"Yawn!"
I close the book in my lap and stretch out my hands while yawning.
"Ah, what another great book."
I lift the book and sandwich it between the other books in my bookbag. I then reach out to the pile of books beside the bag and begin reading.
"..."
After an hour or two, I close the book and place it inside the bookbag while grabbing another book. I repeat this process until the stack of books disappears. Then, once I put the last book in the bag, I lean back in the chair and close my eyes. I smile. It has been fun over these eleven years...
This has been my life ever since the day I received my status. It didn't take long to read all of my father's study books, so I begged my parents to get me some more books. Luckily, we live close to a library, and after reading so many of their books, they allowed me to take a few books home with me.
Throughout the years, I have collected all the knowledge that I could. Sadly, most of it is useless. I've learned all about the world, from the monsters to insects living on the planet. I know all about plants, famous people, the races, historic sites, most religions, and more.
One thing I couldn't learn was the language of the other races. It requires having the skill which I couldn't train to get. I did understand a few words, but I was no better than a baby. This also occurred when I tried training some of my other stats. No matter how much I trained, none of them went up.
I suddenly open my eyes. Oh yeah! Today, I'm officially an adult. I've locked myself in the study reading books that I forgot. Hmm, isn't this what I did in my previous life? No, it was different... I think. Nevertheless... I wonder if they'll through a party this time?
I have never had a birthday party since coming to this world. The people here only throw three of them per person. The first is the one-year mark. The second is when you turn four-year-olds, and the last one is when you become an adult. I missed out on both my first and second parties due to my circumstances, though we did celebrate once I woke from the coma.
They have been acting strange lately... Oh, could it be they are trying to surprise me with one!? That must be it.
Nodding to myself, I jump out of the chair and sling the bag over my shoulders.
"Alright, let's go downstairs."
As I turn towards the door, a piece of paper flies onto the floor ahead of me. I grab it, but it's blank. I turn around and notice that the window is open. My skin tingles as the night sky shines less and less. I slowly walk up and close it. Then, I turn to the desk. I began laying the paper on it when my eyes caught a tattered, slim book.
"I've never seen this book..."
I lay the paper aside, pulled up the chair, and grabbed the book. Dust covers the cover. After blowing it all off, the title becomes visible.
"Letters?"
I hesitantly bring my hand out, hovering over the book. Finally, I opened it. What, actual letters?
There are ten pages in total, with each page containing a separate letter from someone. Sadly, most pages have withered away, making them unreadable. Only three pages are barely intact. My eyes widen. What the...
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Letter 3 - ______
Dear Kaichi,
I've heard the good news! I'm so grateful that he survived that coma. I've also heard of his status... It was surprising, to say the least... I was most worried about his hatred of the Gods. If it were any more significant, the church would have caught on to our skill... Strangely, he didn't possess the skill, so I wonder _______? Regardless, both of my girls did get the skill! We've already started their ______, so you better too! My husband still doesn't accept the _____ and doesn't want to give any of them to your son. It's hilarious watching him get all angry over it! Anyway, good luck! I'll reach out later for ________.
Sincerely,
Y_____o.
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Letter _ - _____
Dear ____,
So you are going with the plan after all, after all. I know ___________ but it's too risky! Have you ever heard of a successful attempt? No because they _______! I do understand, though. This all has to end. The world is changing, and soon _______. I still don't approve of your idea, but there's no better idea. Luckily, you two are ______, so you both have more EXP than the others. Also, as you may have heard, one of them, my girls, will have to ____. If your plan succeeds, please... _______. That's all I ask of you. Good luck.
Sin_cer_ly,
__________.
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_____ 10 - _____
_________,
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
It's time. My husband has already died and I can feel my time coming soon... ____________________________, but I still believe in you, if you are still alive. I hope your ___ can do it. I understand that he wasn't normal but __________. However, I still put my trust in you... and will in him. My girls understand their mission... They should be on their way to _______. I hope everything goes well, though I'm glad they don't have to see me as I _____. Make sure he ______... We can't fail. ________.
_______,
_______
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"What in the world is this..."
I stare blankly at the letters. I re-read them over and over but still can't understand. Finally, I slowly closed the book. What could...
Bang!
"!?"
The room suddenly shakes a little. Sweat drips down my neck. I rush out the door and down the stairs. I search throughout the house until I reach the front door, where I see a body lying on the ground facing upwards. I instantly recognize it and rush to it.
"Mother!"
I rest my head on her chest. There was no pulse. Impossible...
Tears begin falling down my eyes. There's nothing I can do. I've read many books about medicine and doctoring, but for there to be any way to save her, I would need a skill.
"!"
That's it! I jump up and start rushing toward the stairs, but my father blocks the path. I instantly stop and slam onto the floor. I look up at him.
"What are you doing?! Move! I'll save..."
He shakes his head.
"It's impossible."
"What do you mean?! It's not..."
I freeze as I see tears rush down his face like a river. Then, he suddenly collapses onto the ground. He whimpers.
"I'm afraid my time is here too..."
"Then I'll..."
I attempt to get up, but he yells.
"No, as I said, it's impossible! You don't have enough time. It's okay... We knew this was going to happen... We didn't know exactly when."
He suddenly falls onto his back, his face ghostly pale. I rushed up next to him, tears bursting out of my eyes. I take hold and strongly embrace his cold body. I call out.
"Father..."
He calls back weakly.
"S-sho... We're sorry... I want to say... that we are very proud to have had you... We love you..."
He then closes his eyes and stops breathing. I slowly lay him down and checked his pulse. Nothing... W-why?!
I fell to my knees, my hands over his body, and let it all out. I continued until my eyes were dry as bones. Then, I softly wipe them and stand up. After dragging my father to my mother's side, I quickly prayed to them. Afterward, I slowly wobble up the stairs and into my room.
Once reaching my room, I fall on top of the bed and stare up at the ceiling. I lift my hand and slam it down. I yell.
"Why?! Please, Gods, tell me why! Didn't I do enough?! No more trials, please..."
I turn my head over while my heartbeat relaxes. Then, finally, my eyes meet with the drawer.
"Huh, what's that?"
I slowly lift my body and walk up to the drawer, grabbing a piece of paper. My eyes begin watering again...
----------------------------------------
To Nii Sho,
If you are reading this, we have already passed away. My son, we're sorry for lying to you for all these years; there was no other choice. I'm not sure if you remember, but we weren't wholly truthful when you received our EXP. Our family has a deep and horrible past using that skill, Transfer. I was so relieved that you didn't get it...
Our family has continuously used this skill to generate more EXP per generation. Although this doesn't sound bad on the surface, it is a different story hidden underneath. You're smart, so I'm sure you know that monsters spawn using the excess EXP that comes off of us. The more EXP, the stronger the monster. So, how strong would a monster be from our excess EXP? Unfortunately, the answer isn't good, and it's ruining the world as we know it.
As the EXP pool in the sky continues to grow from the family's EXP, the monster all across the planet grow stronger. The adventurers are beginning to have trouble with them too. Soon, the world will collapse due to a monster infestation...
As for our deaths... When someone loses loads of EXP at once, their body suffers. Unfortunately, it's at the point where people have been dying to the mass amount of EXP we have collected over the years.
We're sorry for keeping this from you; we didn't think you could go through with it if you knew what would happen... I hope you can forgive us; however, we need a big favor from you.
Our family is strict when it comes to this skill. We have to follow numerous rules and procedures so that the next generation understands what to do. This includes producing children with the skill, breaking into their minds so that they won't spend any EXP, having them mate with one who doesn't have the skill to produce another child, transferring their EXP into the children, and repeating for many generations to come.
On the other hand, we despise this cycle and have decided not to follow through. We gave you our EXP early on instead of waiting until adulthood. We also agreed that action needed to be taken to stop them. This is where you come into play. Please use the EXP you have stored and get highly overpowered. Then, go to war with the family and stop them from using the skill ever again!
Sadly, even after getting overpowered, you will stand no chance against them. The family has amassed thousands of resources to ensure that nothing gets in their way. In addition, they have soldiers who have mastered their craft and spies that see everything. So you'll not only need to train with your new skills but also gather more knowledge and allies.
That's why we ask you to apply for the Royal Academy. There, master your crafts and gather friends along the way. By graduation, you should have everything you need to fight the family.
As for us, they will quickly find out about our early deaths. They will have already sent out spies to check on us by morning, and once they see that we didn't follow the rules, all hell will break out. But, of course, they know about you too, so they'll immediately search for you, and believe me, it won't take them long.
I have a plan, though. I installed a crystal underneath the house that's enchanted with explosion magic. Two hours past midnight, it will activate and blast the entire place to rubble. Drag us to the rug in the living room. The explosion should be the most impactful there and should destroy our bodies. When they check, they'll see that we were taken out with the explosion, if I'm correct.
Sho, we wish you good luck on your adventure and hope you cleanse this planet of our family's corruption with all our hearts. We are so thankful that you were born to us. We both love you dearly!
Sincerely,
Nii Kaichi.
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My hands swell up. Tears start to sprinkle down them, but I immediately wipe them away. I clutched the paper, forming it into a ball, and flung my hand to my chest. I whisper.
"I understand... I promise to live up to both of your expectations."
After another prayer, I set the paper on my bed and headed downstairs. I then moved my parents to the living room, over the large white rug. I relayed the blanket to them and did one last final prayer.
I headed upstairs, grabbed my tablet, and then walked into the backyard. I look up at the shining moon.
"It's almost time."
The moon is at the highest point in the sky. Only two more hours...
I looked back at the house one last time and bowed. I then pull out my tablet.
"Okay, let's do this!"
...