I accepted Kaiser's proposal on me being his one and only apprentice. We were still in the room where I first woke up. I gather up my things and prepare to leave the room. I still have no idea where we are. I decided to ask Kaiser.
"So Kaiser, where are we?"
As I asked that question, I saw Kaiser's hand blur, and in an instant something had smacked me in the back of my head.
"Im your master now, and you will call me as such, kids these days so rude." He said with a grin.
"I think I regret my decision" I say in a whisper.
"What'd you say?" my master asked in a calm yet upset voice. I was sure I didnt say it out loud, this old guy is sharper than he looks.
"Nothing master, I'm sorry, so master, where are we?" I ask again in a polite voice, I don't wanna piss of this old monster.
"We are in the town of Jagsen, it was the closest town to your village."
I was shocked, Jagsen town was at least 2 days worth of travel, plus theres monsters and possibly bandits.
"How long was I exactly out?" I asked while I sat down back on the bed.
"Almost a week, 6 days to be exact" He said while putting himself on a nearby chair.
"How is that possible?"
"Well, you passed out cause you drained all of the mana inside of you. I was sure that you were going to wake up in a day or two. After 2 days pass, I checked your mana again, and I was pretty shocked, only almost 1/4th of your entire mana was recovered, it is something you wouldn't expect from a kid like you, how old are you exactly?" Master asked with a face of shock and disbelief at the same time.
"Im only 6 years old." As I said those words, master's face even became more distorted.
"6 years old?! Can you already gather and sense mana?!" He stood up while slamming his hand on the table.
I almost jumped back from the bed. But I just simply answered
"Yes"
"Well, I guess its understandable, but how long have you been able to sense and absorb mana?" He asked as he grew closer towards me.
I hesitate, I really don't know this old guy, even though he is my master from now on, but I really don't know for sure if he is someone trustworthy. I kept thinking about what to do, or what to say. But suddenly Kaiser sat back down and said.
"Well you don't have to answer me, I was just a little bit excited, never met a young genius like you . . . genius isn't the right word, monster I would guess. Anyways, many greedy people would want you in their grasp, I can protect you, and I can teach you to become strong enough to protect yourself."
I thought for a second, he doesnt seem to be a bad guy, and his intentions are clear, he just wants to train someone like me. I simply just nodded and said.
"Thank you master"
Master stood up and said.
"Well, lets get going now"
I stood up and asked.
"Where are we going?"
Master looked at me and said.
"I don't know where we are going, but I'm sure that we will be moving from place to place, but you don't have to worry about that, all you need to do is follow me wherever."
Im a bit skeptical, but I simply nodded. Master opened the door and he stepped out, as I stepped out the door, the sunlight immediately covered my face making it hard for me to see. I help my hand up to my face to block the sunlight, and there I could see clearly. It was something that I have never seen ever since I got to this world, a town!
In my old world, I was mainly stationed in a city, but everything was modernized, metal buildings, metal skyscrapers, almost everything was made out of metal. But in this world, Almost everything is built with wood or rock. It is really amazing.
The streets were crowded with people. Up until today, I have only seen humans, but right now, I'm seeing different kinds of races. Im seeing a human that has features of a cat, I assume they're beastmen. I think I just saw an elf pass by. Im not sure if I just saw a really short person, or if it was just a dwarf. Nonetheless, for me, that moment I stepped out of that door, it was breathtaking.
I stood there for a few minutes to take in the beauty of this world.
"What are you standing around there for? We have places to be, let's go"
I snap out of my daze and looked at my master, I nodded and followed him. We walked for about 5 minutes till we got to a tavern looking building, just above the doors of the building said "Adventurers Guild". My master was about to go in when he immediately stopped and looked at me.
"Raise your hand and open your fist"
Even though I don't know why he asks me this, but I immediately comply to his request. As I opened my fist, he hovered his hand over mine and I hear a *CLANKING* sound, I checked my hand and 5 gold coins were there! I was amazed! Taken back! I knew there was magic in this world, but seeing it for the first time is just another breathtaking moment.
"Master! What kind of magic was that?! Will you teach me that too?!" I almost let out a childish scream fitting for my 6 year old age.
Immediately, my master hit me again in the back of my head
"What was that for master?!" I almost let out a cry
"Its not magic you dumbass! Its my dimensional ring, ill get you one before we leave."
"A dimensional ring? Whats that?"
"I forgot that you grew up in a small village *sigh* you ever wonder where I keep my stuff?"
I nod
"Well I keep them in this ring here" my master raised his hand and showed me a ring on his finger.
"There are different kinds of dimensional items, mine is a ring cause its easier to carry and its wearable. Theres also pouches and bags. Rings can only contain so much items. Wherein bags and punches can carry so much more. Since I don't have that much personal things, I just use a dimensional ring."
"I see" I nod in satisfaction
"So what is the 5 gold coin pieces for?" I asked while placing the 5 gold coins in my pocket.
"Go buy and do whatever you want for about an hour, this will probably the last chance you will have for a long time to do whatever. Meet me back here in about 2 hours, I have to prepare some things."
After saying those things, my master disappeared into the Adventurers Guild.
With 5 gold in my pocket, and my katana in my waist. I walk around town, making sure I know where I am at all times, I don't want to get lost and make my master look for me. I walk around and end up in a food area. There were so many things I have never had the chance to eat. Since my family was poor, we were eating mostly bread, rice and vegetables. The only meat I was able to eat was rabbit, chicken and wolf meat, which I just hunted on my own and brought home to my family.
After spending almost 1 gold on food, I decided to just wander around town, see if there was anything that would catch my eye. I walked and I walked until I finally saw something interesting, in my world it was called a samurai traveling hat. (I tried googling what its actually called, but just google that and you will get the idea) I don't know what they call it here, but I've always been interested in samurais. Maybe when I grow older ill be a Ronin.
There were plenty in stock and everything was pretty much an exact copy of the other, it only cost me 1 silver coin. I put on my new hat, there is a string that is attached to the hat, and its adjustable, I adjust it to hit my head. (Im bad at description, but its the thingy that fastens the hat to your head, Once again if you google the hat, you should see examples.)
I was happy with my purchase, I still had plenty of money left, at least for a country hick like me, I assume that 4 gold is a lot. So I wander some more around the town, and I stumbled upon a weapon store, I was curious what was inside, So I decided to go in. Inside was pretty overwhelming, there were different kinds of weapons, apart from swords, there were axes, spears, some throwing daggers and other weapons that I don't recognize.
"Whatcha doing here kid?" A grumpy voice rang out from the counter. I didnt notice him cause I was busy fascinating over weapons.
"Im just looking around, maybe buy a katana" I said while still looking over the different kinds of weapons.
"HA! You?! buy a weapon?! You make me laugh kid! maybe you mean buy a weapon for your father?"
As he said those words, something inside of me was trying to get out, it wasn't anger, it was more of sadness. I almost tear up, but I held back.
"No, its for me." I said once more calmly.
"Huh, well I don't really care as long as you got coins, feel free to look around and call me if you need any assistance" The man said with a bored expression, I guess he saw my face turning bit sad when he mentioned my dad.
"Okay, thank you" I said and continued looking at the different kinds of weapons.
About 30 minutes have passed and I was finished inspecting almost all of the unique weapons in the store. It was finally time to look at the katanas, So I decided to call the store keeper, to my surprise he was just right there staring at me.
"You need something kid?" He asked with an emotionless expression.
"Yes, where are your katanas?"
"Well the best ones that we have are the ones on display right behind me. I doubt you'll be able to afford them them though, cheapest one in display is 20 gold coins."
As he said those words, my expression turned sour, I didnt expect for them to be expensive.
"The cheaper ones are in that barrel over there, they range from 1 gold coin to 5 gold coins." He pointed at a barrel in the corner of the store.
"If you still can't afford them, I got some cheap ones at the back if you wanna see them."
"Ill check the barrels for anything decent."
I started walking over the barrels, there were about 100 swords all inside the barrels. I inspected almost each and every one of the swords, they all felt different. Until I inspected a sword that felt familiar with me. For some reason, me and the sword kind of connected. I pull the sword out of the barrel. I slightly unsheathe the katana and the familiarity of the katana increases. I inspect the blade and near the hilt, theres a carving that said "GH". The only explanation would be that the sword was made by a Godhand. I know it wasn't my fathers cause he engraved his swords differently but the same way. I immediately slide the sword back into its sheath and go to the counter.
"Ill take this one please!" I said to the storekeeper whilst placing the katana in front of him.
"Oho, why this sword?" He asked in a curious manner
"I don't know, but it feels familiar to me."
"Oh really now?" He asked with an amusing expression, his face is a face of disbelief, not that he was shocked, more of that he thinks I'm lying or something.
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"Yes, so how much is the sword?"
"4 gold coins"
*Sigh* A sigh of relief came out of my mouth, I just have enough money. At the same time, I felt sad because I won't have money to spend anything else on. I gave the storekeeper all my money, 4 gold coins.
"Thank you very much" I said
"Thanks, come again soon" He replied.
I put my new sword on my waist, just above my old one, its something I cannot throw away, it was made by my father after all. I now walk out the door and started to head towards back to the adventurers guild. As I was walking back, I realized that I lost track of time, 2 hours had already gone by since I left. I started to run, I easily dodged and slid past the people in the crowded streets. Until I bumped into someone.
Before I bumped into him, he clearly looked at me and intentionally stepped in my way. I bumped into him and I immediately fall to the ground. The guy still stood tall however. I take a good look at him, he looked rugged, a street thug type, a troublemaker.
"Ouch ouch ouch! I think I broke my arm." The rugged looking man said
As he said those words, 2 other rugged men stood beside him.
"Well well well, you just broke my friend's arm, I hope you have gold to pay for the healing fee." The guy said while snickering
"Im sorry, I don't have any money." I said while bowing
"Do you think an apology is gonna heal my friend's broken arm?" The other guy said while laughing
"I know, you are going to be our lackey now." The guy with the supposedly broken arm said.
"Sorry, but I really have to go" I said once more as I picked myself up.
"Trying to run away now are you?" One of the men said while he was patting the sword on his waist.
"Why don't we take this up to that alley over there?" The other guy said while pointing to a deserted alley.
They shove me slowly to the alley, they pushed me in further where no one could see. They pushed me to the ground. At that point my patience has reached its limits.
"Even though I saw you intentionally stand in my way, I still apologize, what else do you want from me?" I ask while placing my right hand on my newly acquired katana.
"What'd you say?! You cocky bastard!" One of the guy pulled out his sword and ran towards me.
I immediately dash towards him, in an instant I am right in front of him, just as I was about to unsheathe my sword and kill the guy, he immediately fall over to the ground with foam forming on his mouth. I look up and see his companions are in the same condition, unconscious on the cold hard ground. I get a hit to the back of my head.
"What do you think you are doing?! Picking fights when I told you to enjoy yourself!" It was my master, and he looks pretty mad!
"But master! they started it!" I said while trying to soothe the pain on the back of my head.
"I don't care! Don't go around killing people in town you dumbass!" He hit me again with lightning speed as always
"OUCH! But I didnt kill them, and besides, it seemed like you killed them!" As I said those last few words, I got hit again!
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" I cry out
"Don't go around and say that I'm killing people! Whats wrong with you?!" He hit me once more!
"And you were about to kill them! If i hadn't stepped in these guys would have been dead!" My master shouted
"You don't know that!" I screamed out, that was a bad choice, I got hit again! God dammit!
"Yes I do, I felt the killing intent, you think I'm stupid?! Its even a surprise that a 6 year old like you could emit killing intent, that will be dangerous, ill teach you how to control and hide it."
"Yes master! and I'm sorry master!" I said while bowing to him.
"Good good, well, lets go before these idiots wake up and cause some trouble." My master said while leaving the alley.
I quickly followed him, I was now trailing his back after a few minutes of following him, he finally stopped, and I realized we were at the exit of the town. Master looked at me, grabbed something from his pocket and tossed it to me. I catch the item and realized what it was, it was a plain looking silver ring.
"What is this?" I ask while looking at the ring
"Its a dimensional ring, its very basic, but its still expensive, you can keep your simple items there, it won't fit much, but you won't be needing that many things in there anyways."
"Wow! Thank you master!" I said while bowing, after I bowed I put the ring on my right hand index finger.
"Wait, how does this work?"
"Its simple, you mark the ring with your blood, making it bound to you and only you, after that its a matter of thinking and using your brain."
I grabbed my newly acquired sword and used it to wound my finger, I let the blood drip on the silver ring and it immediately absorbed it. Something then appeared in my brain, its like a hidden part of my brain that has been unlocked, it was weird yet at the same time familiar. I immediately know how to use the rings, what its limitations are, how big of an object the limit is, and many other knowledge just about the ring. How to take it off, which is pretty simple, either the ring owner dies, or the ring owner willfully unbinds the ring to himself.
I grab my old sword and store it inside my ring, after that a new knowledge entered my mind once more, it was the knowledge of knowing what is inside the ring.
"This is amazing!" I shouted out
"Yeah, I had the same exact reaction, now then, lets go."
"Where are we going?"
"To a smaller town, we are going to start training once we get there."
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The trip took us about 3 weeks, we didnt stop by any other village or town, or at least there were no other villages or towns on the way. We slept on the side of the dirt road, sometimes in forests or jungles that we passed by. We ate what we could hunt and find. Master told me it was part of training. It was more of me hunting and foraging food in the dark while master was just sleeping like a lazy old bum. He would only wake up once I got food in my hands.
Along the way we faced some bandits, master always let me handle them while he watches, but there are times where he intervened just before I even began fighting. He told me that they were out of my calibre, but he seemed to have dealt with them pretty easily.
We also faced some monsters, some were dealt pretty easily by me, while others I had struggled with, but not enough for master to intervene. The cores, I happily absorbed after my daily meditation. Master taught me several things about monsters, about how they are ranked. They are ranked F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS and SSS. F being the weakest. S monsters were hard to find, SS even more so, while SSS is reserved for godly beings, mostly dragons.
That 3 week trip was close to hell even for me, life and death battles with monsters and bandits, even battles with hunger and fatigue, for me it was a hell trip, for my master that did mostly nothing and slept and only intervened when needed, was like a pretty ordinary trip. Some carriages passed by us, but master always declined, he said it was part of training stamina.
In just those 3 weeks, I feel that I have grown stronger, both physically and mentally. Fighting bandits and monster were great experience for me.
I can now finally see with my own eyes, a village. I thought master was just dragging me around wherever. Im sorry for doubting you master! Now that we are here, I can't wait to take a good long rest.
"Master, what village is that?" I ask, since he never really told me where we were going.
"That is Housen village, a remote place, and further up north of the village is a forest, that forest contains different kinds of monsters, good place for hunting cores, but its a dangerous place. Monsters there are only C rank and up."
"Is that where you are going to train me? Sounds like a dangerous place."
Master showed a grin on his face and then said.
"Not only are you going to train there, We are also going to live there"
Tears of despair came out my eyes. I have died once, escaped death another time, and now I'm going to die for sure.
"But master. . ." Before I could finish, I got hit in the back of the head.
"No buts!" He yelled at me
"I don't want to die!" I cry
He hits me again!
"You won't die, now lets go!" As he said those words, he raised his hand once more ready to hit me. Before he could do so, I shouted
"Yes master! I'm going!"
I reach the village ahead of master, I ran as fast as I could to avoid being hit, now that we are in the village, I can finally have a long days rest. We got here pretty early in the morning, so the village wasn't so lively. I stop and regain breath after running away from my master, soon enough he caught up and went by me. I quickly followed him, we might be going to an inn for something. As I followed him, I notice that we were getting farther and farther from the village center, and I'm sure we just passed by an inn of some sorts. We finally reach the opposite side of the village from where we entered and I finally asked him.
"Uhm. . . Ma-master?"
He stops, turns around and said.
"Hmmm?"
"Aren't we going to rest in the village?" I ask with a sad face, trying to win him over
"Nope"
"Then where are we going?" I ask, even though I could already guess where we are going to go.
"Training!" He says with a grin, an evil look!
I try to run away, but master saw through my intentions, he hit me in the back of the head and I pass out.
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I woke up in the middle of a forest, I sat up and there I saw my master.
"Wh-where are we?" I ask in a scared tone.
"Welcome to training in hell!"
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Ive always wondered what the difference between a ronin and a samurai, a ronin is basically a samurai that doesnt serve any lord or noble, this is for those who wonder as well.
Thanks for reading guys, I'm gonna work on the next chapter tomorrow.
Please rate and leave a review if you guys want, it will help me try to better my story.
Also if you find loopholes, any spelling and or grammatical errors, please comment below. I f you have questions, Please comment below.
Once more, thanks for reading, also sorry for slow chapters, really just busy and don't have that much time to write.