Chapter 4: Light


    a year has passed since I started training my lightning magic by using that mana bulb. It was afternoon, and I was running and jumping around my room happily. "Yes, yes, I did it, I did it!" I shouted. I''ve been training many days during fall, and winter.


    The mana bulb I trained with heated up during my training on it, and since it did, that means I was finally an advanced class magician already, which is why I was looking excited. I finally ran out of energy and jumped on the bed.


    "Haha." Finally, I made it this far, and all this happened in a few months. God, I’m awesome! All the magician levels or classes were.


    Novice class, Intermediate class, Advanced class, saint class, Master class, King class, Emperor class, and last but not least, God class.


    It felt amazing to think I had gotten up three of each class. I felt like a special type of prodigy. I’m such a child, but Maria really did me a solid on this potential. I feel like a god. I could even be an actual god if I keep going! "Oh man, that would be so cool!"


    I got up from the bed and took a deep breath to calm myself. I kept my smile and summoned some electricity out of my hands. "This is so much easier now." I stopped using the lightning magic due to overusing it. Wow, cool it, Tenshi. I burnt a lot on the bulb already.


    I went over to grab the mana bulb that was only my bed, and I accidentally grabbed the top of it. "Hot, hot, hot." The bulb was steaming hot, so I quickly grabbed the bottom of it. Ouch, but now that I''m an advanced class, what''s next? I also need to go downstairs and put this back in the chest, but I’ll do that later. "Maybe I should learn the other types of magic." I put the mana bulb in my small pocket on my shirt. Or just keep working my way with lightning, but fire and earth magic do sound quite cool... But wait... When Maria reincarnated me, she said I would have some light powers.  Well, that is what I picked, I think.


    I looked down at the palm of my hand. What if I actually try to... Nah. "She was probably lying either way."


    I sat on the bed and started to think about it harder. But why would a goddess play that trick on me? I mean, in a light novel I read, there was this absurd crybaby of a goddess who was a lazy piece of crap, but she wasn’t really like that. What if there was something I was missing? I got out the bed and went in front of the window, and I stood still and looked at my hand.


    I was thinking for a moment, and then I had an idea. I aimed my hands at the window. "What if I do the same thing I did when trying to summon lightning magic? I just need it to be light." What is a good substitute for light? I know when I want to create lightning magic, I think of electricity sparking. Maybe like a star of light, I should think of that maybe.


    I would check the books, but I read every page, and there was nothing on light magic or light god powers or any of that.


    "Well, how about I try." I closed my eyes and tried to think of a shine of light. Come on, it''s the same as before. Just find that shine and start to tap into the power. Just release it. I kept continued trying, and I started to see that white spark. "There!" As I continued to aim at the window, unsurprisingly, nothing happened, and I opened my eyes and sighed "Well, just as I thought. Nothing." I was about to put my hand down, but I started to feel an itching feeling on my hand, and then. The wind slowly rose inside my room.


    ***


    While that was happening, Seris and Ria were doing things around the house downstairs while Taren was out getting some water in the well. Ria finished washing some clothes outside and brought the clean basket of clothes, placing it on the table while Seris was cleaning a few dishes.


    Seris looked over at Ria and spoke, "So Ria, I was thinking about just being a maid and quitting archery."


    Ria looked over to Seris, "A maid?" She questioned. "I mean, you want to retire your archery for being a maid? I didn’t expect to hear that from you."


    "Well, you barely even use magic now, so maybe and I can start stopping my thing to."


    "Yeah, but I have Tenshi to raise, and Taren keeps going as much as possible because of his job and protecting us."


    Seris thought about it for a moment and focused on cleaning the dishes again. "I guess you''re right on that. I barely even wear my normal outfit anymore, and I’m also not enjoying it as much myself and getting slower. I not sure, guess I’ll keep it in the back of my head."


    "I think you should," Ria said with a smile.


    Some noise was heard upstairs


    "Hm?" Ria questioned as she looked up. The noise was coming from upstairs to my room, and the wind was getting stronger inside.


    ***


    I started to think it might’ve been working, so I kept my hand up and kept it directly aimed at the window. "Wait, this is working! Yes, come on, I''m just right there!" The feeling went from itching to some small amounts of pain. "But wow, this is starting to hurt. What''s the deal with that?" I was trying to calm it, but I couldn’t stop it. It almost felt like I was edging myself, except it was pain. "Wait, stop, stop, oh god, this hurts!" My fingertips started to look bruised.


    I was starting to feel even more fear. Aw shit, this wasn’t the plan! Okay, okay, what do I do? Should I let it out or keep holding it? My hand started to glow white.


    As Taren was outside and was done filling the buckets of water from the well. He looked at my window and heard a gust of wind inside.


    "What the hell?" Taren said. as my room started to glow inside. "Okay, now something is off." Taren put the buckets down and ran inside while I was torturously screaming from the pain.


    My hand was now fully bruised, and white, glowing veins started to appear on my arm to hand. Okay, shit, I can’t hold it anymore Shit, shit, shit!" "Haa!!!" An energy sound started to sound on my hand, and before I knew it, I shot out a massive beam of light that broke my whole wall. once that was over, most of my left side was fully bruised, adrenaline rushed through me.


    What... What the... hell... was even that? I... I can’t feel... Anything... And that''s how I discovered my possible light powers if that was that. I would fall to the ground, completely paralyzed. Well... this feels familiar...


    Taren kicked my door wide-opened "Tenshin!" Taren shouted as the dust cleared away. Taren saw my half-bruised body on the ground.


    A lot of my shirt was completely gone and I was out cold, and there was a hole in the wall where the shutters and window were.


    Taren stood still as he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. He was completely in shock. Ria and Seris also showed up as they were behind Taren.


    "What happened? We heard something." Seris said.


    Ria walked over to Taren to see what had happened. Ria was shocked to find my body just lying there, half bruised. "Oh my lord! Tenshi!" She shouted.


    Seris was in shock and didn’t say a thing. Ria quickly ran over to me to see if I was awake. She checked if I was still breathing.


    Taren ran over to look out the hole. Has there been an attack by a beast? No, that doesn''t make sense; it''s usually during nights, Taren said to himself. As he was trying to figure out what could have happened, Taren then saw a book on the ground and noticed it was Ria’s magical guidebook.


    "Oh my lord, please be okay, Tenshi, please!" Ria shouted with worry in her voice.


    Taren looked back at Ria, who was using some crying and using healing magic on me, but I was already knocked out. I wasn''t dead though. Ria was using some healing magic on me, but I was already knocked out. I wasn''t dead though.


    "Is Tenshi all right, Ria?" Taren asked.


    "I-I''m not sure. he is still breathing, b-but his bruising isn’t going away. Am I... Am I weaker?" Taren went on one knee and put his hand on my chest to see if I was still breathing and had a heartbeat, which I had both of those.


    "He should be fine. Just calm down." Taren rubbed Ria’s back. "Take a deep breath. He’ll be okay." Taren then looked over at Seris, who was shocked, too. "He''s fine, Seris. Get something so we can clean this up."


    Seris snapped out of it. "R-right," Seris said. She ran downstairs to go get some stuff to clean the debris.


    Taren carried me, and Ria followed behind.


    "W-where are you taking him?" Ria said with a shaky voice.


    "I''m going to take him to the guest bedroom since his bed was destroyed."


    Both Ria and Taren got to the room, and it was just a simple bed with a desk and a window.


    Taren carefully laid me down on the bed and looked back at Ria. "If he doesn’t wake up tomorrow or stops breathing, then we’ll take him to the infirmary, but I think he should be fine."


    Ria was still shooken. "Fine, I trust you, Taren..."


    Taren looked back over to me. Please be okay, Tenshi. I won’t let my son die. I still have more to teach you and to show you, and I can’t fail being a father. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ***


    I would begin to see my past life.


    It would be two days after my parents died, and I did know, but I didn’t care, really. I did at first, but it went away quickly. I was currently playing some games, and I set the controller down to dig through the trash in my room. "Come on, where is it?" I said.


    I then picked out a bottle of beer. "There we go," I said as I opened the bottle since I had already drunk half of it. I drank the rest and threw the bottle in the other corner of the room. "Okay..." I mumbled.


    grabbed the controller to continue my game, but then I heard a knock on my door, but I didn''t care.


    "Hey! Open your fucking door!" The man said behind my door. I knew that voice, and it was my older brother.


    "Just leave the food outside; I’ll get it," I said while completely focused.


    My brother got more pissed off behind the door. "I’m not sending food, idiot! Why weren’t you at the funeral!?"


    I ignored him and said nothing.


    "They cared about you, and this is what you do!? We tried everything to get you out of this room to have a normal life, and this is what you do!? Now I’m done helping." He banged on the door. "You have one day to leave! Or else. I’m going to kick you out by force."


    I stopped the game and looked over at the door but shrugged it off and continued.


    "One day, you degenerate!" He shouted and banged on the door one last time and left.


    I grabbed my right arm as it started to feel weird. "Ah. The hell?" I spoke. As I blinked my eyes, I started to see dark


    "Ah!" I shouted as I opened my eyes. I was panting, but I quickly calmed down. I looked to my left and in front of me, and I saw the room was different. I was back in the body of Tenshi.


    It was dark and thundering rain outside. I looked to my right to see the window of the thundering rain, but I also saw my mother, Ria, asleep on a chair. Crap, more nightmares, what a classic. But man, I feel like I''m aching. What happened again? I questioned as I scratched my head since it was itching.


    I was thinking for a moment, and I remembered the whole light thing. Oh, right, but wow, I thought I died that time. I had a tear drop fall from my right eye. I wiped it with my right hand, and as I put my hand down, it felt like I had seen something off. "Was that... my hand?" I looked down at my hand, and it was bruised, and not just that, but my entire arm and right side of my body.


    "Huh...?" I was shocked, and then I panicked. "Ahh!!!" I started panting, and that made Ria wake up.


    "Oh my. Tenshi? Tenshi!" Ria quickly hugged me with a frightened and relieved look on her face. "You''re okay. In Maris''s name, thank you." I was nestled between her breast, but I wasn’t complaining other than it was hurting a little bit. "Ah, Mother, Relax, that hurts..."


    Ria loosened the hug. "Sorry, sweetie. I was just... So worried." Ria looked like she was about to cry.


    Guess it was that bad. Couldn’t even imagine what it looked like in her eyes. I hugged Ria back. "I’m sorry, mother; I didn’t mean to scare you like that."


    "No, don’t be sorry. It''s my fault for not checking on you more often. I assumed you were capable of handling things by yourself. I realize now that I was being a poor mother."


    Wow, that is just sad. I forgot that I’m a child in this world and guess I did look like I was an adult already. Seeing Ria freak out like this... I’m so sorry.


    Ria let go of the hug and had her hands on my shoulders and still had worry on her face. "But you''re feeling better, right? Do you feel like you need more healing?


    "Uh, no, I think I''m okay, Mother." I said with a small smile. I looked down at my arm. But why do I still look bruised? How does healing magic even work? I mean, it must be for healing, obviously, but I''m still bruised. I looked back at Ria with a smile again. Either way, I am glad to still be alive.


    "Okay then, that''s good." Ria hugged me again. "But you can''t scare me, your father, and Aunt Seris like that."


    I looked down with guilt. "I know, I''m sorry. I was just..."


    The door to the room creaked open, and it was Taren with a face of worry but not as much as Ria was. Ria and I would let go of the hug as Taren walked into the room and stood in front of the bed.


    "So... Are you feeling all right?" Taren asked.


    I nodded as I looked at him. This... Won’t be good to explain to him I bet... I thought.


    "Tenshi seems okay," Ria said. "I''m just confused about why my healing magic didn’t heal his bruising. It’s either I''ve gotten weaker, or this takes a more saint class or master class healing." Ria sighed at herself in disappointment.


    Ohhhh, guess that makes sense.


    Taren stood beside her and patted her on the back with a reassuring smile. "You did your best, and what matters is that Tenshi is alive." he then looked back at me with a more serious face. "Now, Tenshin."


    Oh crap, he said my actual name.


    "I want you to explain to me how this happened expect the truth."


    I hesitated for a moment, but then I spoke up. "I was just being stupid, and I hit myself on the floor very hard-"


    "Don’t lie to me." Taren spoke over me as he gave me a deadly stare. "When I was outside, I saw something through your window. It was a light, and I came into your room to see your body on the ground. Wanna know what I found?" I stayed silent. My heart felt like it was racing. Taren gave Ria a book, and it was none other than the magical guidebook I took from Ria.


    "Huh, what''s this?" Ria asked.


    "It''s your old guidebook; your guide that taught you magic."


    I was frozen, not knowing what to say next. All that was going through my head was, Annnd I am screwed. I’m hoping he doesn’t kill me, or I get kicked out and lose a family again.


    "So... You read through this book and learned magic?" Ria asked.


    I nodded with guilt.


    "What... What kind?"


    I don’t want to lie, but I have to do it. But who knows, I might tell them the truth one day. "It was... Lightning magic... spells." It was quiet for a short for a few seconds.


    Ria slowly started to smile and her mouth went opened and looked very happy. I was confused because only a few seconds ago, she was frightened about what happened to me. Ria then looked over at Taren with excitement and stood up. "Taren, can you believe it? All the destruction, and he''s only five years old! Don’t you understand. Our own son is an actual magician prodigy! that was at least an advanced or saint class! He has so much potential to be even the world''s best mage."


    Both Taren and I looked in shock at how happy Ria got in this situation. "Wait, hang on, we can’t just skip the subject," Taren said. "Don’t you realize Tenshi could’ve died!?"


    Ria sat back down and cleared her throat, "But of course, you shouldn’t lie to us, Tenshi."


    "And, Ria," Taren said. "The plan was that he would be a swordsman, and this is going too fast. Besides, I already showed him so much, I can’t stop now."


    Ria turned her head to Taren. "Yeah, but how was where we supposed to know he would have more potential to be a magician? Don’t you think it better for him to do what he''s good at?"


    Taren shook his head, "No way, Ria. A promise is a promise, and as they say. one who learns—"


    "Oh, don’t give me that swordsman talk crap or whatever," she said with annoyance.


    "Uh!?" Taren didn’t speak any further as Ria interrupted him. There was a small knock at the door, and it was Seris. Both Ria and Taren looked over at her.


    "I don’t mean to interrupt, but what if you let Tenshi choose?" Seris asked. "Or even train with a sword in one moment of the day and magic in the other."


    "Listen, Seris—"


    "I think that''s a great idea!" Ria interrupted then looking over at Taren. "I think it''s best, please, Taren. For Tenshi, our own son."


    Taren looked over at both Ria and Seris.


    "Also," Seris said. "I came in just to remind you that Tenshi’s room no longer has debris, and I just left the destroyed bed there," Seris said as Taren nodded.


    Taren then looked at me. Taren sighed, "Okay, fine... Tenshi. You can freely pick. You want to be a swordsman or a mage."


    "Wait, what? Just like that!? but you treated it like it''s a problem, Father. And can’t I just be good at both?"


    "Yes, you can. But being both, you can’t."


    I was starting to tilt my head in confusion. "Huh?"


    "You can train as both, but you can only go as one title, and that title can impact you heavily in the future even if you don’t see it right now. I want you to choose wisely, and I won’t stop you from having the title of a mage, but trust me, a title is bigger than you think, son."


    Huh, so it''s kind of like some MMO I played. Once you start the game, pick a race or be a swordsman, mage, or archer and whatnot, you are sometimes limited in the things you can and can’t do. The difference is that I can only use mage items or swordsman items, and usually gives me access and no access to a bunch of different things. So, if it is the whole access thing, then I really do have to choose wisely. I started to ponder, and then I came to a decision. "I think... I think I want to stay as a mage."


    Taren sighed, "Are you sure about that?"


    I nodded. "I think, I mean, I’m sure about this than ever."


    Ria then clapped her hands together. "Then it''s settled," Ria said as she got up from the chair. "Tenshi is officially going to start his journey of being a mage, just like his mother," Ria said with a big smile.


    Taren then looked over at her. "Right... So, I guess that means you are going to be the one teaching him?"


    Ria looked over at Taren and shook her head. "I wish I could, but I''m much rustier and busier than I was before, so I think someone more knowledgeable and stronger should teach Tenshi. He deserves the best training with the amount of potential he has."


    Taren nodded and got up. "All right, if you say so." Taren looked over back at me. "But remember, Tenshi, I will still teach you the ways of being a swordsman."


    I nodded, "Okay, father."  I then looked over to Ria. "But, uh, if you''re not going to teach me, then who is?"


    "Well, your father over here has some connections." Ria faced Taren. "Can you maybe ask Terits if there''s anyone willing to tutor Tenshi?" Taren itched the back of his head for a bit.


    "Well, I don’t think he would give me a hand with the money, but I''m sure it''s possible. I just need to tell him to give us someone cheap and proper to teach Tenshi well. All right, guess I’ll be writing a letter to him," Taren said. He looked back at me. "But Tenshi, I have one more thing to say."


    "Yes, father?"


    "I want you to listen well to what I''m about to say."


    I nodded, "Okay."


    Taren took a deep breath. "Just remember, it''s important to be confident and stand tall, but there are always bigger challenges out there. We all have our vulnerabilities, so it''s essential to approach everything with careful consideration. Remember, never underestimate anything until you''ve fully assessed it. Got it?"


    Why is he telling me this? Not like I’m going to fight someone anytime soon, I said to myself with confusion. I nodded, "I heard you loud and clear, father."


    "Good." Taren ruffled through my hair


    ***


    An hour passed by. The candles were out, and I was alone sleeping. It still kept thundering and pouring rain outside, and I still kept thinking back to what happened when I lost control of my light magic.


    The memory was vivid and couldn’t get out of my head. "Well... I think that was it... That was really Light God-type magic, at least, I think." I raised my right hand in front of my face and looked at the bruising. My mind felt like it wanted it to hurt, but it didn’t. It just felt weird. "So much damage to my body, I could’ve... I could’ve died... again." I laid my hand back down, and I kept thinking to myself, "That hug though... It felt more special than any other hug. I''m not sure why." I softly smiled. "Well, that felt nice, but I should get some sleep. I hope I don’t look like this forever." I quietly said.


    I turned around and went to sleep, hoping I wouldn’t get any nightmares as I always do.


    ***


    Taren and Ria were in their room in bed, and Taren looked like he was thinking. Ria looked at him.


    "Taren, is everything all right?" Ria asked.


    Taren snapped out of it and nodded. "Yeah, sorry. It''s just... I did feel overwhelmed by what happened that day."


    "To Tenshi?"


    "Yup. I just thought Tenshi knew exactly what he was doing for his age and then." Taren snapped his fingers. "I just didn’t expect to see the first big problem being something like seeing him nearly taking his final breath."


    Ria got closer and laid her head on Taren’s shoulder. "Yes, I was probably even more terrified. I''m surprised at how well you hid it. It feels like Tenshi became an adult two years ago. I thought to myself, ''I''m sure raising this child will be hard, or maybe something even harder than what I expected, but I''ll go through it no matter what.'' But it felt so easy, it confused me. It was so easy that it really did make me feel unprepared. Something so intense happened out of nowhere."


    Taren put his arm around her. "I think you did a great job handling the situation. I was just stood there. I''m kind of second guessing myself and wondering if I handled it correctly. I hope I didn''t come across as too serious after he woke up. But at the same time, I don''t want to overdo it and end up acting like my own father."


    "You know, I''ve never actually met him, but I truly believe that you''re way better than him. Just make sure you don''t end up with Tenshi hating you forever. I don''t think he does, though. I think he really looks up to you as long as you let him chase his dreams and not just what you want for him."


    Taren gave a soft smile. "Let''s get some rest."


    Ria nodded and blew out the candle.


    Ria looked back at Taren. "Seems like someone is too tired for some action. My, this is a first."


    "Then I guess this is a first in a while. Goodnight, Ria," Taren said as he turned around.


    "Goodnight, Taren." Both Ria and Taren closed their eyes and slept