Baby-Krad looked out the window. The dark large clouds are covering the skies. He heard a tapping on the window and then it became a pitter-patter. Droplets of rain began to drip from the leaves of the trees, then to the grass, disappearing as it was absorbed to the sand.
The rainfall became more intense. So much rain was falling that the sound blurred into one long, whirring noise. Lightning began flashing, thunder came roaring.
Krad gazed through the window as he sat on a cushion on the carpet in his room. Wondering when will he be allowed to go outside and go adventuring.
It has been 3 years since his birth on this world. He had learned how to read and speak their language. The muscles on his body had also became more developed, making him able to run for several breaths of time.
Baby-Krad's body was far more superior to his body in his past life. His body of a toddler could even do a backflip!
As he continued to gaze through the window, sound of geta sandals tapping filled the hallway of the castle where baby-Krad resides.
It's the sound of footsteps. Those footsteps became louder as it is headed towards baby-Krad's room. The sounds obviously are coming off from the direction of the mysterious figure.
A man wearing a bright red wrangler shirt with flowery design walked leisurely towards Krad's room. This man was also wearing a ragged short pants.
This man gives off a feeling of casualness, as if everything on this world can't bind him! He emanates an aura similar to that of a retired mortal on a vacation! Such carefreeness!
"Yaawn, that brat Arcana didn't even tell me that she gave birth."
This figure, who looked like a man on a vacation, yawned as he walked slowly on the hallway. It's seems that he's an aquantance of Krad's mother.
He walked in a slacking manner and was even picking his nose. But what's strange though, was that as if the attendants on the castle seem to not notice him. It is as if he does not exist! How bizarre!
"Arcana's kid should be 3 years old now, and it's a boy, too!" said the man, with a tinge of expectation within his eyes.
The man hummed as he casually walked through the hallway. Picking his nose , flicking his filthy booger along the way.
Creeeaaaaak
Baby-Krad woke up from his dazed state as the sound of the door creaked. He turned his tiny head towards this figure walking inside his room.
It was a man wearing a geta sandals. A bald man with a long, fancy braided white beard.
It's actually an old man!
"W-what the...Hawaiian shirt?" murmured baby-Krad faintly.
The old man slowly walked towards Krad. Then sat in front of him.
"Yo...kid. What's your name?" said the old man with a laugh in between his sentence.
'Name? right. I was always been called 'Young Master' since I was born. I wonder what my given name is in this world?'
Krad had never seen his parents since his birth on this world. He only had his maids and butlers to attend him of his needs. The thought of not seeing his parents disturbs him. It felt akin to being abandoned. He was very familiar with that feeling, so he can only sigh and not bother with it.
"I don't know."
Krad's baby voice was pleasing to hear. Similar to that of birds chirping pleasantly in the morning. It was crisp. Very tender.
Krad stared at the old man. The old man smiled, and so he stared back. But this old man's gaze seem to penetrate his body. As if he's staring at Krad's soul.
The old man's smile froze, then became a frown. He reached out to he pockets in his pants, rummaging as if looking for something.
After a few breaths of time, the old man finally stopped rummaging his pockets. He then brought out a booklet.
The booklet is dark-purple in color. It is shrouded with black mist, giving off a savage amount of yin energy. But it emanates an aura of immaculate holiness. The two opposing auras harmonized, as if everything is in control.The old man then looked meaningfully at baby-Krad's eyes. As if assessing his potentials; his future.
The old man sighed after staring at baby-Krad for a good long moment. He stepped backwards for a little bit, giving himself a decent distance between him and the baby.
The old man's eyes turned sharp as he raised the booklet above his head with one arm.
Suddenly, he slammed the booklet on the carpet in front of him.
Strange lines formed surrounding the booklet. Dazzling lights also came out from the circles and lines that formed around it. As if forming a infinite set of rotating runic barriers.
The carpet surrounding the booklet immediately set ablaze. The stone ground beneath it filled with spider-web cracks, and traces of deathly energy corroded the ground.
The old man then raised his arm.His index finger pointing to the heavens, and chanted words in murmurs.
A small, ball of light suddenly formed from his finger-tip and he immediately directed the ball of light towards the booklet.
The booklet shook, as if it's alive!
Baby-Krad watched everything as this unimaginable scene in front of him unfold. He stared at the booklet 2 meters away from him.
Krad felt a strange familiarity towards booklet. He doesnt know why, but it feels as if the booklet is calling out to him. He felt bewitched. He had an urge to read that booklet!
"From now on, you are only allowed to train in this mana accumulation method. It shall be the only method. Do you understand, Krad Lee?" the old man said solemnly to him.
Baby-Krad had a startled look on his dainty face.
'This old man knows my name? How?!'
Baby-Krad then had the sudden urge to ask him why he was reborn to this world. His thin, delicate lips closed and open. Words he wanted to ask won't come out. Hesitation overwhelmed him.
'Sigh, forget it. I'm just a minor figure right now. Best I should do what this old man said. Only when the time comes,will I learn everything. But for now, what I need the most.... is time!'
Truly, time is of the essence!
Krad had a look of excitement and determination on his dainty face.
"Understood."
Baby-Krad gave a respectful nod and walked towards the booklet.
The booklet shook, then it floated towards Krad.
He bowed as he grabbed the booklet. As though he had received the ancestral heirloom of their clan.
"Listen, kiddo. This world is different from your previous world. Here, we could manipulate the elements to our desires, and create phenomenon far beyond your comprehension. There are also th--"
The old man's paused in the middle of his explanation. He stroked his long, fancily braided white beard, pondering.
After a few seconds, the old man chuckled and turned his back as he walked away.
"I will come again tomorrow. Have your attendants prepare a few set of clothing for you."
The old man said in a casual manner. Baby-Krad can't help but look at this old man's broad back.
"C-could this be..."
Surging waves of excitement filled his heart. Baby-Krad then had his attendants prepare his needs for tomorrow. A burning desire to train to the pinnacle has been born!
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THUD! SMACK! THUD!
A vast wilderness, lush with green. A series of sound could be heard, akin to a blunt object hitting a bigger object.
Amidst the ocean of plants, a long haired, devilishly handsome, topless young man, wearing a bone-tooth necklace, with a ragged short pants is wildly attacking a 5-meter dinosaur-like aberration.
"Hyaa!"
THUD!
RROOOAAAR!
The young man jumped backwards with a back flip as to keep a fair distance between them.
The 5-meter aberration's body was filled with multiple fist-size holes. Blood slowly oozing out of it. It's unimaginable how painful this aberration is going though right now.
The young man kicked the ground as he dashed towards the aberration. Moving unpredictably as he circled around it and threw fast kicks and punches.
Dinosour-like aberration whipped its tail towards the young man in wild abandon. Desperately attempting to shrug this little bastard off.
The young man snickered upon seeing this. Suddenly, pitch-black mist emerged from the surroundings and enveloped his right arm. It then coagulated to a thin layer of pitch-black, eerie, negative energy into the skin of his fist. It felt as though his fist became extremely dangerous as it emanates an aura of death.
Topless young man kicked the ground as he became a blurr and delivered a lightning-fast fist to the head of the 5-meter aberration.
BANG!
The head of the aberration exploded as the young man landed his fist. Its brain matter splattered around the surrounding.
It was a bizarre spectacle.
The blood soaked yoing man then approached the corpse of the aberration. He stabbed his hand towards the heart area of the aberration.
Splatter..
Blood splattered on his face, but the young man didn't even blink. It seems as though it doesn't affect him in the slightest.
After a short while of rummaging the heart area, the young man finally pulled his arm out of the aberration's body. He pulled out a spiky, circular, dark-purple object the size of a fist.
"Finally finished the last task" murmured the young man.
The blood soaked young man was clearly Krad!
Krad left the castle where he resided to follow the mysterious old man and train.
The old man assumed the 'parent' role and took him away to train. Thus why he ended up in the middle of the vast wilderness.
"That old fogey, not only he threw me here alone in this damnable place, he also left those pile of 'tasks' to be completed !" complained young man-Krad.
Krad has been training in this vast wilderness for the past 10 years. Sometimes the old man would come and expound some of his knowledge to help Krad accumulate mana efficiently.
The young man-Krad only had his booklet to read. So he knew nothing about this world. But from time to time, the old man would give him certain tasks, such as collecting these strange spiky, circular objects!
"I don't really understand the purpose of these spiky objects. They are surely a core of these aberrations, but I don't have an idea what their uses are." sighed Krad. He had been collecting these objects as per old man's orders for years!
Krad then left the scene and headed towards the lake to clean himself up. After a satisfying bath, he entered a tiny ordinary-looking wooden house built nearby.
This tiny wooden house however, isn't ordinary. On the outside, it looked simple, but on the inside, it's huge! It's even bigger than the castle where he once resided!
Creaaaak
Krad entered the wooden house and went straight to the core of the house.
At the middlemost part of the room, a huge door on the ground could be seen. Runes are drawn around it to lock the door.
Krad reached his hand to his pocket, and brought out thick, tiny, circular plate with a long tiny chain attached to it. It look similar to a pocket watch, but the plate is drawn with infinite lines of flashing light.
He wrapped the tiny long chain on left hand, then he threw the plate towards the door. Suddenly, bright lights filled the house. The light runes that locked the door has been undone!
Creaaaaak
The huge door on the ground creaked open, revealing a dark space filled with countless spiky, circular objects of different sizes. Majority of the objects are coated with dust.
Some are as huge as the 5-meter aberration itself!
'I truly can't imagine how big this object is. If that 5-meter aberration has only this small core, then how big could these gigantic core belong to?' said Krad to himself.
He can't help but think of the old man. That old man is shrouded by mystery. He even knew who he was!
'Sigh, it's useless to think of things beyond my comprehension.'
Krad threw the spiky object inside and turned his back as he walked away.
The door then automatically shut close as runes began to cover it. Krad walked towards the kitchen to cook something to eat.
After finishing his little feast, he went to his room and lay down to his comfy bed.
He couldn't help but admire this world. This world is truly marvelous, but at the same time, very dangerous.
Krad giggled, then closed his eyes.
'My body truly is amazing. I can tell that it's much stronger than my previous adult body!' Krad praised.
He has been training as per the old man's orders for 10 years now. The baby-Krad had now grew up to a young man Krad!
He is now 1.6 meters tall, comparable to that of a young adult! His body as slick as that of a panther. His muscle build is amazingly perfect. As though it was carved out of stone by a grandmaster sculptor!
"I've been training here for too long" he murmured.
Krad Lee smiled. He covered himself with his blanket.
'Alright. Tomorrow, I shall return!'