When Jack came back to his senses, he was seeing a slightly familiar wooden ceiling. As he sat up, he felt his body ache all over as if he had had the most intense work out of his life. Just as he was trying to piece together what happened, the door quietly opened and Nalser entered the room. J
ack looked towards him with a puzzled look and Nalser bowed, “Congratulations sir, you have awakened your Bloodline Talent.”
“Bloodline Talent?” Jack asked with even bigger confusion than before.
Nalser nodded with a smile and said, “The more powerful you are, the more powerful your offspring will be. The power and chance of awakening it dilutes over time of course but there is always chance that one of your distant descendants awakens the ability.”
He then walked closer a bit and clarified, “Your Bloodline Talent traces back to the founding of Elun and the first Summoner of Earth. His Talent was harnessing the Rage within him to increase his power and make him nearly immortal.”
When Jack heard that, his jaw opened wide and Nalser continued, “However, this Talent made him very, very short tempered. He could blow up in your face over the smallest things. At the time, due to his strength and temperament, he was the Summoner everyone avoided antagonizing.”
Jack stared at Nalser mutely. He did not know what to say to that. Far too much had happened in far too short period of a time, just as he had barely accepted one thing, another was shoved in front of him. This made him truly feel that it all was some elaborate joke or a dreams. At this point, a nightmare.
As he sat there, mind in complete confusion, Nalser turned serious and said, “I do not know what the Recruiter saw in your past, I and no one else will try to pry into it. Every person on this Island has their own past and secrets.”
Jack looked towards Nalser after hearing that and did not know how to answer to that statement. Nalser then added, “However, please, do try to master your Bloodline Talent as quick as possible so that no one becomes an unfortunate victim to it.”
Jack gave a wry smile and then asked, “How are the Talents classified? For me, you used Bloodline Talent, but for my ancestor from way back god knows when, you just used Talent.”
Nalser thought for a moment and then explained, “Every person can awaken their own Talent, something unique to them. Control fire, fly in the air, freeze water and so on. Bloodline Talent is something that only people of certain lineage can awaken.”
He took a breath and gave an example, “For example, your Bloodline Talent is called Berserker Rage. A Talent that is based on person’s Rage. Using the Rage, you can heal your wounds or increase your strength. A simple but also effective Talent. However, you will become more prone to anger issues and having difficulty controlling your emotions.”
Jack then fell into thought and simply said, “Ohh.” Nalser then continued, “However, having a Bloodline Talent does not mean that you will be unable to awaken your own Talent. On the contrary, it will be even easier after you familiarize yourself with it. That is why those from Lineages are all so revered and sought after as wedding partners.”
Hearing this Jack, nodded his head as he thought to himself, “Those with these Lineages carry more authority and are more powerful, no shit people are after their Bloodlines.” After explaining this far, Nalser did not talk any more.
After a few minutes of silence, Jack asked, “What happened back there?”
Nalser bowed slightly and said, “After the Recruiter answered your question, you spontaneously awakened your Bloodline Talent and to keep you from wrecking your body beyond hope, I had to render you unconscious.” Jack nodded as it made somewhat sense but then he took a deep breath and asked, “Just what are you?”
Hearing this question, Nalser flinched for a moment but before he could ask or answer something, Jack continued, “Ever since I laid my eyes on you when I woke up the first time, I have had this nagging feeling that you are a kin to the Recruiter, however, somewhat different. Now after waking up, you exude an immense suffocating aura for me.”
Jack backed away slightly and added, “Every time I look at you, I feel as though I am staring at certain death.” Hearing Jack say that, Nalser faltered and took a step back. After a few moments, he did not exude that suffocating and terrifying aura any more. He smiled towards Jack once more and asked, “Is this better sir?”
Jack mutely nodded his head and Nalser said, “I am a Homunculus. I was created as a secret weapon for the war. In the beginning, there were 21 of us but only 13 survived the war. To keep the balance of power, one Homunculus was a part of each of the Original Council of 13. Over the years, the Homunculus have changed Masters and I am the last one that is still serving their original Realm.”
Hearing this Jack asked subconsciously, “Last one serving their original Realm?”
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Nalser nodded and explained, “We, Homunculus, are bound to the Space of the Original 13’s Realms. Over the years, the Original 13 have been changed out and their Realm Spaces have fallen into other Spaces hands. I am the last Homunculus still serving the Original Space, the Earth Realm’s Space.”
After hearing that, something clicked in Jack’s mind and he exclaimed, “They are after you!”
This sudden outburst took Nalser back a bit as he asked in confusion, “What do you mean sir?”
Jack didn’t pay any attention him and mumbled to himself, “I had this nagging feeling I was missing something. It made no sense to be so focused on Earth as there is nothing to gain from just extinguishing us. It all makes sense now, they aren’t avenging some grudge, neither are they after some secret resources or knowledge we may possess but rather they are after the Last Homunculus.” Nalser stood there quietly as Jack kept mumbling to himself.
Jack then turned towards Nalser and asked, “Can you take part in Siege Wars?”
Nalser nodded and said, “There is no rule preventing me from taking part but there have always been unspoken agreements that Homuculus’s do not take part in disputes and conflicts between the Realms but are kept on reserve to fight the Empire should it rise ag-”
Before Nalser could finish his sentence, Jack yelled at him, “Fuck that! I don’t give a shit about their unspoken agreements. More than half a million years, you have looked over this Space and everyone who succeeded the first Summoner, this place is your home. Fuck all of the fuckers that think that you can’t defend your own home!”
“My home?” Nalser asked with a blank face.
Jack nodded and said, “Yes your home. You have poured so much sweat and work into this place, looked over it for so long. Know every piece of dirt, every blade of grass that exists in this Space. If this is not your home, then what is it? A prison?” As Jack asked that, Nalser faltered.
He did not know how to answer that question. He did not have any feelings. Never did. All of his expressions and exclamations were something he had learned after observing the people of this Space for more than half a million years. If a person did not know that he could not feel any feelings, his acting was enough to fool them. Suddenly, a memory surfaced in him.
As Jack was thinking of all the information he had obtained, suddenly, Nalser fell to the ground. His eyes were open but his face was blank. Jack jumped out of his bed, completely forgetting the pain his body was in and yelled, “Oi, Nalser. What happened to you?!”
Seeing no response, he looked around for a moment before seeing the door. He laid Nalser down and sprinted out the door yelling, “Is anyone there, come quick! Nalser suddenly fell down and collapsed!” The urgent yell gathered at the voice. Seeing Nalser laying there on the floor like broken doll, the Minotaur rushed in and picked him up.
They quickly moved him to the dining hall and laid him down on the table. In Nalser’s eyes, two blue magic circles were slowly rotating. As no one knew what happened to him or how to help him, all they could do was simply sit there and wait.
Suddenly, Jack stood up and looked towards two Minotaur and said resolutely, “Come with me!” Seeing the seriousness on Jack’s face, the two did not dare to dally and followed him.
**
The Administration building was open all day and all night, so no matter at what time you needed something, you did not need to wait for the next day. Seeing that Jack was heading towards the building, the two Minotaur exchanged a glance and one asked, “What are we doing here, sir?”
Jack didn’t slow his pace as he said, “That fucker Recruiter is the same as Nalser. If there is anyone that knows what the fuck is going on with him, it will be that bastard.” Hearing the cursing, the two exchanged a glance in confusion.
When Jack burst in through the doors, an elegant man was arguing with the young lady at the reception, Jack walked straight past the counter and towards the door to the back. Seeing this, the lady turned towards Jack and said, “Hey, you can-”
However, before she could finish her sentence, she saw who she was dealing with. She had seen Jack pass out only hours before and the feeling of the aura he had given off had terrified her to no end. Now, Jack seemed out for blood so she did not dare to stop him. Jack entered the back room and yelled loudly, “Hey Recruiter, get your ass over here, I need your help!”
The building was quiet enough to hear pin drop. Not even a minute later, the Recruiter appeared on the door frame. “My name is Farong, remember it next time. You seem up and about quite fa-”
As the Recruiter said with a frown, he was interrupted by Jack, “Something happened to Nalser. One moment he was fine, then the next he just collapsed as though he was a puppet whose string have been cut.” Hearing this, Farong’s face changed as he asked, “Did his eyes change?”
Jack nodded his head and said, “Yes, a some kind of a pentagram circle appeared in each of his eyes.”
Farong fell silent and said after a moment, “One of the previous Summoners from your Realm must have sealed something inside him. Something from your conversation was the trigger needed to awaken it.”
After hearing this, Jack thought for a moment and then asked, “So he will be okay?” Farong nodded, “Yes, he will be completely fine. For you to come and find me for help, it seems you figured something out?”
Jack nodded and said, “Yes, Nalser told me what you are.” After knowing that Nalser will be fine, Jack heaved a sigh of relief and turned around to go back.
Farong suddenly said, “The Bloodline you awakened…. Although it has immense potential and power, I don’t think I need to explain to you why you need to be careful with it?”
Jack stopped in his tracks and glanced at Farong, “So I heard. I have no plans succumbing to it’s madness.”
Farong looked at Jack deeply after hearing that and after a tense minute in silence suddenly, asked, “Why do your moods and personalities change at the top of a hat? When we first met, you were the meekest person there is? When you came here before, you were like a deep scheming merchant. Now, you are as though an unyielding mountain.”
Jack looked back at him and said, “You saw my past, you should know very well why.”