《A Reaper's Tale》 Prologue: The Arrival Author''s Note: My first time writing a story. I''ll be interested in hearing your thoughts and suggestions. I wrote this at around 9pm and finished at 4am, so my imagination was all over the place. My idea for the protagonist is that he is the master of one aspect, but weak in other aspects. I also want to follow his re-integration into a strange world that he used to call home. In some ways he''s just like a soldier who''s returned from deployment. After spending so long fighting, he''ll find it difficult to change the way he thinks. Regardless, I hate writing prologues. I either write them too long or too short. This took up roughly 6 pages, so I clearly overdid it. I''ll reflect on it for next time.
Centuries ago, as humans reached the pinnacle of the industrial era, creatures known as the Vormun invaded the world. Hideous creatures sprouting numerous tentacles and eyes, one look would turn a weak man insane. Unlike humans whom relied heavily on technology, the Vormun utilised strange magic turning the laws of physics completely on their heads. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Darkness, Light, the magic the Vormun used allowed them to control such elements with ease. Despite fronting a fierce resistance, humans were no match for the sheer power the Vormun possessed. As such, hundreds of towns and villages were razed by these monstrosities. However, throughout all this, a sliver of hope emerged. The so called ¡°cursed children¡±, children born and mutated with the ability to use magic like the Vormun. But why cursed? Simply put, they were a hated existence. A child possessing the power of humanities enemy, it was a natural turn. Many people had seen their friends and family crushed by earth or burned alive with fire, to now see these children with the same power. It made them sick. The majority of cursed children possessed standard abilities corresponding with the elements. However, some possessed rare magic such as space, flight, detection. As such, the world¡¯s government issued a decree. That all cursed children should be declared and handed over directly to the military for use against the Vormun. The military trained these children vigorously, until they could finally enter the battlefield as a new special unit, codenamed ¡°Reapers¡±. Despite their young ages, they possessed incredible strength and control over their abilities. Allowing them to easy sweep entire cities full of Vormun. Leaving nothing but corpses in their path. Years passed and despite the intense fighting put forth by the reapers, it seemed as if the Vormun were endless. However, the reapers were not. Slowly, but surely. Their numbers decreased, leaving less than ten remaining. Becoming desperate, the government made a final move. The remaining reapers would drop deep into the Vormun¡¯s territory and make their way to the Queen. There, a space magic specialist would open a portal to the Vormun¡¯s world using the unique signature left behind by the defeated Vormun. The portal would then suck up anything possessing the Vormun¡¯s homeworld signature, including the queen. It was risky, however there was no longer any time. There were other cursed children, however they were far too young to enter the battlefield and waiting for them to grow up would simply take too long. Because of this, a few days later, the remaining reapers were dropped deep into Vormun territory. They were initially greeted with fierce resistance, the fighting lasted for days, but they kept pushing forward. Without realising it, the number of reapers was decreasing slowly. Until, only two remained. The space magic specialist, Will. With blonde hair, blue eyes and a short build, he appeared younger than he actually was and Lucan. A young boy with white hair and red eyes, resting a large farming scythe on his shoulders. ¡°Lucan, everyone else is...¡± - Will ¡°I know¡± - Lucan ¡°This is impossible! How can we even get close to the Queen!? We¡¯ve been fighting for 6 days straight and only just reached the outskirts of her nest!¡± - Will ¡°Calm down, Will¡± - Lucan Despite his words and calm demeanor, the boy called Lucan also felt this crusade was hopeless. To have lost 8 reapers before the main fight had started was a serious disadvantage. ¡°There¡¯s no turning back for us.....but you already knew that¡± - Will Showing a gloomy expression, Will crouched down and held his knees to his chest. The reapers were literally ¡°dropped¡± into the centre of Vormun territory by plane and so the only way back would be to fight non-stop until reaching the border. An impossible feat. ¡°It¡¯ll be ok. We just have to get close to the Queen and then you activate the portal. Once the Vormun are sucked into it, we can just walk out¡± - Lucan Lucan said with a smile. However, he knew reality was not so kind, such a simple solution would never go smoothly. ¡±......yes¡± - Will With a quiet voice, Will replied. It was clear he was still unsure of Lucan¡¯s words. He also knew it probably wouldn¡¯t be so easy, but all he could do was accept his fate. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We shouldn¡¯t delay any further¡± - Lucan Saying so, Lucan began walking towards the entrance of the nest, which led underground. ¡±.....yes¡± - Will Replying uneasily, Will rose to his feet, following closely behind Lucan. They transversed the nest for hours following each winding road to it¡¯s destination. Whenever a Vormun appeared, it was quickly dispatched with Lucan¡¯s scythe. Although the nest could be described as a labyrinth, it was fairly easy to navigate. They could tell they were closer to the Queen as the veins attached to the wall began to glow a stronger shade of red. Eventually, they were met with a door, it¡¯s throbbing motion made it seem alive. ¡°Something''s wrong...¡± - Lucan Lucan grimaced, they had met some resistance, but otherwise the nest defences were far too weak. ¡±....!¡± - Will Will grew instantly pale at Lucan¡¯s words. As a space magic specialist, he was not as versed in combat as Lucan and could not pick up on these things, so relied heavily on Lucan¡¯s guidance. ¡°It¡¯s most likely a trap....Listen Will, we don¡¯t have time to deal with this. We¡¯ll trigger their trap first, you just need to focus on setting up the portal. I¡¯ll handle the enemies somehow¡± - Lucan ¡±.....understood¡± - Will Despite his fear, Will gave a reply. The idea of walking into an enemy''s trap was not appealing, but he trusted Lucan to protect him, he had no other choice but to do so. ¡°Ready....3....2....1...Go!¡± - Lucan As he said so, Lucan ran straight for the door. Although flustered for a moment, Will caught up and followed closely.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Seemingly sensing their arrival, the door opened itself. As the boys ran through, what greeted them chilled them to the bone. A two storey tall Vormun with more than twenty eyes, numerous black spikes lined it¡¯s body. Attached to its rear was a long tube that was slowly laying black eggs. The Queen. Seeing them arrive, the Queen raised her head back and opened her mouth. ¡°GHAAAAAAA!!!¡± An ear splitting noise filled the air, immobilising the 2 boys. What followed was the sounds of chittering as hundreds of Vormun began to rush towards the Queen¡¯s chambers. The first to wake from his stupor was Lucan. ¡°Will snap out of it! You have to do it now!¡± - Lucan Slapping Will strongly across his cheek, Lucan prepared his scythe towards the approaching enemies. ¡°Ah...yes!¡± - Will Quickly understanding the situation, Will ran behind Lucan and began preparing the portal. It would require a considerable amount of time as Will had to search numerous worlds for the one with the correct signature ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn...¡± - Lucan Lucan muttered to himself, as a dark miasma began to form around his body, encompassing his scythe. The ground around Lucan slowly began to decay. This was the basis of Lucans power. Death magic. Magic that drew power from manipulating death. As the first Vormun entered the chamber, Lucan stamped hard on the ground, propelling himself forwards. With one slash, 4 Vormun instantly died. With the first set of enemies defeated, he quickly aimed his hand towards the tunnel they were emerging from, spreading out his Miasma, engulfing tens of Vormun, slowly turning them to dust. Seeing enemies coming from behind Will, Lucun quickly leapt backwards. The strength of his jump further increased by his magic infused cells. Before landing, he rotated the scythe in his hands vertically, creating a spinning blade of death that gouged the earth as it ripped apart the Vormun. ¡°Scouts¡± - Lucan Lucan showed an unpleasant expression. The enemies were weak, meaning the big ones were coming now. ¡°Will, how long?¡± - Lucan ¡°Ah...I don¡¯t know!.....¡± - Will A cold sweat had appeared on Will¡¯s forehead. It was considerably difficult to process such a large amount of data so quickly. ¡°I se--¡± - Lucan Cutting off his words, the ground began to shake causing him to lose balance momentarily. ¡±.....City Killer¡± - Lucan Showing a shocked expression for the first time, what appeared in front of Lucan was a type of Vormun known as a ¡°City Killer¡±. It¡¯s extremely high defence, coupled with his huge destructive ability meant it could wipe out a large city within an hour. ¡±.......no......¡± - Will Seeing the new arrival, Will¡¯s eyes lost their light as he fell into despair. ¡°Oi!...Your job is to build the portal, leave the big guy to me!¡± - Lucan Showing a confident smile, Lucan readied his scythe. His miasma would have barely any effect against this type of Vormun. So another type of attack would be necessary. ¡°Well, I could try that.....¡± - Lucan Muttering to himself again, Lucan raised his hand. Slowly, lights began to float above the fallen corpses of the Vormun, collecting in Lucan¡¯s hand. This was another ability of death magic, the ability to manipulate souls. Souls could be used in many ways, either for attacking or enhancement. Lucan chose the latter, considering he could not risk the one off attack not working. Sensing danger from Lucun, the city killer began charging its main beam weapon inside its mouth. ¡°Almost...¡± - Lucan A few seconds later the city killer¡¯s main beam weapon had finished charging and was shot immediately, seeing that, Lucan grabbed the ball of light and slammed it into his chest. Instantly, he shot forward slicing his scythe downwards. Despite having the power to destroy large cities with ease, the city killer¡¯s beam was divided into two neatly by Lucan¡¯s scythe. As soon as Lucan landed, the city killer tried to charge another beam. ¡°Like I¡¯d let you¡± - Lucan Charging forwards again, Lucan leapt into the air, slamming his foot into the city killer¡¯s head. At this point the enhancement was showing it¡¯s colours as the city killer was thrown sideways, with a shock wave spreading out from the impact zone. However, the city killer seemed to take no damage from the attack and swung his claws towards Lucan who was still in the air. Using his Scythe to throw his weight off balance, Lucan attempted to dodge, but failed. The full force of the city killer collided with his side, flinging him into the wall of the Queen¡¯s chambers with incredible force. ¡°GAH!¡± - Lucan Although initially stuck in the wall due to the power behind the throw, Lucan¡¯s body eventually unstuck itself. Causing him to fall, landing hard on the ground. Blood was dripping out of his mouth as the collision had caused severe damage to his internal organs. ¡±Haa....Haa.....A rookie mistake...¡± - Lucan Ridiculing himself through bated breath, Lucan tried to stand up. His enhancement had lessened the impact somewhat, but otherwise the damage was significant. Looking at the corridor where the scouts had come from, Lucan could hear heavy footsteps. ¡°Infantry¡± - Lucan In his current state he could not last long against infantry. Looking back at the city killer charging it¡¯s beam weapon once more aiming at him, he could only laugh. ¡°Hah....how unfair¡± - Lucan At 5 years old, Lucan had been taken from his family and forced into the military. Through years of hellish training he cultivated his ability to become a superb soldier, eventually joining the reapers at age 7. After fighting with the reapers for almost half a decade, he would lose his life at only 11. Having never had a real childhood. ¡°If there¡¯s truly a God in this world....agh...I hope I get the opportunity to tell you...hah...what a terrible job you¡¯ve done¡± - Lucan Smiling at his own hopelessness, Lucan accepted death. However, as he closed his eyes waiting for the end, something strange happened. ¡°I did it!¡± - Will With the shout from Will, Lucan opened his eyes. Since only the only enemy that was hostile was the city killer, and the city killer was occupied with Lucan, it allowed Will to work in relative peace. Next to Will was a large black portal with the consistency of water. Almost immediately, the eggs surrounding the Queen were sucked up by it. Seeing that, the city killer forcefully cancelled it¡¯s attack, as it to, like the eggs, was slowly dragged towards the portal. After a short while, the portal began to increase in strength, the infantry that had just arrived at the tunnel were instantly sucked into it one by one. Gradually increasing the size of the portal. Eventually, the city killer could no longer resist and was also sucked in. ¡°Lucan! The Queen!¡± - Will At Will¡¯s words, Lucan looked towards the Queen. Despite the incredible strength of the portal, she seemed to have resisted by firing her black spikes out creating a tethered rope to her main body. ¡±.....Damn¡± - Lucan Lucan knew the portal was strong, however it had reached it¡¯s limit and would most likely not grow strong enough to pull her off the walls. Seeing no other choice, Lucan resolved himself. Condensing his leaking miasma into his scythe, he forced his broken body to leap straight into the Queen. Before reaching the Queen, he swung his scythe towards the rope-like substance holding her in place. A black curved blade flung out of the scythe, immediately severing the majority of the ropes. But that still wouldn¡¯t be enough, using the last of his strength. Lucan collided with the Queen. The force of which, combined with the pull of the portal catapulted her towards the awaiting portal.....along with Lucan. The last words Lucan remembers hearing was the desperate shout of Will, before the portal closed behind him.
On that day, a massive blow was dealt to the Vormun. Although the portal could not suck in all the Vormun, it sucked in the Queen as well as the eggs, preventing further births, which was the main objective. With no Queen to increase their numbers, the Vormun were easily wiped out shortly thereafter. The space magic specialist Will was hailed as a hero and the reapers who fell in battle were honoured for their sacrifices. Despite the Vormun being annihilated, magic was still prevalent within the world and so rather than rebuild the world as before, leaving it weak towards any future attacks. It was decided that the new world would focus on cultivating the remaining magic. Will tried desperately to find a way to bring back Lucan, however it was decided that he most likely died after dragging the Queen into the portal and if he didn¡¯t, he would die shortly after in a world surrounded by enemies whilst heavily wounded. Giving up and with a heavy heart. Will accepted Lucan¡¯s death, leaving on his gravestone a mysterious metal box engraved with the phrase ¡°Novam Vitam¡± ¡°I give up, to stop them hassling me, I¡¯ll accept your death. In which case, this box might come in handy¡± - Will Staring at Lucan¡¯s gravestone Will showed a rare mischievous smile. After paying his respects, he turned around and began to walk away. And thus with the fall of the Vormun and the loss of the reapers, ended an era that would later be known as ¡°The Arrival¡±. Chapter 1: Reapers Return ¡°Will¡­.¡± - ??? Showing a lonesome expression, a young boy with red eyes and white hair of around 17 years of age was sitting atop a large slab of stone. In one hand, he held a strange black box and in the other, a large scythe which he leant against his shoulder. ¡°Novam Vitam¡­New life¡­..Will was always the intellectual type¡± - ??? A faint smile surfaced on the youngsters face as he reminisced of the past. This boy was in fact, Lucan. The reaper who had been once thought to be lost during the assault on the Vormun¡¯s nest. ¡°But what a strange device, how did it manage to send me back?¡± - Lucan With a quizzical expression, Lucan examined the box. It was to no surprise that he had never seen something like this before, the true nature of the box was that of a magic tool. Something created after the defeat of the Vormun using Will¡¯s unique space magic. ¡°Well, no matter. I¡¯m back now after so long, I should head for the capital¡± - Lucan Placing the box in a makeshift bag that had been transferred with him, Lucan looked around for the first time since arriving. There, he realised a shocking truth. ¡°.......where am I?¡± - Lucan He was in fact lost. Or to put it more accurately, he was right where he wanted to be. The boy in question however, did not notice that. Since abruptly arriving, his attention had been completely stolen by the black box. Looking around, what surrounded Lucan was a great number of stone slabs protruding out of the ground. The ground itself was marble, with the walls surrounding the slabs and even the roof following that same scheme. It appeared well maintained, leading Lucan to deduce it was either something used quite often, or something worthy of being preserved. Hopping off the stone slab, he looked down at the object he had so rudely been using as a stool. For your heroic sacrifice in saving the world from a calamity which threatened the very existence of humanity itself. May you rest in peace. Lucan ¡°It appears I¡¯ve been gone for quite a while, it¡¯s the natural turn of events¡± - Lucan Glancing further down from the inscription, Lucan noticed an engraving of a hooded face with two large scythes protruding from it¡¯s back. Looking around, many of the other slabs carried the same engraving. Analysing some of the names on each one allowed Lucan to finally understand where he was. ¡°This is our tomb¡­..the tomb of the reapers¡­...¡± - Lucan As an adept in death magic, Lucan was used to being surrounded by death. However, standing on solid ground, knowing his comrades are rotting underneath him gave him a strange sense of melancholy. Glancing once more at the stone slabs, one in particular caught his eye. For your heroic sacrifice in saving the world from a calamity which threatened the very existence of humanity itself. May you rest in peace. Will ¡°Did Will not make it out?....No, maybe I¡¯ve been gone longer than I thought¡± - Lucan Pondering for a moment, Lucan decided the latter was most likely. Despite Will¡¯s personality, he was good at avoiding danger. ¡°I won¡¯t waste this chance you¡¯ve given me Will¡± - Lucan Looking towards the stone, Lucan uttered those words to no-one. Despite knowing this, it made him slightly happy to have such words in the open. Turning about face and walking towards the large marble doors, Lucan attempted to push it open. Although he was equipped with the strong passive enhancement cursed children usually have, he could not budge the door an inch. ¡°What is with this door?¡± - Lucan Lucan was surprised. In the past, his normal enhancement meant he could easily destroy a wall just by exerting a small amount of force on it. So why was this door giving him so much trouble? Feeling strangely annoyed, Lucan activated his magic. Just like in the past, black miasma began to form around his body, leaking onto the floor. However, the thickness of this miasma was incomparable to the past. It¡¯s colour was also multitudes darker than before. The marble around him was already turning to dust, causing him to sink. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Lifting his arm, he lightly touched the centre of the door. As if commanded by that action, his miasma instantly spread out using his finger as the origin. In an instant, the door disappeared, turning to dust. Accompanying that, a large crashing sounded as a blue flash of light shone. However, it was over in an instant as well. Through the exit he had created, blinding light shone through. As his eyes adjusted, what spread out in front of him was a large city. ¡°What is this¡­.¡± - Lucan Lucan was momentarily shocked by what he saw. Not because he was impressed by how much humanity had grown, quite the opposite. What greeted him, was an assortment of european medieval houses overshadowed by a large castle. ¡°How could civilisation have de-evolved so much since the time I was active?¡± - Lucan In Lucan¡¯s time, even the poorest cities had access to the technologies brought forward during the industrial revolution. It was not an unusual sight to see numerous large factories spewing various dark coloured gases into the atmosphere. But here, the air was clean. There were no factories, just plain houses. Even the place he was standing right now was a beautifully large garden. ¡°Where am I?...¡± - Lucan Despite seeing his comrades graves, Lucan refused to accept reality. Will¡¯s tool must have taken him someplace else, this type of change was impossible. ¡°I need to look around more to understand the situation¡± - Lucan Even after being shocked so much, Lucan regained his calm demeanor. His years in military service had taught him that panicking is dangerous in numerous ways. Looking back once more at the epitaph erected in his comrades memories, Lucan began his journey towards the centre of town.
¡°What do you mean the barrier has been broken!?¡± - ??? Sitting atop an exorbitant golden throne adorned with various gems and jewels, sat a man with long white hair. Unlike Lucan¡¯s white hair, it was slightly darker from the effect of old age. His very presence exuded power. Causing the messenger whom had brought such news to shake slightly whilst still remaining kneeled. ¡°Yes your majesty¡­..It seems a short while ago, the barrier surrounding the crypt was completely destroyed by an unkno--¡± - ??? ¡°Investigate it immediately! That barrier was designed to prevent thieves from desecrating the graves of those ancient heroes. If we¡¯re too late, the public backlash would ruin our standing!¡± - ??? ¡°Yes your majesty. I will go right now!¡± - ??? Although shocked by the anger of the man, the messenger was not surprised. The heroes in question had saved the entire world and prevented the extinction of the human race. To have their graves desecrated under the watch of the king would cause a huge public outcry, possibly even a riot. After standing and bowing deeply, the messenger promptly left the room. Leaving the old man to his own thoughts. ¡°But to think¡­.something was capable of breaking such a barrier. But¡­.what¡¯s with the delay? It¡¯s been over 3,000 years since that memorial was created. If there was a method to break the barrier, it surely would have been discovered before now¡± - ??? Pondering for awhile with no conclusion, the king similarly left the room to enter into discussions with his advisors.
¡°......It¡¯s too quiet¡± - Lucan Was the first impression Lucan had of the marketplace he had just arrived at. Even though the marketplace was packed full, the silence felt deafening to Lucan¡¯s ears. It was in fact, quite lively. However, to Lucan who was used to the constant sounds of battle it was giving him a slight headache. ¡°Still...there¡¯s quite a difference¡± - Lucan Surrounding Lucan there were many different stalls lining each side of the street. From simple ones selling homemade sweets to more advanced ones selling swords and bows. The atmosphere was light and harmonious, quite different to the hopeless and dreary atmosphere that used to plague towns in the past. Children were happily playing tag in the streets, couples were admiring the good on display with linked arms, old men were sharing drinks and telling tales of the past. Seeing that brought a sense of warmth to Lucan¡¯s heart. Suddenly, as if to break the mood, a flash of light caught Lucan¡¯s eyes. Sensing the discharge of magic, he quickly turned to face the source. A young girl, around 16 years old with light blue hair and similarly blue eyes. Despite wearing a hooded robe, it was clear to see her features were well proportioned. In her cupped hand was a strong yellow flame, flickering with the wind. Rushing into action using his magic enhanced abilities, Lucan disappeared from sight causing the ground he was once at to crack slightly under the pressure. Appearing in front of the girl in an instant, he grabbed her hand and closed it around the flame. Causing the magic to disperse. ¡°What are you doing? You should never use magic where people can see it. They¡¯ll become scared¡± - Lucan The lack of emotion in his voice shocked even Lucan himself, it served to prove just how long it had been since he had spoken to another person. The girl showed a flustered expression for a moment and stepped back. However, upon hearing Lucan¡¯s words, she cutely tilted her head. ¡°Why would they be scared? It¡¯s not such an unusual thing?¡± - ??? ¡°Maybe not to you, but if normal people see a cursed child using magic near them, it might incite a mob¡± - Lucan ¡°......cursed child?¡± - ??? Confused at the unknown word, the girl tilted her head again, causing her hood to come loose off her head. Noticing the abnormality, Lucan jumped back slightly readying his scythe. ¡°What are you?¡± - Lucan Despite his cold voice, Lucan was in fact shocked. He did not notice it before as he was used to sensing it day and night, but this girl carried similar signatures to the Vormun. Furthermore, there was the abnormality on the girl¡¯s head. Animal ears. More precisely, ears that should belong to a cat. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s rude you know! Asking someone what they are!¡± - ??? Seeing the girl become agitated and not wanting to take any chances, Lucan activated his ability. Although conflicted for using his ability after chastising the girl for using hers, the situation was different. If she really was a Vormun, these people would be in danger if he held back. The aftereffects will be dealt with in due course. Just as before, black miasma instantly surrounded him. The surrounding people who saw this moved away with frightened expressions. The colour instantly drained from the girl¡¯s face as she began to slowly back up. Following that pattern, Lucan stepped forwards, keeping the distance between him and the girl the same. ¡°Explain. What are you?¡± - Lucan The question was repeated, however the girl seemed unable to speak due to fear. ¡°Why do you carry the signature of the Vormun?¡± - Lucan Realising his error, Lucan changed the question. If you suddenly ask someone what they are, they¡¯d be pressed to find the correct answer. ¡°....Vormun?¡± - ??? Although trembling with fear, the girl managed to speak. However, not an answer, but a question. Seeing his interrogation was going nowhere, Lucan began to think of other ways to get her to speak. After thinking for a short while, he had an idea. But just as he was about to try this new angle, he was interrupted by a domineering voice. ¡°You there! Relinquish your weapon immediately¡± - ??? Looking towards the origin of the voice, a middle aged man wearing silver embellished plate armor was aiming a long sword towards him. The centre of his chest was decorated with an emblem, showing a lion with large wings. On each of his sides stood identically dressed men holding lances. ¡°Guards¡± - Lucan Lucan initially thought them to be soldiers, but judging by their demeanor and the way they spoke. It would appear they¡¯re guards instead. It was obvious that they came to arrest him. Without context it would appear as if a boy was using his ability and weapon to bully a young girl. ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake. This girl has traces of the Vormun inside her. She¡¯s not human¡± - Lucan ¡°I don¡¯t know what this Vormun is, but isn¡¯t it obvious she¡¯s not human? are you perchance blind? She¡¯s clearly a beastkin¡± - ??? At the man¡¯s words Lucan became confused. However, upon looking around at the faces of the bystanders. He noticed that none of them were scared of the girl, even after knowing what she is. They were far more scared of him. ¡°I apologise, it was my mistake¡± - Lucan Although unwilling to give up, Lucan realise the situation was bad. If he killed the girl here, he would have to escape and then would never be able to return to this city. Besides that, looking at the girl again, she did not seem dangerous. She may carry traces of the Vormun, but she seemed oblivious to that fact. Even after being threatened, she didn¡¯t attack him. Rather, right now she appears to be crying. If that¡¯s the case, then the fault lied entirely with him. Cancelling his ability, Lucan lowered his scythe to the ground and raised his hands into the air. The man who had come to arrest Lucan was initially perplexed at how compliant he was, however he decided to accept his graces and swiftly slapped metal restraints on Lucan¡¯s wrists. After ordering his companions to collect the scythe, he escorted Lucan through the crowd of people, disappearing into the guard¡¯s post. Chapter 1: Reapers Return - Arias P.O.V My name is Aria, a 16 year old beastkin of the cat tribe. As I¡¯m not a noble, I bear no surname. Due to the holidays, I¡¯ve been neglecting my magic studies and decided to go to the marketplace to practice. Why the marketplace? Simply put various types of travellers and merchants pass through there. Often mages also go looking for rare artifacts brought by adventurers, it¡¯s the perfect place to gather tips on magic control. I quickly grab my hooded cloak and put it on. There¡¯s generally no discrimination against beastkin here, but some travellers still seem to hold prejudice. So as not to cause unnecessary trouble, I raise the hood over my ears and make my way to the marketplace. As I set myself up in a small corner, a strange sight catches my eye. A boy roughly my age with white hair and red eyes. Although slightly pale, he was considerably handsome, to the point where he could even rival the imperial prince. However that wasn¡¯t what was strange, the odd thing was the fact that the boy was carrying a scythe. It was not unusual to carry weapons around the marketplace, but scythes are considered farming tools, they¡¯re incredibly unbalanced as weapons. Since he didn¡¯t seem to be doing anything strange or dangerous, I decided to instead focus back on my magic training. My primary element is fire, so I conjure an image of a candle flame in my mind. Following that, I raise my hand outwards and imagine the flame appearing in my hand. Suddenly, a small yellow flame appears, hovering slightly above my cupped hand. Yellow is considered the weakest flame colour, despite practicing magic for so long, I¡¯m still unable to change it. Whilst focusing on the flame, I suddenly feel the air move in front of me, the flame flickers in response to that. Looking up, I meet eyes with the boy from before. His red eyes are really beautiful, like rubies. Despite the beauty, I feel a strange darkness welling behind them. Wait...when did he get here? Seeing how close he was to my face, I became flustered and tried to step back. Without speaking a word, the boy grasps my hand holding the flame and closes it. The flame instantly disappears. ¡°What are you doing? You should never use magic where people can see it. They¡¯ll become scared¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He says as such with a calm voice, but why does it matter? I¡¯m not disturbing anyone and what does he mean by scared? I tilt my head in confusion. It¡¯s just a small flame, most people can conjure something of his level or slightly below by the time they turn ten years of age. When I reply as such, he reprimands me. ¡°Maybe not to you, but if normal people see a cursed child using magic near them, it might incite a mob¡± Cursed child? What¡¯s that? I assume he¡¯s referring to me, but I¡¯m not cursed you know? I¡¯m also not a child anymore. I tilt my head to the unknown words. Without realising it, my hood has become loose, slipping off my head. The boy who notices my ears poking out jumps backwards and aims his scythe at me. ¡°What are you?¡± Ah, could he be one of the guys I¡¯m always told to avoid? However, this doesn¡¯t feel like discrimination. It¡¯s more like he genuinely doesn¡¯t know what I am. Perhaps he¡¯s never seen a beastkin before? I feel pity for him, but I won¡¯t let him off easy. He¡¯s been saying such mean things without any expression, like he doesn¡¯t even care! When I shout at him, his eyes quickly sharpen as the temperature around him instantly lowers. Shivers run down my spine as an ominous black fog seeps from his body. The fog hits the ground, eroding away the floor as if it¡¯s nothing. I feel the blood escape my face, as my body trembles. Scary¡­...this guy is scary¡­.. I try to back away, but he keeps moving closer. ¡°Explain. What are you?¡± His voice seemed to have dropped a few degrees as his eyes glow an ominous blood red, different than the beautiful jewels from before. I try and reply, but I can¡¯t make a sound. Fear has stolen my voice. ¡°Why do you carry the signature of the Vormun?¡± His words are confusing. What does he mean Vormun? Despite my fear, I somehow manage to voice my confusion. The boy who sees this sinks into deep thought. After a short while, he seems to have come to a conclusion, but before he can take a step closer to me-- ¡°You there! Relinquish your weapon immediately¡± Just in time! The guard captain has arrived with two subordinates. The boy doesn¡¯t seem to mind that they guards have arrived, he¡¯s calmly staring them down. ¡°Guards¡± After saying such as if to confirm it, his attitude changes and becomes compliant. I guess even people like him respect the guards. ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake. This girl has traces of the Vormun inside her. She¡¯s not human¡± I¡¯m not human though, I¡¯m a beastkin. The guard captain voices my displeasure to the boy. At those words, the boy looks around the marketplace at the faces of the bystanders. He seems to be thinking about something. ¡°I apologise, it was my mistake¡± Surprisingly, he apologises to me whilst staring at my eyes. Prompted by that action, I touch the area near my eyes. When did I begin crying? The boy immediately cancels his ability and lowers his scythe to the ground. Did I really seem that pitiful? As soon as his ability is cancelled, I feel a huge weight fall off my body as the temperature returns to normal. His normal appearance shows itself again. Yes, I much prefer this one. The guards then collect his equipment, as the captain escorts him back to the guard post. Some of the surrounding travellers go over to me to see if I¡¯m ok. When I say I am, they return to what they were originally doing. I¡¯m not really harmed in at all. Besides, I think it was all just a misunderstanding. The boy seemed confused at my appearance. Perhaps he comes from a faraway village which is only occupied by humans? Accepting that as the answer, I decide magic practice is over for today. Looking towards the location the boy was once at, my blood runs cold as I remember something. Just what was that magic? The ground appeared to vanish under the boy like it was nothing. I have the strange feeling that if I had touched the fog, I¡¯d have disappeared too. My body trembles unconsciously at the idea. With those sinister thoughts in mind, I begin the arduous walk back home. Chapter 2: The New World Sitting in the interrogation room of the guard post allowed Lucan ample time to think. The girl from before was certainly not human, the guards had even referred to her as beastkin. But it was strange. It was clear she was carrying the same signatures as the Vormun, but she didn¡¯t appear to be one of the Vormun herself. Saying that, cursed children carry the same signature albeit a less pronounced one. However unlike that girl, cursed children don¡¯t change physically because of it. Whilst engulfed in such thoughts, the door to the interrogation room opened, a young man in the latter half of his twenties walked in. He was dressed gaudily in a white and gold robe. A perfect match for his blonde hair and blue eyes. Two guards followed closely behind. ¡°So it¡¯s him?¡± - ??? Seeking confirmation, the young man turned his head to the guards behind. ¡°That¡¯s right sir. By the time we got there, he appeared to be threatening a little girl with a scythe. He had some eerie black fog falling off his body¡± - Guard ¡°That¡¯s enough, thank you. I¡¯ll take it from here, you can wait outside¡± - ??? ¡°But sir, this boy...¡± - Guard ¡°I said it¡¯s fine. Or are you doubting the abilities of a mage appointed by the royal family?¡± - ??? ¡°Never sir! I¡¯ll oblige with honor¡± - Guard Bowing deeply, the two guards left the room, closing the door behind them. Grabbing a chair from under the table, the young man sat in front of Lucan, staring into his eyes. ¡°Shall we start with self introductions? I am an imperial mage under the command of the royal family, Fendrel Belmonte¡± - Fendrel Showing an attitude fitting that of someone of high peerage, the young man introduced himself. ¡°Lucan. What is a mage?¡± - Lucan In comparison, Lucan replied half-heartedly, disregarding the atmosphere. ¡°Lucan is it? Interesting. I¡¯ll explain everything in due time, but for now. Let¡¯s make sure no-one interrupts us¡± - Fendrel Following his words, Fendrel raised his right hand into the air. A glowing white orb immediately appeared in it, then rapidly expanded, covering the entire room. Sensing the magic, Lucan had already prepared himself to attack Fendrel, despite the fact that his hands were bound. However, upon seeing that the magic was not aimed at him, he lessened his caution somewhat. ¡°Sorry if I startled you. I used wind magic to prevent our voices reaching outside¡± - Fendrel Lucan was not well versed in wind magic, but he had studied the sciences whilst in the military. It was entirely possible to prevent or at least lessen how far vibrations travel in the air by manipulating air particles. ¡°From your name, choice of weapon and appearance. I have a vague idea of who you might be. But, the person in question should be long dead by now. All that¡¯s left are records detailing his exploits. So please verify, are you Lucan of the reapers?¡± - Fendrel Fendrel was showing an excited expression after hearing Lucans name and was now leaning forward, anxiously awaiting his answer. ¡°Yes. Now explain. Where am I? What has happened since I¡¯ve been gone?¡± - Lucan Lucan had no need to hide his identity if it could get him what he wanted, without a moment''s delay, he revealed it. ¡°Ah! You really are! The guards from before said you were speaking incoherently about the Vormun and such! It¡¯s an honour to meet you!¡± - Fendrel Looking like a kid who had met Santa Claus for the first time, Fendrel immediately stood up and tried to shake Lucan¡¯s hand. However, realising his hands were bound and it was futile, he looked sorrowful. Remembering Lucan¡¯s question, Fendrel quickly sat back down. ¡°About that...how long do you think has passed since you¡¯ve been gone?¡± - Fendrel ¡°Since I¡¯ve been gone, perhaps around 30 years?¡± - Lucan Hearing Lucan¡¯s answer, Fendrel¡¯s face cramped. ¡±.....Lucan, it¡¯s been over 3,000 years since you defeated the Vormun Queen¡± - Fendrel ¡°I see¡± - Lucan Despite his calm reply, Lucan¡¯s mind was disorderly. He had been gone for much longer than he had thought, by now everyone he had knew would be dead. Sensing Lucan¡¯s mood, Fendrel continued talking. ¡°After the Vormun Queen was defeated, the Sage returned a lone survivor and the reapers were hailed as heroes. Oh! By the way, the Sage is a reaper named Will. He gave us many different technologies using his unique space magic. Including gates for instant movement and item bags for carrying large amounts of materials--¡± - Fendrel Although shocked to hear of Will¡¯s exploits, it brought a sense of wholeness to Lucan whom had worried about his fate after the battle. ¡°What of that girl? What is she?¡± - Lucan Seeing Fendrel was becoming too absorbed in speaking of Will, Lucan attempted to change the subject. ¡°Ah, that girl. She¡¯s what people refer to a beastkin. Lucan, I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve already noticed, so I¡¯ll give a brief explanation. For some reason, after the defeat of the Vormun the same energy that gave birth to the reapers was released into the atmosphere causing many mutations. In particular, some animals and beasts mutated into frenzied monsters who attack anyone who gets too close. However, some of those animals and beasts mutated into humanoids, becoming a large variety of races such as that beastkin girl¡±- Fendrel ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make any sense does it? Even if that girl is originally a mutated cat, she should have fur and different eyes right? Why does she have human skin and eyes? Also, our mutations were not physical, but magical, so why was it different this time around?¡± - LucanLove what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°You¡¯ve hit a sore spot right there. To put it simply, we don¡¯t know. There¡¯s not many records remaining of what happened back then. The common theory is forced evolution. The primitive beastkin were given very short lifespans so that they could evolve at a much faster rate. Since they were originally humanoid anyway, they evolved continuously until they started to look similar to humans¡± - Fendrel ¡°So beastkin have short lifespans?¡± - Lucan ¡°That¡¯s the strange thing, they don¡¯t. Either our theory is wrong, or something happened in the past to extend their lifespans. In the current age, beastkins live as long as or at least slightly longer than the average human¡± - Fendrel Seeing Lucan absorbed in thinking about something, Fendrel patiently waited. ¡°The energy that caused such mutations, was it¡¯s point of origin the nest?¡± - Lucan ¡°No, we believe the energy originated a large distance away from the nest¡± - Fendrel Lucan had initially thought that perhaps the nest had some sort of failsafe embedded into it, should the queen disappear. However, that does not seem to be the case. ¡°Putting that aside, that girl was using magic, but no-one seemed bothered by it, why is that? Aren¡¯t cursed children hated here?¡± - Lucan ¡°Cursed...? I¡¯ve never heard that expression before. What are cursed children?¡± - Fendrel Seeing Fendrel¡¯s confused expression, Lucan explained. ¡°It¡¯s the name given children born with the abilities to use magic, like the Vormun. They¡¯re cursed because they carry the same blood as the enemy¡± - Lucan ¡°What is that!? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing before, the records make no reference to it!¡± - Fendrel From Fendrel¡¯s response Lucan suddenly realised. To prevent themselves looking bad for future generations, the world government must have omitted the parts about cursed children from the records. ¡°I need to write this down immediately, is it ok!?¡± - Fendrel ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, for now answer my question¡± - Lucan Grabbing a pen and paper from somewhere inside his robe, Fendrel began making notes. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard that in the past, only the reap- cursed children possessed such abilities and they were only limited to one element. However nowadays, everybody can use magic to some extent, most can use all elements. Saying that, there¡¯s not as many unique ability users. Especially ones who can manipulate natural laws¡± ¡°Is there a reason why most people can use all elements?¡± - Lucan ¡°Apparently, the cursed children who were too young to battle grew up and had normal lives. Their children inherited their abilities. In some cases, cursed children had babies with each other. In which case, the child inherited both parent¡¯s elements. After 3 centuries, every human ended up possessing magic¡± - Fendrel ¡°What about unique ability users?¡± - Lucan ¡°As I said before, there¡¯s not many. Unique abilities can not be passed down through the generations and are only useable by one person. Natural law users such as yourself are even more rare¡± - Fendrel Hearing that unfamiliar term again, Lucan could not help but ask. ¡°What exactly are natural law users?¡± - Lucan ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Natural laws are just as you might think, laws which occur in nature that all living beings must follow. Such as your ability, death. The sage''s ability was also considered an obscure natural law, space. The users of which have the ability to freely manipulate these laws¡± - Fendrel Lucan had never heard such a thing before. His ability was certainly unusual in comparison to other unique abilities, but he felt that it was still within the realms of reason. Then again, controlling death would probably sound absurd to a normal person. Suddenly remembering something, Lucan raised his voice. ¡°Why has everything de-evolved so? In the past most towns had at least one or two factories. But here, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any advanced technology anywhere?¡± - Lucan ¡°The answer to that question is supposed to be secret......but I guess you¡¯ll figure it out eventually. The ancient records state that after the Vormun had been eradicated and other children began displaying magical talent, the world¡¯s government converged on the capital for a secret meeting. There, they drafted plans to reform the entire world. Since many towns and cities had already been reduced to rubble, changes could be implemented whilst rebuilding. The new towns and cities would focus more on magic than technology. The reason being that if the Vormun ever attacked again, magic should have advanced leaps and bounds enough to more easily deal with them, than when the world focused more on technology¡± - Fendrel ¡°So why did the girl look confused when I mentioned the Vormun?¡± - Lucan ¡°That¡¯s because....¡± - Fendrel Hesitating for a moment, Fendrel steeled himself and continued. ¡±.....during the meeting I stated previously, it was decided to hide the existence of the Vormun from future generations. This was for numerous reasons. Firstly, the new races that had sprung up carried the same signatures as the Vormun, it could cause severe discrimination later on. Then, if the Vormun ever did attack again, they may decline helping human settlements. The second reason is due to the sage...The sage was able to create a portal to the Vormun¡¯s home world, if another natural law or unique ability user had the same or similar ability, they may try and do the same¡± - Fendrel ¡°I see¡± - Lucan Lucan could understand the reasons, it was quite logical. One reason was to gather allies for if the Vormun ever attacked again and the other was to prevent it from happening in the first place. ¡°Going back to the previous conversation, couldn¡¯t you still use technology, but focus on magic?¡± - Lucan ¡°The records state it was considered. However, magic is more efficient than technology by a large amount. Furthermore, in order to use both technology and magic you¡¯d have to split the number of specialists in two. Ones who focus on magic tools and ones who focus on technological tools. In the end, magic would not advance fast enough, technology would hold it back. Nowadays, things considered modern technology in your time are considered ancient relics here. There''s currently no-one who knows how to repair them, so there¡¯s rarely any unbroken items. The complete ones seem to be coveted by high ranking nobles¡± - Fendrel ¡°One last question. Where exactly am I?¡± - Lucan Hearing Lucan¡¯s question, Fendrel could not help but chuckle. To ask such a thing this late of a time. ¡°Why the imperial capital of course¡± - Fendrel Smirking a little, Fendrel replied as such. After getting his fill of answers, Lucan began to process the information he had been given. His current situation could be summed up as follows. He was now 3,000 years into the future, magic is prevalent here and there exists multiple new races that coexist with humans. Seeing Lucan in deep thought, Fendrel spoke up. ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot to take in, so we¡¯ll should end the questioning here¡± - Fendrel Although he had further questions, they were not urgent and he could probably find time to ask them at some point in the future. ¡°We have prepared a room for you in the castle, the king will want to speak with you in the morning¡± - Fendrel Snapping his fingers, Fendrel dispersed the magic surrounding the room. After walking to the door and whispering something to the guards. He sat back down. ¡°Your scythe and bag will be returned to you. Do try and avoid using your weapon in town unless you have absolutely no choice¡± - Fendrel ¡°Understood¡± - Lucan As Lucan responded, a guard walked in holding a scythe and bag. After receiving them Lucan fashioned a makeshift back sheath out of spare rope in his bag and slotted his scythe into it. He had never needed to put his weapon away before. ¡°Ah, before we go Lucan. I¡¯ve been desperate to know, where exactly have you been these past 3 millennia?¡± - Fendrel In an instant, the atmosphere around Lucan became strange. Fendrel¡¯s words had caused an abnormal change in Lucan. His face had turned completely pale and he began to tremble uncontrollably. ¡°Where......where have I....why can¡¯t I.....¡± - Lucan Lucan¡¯s mind was in disarray. His head felt both hot and cold as terror swept his body. ¡°Lucan...Oi...are you ok?¡± - Fendrel It appeared as if Fendrel was saying something, however Lucan could no longer hear him. An image suddenly flashed before his eyes, a vile monster was towering over Lucan¡¯s body, it¡¯s appearance was madness inducing, so vile it could not be described. Looking down, Lucan noticed his internal organs were hanging out of his body, as numerous spikes penetrated his torso. ¡°Why....why.....why....¡± - Lucan Whilst repeating the same words over and over like a mad man, Lucan promptly lost consciousness.