CHAPTER 1
ALL I’VE KNOWN
“Clink, Clank, ” the sound of clashing metals rang in Jayden’s ears as the relentless barrage of the spells destroyed the very castle he intended to protect. “Hpf, hpf,” filling his lungs with air, he tried to stand yet he fell again. After many sacrifices from his family, he finally succeeded in the guard position in Count Argon's territory. But when the moment to relish the fruits of his labor came, fate played a cruel trick on him by sending otherworlders to his home.
With the unseemly revival, these people had been revered as God’s chosen heroes, coming from another world to destroy injustice and blasphemy. But what wrong had he committed, he thought. He was only doing his duty to protect his lord, the Count of Severen Kingdom, his lord. However corrupt they claimed him to be, he was a person who helped him when he needed the most.
With this thought in mind, he growled, mustering up every bit of strength, supporting himself with a sword, and staggering, he stood up. “Huf, huf…” Looking around, he only saw debris covering everything, some of his comrades whom he hung around, some of whom he hated, some who looked down on him, all were buried in the ever-falling rubble of this rattle-like shaking castle.
Suddenly he remembered, “NO, NO,” and started scouring the rubble. He remembered today he brought his niece to the castle, fulfilling her wish that she whined about for months. “NO, NO...NO, please god No..please..” He shivered and muttered, ignoring his bleeding hands.
Moments before the attack, she had been beside him, holding his hands, humming about how she would brag to her friends. His dams broke, and tears ran without stopping as he recalled her joyful voice. A frenzy took over him, and he began clearing away the debris with more effort, scouring through, hoping his niece to somehow survive this, “Please, Jini, please don’t leave your Uncle. What I’m supposed to do now, Jini, Jini…” He stopped muttering, no he was forced to stop on seeing the half-buried small body, crushed behind a huge slab. His hands shook as he reached her, but only a small hand of hers survived, while the debris consumed her all.
"NO... N..." He wailed, remembering her cute and small face, and how she would throw herself into his arms every time he visited his only family, his elder sister. Recalling her sister, he burst out more. He was orphaned at a young age, making her sister’s family his guardian. They devoted themselves to him, raising him to stand on his own two feet. Now, he repaid their generosity and care by getting their family’s daughter killed.
A lot of similar thoughts ran amock his mind, but gasping, he hugged the torn hand to his heart, wailing, consumed by his grief and losing the sense of rationality that he was still in the middle of a battle.
‘Hey, One survived the mana bombs.’
‘Get the fuck out! He is my XP.’
Some people were talking as they approached. A bald warrior shouted while kicking the one who found Jayden first and came towards him, grinning like he had found a treasure while Jayden remained senseless, unarmed, and still crying. No matter how the bald warrior looked at the situation, it was pretty easy, his opponent was a helpless guard of the castle, a free XP waiting to be obtained.
He unsheathed his sword, and as the glint shined in Jayden’s eyes, he finally took notice of the enemy standing before, but he had lost all his motivation to fight back. Her sweet niece, who liked him more than her parents, died because of him. All he wanted now was for someone to put him out of his misery. So despite the situation, he felt thankful to the bald man aiming to kill him.
He closed his eyes, waiting for the great sword to fall into his neck. Suddenly he heard a voice, quirky and cute in his head, “My Uncle is the best. He is the strongest person in this world. He will never give up.”
Some more tears ran from his closed eyes as he instinctively dodged the sword swing with perfect timing, and it was not all. He cried in agony and circled back his leg, still on the ground, and kicked the back of the bald man’s shin.
Unguarded, the bald man fell on his rear while his partner, afar, came running towards him. However, he was too late because, like a berserker with no sense of mind and pain. Jayden was pummeling the bald man by the sword hilt while holding it by the blade. His hands bled and so does the cracking skull of the bald man.
Looking at the scene, the running man got scared, however, it was not his first rodeo either. He specialized in agility and was nimble on his feet. So he stopped charging and created some distance from Jayden, trying to grasp the situation more clearly. But he was confused, the man before him was just a mere guard of this backwater area of the castle, and both of them were level 30. He thought there shouldn’t be someone strong enough in the eastern part of the castle to outdo them. But as he looked at his opponent, mounting his bald friend, screaming as he pummeled him into a bloody corpse. It told a different story entirely.
“Uncle, do not give up, ” the voice rang again, giving another heartache to Jayden. He wanted this to stop, but the voice kept ringing in his head, “You promised to take me to the royal castle, Count Argon’s is just for the time.”
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Hearing this, he suddenly stopped his screaming, alerting his nimble opponent. “Yes, I did promise that” Another agony washed over him, and his grip on the sword blade loosened. Giving the nimble warrior an opportunity that he can’t miss, and he appeared right behind Jayden. “Nothing personal, Kid,” he said with a chilling voice as his dagger moved like a fish in the water, but Jayden’s body moved on its own, making the dagger miss the heart. However, the nimble warrior was not some chump, he managed to strike Jayden’s shoulders despite his opponent’s quick dodge. But to his surprise, Jayden didn’t even flinch. However, the noble warrior heard a mumbling.
“I should at least fulfill her last wish before dying, ” Jayden muttered, and with a firm resolve screamed at the top of his lungs.
Blood Ritual: Blood Sacrifice
His muscles pumped as his blood burned, releasing the hot steam from his body, and his hand struck the enemy’s neck like a snake attacking prey. The man could not believe that someone in this area could exceed his speed, but the strength in the grip was no joke. In haste, he took a crystal out and shouted.
“RETURN”
As he finished those words, Jayden strengthened his grip aiming to snap his neck as quickly as he could, but what he got in his grip was just empty air. The otherworlder in his front had teleported and run away. “A return Crystal, ” he muttered as he recalled this was another item exclusive to the Otherworlders.
With no more threats lurking around, Jayden fell to his knees. Blood Sacrifice was a self-harming skill that his senior knight had taught him for emergencies. But he had no time to worry about the pain, pricking all over his body, since his heart was hurting more than the body. He collected the severed hand into his space pocket. It was the last remains of his niece and he wished to lay her to rest in some warm place.
However, for him to escape, he needed a weapon. He scoured the area and stumbled upon the sword of the Bald warrior lying nearby. He picked it up, but before he could even feel the weight, the sword disintegrated like his owner’s corpse. “Damn, these people with their resurrection.”
It was his first time taking the life of an otherworlder. He had only heard the rumors about them that their possessions would return upon their revival, but this time, he saw it with his own eyes. And also confirmed, as a native of this world, he could not claim the possessions left behind by the dead otherworlders.
“So it's true, huff…” Patting the space pocket, he said, “Let's get you out of here Jini. I’ll take you to the palace and then find a warm place for your rest. Your Uncle is very Sorry, Jini”. He said as he ran toward the secret exit that he once stumbled upon.
Avoiding more otherworlders who were raiding the castle like thieves and bandits, claiming the castle’s women and wealth alike, and killing the resisting ones. Jayden grit his mouth and ran since he was neither capable nor in the position of saving others. He just ran and found himself facing the exit.
Once again, he turned to look back. It was the very place he had dreamed of being and living for. A castle renowned for its impenetrable defense, now crumbling as if it were nothing. Lowering his head, he turned away and took the first step out.
“Is this the extent you are willing to go?”
“What? Who is talking?”
“I’ll ask again.” The mysterious voice echoed again, “Is this the extent you are willing to go? Don't you wish for revenge? These people come from another world and do whatever they please. And still, you idiots praise them as heroes.”
“What choice do I have?”
“Prove me that you are worthy to accept my powers, show me what you are capable of. Give me a satisfactory revenge — ”
“What revenge can I take? When my lord was a corrupt noble. These people came to kill him with justified reasons.”
"You fool. Do you truly believe that your noble lord, who always took the lead in helping others, is as wicked as these otherworlders claim? You know it deep down. How can you be so certain of his treachery?"
Jayden remained silent, so the hidden voice spoke again.
“The request to kill Count Argon was commissioned by his Aide, Deekan, who framed him to claim the territory, and these people knowing well of the scenario, still helped him achieve this.”
...
“Don’t you think this is wrong?”
“What does it matter now?”
“Because of his greed, you lost your cherished ones —”
“She is already dead. The revenge will not bring her back.”
“This world is now part of the tower. Do you know what the last floor of this tower holds?”
…
“A WISH !”
“Can...ca...can I revive her?”
“YES, now do you accept my test to see whether you are worthy of my power or not?”
“Revenge is not what I seek. What I want to see is her smile again. I ACCEPT.”
Notice!!!
You’ve been selected as the ??? Candidate.
Quest Rebirth is activating.
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> This is my second work. I botched alot in my first work and thanks to many readers who pointed out my mistakes I learn to correct them. This series is written on first person point of view unlike my first book Elven Lies which needs obvious improvements but since this story keep hogging my mind. I was unable to edit Elven lies right now.
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> Elven Lies itself is a great story, botched by my poor writing but you can give it a try while waiting for this one to arrive. I will reword that story when I have some free time from this one.
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> Happy reading to all of you, be healthy and may happiness knock on your doors daily.