is ordinary enough, true. However the cube requires elements to be at a certain strength before it will accept them.

In order to boost the strength of a normal fire or ice shaping to satisfy the cube, one must expend a considerable amount of mana. Or use a casting. Anyone below Tier five would struggle to maintain the mana output for one of those elements, let alone both.

"I can say with certainty that your level of control and efficiency is unrivaled across the empire. Whatever image you stumbled upon for the base elements must come unreasonably close to the Truth of Density."

Lenton spoke with a malicious glint in his eyes. It was obvious that he would be grilling Jiran later on exactly what that image was.

Jiran sighed in relief at his explanation. He wasn't someone special at all, just a regular guy with a memory of basic science. The relief that swept through him was palpable.

I don't want that kind of responsibility. That's too much pressure, an entire empire, every human on Madra, looking up to me as some kind of savior or genius. I don't want that at all.

They would probably lock me in a cage somewhere and try to torture out all my secrets. I need to do a better job of not standing out.

"On your feet Jiran, it's time for you to correct your mistake."

"My mistake? Certainly, I have made many mistakes, master. Which am I to correct?"

As Jiran got to his feet, Lenton reached out to rest his ancient hand upon the boy's shoulder. He then turned his head to the three kids standing several meters away.

Jiran followed his gaze, uncomprehending what his master could be implying. Before Jiran could ask, Lenton spoke again.

"Sammy, take the children to the manor. Jiran and I shall return shortly."

Jiran's stomach flipped as the teleportation whisked him away. Through the senses of his mana body, Jiran got the first glimpse of what was truly happening during the fantastical trip.

They were following some kind of thread through a tapestry of Density. The thread felt like it was a part of Lenton, as if his master were in two places at once and the two halves were being drawn together again.

He wasn't given more than a second to unravel the mystery as they arrived at their destination. Gravity gripped Jiran in its absolute domain and began pulling him down.

The ground was fifty meters below them. In desperation, Jiran formed the shapings required to propel him through the air but found his mana would not obey his call.

As quickly as the feeling of falling began, it ceased. Lenton floated calmly beside him. The old devil quirked an eyebrow at Jiran, a light smirk on his face as he watched his disciple flail helplessly in the air.

Lenton reached out and placed a hand on Jiran’s side, over his injuries. A blast of mana infinitely more potent and powerful than anything Jiran could produce, washed through his body. Like erasing chalk from a board, his damaged internal injuries were replaced by healthy new flesh and bone.

Taking several gasping breaths, Jiran managed to calm his initial panic. He looked at Lenton in shock.

Just how powerful is this old man? That felt like a mountain was pushed inside of me, my mana wouldn’t even show up on the same scale that's needed to measure his power.

After a sigh of longing to control that much power someday, he collected his senses and took in his surroundings. They were above a road that snaked along the side of a forest.

To their left, an expansive plain rolled across gentle hills. To the right, a dark and eerie forest dominated the land as far as the eye could see.

On the road, a family walked with their wagon in tow. The father pulled while his children, no older than Jiran strode beside him. Their mother sat on the wagon weaving something Jiran couldn't make out.

They looked happy and content, enjoying their time together in the light of the Fathers and Mother.

Jiran looked to Lenton in confusion, not understanding why he had been brought here.

"Any moment now Jiran, don't look away. This is an unfortunate part of your journey, one which I cannot and will not shelter you from."

A foreboding feeling gripped Jiran, goosebumps covered his skin and bile crept up his throat. Something truly awful was about to happen. In a desperate bid to avert whatever disaster was about to befall them, Jiran called out to the family.

His voice froze before it could go even a meter from him. He saw the sounds through the senses of his mana body. Vibrations in the air, halted as if grasped by an invisible fist and held firm until they vanished. He looked to Lenton in horror realizing his master must be responsible.

"Wait, calm yourself Jiran. there is still a chance to save them. But you must remain calm. A rational mind is our only defense against the forces of Madra that seek to snuff us out."

Jiran did not have to wait long. Whoops and hollers accompanied the fifteen men that rushed out of the forest and surrounded the family.

They attacked without a shred of hesitation. Tearing at clothes and landing blow after blow upon their victims. The family tried to fight back, the father even landing a solid blow on one of their assailants. They were far too outnumbered for his meager resistance to matter.

Time froze, the wind stilled, and a bird flying nearby ceased the beat of its wings yet remained in midair. Jiran looked to Lenton with wide eyes at the man's display of power.

"Jiran, do you recognize these men?"

He looked closely and horror gripped his mind. He recognized two of them, for he had seen them just a day ago. The two wind casters, bandits from the camp he had scared off.

"Yes master," Jirans reply sounded like the wheezing of a man on his deathbed, barely audible. Yet Lenton heard him all the same.

"Madra is not so kind as to allow us to bicker amongst ourselves, Jiran. Imagine an empire with only one ruler, after conquering all the lands he rules with an iron fist.

"Until the day a beast comes for him, because they always do. They sense us and seek us out. Only a worthy challenger will satisfy their hunger. The Emperor falls because he fights alone, and within a week, his empire is naught but death.

"This tale has played out a hundred times in the history of Madra. Only by working together, the five emperors equal in all things, coming to the aid of their fellows, can we hope to survive.

"There is no tolerance for what you see before you. Every citizen of the empire must snuff out those who would stab our backs at a critical moment of weakness.

"Go, save them, do what must be done. You chose to let those men live when their lives were yours to take, and now your actions have led to this.

"The fate of others will always rest in the hands of the powerful."

Time unfroze. Screams ripped through the air. Jiran was frozen, unable to conjure even a single thought. Gravity's firm hands gripped him and pulled him toward the ground's embrace.

The wind in Jiran's ears and the sight of a man climbing on top of the little girl broke his paralysis. With a scream of primal fury, Jiran unleashed his mana.

Blasts of flame as large as his chest exploded from his feet, propelling him into the throng of deranged murderers. Before five seconds had passed since time resumed its march, the first head fell.