POW POW!! Gunfire errupts inside a building in the middle of the night. There are dead bodies of 4 low income security guards laying on the floor.
"Ugh, damn." A thin muscular man about 170cm with a high top cut and scruffy beard slowly walks forward, a company-issued rifle in hand. The last security guard had shot him in the chest. He had a bullet-proof vest on, but it still hurts like hell.
"Goddamn why are they trying so hard? they're not even getting paid shit." the man grumbles aloud. He checks the magazine to make sure he had plenty of ammo left.
The man stops in front of a wooden door as he slowly exhales. He had waited patiently for months for this opportunity. But nothing went right due to his impatience.
He then kicks open the door and is greeted by a hail of bullets. BLAM!! BLAM!! BLAM!! POW!!
He quickly retreats back and kneels behind the wall beside the door. "Tch, figures."
After a brief silence, the attacker peeks over to see a fat man in his early 30's with his revolver pointed towards the door.
He tosses a flashbang grenade -that he had stolen while serving in the military- into the room. POP!! "AHHH!!" The fat mayor covers his eyes instinctively as the light blinds him.
The young attacker quickly aims his rifle and pulls the trigger. POW!! "GYAHHH!!!" The fat man's hand explodes with blood and bone, dropping the handgun a few feet away.
"I'm so disappointed in how much you've let yourself go, Renalt Young." The attacker approaches with a limp. "What the hell? Do you know what the consequences are for trying to kill a mayor?!"
"Heh, think I care?"
SLAM!! "URGH!!" He kicks the mayor who falls over the chair behind him and onto the floor.
"Fuck...!" The mayor groans in agony. (Why is this happening to me? What the fuck did I-)
BOOM!! "HAAAAAAAA!!!" The mayor shouts in pain as blood explodes from his right knee.
The mayor then cradles right his knee, breathing heavily as he steals a glance at his attacker. The attacker seems to be enjoying watching the mayor writhe like a worm. "Why are you doing this?! I don't even know you!" shouts the mayor with tears streaming down his face.
"The name's Johar. Johar Heiluck. But you don't remember me." says the man. "Just like all your other victims." TOOM!! He kicks the mayor in the face as he falls flat on his back. "Guuuu!!" The mayor continues to groan through his clenched teeth.
"But thanks to that, I was easily able to become a part of your security staff." Johar was relieved that the arrogant mayor had forgotten about him, since his real name would appear in a background search even if he changed it. But at the same time he felt disgusted that such people existed.
Johar then steps on the mayors knee and points the rifle to the mayors crotch as a sinister smile slowly appears on his face. "!!!" "No! Stop! Please!!"
"Did you stop when your victims begged you to?!" Johar raises his voice. "I...I don't know what you're talking about..." pleads the mayor tearfully.
"Do you remember someone named Emily Heiluck? You raped her and then caused her to commit suicide."
"!!!" The mayor's blood-filled eyes open wide in disbelief. It was so long ago, he didn't expect anyone to remember it.
"Y-you idiot! I was found not guilty! She wanted it!" The mayor tries to scoot away miserably. "Your mother was a director in the news angency, and your father was a senator. Of course they covered for you!"
POW!! The mayors crotch explodes with blood. "GAHHHH!!!" The mayor then rolls on the floor in pain, with tears rolling down his eyes and snot filling his own mouth. "Damn that really popped! Guess that answers that question." Johar laughs as he leans back on the mayor's desk.
WIOOO!! Sirens blare as the attacker looks out the window to see that police had surrounded the building. "Well, looks like my ride is here earlier than expected." "..." Johar looks down at Renalt who is passed out and motionless.
"...I guess todays your lucky day. I'll get your wife and kids next time." He then points the rifle at the mayors head.
The special police force, armed with high power rifles and ballistic protection, slowly surround the building and prepare to infiltrate.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!! They then hear loud gunfire which spring them into action earlier than planned. "GO GO GO!!!" They rush straight to the office, leaving a few personnel to tend to the bodies on the floor. And when they finally get to the mayors office, they're greeted with a man sitting on the mayors chair. And the mayors brains all over the floor.
"What the fuck?!" The leader of the special forces points a rifle at Johar, who then raises his hands into the air.
"I did your job for you, I killed a piece of shit. You're welcome." Johar smiles.
"Here." He then offers up his wrists for handcuffs. "Do what you must, I've already won."
"You motherfucker! You think you're gonna get out of this alive?!" shouts the special forces leader, His tinted helmet visor covering his face.
"You got laws to follow you know. I'm innocent until proven guilty, right?" Mocks Johar.
"Shoot!! Kill that bitch!" shouts the leader. POW POW POW BLAM!!! They fire and fill Johar full of holes. The high caliber rifle rounds easily went through his cheap vest and also his chest. Johar could feel a burning sensation at first, but then went numb due to the shock.
(How unexpected. Not that it matters now.) The darkness begins surrounding his vision as he lay on the blood soaked floor. "Dammit! Renalt and I grew up together..." The special forces leader utters as he kneels in front of the mayors body.
(Seriously? Wow this world is fucked.) Jhoar internally chuckles. He then closes his eyes and lets death take him. (Emily...I'm coming to see you...)
For 12 years, the young man plotted his revenge against the man who raped his sister. His only remaining family member. When he was old enough, he joined the military, soaking up all sorts of battle experience and knowledge.
And in the end, it turns out that he didn't really need to do all that. But his resume did help him get hired as one of Renalts security guards, so all is well that ends well.
(Huh? Is this heaven?) thinks the young man as he is blinded by a bright light. (Yow that's kinda bright!) He moves his hand to cover his eyes.
"Haaa?!" He realizes that his hand is very small.
"It's a boy, Milly!" shouts a man as he is smiling from ear to ear, holding our protagonist in his arms.
"Yay a little brover!" shouts his little sister, standing by the mothers side. She has tiny black wings protruding from her back.
"What the heck? I've been re-incarnated?!" the baby shouts. "What the?! Did our son just talk?!" shouts the man surprised.
(No way....) thinks the baby as he looks at the man holding him. He takes note of the large horn on the man's head, and the black wings on the woman and childs back. "My parents are demons?!" The baby shouts aloud. "Aww dear, he's babbling again." grins the father.
"Hehe, what a smart boy." His mother laughs, blissfully unaware that those babbles were an actual language on the planet earth. "I think he wants a name." smiles the father. "Well, it's a boy, so we'll go with what we agreed upon." the mother nods. "Then his name will be Bale." the father confirms.
During the winter, Bale spent his entire time indoors. His mother took care of him while his father ocassionally went out to work and help out around the village. His older sister always played with him though. And now it's early spring, most of the snow has melted.
"Hehe...." Bale's sister is grinning while leaning on the crib, oblivious that baby Bale is deep in thought.
(Thanks to my mother and sister Ebina always having something to talk about, I'm able to understand a majority of this language.) (And not only that, but being a demon in general is awesome.) He thinks as he looks around. Bale can see the entire spectrum of light eminating from all sorts of things inside the house. He can see all the different colors being emitted from the chimney fire. After some experiments, he had determined that he's able to see a wider spectrum of light than humans could on earth.
(I can pretty much tell what most things are made of, as well as see in the dark.) He then feels his horn. "You know what they say about people with big horns..." He then lifts his diaper with one hand as he peeks at his pecker. "Uh...they have big growth potential." He shrugs. "Not that it matters to me." "Aww, baby Bale is babbling again." Ebina smiles.
Ebina chews on an apple and spits it out onto a spoon. "Say ahhh!" She feeds Bale as he big-sweats. He reluctantly takes a bite. "Yaaay! Good boy!" She pats Bale on the head. (Ugh, I can't wait to grow sharp demon teeth..)
Bale then recalls the face of his sister from his previous life. (I've avenged you, Emily. I wonder if it's okay for me to move on and enjoy my new life...) He then nods (Don't worry though, I'll always keep you near to my heart.) He then chuckles (Perhaps you're also enjoying your new life somewhere far away, and i've been worried over nothing.)
Come summer, it appears the time has come for Bale's mother to return to work. "I'll miss you mother!" Ebina hugs her mother as she has packed bags by the doorway. Garrus then hands baby Bale to his mother. She kisses him on the cheeks.
"I'll miss all of you too." She then smiles "But don't worry, I'll still come back every other weekend." His parents then embrace and kiss a little longer than usual. "I'll be thinking of you." "Me too."
With baby Bale strapped onto the back of his old man, they go outside to help carry the luggage into a large horse drawn wagon. "Wow" Bale takes in the scenery. (This place is very rural. There are no lights, electricity, or machines.) He then sees several other people hop onto a wagon. A mixture of humans and demi-humans. (Wow, elves AND dwarves?)
Garrus and Ebina wave at Milly, who waves back. Bale watches on as the wagon starts shrinking into the distance. Garrus and Ebina are trying to supress their tears as they continue waving.
Aparrently Bale's mother works as a maid at the Arnvir estate, where a low ranking noble lives. The maids normally live in the estate and switch out every season, but Milly was allowed to take a few more months off due to her pregnancy. "Guuu..." Bale has tears running down his cheeks. (This feeling of emptiness...) Bale thinks to himself. (I miss my mother already!) (Damn you, uncontrollable baby emotions!)
°。°。°。°。°。°。
For the next several years, nothing of particular importance happens as Bale happily lives out his life as a baby.
(It's been about 8 years since I had been born.) Bale thinks. His hair had grown and his black hair had been stylized by his sister to part down the middle. He's doing push-ups next to his sister Ebina, who is sewing clothes. Her brown hair, like her mothers, had also grown to waist level. Her black wings a bit bigger but will never take flight.
Ebina is singing a classic tale about some hero who saved Pnakotica, the current country they're living in. She's is also simultaneously sewing clothes out of the materials that the village has gathered, but Bale has been banned from helping out. Even though he was seasoned killer in his last life, his current baby motor skills have gotten him injured one too many times.
Or at least that's what his parents think. In truth, he only got his head busted when he was doing push-ups with his head near the doorway. And his sister slammed the door open, bonking his head. She lied and said he fell over.
Ebina's not a bad singer. She has an above average voice for a 11 year old girl, but Bale was getting bored of hearing the same epic tale. Trying to break up the the monotony, he decides to at least entertain his sister in some idle talk.
"Sister Ebina, do you want to become a singer?" Bale asks. "That would be nice, but I don't think anybody will want to listen to an ugly demonkin sing." Ebina pats his head. Bale had long stopped fighting when people try to pat his head. Some battles are just not worth fighting.
People usually prefer to listen to the songs sung by nobles and their children. (Must be like brand recognition.) Bale thinks. "But anyways, you should value yourself more highly. You're very pretty. If you sang, lots of people would surely listen." Noting her low self-worth from an early age, Bale always tries to compliment his sister. "It would be nice, but the best I can hope for in life is to find a decent man to marry." smiles Ebina.
(That seems to be the usual career path for women in this world – to find a man to take care of them – as uninspiring as it sounds.) But Bale didn't like the idea of leaving his sister's fate to some man -Especially since demonkin are considered to be an inferior race and are constantly exploited.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
"Sister Ebina, you can be more than just someone's wife."
"Geez Bale, sometimes I feel like I'm talking to an old man." "..." Bale looks sideways. (Guilty as charged) "But...I really do mean it sister."
"If you're serious, I can write songs for you that you can make a living off of." Bale says confidently -with the knowledge of his past life's music industry behind him. (I apologize to all the music artists of earth that that I may plagiarize in the future.) He chuckles silently. "Umm...." Ebina gives Bale a sideways stare as she asseses him. "You are pretty smart, but you're just a kid..."
"So are you." Bale pushes back. "You could be wrong about me being wrong."
"..." Ebina then exhales. "Alright little Bale, I guess it doesn't hurt to try." She pats him on the head, not really expecting much. "Do you have a song ready?" She tilts her head. "Of course!" shouts Bale excitedly. (I've got hundreds of songs from Earth, ready to be plagiarized!) He then runs upstairs to his dads room. He had just went to bed after helping out around the village. "Father, may I borrow a few sheets of parchment and a pen?" "Huh? Oh, okay." His father responds groggily, half asleep in bed. "Just don't stab yourself." "Thanks!" shouts Bale as he grabs some parchment paper, ink, and quill pen from a desk in the corner.
Bale had earned the right to use parchment paper at a young age because his drawings had helped create tools that had helped the village immensely:
The water wheel - One day Bale's father's back was acting up and he couldn't help to irrigate the fields. So Bale drew up a water wheel that helped use the power of the nearby river to dump water into a wooden pathway that leads to the farm fields.
the wheat thresher - People had been separating the grain from the plants by hand, and so Bale drew up a simple thresher. It had become a big hit in the village.
and the charcoal grill - Being poor demonkin, Bale's family sometimes had to buy the bony and toughest cuts of leftover meat. But the low and slow cooking of the charcoal grill tenderized the meat and separated it from the bone quite easily. Before this, people would just usually boil or cook their foods over an open fire at high temperatures. The outsiders looking in still think it's stupid though.
Bale was disappointed that those inventions didn't make him any money. It turns out that you need major connections or influence, otherwise nobody would care. And the ones that did care stole his ideas and made shittier versions for themselves.
Bale decided to put the idea of profiting from Earth's inventions on hold until -ironically- some kind of patent system is put into place.
Ebina looks on as Bale excitedly lays on the floor and scribbles on the paper. They didn't go to school but their parents knew the importance of reading and writing, and taught Ebina. Bale just tagged along and learned during her lessons.
(I don't know much about singing, but I did play the guitar and drums in my spare time.) Bale recalls himself playing on a guitar while Emily played on the drums. (Emily) Bale gazes into the paper as sadness begins to creep up from deep within his heart. The feelings are not as strong as before, thus the words 'time heals all wounds' seem to ring true. But still, He hates himself for that – it feels like he's throwing Emily away.
"Brother? Are you alright?" Ebina kneels next to him, wondering why Bale seemed frozen. "Oh sorry, I was just thinking that I wanted to do more push-ups." Bale laughs and scratches his head. "You're being weird again! Weren't you going to write me a song?!" Ebina pouts.
After a while, Bale sits up and excitedly hands his sister several pieces of paper. "Hmm...how strange." She voices her opinion. "Are you sure this can be a song?" "What do you mean?" asks Bale.
"Well, it's not telling a story or anything."
"Singing stories is so oldschool! Poems and lyrics are where its at!" Bale lectures his sister. "If you sing the songs I write for you, it won't be long before thousands of people will line up just to hear you sing!" "We'll be rich!" shouts Bale, exposing his true intentions. "Will they though? There are much better singers than me out there." Ebina clutches her hands to her chest.
"Don't underestimate the power of stardom." Bale spreads his arms. "Star-dom?" Ebina copies him. "You'll be just like the first king in those songs you sing about." "What do you mean, the first king?" Ebina scratches her head.
"Nobody sings about the other kings who came after the first."
"Wow...you're right!" Ebina's eyes widen in realization. She then buries her face in the stack of papers and begins reading. "How do I sing this? It's too odd." "I'll teach you." Bale pats his own chest as he begins the lessons.
Late at night the session finally ends. Bale is sweating profusely. (Shit, my tone-deafness followed me into this world?! Is it not hereditary?!)
"Wow, this is actually pretty wonderful! You're a genius!" Ebina hugs her brother in joy. "N-no problem." Bale replies in a hoarse voice. (But thankfully we were able to work out a simple musical notation system.)
clap clap clap!! The siblings look towards their father applauding them by the stairs. "Wow, I've never heard anything like that!" It appears that he had been listening to the siblings for a while now. Bale's screeching had woken him up in a panic, he had thought Bale was choking on something.
"Your singing was wonderful, Ebina."
"Hehe." Ebina bobs side to side at her fathers praise.
"And uh, you too my son." Garrus big-sweats. "Uh, it's alright pops." Bale doesn't believe him, understandibly.
"Is this what you used the paper for?" The father examines the song written on the parchment paper. Bale nods in response. "This is wonderful! Maybe we can attract a lot of sales if you sing in my stall!" Shouts Garrus excitedly.
"Or better yet, we'll get you your own stall and you can perform for donations!"
"If that's the case, I better get serious too." says Bale. "May I borrow your lute?"
"Ehhh? I don't know...it's pretty expensive..." Garrus nervously plays with his fingers. "Don't worry, I won't break it." says Bale, slightly annoyed at his fathers distrust. "Hmmm..." Garrus is deep in thought. "C'mon, it'll be just like that one time I showed you the power of the charcoal grill!" pleads Bale with his big eyes. "...can you even play?" He asks. "I've seen you play, that's all I need." "Well, alright. You're always full of surprises Bale." Garrus gives him a defeated smile. "Thanks father!" Bale hugs his fathers leg.
After another few hours, Garrus could barely keep his jaw shut at the end of Bale and Ebina's performance. "W-wow, I had no idea the lute could be played that way." says the father. "Me too, I was so impressed that I messed up a few times...." Ebina says embarassed. "I'm so proud of you my son." "I can't wait to surprise Tora and the others." "Your mother will return in a few days, lets surprise her with your performance!" Garrus grins proudly. "Heh, we'll knock everyones socks off." Bale smiles. He had never played the lute before, but it was similar enough to a guitar. And who would even notice a few occasional mistakes here and there?
A few days later Bale, Garus, and Ebina meet up with Milly as she is dropped off in the middle of the village square with her luggage. "Welcome back dear, we've missed you!" Garrus hugs his wife. "Honey, you seem more excited than usual. Hehe." Milly is elated to be in the presence of her family. "Wait till you see what our children have been up to!" Garrus proudly grins. "Mother, welcome back!" Bale and Ebina shout in unsion as they hug her leg.
As expected, Milly was surprised at Bale's newly formed 1-instrument band, and agreed with Garrus that the siblings could probably make a few dozen zenny. Normally Milly would stay home and take care of Bale and Ebina while father went and helped with manning the village stall. But she decided to accompany them to the marketplace to support the siblings performance.
Several days later, Bale's family sets off in a horse drawn caravan of 2 wagons. In the first wagon is Bale's family and their village's products. In the second wagon is a party to guard the first. Any guard or adventurer can ride for free as long as they agree to protect the caravan.
"You seem oddly happy today." says Milly. "Well, todays the first time I'm bringing Bale to our village's stall." "It feels like I'm going back to work though." Milly big-sweats. "I'm sorry honey, did you not want to come along?"
"I'll go anywhere with you, don't worry."
Bale and Ebina are riding on the front seat with the coachman. They're bright-eyed and looking at the scenery that pass by. On one side is the ocean, and on the other is a dense forest.
"Heh, I don't know what's got your father so excited, but I'm glad he decided to bring Milly along since Greg injured his leg." smiles the coachman. He's a human in his 50's with a scruffy brown moustache and a green baret. His clothes are on the fancy side, yet a little worn and old.
"I heard that little Ebina is going to be singing at the marketplace?" He smiles at Ebina. "Yes, sir Toma." She happily smiles. "That's why father's so excited." Bale big-sweats. "O-oh I see." Toma clears his throat.
Toma Sparkson is a small time merchant who takes a bit of the profits in exchange for escorting the village goods safely to and from the village. In order to keep the costs low, people who can read, write, and do math help out at the stalls.
"Are there a lot of singers at the marketplace?" Ebina can't help but wonder if there is any competition. "Oh sure, once in a while you'll see people perform music here and there."
"Do they make a lot of money?" Ebina locks her hands together. "Hmm...I'm sure they do." Toma smiles politely, but doing that just made it obvious that the opposite was true. "Yay, I can't wait! Right brother?" Ebina smiles at her sibling. "That's right sister." Bale smile back, now second guessing himself. (Perhaps this will also be a failed venture after all...?) "Woah!!" Toma shouts at the horses and pulls in the reigns, causing the carriage to stop.
"Huh? Did what's going on?" asks Ebina. "Don't worry, everything will be alright." Toma reassures the siblings.
FWWWWT!! Toma whistles as people depart the carriage behind them. They approach Toma, wielding swords, spears, and shields. "Some monsters are planning an ambush 100 meters behind the trees." "Gotcha!" They shout. "Monsters?! No!" Bale turns to see that Ebina has closed her eyes and covered her ears. "It's alright sister." Bale comforts her by rubbing her back.
"Father! Take Ebina inside." "Right." says Garrus as he grabs Ebina from behind. "Come here Ebina. It'll be fine."
Bale could see inside that his mother also has her ears covered and eyes closed. His father has them both in his arms. He's also quite shaken, but doing better than the other two. Bale then exhales, slightly exasperated with the demonkins' docile nature. He will have to be the one to protect his family. "What about you, boy? Aren't you scared?" Toma asks worriedly.
"I'm fine. I'm just curious about these things that you call monsters." (But I do hope nothing goes wrong)
"Heh, you're a strange one." smiles Toma. "Most demonkin fear confrontation. Just the thought of fighting makes them cower in fear."
"Most, but not all." Bale points a thumb to his chest. "Right." Toma replies, only half-believing the naiive young boy beside him.
"Alright people, follow behind me closely. Get ready to fire at a moments notice." says the party leader with a shield and oversized sword. He's around 6 feet tall, but with a bulky build. Fully armored from head to toe. (That sword looks really heavy, It looks to be at least 35 kilos, can he even swing it?) Bale couldn't help but be curious about such a blatantly bad choice for a weapon. Sure, picking up 35 kilos is easy, but it's nearly impossible to do when the weight isn't distributed evenly.
"By the way, how did you know there were monsters nearby?" asks Bale.
"Magic." Toma pulls out an amulet from behind his shirt collar. "Eeeh? Really?" (I doubt that magic really exists here. That's just what people used to call things they don't understand) Bale rationalizes. "Have you heard about Zodiac stones?" Bale inspects the amulet. "Nope, this is the first time I'm hearing about it." Bale says with dis-interest (I'm not really interested in magic stones or whatever voodoo witchcraft people come up with to make up for their lack of knowledge). He then confidently nods to himself (I doubt anyone can stand a chance against the black powder weapons I plan on making in the future).
"It's goblins!" shouts a young armored elf woman wielding a sword. Short little green monsters with a grotesque flabby noses and big red eyes appear before the party. "Where'd they come from?" asks a rear party member. "Behind those trees, obviously." says the leader. "No, I mean that there shouldn't have been any dungeons nearby." says another fighter. "We'll have to report it to the guild later. But for now lets get rid of'em!"
Fireball!" shouts a few members. "Lightning blast!!" others shout. FWOOSH!!! KACHOOM!! (What the hell?) Bale thinks to himself as he sees large balls of fire and bolts of electricity shoot out from their hands and tips of their staffs. (So magic really does exist?!) But further introspection, Bale has been re-incarnated as a demon in a world where Elves and Dwarves also exist. He shouldn't really be surprised that magic also exists. Suddenly black powder begins to lose its appeal to Bale.
"GYA GYA GYA!!!" They rush towards the party as some continue dodging the ranged attacks. "Lightning bolt!" "Fire!" the rear party members continue to cast their spells. "Don't let them through the vanguard!" The party leader raises his shield. "Body enhancement!!" He shouts. FWOOSH!!! His aura flares up as he suddenly zips towards the goblins and begins slicing them up with his oversized sword. (Body enhancement magic?!) Bale watches in awe with his mouth agape. The other melee fighters also join the battle and clash with the goblins. And in just a few minutes the battle is over. And so lay the goblins on the road. "Is everyone okay?!" shouts the party leader. "Yes!" "Nothing to it!" shouts another one. They all seem fine as Toma exhales a sigh of relief. "Lets move them off the road!" shouts the elf woman.
Toma then looks at Bale and sees his excitement. "Exciting isn't it?" says Toma. "That's insane!" Bale shouts. "Some of those equipment look to be at least 50 Kilos, yet the fighters were able to move so quickly!" Bale then thinks (Not even the soldiers on earth could be that fast and agile while naked.) "Is that because of magic?" asks Bale. "That's right." says Toma.
"Can I also use magic if I get my hands on a Zodiac stone?" Bale asks, while thinking of the possibilities. "I'm afraid not Bale." "!!!" (What does he mean?) "I hate to be the one to tell you, but it's best to know now before you get your hopes up." says Toma sternly. "Only 3 out of 10 people can activate Zodiac stones." "
So...there's still a chance?" asks Bale.
"Well, that only applies to Humans, Dwarves, and Elves." Toma then exhales "No demonkin has ever been able to activate a Zodiac stone." "...." Bale then looks downwards. "Oh....figures." He then exhales "I guess that explains why I always hear that demonkin are an inferior species."
He bitterly chuckles to himself (How Ironic. In my last life I was so sick and tired of being human).
(Oh what a waste, this superior demonkin body would've paired up great with body enhancement magic)
Bale suddenly feels heavy as he loses his motivation to work out his body. His body may only be 8 years old, but it has the physique of a 12 year old human (Is there even a point in working out this body?) . (In my last life I was so sick and tired of being human) He bitterly chuckles to himself.
Toma, feeling bad for the boy then exhales "Well, there's the golden Zodiac stone, which anyone can activate." "What?! Why didn't you say so?!" Bale nearly snarles at Toma, a little hot at the thought of being toyed with on such an important matter. Toma then crosses his arms. "Because it's so rare and expensive that you might as well pretend it doesn't exist."
"So how much would it cost to buy one?" asks Bale. "About 10 million Zenny, give or take."
"Ehh, should be fine then." smiles Bale relieved, confident that he would make enough money somehow due to the knowledge of his past life. "Heh, you naiive boy. The world of adults can be quite harsh." Tomo pats Bales head, relieved at how quickly he bounces back.
"I know."
"You do?"
"Trust me bro."
"Alright, cleanup is done. Let's get moving!" shouts the party leader. "Good job Joto!" shouts Toma. They once again climb onto the wagon behind. "Anyways, can you tell me more about Zodiac stones?" asks Bale as the wagons begin moving again. "Sure, we still have a half day yet." smiles Toma.
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Along the way to the city, Toma explained in more detail about the Zodiac stones as follows:
They're palm-sized crystals that will enable one to use magic. These stones are found in dungeons, and in large powerful monsters that roam the world. There are many different types too. They all enable one to use magic at a base level, but their specalties depend on the color.
Black ones enhance the mind to allow faster data processing, sharper senses, and can even allow one to fly for short distances or telekinetically lift objects.
The blue ones allow one to better manipulate or conjure water from the atmosphere.
Red ones allow for stronger flames and higher temperatures.
The white ones allow for conjuring lightning and electricity.
The clear ones are for controlling the wind.
The green ones increase ones metablism to heal faster and detoxify poisons.
The silver ones are the most popular ones for soldiers, as they allow one to enhance their body for super strength and durability, and you can even re-inforce your weapons and armor if you are profficient enough.
And then there's the golden Zodiac stones. They're extremely rare, and they're compatible with everyone. Even demonkin. But they're not special, they only allow one to use basic magic.
Some people are compatible with more than one Zodiac stone. But they can usually only use one at any time. If one tries to use both, they usually end up just being unable to activate either one. But there are exceptions, there are a few people who can use 2 or more at once with no problem.
And lastly, the amount of usage depends on ones stamina: Maximum power usage, such as a final attack, would be akin to sprinting at full speed.
High power usage, such as casting spells or reinforcing equipment, would be akin to jogging at a fast pace.
Medium power usage, such as casting weak spells or body enhancement, is akin to jogging at a medium pace.
And low power usage, such as lighting a candle or creating sparks, is akin to a slow jog.
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When they finally reached the city of Tearde, the escort party members leave for the local adventurer's guild to earn money and report on the appearance of goblins.
"Above these stables are where you will be staying for the next month." Tora says to Bale and Ebina. Theres no need to explain to Bale's parents because they've stayed there many times. Bale examines the large western barn-like building. It looks like it was made to hold about a dozen or so transport animals and their wagons.
"Hey kids, just go inside and wait for us alright?" says Garrus. "What are you going to do?" asks Ebina. "We're going to offload the village goods in the warehouse, we'll be back in a few hours." "Alright." smiles Ebina.
"Guess I better get going too." says Tora.
"Thanks, Mr. Tora. I learned a lot from you today." smiles Bale. "No problem, consider it an investment for the future." "Oh by the way, here's a present from me." Tora then hands Bale a silver Zodiac stone.
"Woah, a silver Zodiac stone?!" Bale excitedly examines it. "Are you sure I can have it?!" Bale is in disbelief. "They're pretty common and not worth too much to fuss over, so no worries." Tora waves as he leaves. "Toodles."
"HAAAA!!" Bale shouts as he contorts his face. "Body enhancement!" He shouts as he takes a karate stance. "..." The townspeople who walk by chuckle and laugh at him. "hehe." "How adorable." they comment. "I feel sorry for him." says another one. "HNNNNG!!" His face then turns red as he raises the Zodiac stone into the air. "B-bale, lets do that inside!" Ebina says while embarassed at the gazes of the curious on-lookers. Poof! A puff of smoke explodes from Bale's head as he exhales. "I guess my only choice is to get that golden Zodiac stone." "Hey, lets go practice those songs you wrote!" stammers Ebina as she pulls Bale into the stable. "Sure." Bale responds, but his attention is fixated on the silver crystal in his hands.
At the end of the day, everyone is exhausted for their own various reasons. Nights in the city is very loud and bustling compared to the village. But still, everyone but Bale managed to sleep through it. Being the last one awake, Bale lay on his bed next to the window.
(No Ursa Major, no Big Dipper, no Little Dipper, no Draco.....) "It's hard to believe, but this really isn't earth after all." As he counts the stars, he doesn't recognize any of the constellations. His eyelids finally became heavy enough to stay closed "Emily...are we even under the same stars right now?" And so he gives into the sleepiness, the Zodiac stone still in his hands.
"Johar! Get up! You have to get up!" a girls voice shouts in a hushed voice.
"Ugh I just closed my eyes..." says a boy. "Wait....Johar was my name in the previous life!!"
The girl with long black hair looks at him confusedly as he checks his head for a horn. It's not there. "Emily! You're alive!!!" Johar quickly gives her a big hug. "W-what're you talking about?" She asks. Johar then looks at his hands. (Wait a minute, I'm....just a kid again?!) He thinks. (Was that my life in Etheria all just a dream?!) "Johar! Father's drunk again! We have to go hide!" shouts Emily.