"A willpower ring has a special inbuilt function that lets a person train their will." His mother replied as she looked at him fidgeting with it.

"How does it work?" He curiously asked as he stared at the intricate markings that shimmered as he tilted the ring.

"If you wear it or at least have it touching your skin, you should be able to send your will into it. Be careful when using it as it's very painful. In fact, you should wait until you're older." She said as she reached down and plucked the ring between his little fingers.

"Let's keep it around your neck so it's safe until you're older, okay?"

He nodded, and she pulled the rear of his top down, revealing a light blue piece of silk ribbon she had given him so he could wear his amulet. It wasn't the same as back on Earth, and the gem in the middle was cracked and dark, but he still felt naked without it. The pair attached it to the ribbon before returning it to his neck.

Their convoy of wagons and their new escort of mounted troops worked their way down the flat road that twisted and turned through a dense woodland area.

The trees lined each side, their long branches connecting overhead to block out some of the light. This left them coated in shade for most of the journey.

That ended as their group rolled onto a vast open plane of green. The fresh assault of sunlight caused his eyes to take a few moments to adjust.

In the middle of the grassy planes surrounded by farmland was a massive walled city that sat on a rocky outcropping. This was the city of Kallipolis, the regional capital of the rising mountain province.

He couldn't help but admire the view of the ancient-looking city with its tall white walls lined with towers. The sun hung above it, bathing the surrounding land in light.

From where they had entered, it looked like they were just above the flatlands, giving him a great view of the area.

Many other roads led towards the city from various directions, and he could see many other travellers going about their day. Labourers worked in the surrounding fields, with even a small river snaking past the city.

It was a stunning sight, and he admired the scenery as they moved slowly downhill onto the flat ground.

"It's much bigger than home, isn't it?" His mother said with a smile, and he nodded his head.

He knew she meant the village, but he was thinking of Earth.

An average city back on Earth would probably be bigger, but not by much. It was more the wonder of seeing something that looked like it had jumped from a textbook on ancient cultures brought to life.

By the time they reached its perimeter, the sun was starting to close in on the horizon, and there weren't as many people in the surroundings.

Marcus and Cleon rode at the front of the group, using that time to catch up, and their laughter would echo back to his wagon occasionally. It was obvious to anyone why the pair were friends as they seemed very alike.

With the head of the city guard as their escort, they passed through all the security checkpoints without any problems, and we were inside the walls before night fell. Some caravan guards took the injured woman to find a healer whilst the rest headed to the stables.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? I'm sure the city lord wouldn't mind?" Cleon asked as the group stood around, their mounts now stored in huge stables.

"It's fine. You know my background would only cause complications in the seating arrangement. Best to just avoid any problems." Marcus said with a shake of his head as he declined the invitation to a banquet held by the city lord.

"I suppose. You do have their last name. There's no way Lord Agamem wouldn't create a fuss if a member of the Darklight clan were in attendance." Cleon nodded with an awkward smile.

"It's fine, you know me. I'm used to it." Marcus said, slapping the man on the back.

"Besides, I would much rather sit in a tavern and make merry than get stuck at a stuffy banquet."

"Well, you have things to do before you get drunk." His mother chided, causing Marcus to let out an awkward laugh.

"Well, once you get settled, why don't you three join my family for a private meal tomorrow evening?" Cleon asked as he looked at his parents.

"Sounds good to us. We'll leave the morning after that but should have everything in order by tomorrow night." Marcus said after a nod from his mother.

"Excellent, see you guys then. Take care." Cleon said before marching away with a wave.

"Come on. Let's go and find somewhere to stay." Marcus said, and their small group headed into the city's hustle.

Night fell between their arrival in the city and visiting the stable, but people still lined the streets, making it very crowded. As they fought through them, he couldn't help but turn his attention to the architecture.

The style differed from what he had expected based on his knowledge of ancient Greece. The city had a more medieval feel, with rough stone and wooden frames used in the construction. The buildings rose into the air higher as well.

It smells better than I expected.

Even with the apparent overcrowding, apart from the occasional body odour issue from a passerby, the overall smell of the city was pleasant. It had a rich scent of exotic spices that trailed through the air, giving off a soothing feeling.

It didn't take them long to exit the small side streets onto the main road, giving them more personal space. The side streets were full of people travelling around with Lightstones either in hand or attached, but the main roadway differed.

Tall metal lamp posts lined an enormous street that was more of a giant open space than a road. Many market stalls made from fancy fabric and wooden frames sat in the centre. The outsides were left open to allow passing traffic, and he watched multiple carts pass side by side. It was just that big.

Many expensive-looking shopfronts lined the street, and his eyes were drawn in by the brightly illuminated signboards hanging above them. The one he was looking at was as tall as an adult and hung from a metal pole far above head height that stuck out into the street.

The sign was a metal monogram shaped like a massive hammer and anvil that hung from the pole. What made it stand out was the paint job that glowed brightly, highlighting the sparks from the hammer and the store's name.

It reminded him of some kind of cyberpunk billboard but made from glowing paint instead. The store's name was the 'Sparking Anvil', but there were many more with similar signs down the street.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Another design that stood out was a fluorescent green glowing mortar and pestle. This sat above a storefront lined with hanging baskets of beautiful flowers that gave off a refreshing scent as they passed.

"Mother, can we look around"?

"Not yet. We need to get settled for the night." Valeria said at seeing him drawn in by the brightly lit shops.

"We need to find a place to stay first. Why don't we do that and rest for the evening, then we can shop all day tomorrow?"

"Okay."

The lodgings they found went by 'The Wandering Cloud Tavern' and sat along the main road. They entered through an archway that led them across a paved hanging garden before they arrived at the main desk.

It wasn't long before they rented a small walled-off courtyard surrounded by small apartment-type buildings with balconies. Most of the adults, including his father, left to deal with other things. That left his mother and a few other women to watch the children.

He wasn't interested in playing with the other kids, so he retired to his room shortly after their meal, telling his mother he was tired and wanted to sleep.

Let's see what this ring can do.

***

"Little Than, time to wake up." His mother called out as she prodded him.

"Huh. Oh. I'm awake." He blearily replied as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

He had spent the better part of the night messing around with the ring and had managed to get the hang of using it fairly quickly.

Using it was straightforward, he found. All he had to do was push some of his willpower into the ring, and it would do the rest. Once it finished chewing his willpower, as that's what it felt like, it spat it back out and gave him a nice dose of pain for his troubles.

The pain wasn't that bad, and he had expected it to be excruciating. At worst, it felt like terrible cramps wherever the ring was in contact with his body. It was more manageable in hand than keeping it around his neck area, so he had fallen asleep holding it.

His core's ability to refresh had activated twice throughout the night, and he had decided to call the ability Body Rejuvenation. This let him practise with the ring far beyond what he should have been able to do, and he had already noticed minor results.

Willpower, body and soul. Those are the cornerstones of cultivation.

I've had some success training my willpower, but I have no idea how to train the other two.

Perhaps I can find some books to help today.

He had thought that cultivation was just a case of building up essence within his core and growing it, but he had realised he was wrong. The process was much more involved than that.

The core acted like a storage device for essence that a cultivator could then call on and use. A stronger core meant more essence to use for skills, but it didn't do anything to make his will, body or soul stronger.

It seemed he had been a little naive back then when he was creating his filters. Making and using them seemed to help grow his willpower slightly and give him more access to the necessary essences. The problem was they did nothing to strengthen his body or soul.

That was something he hoped to be able to rectify with this visit to the city.

Jumping out of bed, he put the ring back around his neck and went to a nearby basin full of warm water. As he washed, he used the surface like a mirror to look at his reflection.

He wasn't sure how old he was because of his dubious origins, but he was now around two years old if he had to guess. As children grew faster in this world, it made it all the more confusing, and he had stopped trying to work it out.

He knew what date he left Earth, so he had just taken to tracking days that way in his head, giving him a rough idea of his age.

The young face of a toddler stared back at him, and he had just gotten to the age where he lost the puppy fat associated with babies. He had straight dark brown hair with some tiny hints of waves. It grew out a little, and he had styled it over in a side parting, much like he did back on Earth.

His fair, clear skin held a slight tan due to his time spent outside on the farm. The most catching feature he noted was his eyes. Since he formed his core, they had changed to take on a weird feature.

The top of his iris was dark purple, which looked like something out of a fantasy movie, while the bottom was a very bright blue. The two colours merged into each other where they met, but that wasn't all.

When his hourglass-shaped core flipped over and activated his body rejuvenation, the colour of his eyes would also swap positions. It didn't seem to give him any unique advantages, and he had overheard that it was just related to him being the owner of an essence body. That's what the other villagers had talked about when he was nearby anyway.

It was a little strange to look at, especially when the colours swapped places, but he couldn't help but admit they gave him a unique look. Whilst looking nice, he didn't like that it made him stand out, and he hoped to find a way to turn it off or disguise it eventually.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered first.

He sighed as he quickly finished getting ready and ran to find his mother.

***

"Are you sure you want to go in here? They only sell books. Wouldn't you like a toy instead?" His mother said as the pair stood outside the largest bookstore on the main street.

Calling it big wouldn't be accurate as it was tiny compared to the nearby shops, but that was understandable as reading didn't seem to be something everyone knew how to do.

"I'm sure." He said as he walked into the near-empty store, his mother trailing behind with an exasperated sigh.

She had tried getting him into a toy shop most of the day, but he refused. His parents had given him an allowance for his first shopping trip, and he wasn't about to waste it on toys.

They had spent most of the day working their way down the storefronts lining the main street. He had visited an alchemist's shop, a blacksmith and all manner of stores in between to see what was on offer.

His father had bailed early once he realised the plan was a shopping day, and he couldn't help but feel his pain. He would generally feel the same if there weren't so many exciting things to see. That just left him and his mother.

"Greetings customers. How can I help you today?" An old lady said.

He glanced up at her, noticing she seemed pretty advanced in her years as she stooped over a large book in front of her. She wore fine clothing and seemed like a kind old lady sort.

"Hello, I'm looking for some books for my son, who wants to learn to read." His mother said to the women.

He had found that to be one of the awkward things about being this age. He wasn't expected to speak for himself.

"Ah, a budding scholar, we have some books in the corner suitable for children. Please help yourself." The woman said and seemed to lose interest, looking back at her book.

"Do you have any that explain cultivation or go into detail about our world?" He queried.

This question drew strange looks from both his mother and the older woman, the latter who looked up a little startled. She seemed to recover quickly as she tapped bony fingers on her desk as if in thought.

"We do have some books covering those areas. Travelling the north and a journey of many mountains are two of our more popular sellers. These contain detailed accounts of our continent. Unfortunately, we don't have any books about other parts of our world." She said, and her eyes locked with his.

She looked slightly startled for a moment after their eyes met before continuing.

"As for cultivation. Most books we sell here cover that in some way. Perhaps the young lord is looking for something more specific?" The old lady said, and he noticed the change in how she addressed him.

He didn't think he looked like a little lord, but he just dismissed it as a pleasant way of speaking.

"Are there any books that give a brief overview of cultivation? I would also be interested in any that mention creating your own cultivation techniques or essence skills." He said after giving it some thought.

"The young lord had a thirst for knowledge, I see. We do have several beginner guides. I can pick out the best ones for you." The kind-looking lady said, and it looked like she was hesitating before continuing.

"We have one book regarding the theory of creating your own techniques, but it was written by a cultivator who died through cultivation deviation. So it might be a little inappropriate." She said as she made eye contact with his mother as if seeking confirmation.

"Little Than, you shouldn't get that book. Learning some things can be dangerous." Valeria said, and he could tell she wouldn't budge on buying it at a glance, but he really wanted it.

"How about we buy it, and you can put it away and give it to me once I'm old enough?" He asked, putting forward a compromise.

He could tell she didn't want him to have it, but she soon relented.

These puppy dog eyes really come in handy.

It wasn't long before they were on their way back to the tavern—a stack of books held in his mother's hands.

The cost was more than expected, but puppy dog eyes and a little guilt trip about how it was all he wanted and that she didn't need to buy him a toy won out.

He hated himself for manipulating her, as it didn't sit right with him, but his situation was unique.

There wasn't any way to explain it other than to act like a bit of a brat. Silently, he promised to pay his parents back in the future as much as he could.

"Mother, why did she keep calling me young lord?" He asked as it was something that had been bugging him.

"Most people can't read, and it's even rarer for such a young child to be interested in it. It's usually the nobility who bother with it this young. She must have thought you're the spoilt child of some noble, and she wouldn't be far from the truth either." She replied with a little giggle.

"What do you mean?"

She didn't respond and laughed again as the pair slowly walked down the street into the setting sun. He couldn't help but rub the back of his head in embarrassment.

Did my mother just call me a spoiled brat?