Aeron jumped in the mirror, then it felt like he was falling. He looked below and panicked for a second he was falling from so high that clouds looked like specks of dust! He immediately calmed himself and tried to imagine that he could fly.
His fall slowly stopped and he ended up hovering just above ground. He tried to touch a tree but his hands passed through, making him feel like he was a ghost.
Then he saw a boy who was running in his direction. Boy had silver hair, golden eyes, pinkish white skin and a little sharper ears. He passed through him and was going off to somewhere behind him.
He turned and saw something right out of the medieval ages. Men with fair hair from platinum blonde to silver were working. They similarly had golden eyes same as boy. They were not dressed luxuriously, but their clothes were not really lacking. They were just ordinary, unlike boy's vest and shirt which looked expensive.
He then saw a man in the distance who could be said to be the grown up version of boy. Like all men in the fields he was using a hoe and plows was all around him. He would use his hoe again and again. He was drenched in sweat.
The boy jumped up and climbing a stile he sat on fence. He had admiration in his eyes as he watched man move. When men did notice them they would smile, quit swinging their hoes and while waving their hand they would say:"Good morning, little lord!"
The boy they called little lord would wave back and would continue to watch them all with great interest. Be it animals or men they both were working, cool breezes of autumn was blowing and withered leaves falling to the ground.
He then looked up to sky and discovered that there was actually two suns. Whatever this place was it was not a place he knew about. Was he watching his memories? Like a movie or something?
"Yinfang! So your mother let you out! Did you do your homework today?" said the man who was boy's grown up version while wiping his sweat with a cloth and drinking a lot of water in one go.
"Yes father!" said the boy jumping down from the fence. He ran quickly to his father and while holding the hoe he asked him:"Father can I do it too? I want to do it!"
"No certainly not! You are still a child when you become an adult only then you can use this!" said his father and laughed as he pat the boys head.
"Hmph! When I am grown up I am going to kick you all out of the house!" said the boy running away while sticking his tongue out.
Aeron suddenly felt the world twist and turn around him.
*****
Aeron was now inside a forest. Unlike last time trees had flowers so it should be spring. The boy called Yinfang looked more older. He was taller and had a longer hair. Currently it was before sunset and he was jumping over obstacles and from tree to tree.
He clearly was expending a great effort and was in a great hurry. His head was red and sweat was running down on his forehead and back.He jumped one more time and he came upon a clearing.
Aeron gasped! What beauty! This clearing had thousands of beautiful flowers under an extremely old tree whose head reached the clouds and whose flowers fell in the wind one by one. Two suns were setting dying the sky and sea in every dazzling color of rainbow.
Surrounded by blooming trees and flowers watching such a beautiful sunset... If he wanted to express this moments magic with words they would not be enough, if he wanted to paint it one would need absolutely divine skill as a painter. No, perhaps it could not be expressed in any form!
Beauty beyond words, beyond reason, beyond all measure and comparison! How can something like this could be put to words, or painted? Aeron sighed, what he would not give for some wine to drink as he looked to this scenery! Being able to see this, even if he were to die this instant he would die without regrets!
"Sorry Yuxuan! I was late, I had to escape from my mother's grasp!" said Yinfang and grinned to a girl he called Yuxuan. She also had silver hair and golden eyes, he was more like a girl version of Yinfang, except clearly younger and more delicate,
"If you look so tired I cannot be mad at you anymore!" said the girl called Yuxuan, pouting. She then smiled and said:"Come here big idiot!"
Yinfang ran to Yuxuan and they shyly held hands as they looked into the horizon. Then they turned around and looked at each other.
At that moment he saw Yuxuan and Yinfang grow, into teenagers and they were kissing with great passion. It was less like they were kissing and more like they passionately devouring each other.
Aeron wanted to tell them to get a room, but alas this was his memory. He had guessed this Yinfang was his past incarnation long ago.
"Tonight I am going to ask your hand from your father. Please go back and wait for me!" said Yinfang when they stopped kissing. Yuxuan giggled and she went home skipping and singing a tune. Yinfang looked at her, almost enchanted.
Then the strange twist happened again and scene changed.
*****
Aeron looked around it was summer or spring and this was the usual town square. Just the atmosphere here was really heavy.
He saw many man marching to battle. One by one they were all saying goodbye to their families. He saw Yinfang there too, with Yuxuan.
"Please, you must come back alive! Promise me!" said Yuxuan as he kissed Yinfang's forehead and gave him a necklace. Necklace of a wolf with thirteen black eyes and silver white fur. Then she ran away barely concealing her tears.
Yinfang turned with a determined expression marching to his unit. All men were determined and desperate. There was a gloomy atmosphere among them. Aeron looked at them and their form was not good, it was not bad either. Clearly they learned basics but did not advance.
"Little lord, how do you think our chances of survival are?" asked a man. Everyone looked as if everyone wanted to ask that question.
"I will not lie, probably we will not survive. Hell I am uncertain even elite troops will survive." said Yinfang. the gloomy mood got even gloomier. Aeron could see they breathed hard, walking, no, dragging their feet. Their eyes were looking at the town, they clearly wanted to run away but could not.
"But if we do not fight what will happen to our families? We must fight!" said Yinfang. Gloomy mood was not dispelled but everyone's eyes burned with determination. Their steps got steadier and their posture became straight.
Yinfang lifted up the white necklace of a wolf that Yuxuan had given him. He looked at it longingly then kissed it and wore it around his neck. He closed his eyes and two tears fell. Then he opened them again blazing with determination.
Aeron then saw multiple scenes, battlefields, camps, all kinds of scenes. All of them lasted shorter than an instant. Then one scene stopped and Aeron saw Yinfang crying as his town was burning, fires reaching to skies.
Then the scene stopped as if a pause button was pressed and another Yinfang appeared, This one was a lot more older.
"I am Yinfang. I was born and raised in this town as the little lord who would inherit all these lands. I thought I would live with Yuxuan and lead a peaceful life. I was wrong." said Yinfang with a sad expression on his face. Aeron just looked at him, kind of an empty look. He had watched all these memories like one would watch a movie.
"This is where I made a mistake. I let the beast free for power. " said Yinfang and disrobed, half naked showed him the tattoo of a wolf. Upon his heart there was a tattoo, tattoo of a wolf with thirteen eyes.
"Who knew what Yuxuan had given me? I wonder if she knew herself. Probably not. Within it lived the beast. The beast whose hunger could never be satisfied. I exchanged my heart for heart of a beast." said Yinfang looking at the tattoo with disgust.
"What I did afterwards, I regret it every instant of my whole life. My name Yinfang, became name of a legendary creature. A wise trickster, a cruel warrior, a murderer whose hands were dyed with the blood of billions. Unspeakable, heinous crimes I did them all." said Yinfang.
"Even I could not guess what would happen next. I was betrayed by people I loved most." said Yinfang and the scene shifted revealed a coffin and within it someone wrapped up in seals, bound to coffin by chains and stakes, which was driven to every one of his major meridian points.
"Yinfang Bloodriver. We condemn you for your crimes! May you be damned in suffering forever in the abyss!" said a voice.
"They thought they had won, but I was too powerful. Do you know what the abyss is? Within it runs river of souls that absorbs every memory. Abyss is not realm of flesh and blood, but of spirit. I could not hear, I could not see. Imagine being trapped in the middle of space, feeling nothing and completely aware. Rage of beast and my own was the only thing left of me. I clutched at straws of my own rage." said Yinfang with a solemn face.
"When I was free, I sought vengeance. But the creation I woke up to was not the creation I was living. There were none of my enemies, even their names were long forgotten. My name was too. Everything about me and them were. It was all long forgotten, only I remained. There was no one to take vengeance on! But the rage unbearably boiled in my mind." said Yinfang and made his hand into a fist.
"So I chose to simply forget. To start anew." said Yinfang and pointed at Aeron.
"It seems you are my incarnation. I sealed my memories so you would not be affected by me. Now that your personality is already established, If you take my power, I can just leave!" said Yinfang with a longing look in his eyes. Aeron then opened his hand and willed his power inside him.
"Beware of the power you take and take care that you never end up like me, whose strength amounted to nothing." said Yinfang with melancholy and slowly faded away. Aeron was now standing in a darkness behind him was the mirror he once came from.
"It was not that your strength amounted to nothing... It was that you were not strong enough. Your body was powerful, but your mind was not. You gave up, and all to easily. You should have done more. If one makes a decision one should follow it to the end." he looked back with contempt in his eyes before making his way to the mirror.
"That was that I guess... How lame that guy did turn out in the end! I am disappointed." said Aeron coming out of mirror and stretching.
"Welcome back master! How did it go? Did it go well? I think it did!" said Sophia as excitable as ever.
"Well, I was just thoroughly disappointed in myself... But never mind that. So what now? I do not know what comes next." said Aeron furrowing his brows.
"Well, this whole area is yours master. In fact this place is a separate dimension a pocket universe with no laws at all. But among the living only those who have established soul bond with you may come here."
"Also you can use your tattoo as a gateway into this pocket universe. But bear it in mind that whatever you store its weight will not disappear. So you cannot take everything that is not nailed down, then take nailed down things and their nails like you do usually master..." said Sophia to an Aeron who was thinking "HELL YES!".
"Well, that's a shame... So Sophia can I override the command of highest authority?" said Aeron smiling.
"Yes, of course master!" said Sophia thrilled so much that she "swam" everywhere in the empty space.
"Well then Sophia, from now on you have second highest authority, only inferior to me! Help me from now on!" said Aeron smiling.
*****
"So Sophia, you can work like a game interface right? Showing a mini map, scanning the area, instant memorization of a book, status and levels!" said Aeron over the moon with the fact Sophia can do that.
Yes master! I am greatest of all! I was built in with many options!
"Show me my status then!" said Aeron grinning.
I have scanned your body master, but I do not know how I should show them. I mean let us take Strength for example. Let us imagine that I told you that your strength is 10. If an ordinary human's strength was one then you would be ten times as strong as him, while if an ordinary human's strength was ten you would be equal with him.
"Hmm... Lets take this simple then. Consider an ordinary human's level 0 and consider their stats one." said Aeron eager for results.
Status ScreenNameAeron VictorLevel0Cultivation Points0/600Strength6Vitality8Agility5Willpower6
"Wait... what? How is that even possible?" said Aeron. Now he noticed his body felt weak. He was already weak, but now he felt even weaker.
Well master your cultivation has been reset and mana was harvested to turn it into purer one.
"I see. So how do I cultivate mana? Do I go out and kill some fluffy stuff?" said Aeron.
Well... yes, I guess. I mean you need to kill something. Because of your power, you are not able to level up by meditating and stuff. Although you can also absorb ghosts of the dead.
"Hmm... I have to test this!" said Aeron and quickly dressed up. He looked at himself and saw that his bruises have already healed. No more looking like a panda! Now he quickly moved on exiting the door.
"Good morning master!" said Sinah as he went out. She was lively, energetic and was whistling a tune as she swept the pavement.
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"Good morning! Sinah, where is the kitchen!" said Aeron to Sinah who was looking with confused eyes.
"If master wants to eat something then Sinah will bring it to you. Master does not have to go, just tell me what you want" said Sinah making her hands into two fist and waiting an order. She was emitting an eye beam.
"No, I just want to go to kitchen. I am not going to help you ditch your cleaning duty. Show me the way!" said Aeron with a dismissive gesture.
"Okay, master" said Sinah, obviously down and showed him a building west of main house. Valeria had the kitchen outside her house so the smell does not spread inside.
Aeron walked to the kitchen. He had come here to kill some magic beast that was going to be breakfast. Meat was the most used ingredient of high humans. They would eat meat practically every meal, every day.
"Greeting young master! Why did you come here today? Madam shall be expecting to see you in breakfast. Tell us what you order." said a middle aged maid as she bowed.
"I want to slaughter a Sand eating mouse." said Aeron. Sand eating mouse was a mouse who hid underground in deserts. It was at the size of a chicken, obtainable just about anywhere because they bred very fast, giving birth to dozens of litter. They were main food of every creature which lived in the deserts. Well, even tough they were mouses they tasted good actually.
Maid felt that young master's request was odd, but he had been weird ever since he hit his head on a rock. Besides she could not question his commands. She went and brought him a mouse and another maid brought him a cleaver.
Aeron lifted his cleaver and chopped off its head or he tried to. He ended up slitting mouse's throat, but unable to go further because it was stuck in a bone. He discovered his strength was not enough. Aeron asked when the mouse died:"So, how much was that?"
You gained 10 cultivation master.
"MWAHAHAHAH! IT WORKS! IT WORKS! MWAHAHAHAH!" screamed and laughed Aeron all of a sudden frightening the maids. Aeron was pretty satisfied with finding out that fighting does not matter. Even if he kills them without fighting he gains experience.
"So then scan this mouse and tell me what level it was and what would I gain by eating it!" said Aeron with a smile on his face.
Okay master!
Status ScreenNameSand-eating MouseLevel4Cultivation Points Gain6
Aeron ordered them to cook the sand mouse and then send it to his room.He made his way towards his house giggling like mad. The maid who greeted Aeron has turned around and whispered to other:"Young master just talked to himself right?"
"He did! He even screamed 'it works' when he killed the mouse! Clearly he damaged his head when he hit that rock! Poor madam!" said the other maid.
*****
Aeron entered his house and began wiping his sweat with a towel. Just walking had exhausted him. He just now thought about his status. If an ordinary human's strength was 1, his was 6. He was six times stronger than an ordinary human. He also must ask why he is so exhausted!
"Sophia how come I am six times as strong as an ordinary human? Can you explain this to me? as well as how these stats work and what they represent?" said Aeron. He had to understand how his stats was being handled.
Certainly master! First off You are dragon blooded and you have very strong will, this granted you an increased rate of obtaining strength and willpower. Second your Vitality is strong due to the technique you are practicing. It is called Thirteen Art Death God. First art was [Gluttony of Wolf] which gives you cultivation as you eat remaining thoughts of what you have slain and remaining thought that formed ghosts at the expense of being unable to meditate to improve your level. But you can also use resources cultivators use to advance like fruits that contain mana and cultivator bodies, like bodies of magical beasts.
"Which, I really am thankful for! If I had to meditate in a cave for years I would literally die of boredom!" said Aeron, shivering
Second gives you vitality even more increased than your strength and willpower! It is called [Undying Death]. It actually gives you vitality - because I cannot find any other animal to compare with I deeply apologize for comparison - like that of a cockroach...
"Well, possessing vitality of a cockroach is not really what I would consider an insult. Anyway, explain more!" said Aeron.
Well while an ordinary human, regardless he is a cultivator or not, uses %10 of his strength you can use %50! This is the reason why your stats are so high!
"I understand, so normally a human has 1 strength because they cannot use more without injuring their bodies and I can?" said Aeron.
Yes master! Although you will find that if you use your entire strength you will become tired easily. While your body can use five times the power, it also uses five times the energy! But with your vitality stat increasing you will be able to handle more work with less energy!
"I see while my stats are higher, my consumption of mana is higher too! I get tired very easily, like I am right now. So this was the reason!" said Aeron nodding to himself. He should also train to use less strength or he won't be able to hold back his power at everything he does. But really if he wants to hide his strength while a normal human was going to use %10, he had to use %1!
Aeron furrowed his brows and thought about how to determine how much power he used. He would need practice and plenty of it before he leveled up. If he levels up more his power would be greater thus harder for him to control. After all one could control a fire at size of a fist, but who could control fire that was burning the entire forest?
For now put those thoughts aside, I am going to explain what stats represent master!
"Sure, go ahead." said Aeron, nodding his head. Now was not the time to worry about it.
Yes master! Listen carefully!
Strength's effect is self explanatory. You can deal more damage with physical attacks.
Agility is the overall fitness and reflexes. You can run faster, you can attack faster and you can increase your reaction time to be better!
Vitality is the resistance of your body. It affects your ability to resist poisons, illnesses and parasites. Also it increases your regeneration rate as well as your ability to resist physical and magical attacks.
Willpower is the power of your will. It increases your mental resistances as well as your ability to regenerate mana. It also increases your damage with spells and soul attacks.
"What about level ups?" asked Aeron. How was levels being determined?
If an ordinary person at the level of 0 needs to level up he needs to have 100 cultivation points. When he reaches level 1 all his stats increase by 1, when he reaches level 5 all his stats begin to increase by 2 and he gains an increase of 5 for all stats!
"Wait, wait, wait! Why do I need 600 cultivation points then?" asked Aeron.
Master obviously you have a very strong foundation. A common cultivator builds a hut while you are building a castle, how can two be equal?
"I see. So because I am stronger I advance more slowly. What about my stat increase then? How much do you think my stat will improve when I become level 1?" asked Aeron.
Vitality improvement of 8, Strength and willpower increase of 6, rest of them increase by 5!
"I see. I understand! From now on I should begin practice my hiding technique so I can hide my level of power. It should also allow me to lower the level of power I use. Editing it so I can appear like a normal guy. After all Sun Tzu once said to 'Appear strong when you are weak and weak when you are strong!'" said Aeron nodding to himself. While Sun Tzu's Art of War was old, the advices were good. He would not reveal his secret to anyone. It was nice to have aces in the hole and besides if he continuously used his body at full power he would not be able to have enough energy to fight at all!
Master, there is another method to practice! You can offer up your Cultivation points for incorporating skills into your body!
"I can?" asked Aeron excited by the possibility of not throwing millions of punches and kicks to advance them to their perfect form!
Yes master! Because you have already comprehended highest level you will only need to pay 1000 cultivation points to incorporate them. But this is the most basic of basics. Do not think everything will be cheap like this!
"Damn! I have to level up first then! I must find an excuse that will let me kill something!" said Aeron, wanting to cough up blood when he heard her say cheap! He needed to kill 100 mice to get it! Sure it was faster, but he did not have an excuse to kill hundred mice! But the moment he finished that thought he already had found the answer!
"I need to become a butcher!" said Aeron. If he became a butcher he could kill animals by hundreds. But how was he even going to become a butcher?
"I am prince after all, If I tell mother that I wish to become a butcher, I am afraid she will butcher me first!" said Aeron. trying to think an excuse for being a butcher!
"I can go to gramps! If I tell him that I become giddy at sight of blood and need to kill to get used to it he would surely allow it!" said Aeron finding the answer on how to become a butcher.
"Young master! I brought your food you ordered from the kitchen!" said Sinah and came with a plate filled with all kinds of vegetables as well as meat from mouse and accompanying it yogurt made out of the milk of a Three Humped Camel!
Aeron's stomach growled. Sinah who heard this quickly put the plate down and said:"I deserve to be beaten! Young master was hungry and I made him fetch his meal himself! Please young master forgive me!" with a pale face. Stomach growling along with burps and farts were shameful for the person whose noise was heard.
It could be said that if a person's noise was heard he or she would not have the face to go out of the house for a day. That person might not even have the face to be seen again by the people who heard this noise and would be ridiculed. It was basically a social death sentence.
But of course Aeron had no idea about common sense in this world. So he said:"No need to apologize Sinah! You are forgiven" with a confused expression.
Sinah who heard this only then dared to breathe and wishing him a good meal she ran away citing that she must clean the pavement. She never looked so eager to do housework in her life.
Aeron whose mind was on the butcher thing, thought again carefully. Being a butcher would be nice but he would kill mice all day! Also there was a fact that mice would eventually be too low for him to gain exp from.
He absentmindedly began eating his food. But when he swallowed first part, it was delicious! He quickly ate from the yogurt and found out that it too was delicious. He could not endure anymore and began to devour it with abandon.
The more he ate the hungrier he became. The more he ate the more delicious he found it. It was without exaggeration most delicious food he had ever eaten! He could not resist the urge to eat it all to the point of licking the plate clean!
"What happened to me!" he asked when he came to. It wasn't that he was unconscious, it was that the urge to eat overwhelmed his rational mind. He could not stop it or control it in anyway!
You gained 6 CP!
___________________________________________
Thank you for your encouragement, What is your view on game-like or should I go full Xianxia?