《Zarif's Story》 0.01 0.01 Zarif took glances around him,as athin rat-like taildrooped down behind him andsweptup dirt, creating little noise. A whip struck his back and he doubled over, falling into the pile of pig excrement. ¡°Move it!¡± The large orc shouted at him, and Zarif struggled to rise from the smelly odour that clamped upon his open wounds. His long black hair that was beyond recognition has never seen cleanliness in the past decade. Zarif¡¯s stick arms raised the shovel to start heaving up piles of shit onto the iron cart, but he froze solid as a whip finally broke through the inner layer of skin and greeted his bones with a scorching kiss. Doubling over once again, he lost consciousness as the orc became a god of wrath. The orc¡¯s slobbering roar enticed the other guards to join in, and they poured all their might into their hands. They already knew that a life will be leaving soon, so they unleashed all might strength to rip out chunks of flesh and decimate the soon to be corpse. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The ground around Zarif vibrated each time a whip slapped against his body, that it literallylifted Zarifoff the ground for a fraction of a second, before being struck down to smooch the dirt once again with the snap of twigs. Zarif¡¯s heart thumped repeatedly as adrenaline shocked his whole body into a state of super focus. It only increased the pain. Zarif started to hear and feel crevices erupting across his whole skin, as blood splurted all over his surroundings. His jaw slacked and a soft and quiet voice was released, ¡°haaaa¡± Not one orc heard his pained voice that finally spoke out in protest against pain. But that was it, the final breath of Zarif escaped his mouth and his eyes became dead. No light entered his eyes any more as he lay dead in the encirclement of happy orcs. ¡°Let¡¯s play with him for a bit¡± They descended upon his scarred body like crows. They ripped off the already tattered clothing and began their feast... 0.02 0.02 In the corner of my eye, I spot it! A wild medicine slime! ¡°DAD!!!¡± I shouttowardsfather who is standing a few steps away, otherwisehe would notfeel a sense of need topanic. These slimes are quick at rolling around andfollow instinct alone, it may have already noticed my gaze. ¡°Hurry!¡± I point my finger towards the green-ish blue slime stuck in the bush, seeming transparent and hard to spot. Plus, if you had father¡¯s bad eyesight, you would not be able to see it at all, even if it was right in front of you. In particular, my eyesight is the undisputed number 1 best in the whole village, even the boys can¡¯t see as good as me. Place a feather in front of me, and I will see it even when I am moving. ¡°You startled it!¡± Unfortunately, my blessed eyesight is not something carried within blood - maybe it¡¯s something only geniuses have - since my father thinks it has run away. When in fact, it has only dropped inside the inner covering of the shrub. ¡°Dad, jump into the bush, it¡¯s hiding!¡± Following my command, he immediately jumps into the bus- or should I say, my surroundings became the bush as I am thrown inside by father¡¯s heavy arm. However, now is not the time to think about how wasteful large arms are in terms of agility and speed. I need to catch this little runt. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± The urgent order of my father makes me freeze, and I could hear the panic in his voice. The bush may have held more than that slime, and maybe a large venomous snake that will attack if I move too suddenly. But¡­ A large net captures me and I cannot move, as I am hauled out the bush by a smiling block-head. I am going to hit him really hard for doing this, but I finally know why he did. The slime was right under my bum! Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Okay, grab the slime gently and make sure not to pop it.¡± I do as I have always done with these walking herbs and ignore my father¡¯s annoying voice. Grabbing the overgrown-meatbun, I cover it in a blanket to stop it from being slippery and tie it in a knot. Since slimes are living beings too, I let it see light and breathe by poking a hole through the blanket. I could see it¡¯s frightened little eyes darting to and fro. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you are going to meet your friends soon.¡± First, we need to catch some more of these in preparation for winter. Catching up to father who is waiting on the other side of the field, I notice a boy walking towards us. I look at father and see confusion and sadness, does father know the boy? Why is daddy sad? I glance at the boy and greet myself, only for the boy to walk past me with a stinky smell. He looked very arrogant and disrespectful, so I turn around and shout at him. ¡°He-¡± My voice freezes up as I notice the same boy continue to walk away from us, his whole back a complete contrast from his rough front. Ripped flesh, white sticks, blood...my face is grabbed and I am looking forward again. ¡°Keep walking, forget what you saw.¡± Father is really serious this time, his voice is deepand not playful anymore. It makes me feel left out, I don¡¯t know what is going on, so someone please tell me. I ask father in hopes of learning a little. ¡°Why?¡± But he starts walking faster, making me catch up and leave the boy behind. I stop and look back, the boy is on the ground now, face planted down. I notice a long stick protruding from his bottom, it drooped over him like a flag. ¡°Dad, why is he sleeping?¡± I am forced into his arms, and he starts running. The slime bouncing up and down in the little bag, seemingly enjoying being in the arms of something fast¡­ Blue, tear-shaped bubbles were left behind as father ran. They dropped to the ground and splashed. The boy did not rise again... 0.03 0.03 Running through the night of the forest, I curse loudly in front of my subordinates. ¡°Overprotective coward.¡± And I can¡¯t help but remember the face he wore as he told me all about his daily adventure. He continued to speak with an obviously forced poker face as he described a diseased child that fell prey to beasts, donning enough scars to cover the night sky with his back. ¡°Then, have you brought him to the infirmary.¡± His face cracked, and I could physically feel the dread - or is it guilt - wrapping around him as his body shook, and he slowly shook his head. Fortunately, he finally left with a battered face, otherwise he would be making the infirmary his new home. ¡°Spread out and search every stone and crevice.¡± Gusts of wind brushed by me as they proceeded with their orders, faithful and silent in their tasks. I raised my chin and focused my hearing on every little sound. A dying child is the same as a dying generation, especially when the one in question has the blood of beasts within him. I needed to give him a longer thrashing. Removing my boots, I walk upon the soft ground and feel the dirt resisting my pressure. I need to calm down, nature doesn¡¯t need to be tamed and it never will be. Stretching my toes and feeling the earth once again, I am delighted to find a feeling of coexistence and no longer one of opposition. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. My senses enlighten and I feel pulses all around me, they land upon me and I accept them all with open arms. Opening my eyes, I start as a beast shrouded in darkness stares into eyes. It, hiding most of its body underneath a tree where only the eyes were clear, but ¡°clear¡± the beast¡¯s eyes were not. It feels as if I am staring at a hollow shell. I do not feel this one''s pulse at all, even as I am staring at it directly. Although I do not feel hostility emanating from this beast, I still make the first move and mount it from behind. It falls easily with audible snaps and I straddle it, placing the tip of my dagger near the location of where the eyes were. It shows no resistance and it ended all far too easily. However, I started to feel a sticky substance covering my right hand. Not easing the pressure on my dagger, I sniff my hand and almost faint. Vomit, pus, shit, death...what is this creature made of. Dismissing the sticky substance, I quickly swipe my hand over the body in order to identify it. Sharp, skinny, rough. Is this a baby spider? No, spiders have more than two eyes. I really don¡¯t know when, but the moonlight had struck the surroundings and increased the brightness slightly. Andit was enough for meto make out the creature lyingunder me. Hisfaint pulse resonating around me, made meregain composure. A demi-human with a tail like that of a sickle. I found the child- corpse. 0.04 0.04 Packing my utensils away into drawers, I get ready to depart as I haul my coat over my shoulder. In conclusion, there had not been a lot of work today, a swollen eye and the bruises of some children playing carelessly. The day¡¯s restock fell a little short, so more work tomorrow it seems. If only Hearald was as diligent in his gathering as he is in protecting his daughter, then I would never be needing to worry about the stock. Luckily, we are not situated in the middle of any battle or surrounded by bandit encampments, otherwise we would have run out of herbs ages ago. However, you have to sympathize with Hearald as even I would protect my family if it means sacrificing my life, but being paranoid about every little thing is something I will not do. And I trust my family to protect themselves on their own. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Doctor¡± I turn to face the patient room and hear the low sobs of a man. ¡°What is wrong?¡± Hearald had suggested staying the night, so I didn¡¯t oppose his decision. There seemed to have been stuff going on behind the scenes, and I wouldn¡¯t want my wife seeing me all beaten up either. But...could there have been other motives? ¡°Can I speak to you about something?¡± He asks, ¡°I won¡¯t speak a word to anyone about it.¡± and I respond. He proceeds to tell me his story, and I was confused at first, but also glad that my worryful assumption that he had cheated was not true. I prepare an extra bed and unlock the front door. I start to take out most of my utensils, and I even took out a few precious herbs in preparation for what is to come next. It is better to be prepared than not to even start, and the boy might not be dead yet¡­ The nightingale barges into the infirmary and I swoop into action. 0.05 0.05 It did not take long for the boy to rouse after receiving the medicine, and I had been overlooking him the whole time, so he could not make a racket as I lightly restrained him to the bed. And endlessly waited for his screams that never came, as a protest against such unfamiliar surroundings. ¡°It will be alright boy, nothing will harm you again.¡± I tried to coax him into revealing his sorrow. I rubbed his head, spoke warmly, shared my warmth, and done everything I could think of to get emotion out of this young corpse. No, I might have thought too much about it, but this boy is not a corpse. How could I, part of the elite band within the village, make such an assumption. It would contradict my position if I kept thinking so. They were so beautiful that I may have ended staring at him, but the boy did not seem to care or even process anything. [His Eyes] seemed to hold the abyss within them, just like all eyes before they are met with death. However, this boy is in no way close to death, and neither is a disease plaguing his insides. The doctor said so himself. Therefore, such a sight as those misty evil-looking eyes were a rare sight on a living being. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I lean forward and place my forehead against his, trying to feel the pulse that came ever so slowly from within his heart. Coming slow and loud before descending down into silence, and repeating the process. It didn¡¯t change whatsoever. Too perfect. Broken. This boy is broken. I dropped the unresponsive body onto the bed and marched outside, to begin my walk towards the Elder Mansion. I took this time to slow my thoughts and my racing heart, down to a similar level of that [Boy¡¯s]. That pulse was perfect, the start and end of the wave were a complete mirror of each other. No change at all. Surely, to rise in rank, I would have to reach that kind of pulse in order to obtain my next breakthrough. A pulse that resembled that of a corpse, calm and undying, but would blink out of existence in an unexpected instant. Even so, the morning all so spreading its rays across the village, but naray a soul to be felt in a rouse to do their routines. Oh, thats right. Today is the day of sadness. Ones are strictly frowned upon if they settled to do their things as if nothing was happening, therefore, most villagers take the morning as a mourning towards the lost Hero. It seems I had been too engrossed in my orders to even think about it, so maybe I should return to the infirmary¡­ 0.06 0.06 Oh the nightingale comes, so swift and so fast and oh-soforgetful of their young Hero, as he lost his life in a bout of poweragainst the heavens and hell in a crazed rebellion. For atlast,the young Hero lay fallen upon the scorches of fate as a forever broken corpse in his ownsorrowful dream. Ahh, so forgetful they are¡­. ¡°Oi, oi, oi!¡± Just as I head into my humble abode blossoming with an aroma of medical plants, I am stricken to find my only patient being liftedupside downby his leg, froma fair bosomed lady swathed in the rags of a nightingale.But even so, the nightingale are generally protectors of peace and cherish their citizens as if they were their own family. To even imaginehoisting a wounded and broken child upside down, I would never think! ¡°Hey! Place that boy down this instant!¡± The nightingale looked surprised as if she had notdone anything wrong, and was innocent. ¡°The boy is sick and malnourished!¡± That¡¯s right, like a twig that would be easily snapped without needing excessive force, evena heavy wind could fly it to the heavens if it wished. The boy is in that kind of sorrystate. ¡°This boy is already broken.¡± She says before ¡°gently¡± placing him down, garnering zero response from the boy in question. That may be so, that he is currently brainwashed and unemotional, but a boy is a boy. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°But heis a living being!¡± That seemed to have struck a cord within her heart as she genuinely assumed an apologetic expression, a good actor she is I¡¯ll give her that. I already know a nightingale must have countless prior experiences with life and death to be considered a placement within their troops. To even speak about getting a black cloak, that is a level above normal nightingales, even more so she is an actor. She already knew what she is doing is not right. ¡°Apologies doctor, I am going to take this boy.¡± What? ¡°Explain yourself, this boy does not have an identity yet!¡± Take this boy? Is he an item that can be carried around and passed aboutlike aslave? Surely she has alreadybeen dismissed from the great nightingales by now, no way couldthis personality be tolerated. ¡°It is as you heard doctor, I will be taking him as my own.¡± By great coincidence, the leader of this woman just walked through the front door, naturally hearing all that her subordinate had spoken of. ¡°Speak some sense into your follower.¡± I mutter as she walks past meto confront the uncivilized woman. The leader of an armyhas more words of power than I do, a doctor. ¡°The young Hero has fallen today, so everyone is required to show goodwill.¡± The leader anecdotes uselessly, not being direct with her follower. Before continuing¡­¡°Is this your decision Kyrie?¡± The leader''s face looked a little unsure. The woman nods before grabbing the body off the bed. 0.07 0.07 As Kyrie hauled the body out the infirmary, I quietly glared at the doctor for being so fearful and unaware of one such as she, my subordinate. Does this medicine lover not have an ear for rumors and knowledge of the tales that made the brave warriors, that the villagers so wish to call us. To think of one with information, the first person to come to my head would be a doctor. However, it seems lately that only children found their way to this infirmary, teary eyed with open wounds from their carelessness. Along with a frequent Hearald, the follower of bad luck and misfortune. Even though he is an apprentice under this man, I have rarely ever seen him spending his time doing something worthwhile, away from his little cub. "Even if you are nightingale, it does not mean others should be treated as objects." His eyes glare at me, and I embrace into mother''s touch as my aura increases rapidly. I know when to stop. "Power determines all." I mutter under my breath, just audible for him to hear. However, I do not mean what I said, and only used it as a rouse for intimidation. It clearly worked, as he clutched his uniform even tighter, before unleashing his own aura. A faint green mist, smelling of nature and the mother. A kind-hearted man, and I am glad to have been assigned this area. "You have misunderstood." My aura subsides as I leave the mother''s pulse. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. However, the man seizes the chance and his aura overwhelms me with double the pressure as before. "I have not, it is you who has seemed to misunderstand my intention!" He bellows loudly and Kyrie stops in her tracks as she adjusts the body on her shoulder, in a passionate manner. Evident that she has started to adjust, and all the more reason to let the boy go along with her. Only, this man doesn''t seem to understand our goal. Seeing the moment of silence, the doctor continues: "You come new and unfamiliar, bringing a lad with a broken body to this infirmary, emptying my precious resources and finally barging your way out without recompense." Ahh, so the man wants a due reward for his contribution in healing the boy, alas, I seem to have thought wrong of this man''s heart. "My men will bring you a purse of gol-" "I care of the boy''s life, so until I manage to obtain information about him, along with proof that he belongs to you, I will not let him go so easily!" He cuts me off and exerts even more pressure from his aura than before. It rose fast, suffocating the wooden shack is it started to tighten and get smaller, a mere illusion, but...could this man have already transcended? 0.08 0.0~#!$8 Out of this darkness that is pushing down on me, someone come and take me for a blissful yonder, I plead desperately into the abyss that are my eyes: please, someone save me, I do not wish to continue any longer, but I still force myself to go on, towards my perpetual demise, but a darkness such as this, seem so lovely in contrast to my visions of the sky, should I continue? I feel everything around me, as if I am the everything, I feel myself. To desire something not darkness, is it an idiotic desire? This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. I can see it all with my eyes, but I refuse to open my mind in trepidation, will it happen again. I feel that of me, carrying me to a place I am unfamiliar, is it a place devoid of darkness, is it a place devoid of happiness, is it a place devoid of devoid, devoid as my own. I know who you are, so why cower within that, the thing you enshroud yourself in, does it feel good, can I touch. Touch the light that I don¡¯t deserve, a different kind of darkness, light. 0.09 0.09 The doctor was correct, I had misunderstood his intentions completely, he who cared for the boy¡¯s life thought me as some kidnapper. The fault is all on me for being so one-dimensional, as I had not considered the doctor¡¯s personality as I made my decisions.I had wanted to leave immediately with the boy, but causing conflict that could have been avoided is idiotic, especially when we have a reputation to uphold. Finding my way back into the main room of the infirmary, I step findan air filled dense with suffocation and suppression. However, it starts to ease as if sensing the boy¡¯s pained movements atop my shoulder. He finally moved, andI had started to think the boy really was a corpse, andI just adopted a doll made of human flesh. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°I wish to adopt the boy, please hear my leader out.¡± Not that it would make any difference as I would still benefit in the end. ¡°Let me handle the boy for now, he still requires rest and nutrition.¡± I could already feel his distrust in us, and this all seems to have gotten out of hand. I hand the boy to him and he retreats backwards to the boy¡¯s rest-bed, I immediately follow behind him with leader in tow. ¡°I should start explaining why Kyrie was a little rough.¡± Leader opens her mouth. 0.10 0.10 In the dark of night, I enter Jacob¡¯s smelly shack. Immediately entering, I am wafted with a thick stench of nature and countless gazes, but I proceed onwards as I bring the bucket closer to my chest. Shouldering into the main room, I unfortunately find the source of those gazes. Like crows, those shadows stood at every corner and filled the room to the brim. This sight in daylight would bring me a great sense of safety, but now it only brought me dread and fear. Have I tripped upon a band of bandits, I would think once in a while - only to remind myself of my previous experiences with these assassins. The nightingale operates from every shadow, that phrase could not be anymore true right this moment. ¡°Fair Margaret, hurry on, lest we waste the night away staring at your beautiful...¡± A lustful voice froze as it witnessed the countless others directly behind me. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. From the voice, it seems to be Kenneth that just spoke, and his wife must have just entered. Butreluctantlyfollowing his advice, I hurry on to Jacob who stood like a statue in front of a bath. 1.. 2.. 3.. Time stood still as I take the newborn frailty within a crimson cradle into my sight. My bucket had been snatched sometime ago, but my eyes continued to watch the sight in front of me, whilst my body quickly became paralyzed due to...fear? What is going on here? ¡°Margaret, dress the boy after I finish up.¡± It was a boy? That thing is a boy? 0.11 0.11 For the past three months, I had been burdened with this nightmare of a child. He appears like a reaper when least expected, and disappears into thin air when I most require him. Yesterday, he had turned 11 years old, as decided by Jacob and the nightingale, so as to ¡°mark¡± a date that child of unknown origins came to exist. He was stolen of his first kiss by the nightingale, and I had presented him with a few clothes that I had bought from Gargol''s at a cheap price. But even after all this time, the nightingales have not found a single clue about where the boy had come from. However, his bloodline has been identified. A descendant of the extinct white saber tooth tiger, according to Jacob, but I had thought him to be the descendant of a regular white cat from his ears and tail that had become fluffy this past month. However, the signs from the boy thispast month made me completely agree with Jacob on his hypothesis. After being ordered to eat, the boy will continue devouring until nothing is left in front of him, wherea regular kitten couldnever be able to achieve that kind of appetite. Furthermore, the imposing feeling he gives off even as he sulks with his hunched back, points to a higher position upthe food-chain. I even felt hints of an aura revolving around him at times, especially when he is ordered to go all out as he practices the sword with the nightingale. ¡°Margaret.¡± A warm wind falls upon my nape, and in my surprise, I jump from my chair and stare at the blindfolded white haired boy, his ears unceasingly twitching at all times. ¡°Prefection! Did you need something?¡± ¡°Did you need me?¡± ¡°Uhh...¡± ¡°I answered your call.¡± Also, this boy seems to have some sort of hidden power that reads thoughts. Without mentioning his eyes, this boy is a monster amongst those of his own age. It would be scary to see what thisboy could do if he was let loose amongst the other children. I stiffen my expression and look around me, searching for the white fluffy tail that had already disappeared from right under my nose. It seemed like all it took was a blink to make him disappear. I sometimes fear that he would appear when I am within the bath, whilst doing certain things. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Even though Ihave already gotten the displeasure of washing the boy, and seeing all the marks he has endured upon his body. Even Jacob could not erase all the scars and chains the little tiger carried. However, I doubt the boy will ever be free and unbroken,he has not changed ever since the nightingale carried him in from Jacob. I fear for the future of this boy, andletting the nightingale adopt the child has proved to have beena mistake thatall the villagers agree upon. With her, he will justcontinue to deteriorate from the path of recovery, if there was ever a path to begin with. ¡­ ¡°Faster.¡± Thud ¡°More complex¡± Thud ¡°Less power¡± Thud The boy flew back, carrying dust along with him. His grip indenting upon the wood of the sword, as he launches himself back to the whirlpool of chaos. I had been right when saying the boy will never be free. His prodigious leaps and bounds with the sword only continue to chain him down to that of a killer, and it is all due to the plan of that devilish nightingale that continues to press the boy even harder, as he starts to show signs of greatness. I really wish the boy had no talent at all. The boy stops in the middle ofhis charge and lifts his head in my direction, his blindfold slips and our eyes connect. The boy stands in front of me,traversinga distance of over 50 meters in a single instant. ¡°Do you require me?¡± He asks, but his dead eyes stare into my very soul and I feel his probing at every corner. He already knows my answer and my thoughts, so why does he still ask? A smirk creeps up the boys face, and I blanch in surprise as I blink, only to notice the boy is back on the practice grounds facing the nightingale. Has my sight started to fail me? 0.1225 0.1225 Lightly opening my eyes to the splendour of the morning ray and the gorgeous singing of birds, the atmosphere within this room has never been better. Given that this is a morning, I should be more annoyed than happy and why is that? Ahh... "Henrieta my darling, time to arise." A single line...and the peaceful atmosphere within the room shakes greatly, and it seems like I also spun slightly. Just how does he do it? Even though he is saying the words in the most passionate and caring tone, I for some reason can only hear the howl of a demonized goat. My Dad is stupid. Stupid Hearald. "I have woken!" I felt as if another calling would sound out through the house if I stalled any longer in my reply. Quickly...I dress myself in the fastest manner so that Stupid won''t find any reason to open his loud mouth. I took a fleeting glance at the bow that was left under my bed, which improved my mood by a lot, because not taking the bow can only mean that I won''t be spending a lot of time with Stupid. I will be spending my time today with the silly girls and weak boys, along with a nightingale that can fly through the sky in a blink!Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I felt the goosebumps upon my skin as I flew down the stairs, like a nightingale in the dark of night, taking my dagger to plunge within the stomach of my foe and claim his loot as my own! "Darling, I know you are excited about your first training lesson with the nightingale, but please don''t butcher your fo-food...never mind." Ha! My glare that is of a mystified and godly nightingale-in-training takes the breath away from thee ghostly presence in front of me. Now shut thee mouth dumb ghost, let me take this loot and make it mine. "Slow down a little, the food will not disappear." Thee ghost still bothers this goddess of a nightingale...I should show him my moves when I come back after learning from the higher ups. I get up off my chair and race to the door, only to be dragged to the ground due to losing my balance. "Henrieta where are you running so fast?" I am thrown back into a chair as the ghost stands tall in front of me. "Now, I will talk some sense for what to do..."Dad then proceeded to talk, and talk, and talk, and talk..."Finally, I should tell you..." then continued to talk more, and more, and more. He only ended it when a nightingale personally came to pick me up, and could you believe it! He even tried to stop the nightingale in order to talk more nonsense! ...I really want to jump off a cliff right now. The nightingale brought me to the group of familiar faces along with a cloaked woman with rags darker than the other nightingale and also the night, it even seemed like light was absorbed directly by the cloak. Clearly, this showcased her power and standing within the nightingale band. After most of the boys and girls around my age were brought to the cloaked woman, we proceeded towards the forest in the south that we were not allowed to enter. 0.1250 0.1250 I immediately felt the difference between her and normal people. No, I should say that my sight captured the essence of a higher-being dressed in the image of my new Teacher. Her steps were...kind of like this, and her every third step became like a snake that viciously planted down onto the ground splitting the fallen leaves on the ground in half. Her foot is that dangerous, so if I was that leaf...I would be split in half? "Please keep up with the rest of the group." Second, her voice penetrates straight into your mind. I can vividly remember every bit of information she had stated before entering the forest, I can even describe the smell and tell the direction of the wind at the time. Her clear voice is worlds apart from other people, and everything she says is ingrained into my mind. What is it that makes her do that? My friend also noticed it, saying that the nightingales voice still rings in her head. "Soon enough, my squad''s residence shall be revealed for your eyes to see." Her cherry lips with porcelain skin are envious to look at...but these thoughts are always crushed when she walks and moves. It is for the first reason I stated at the chance of her being a higher-creature, or even a Queen of a kingdom that has secluded herself within our village to pass her time as an immortal. My Dad had said that the darker cloaked Queen, leader, nightingale squad commander, is an all-knowing being that can see even you bathing and wiping your bum. It''s a little not fair for our Teacher to be the darker cloaked Queen of an actual kingdom, it puts a really large pressure on us. I am sure all the boys also know this, that is why most of them are cowering behind her back, but the girls must not know it since they are acting normally. Hmmph, they must have had really protective parents to not even say the secrets of the village and nightingales. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Anyway, my thoughts of envy are crushed whenever she walks with that awkward and condescending movement. I wonder what would happen if she decided to place her foot on top of mine, would it get crushed into the groun-.. "Students. You are all my students from now on, so I should teach you something for your first day before I show your living quarters." She said, turning around and raising her hand. "This is [vibration], the first step onto developing your ability as a night-warrior." Her palm and fingers turned infinite and moved in a full circle, giving the impression of a small cover or shield. "[vibration shield] is only effective against those who have not cultivated. It is generally used for fooling an opponent or taking down villagers without causing a lot of damage." She emphasised the word "villager" with a really sharp tongue. Is she going to use [vibrate] on me? I moved towards the back of the group. "I won''t use any [vibration] attacks on any of you, since you are the very first group of the villagers undertaking this training and I need to make you all great nightingales!" Her lips spread with a venomous smile, it captured the affection of all the boys and some girls but it won''t work on me since I am the number one genius from the village. Dad had to bow down and say that to me, after witnessing a glimpse of my future. "In a moment I will push [vibration] into all of you, so try your hardest to feel the vibration and move it from your feet to your hands." She declared with a focused expression. Slowly as time passed, I witnessed the feet of the boys at the very front shivering until it came to the very back where almost everyone is shaking but not me. I cannot feel a thing. "The person at the very back, can you please come closer and stand still, I cannot make you feel vibration if you keep retreating." Her tone was full of mockery, but the power that fell down on me as I tried to take more steps back... I was taking steps back? "You are very talented!" Her voice is still filled with mockery. Why is it filled with mockery? Why am I walking backwards? Why is the sky and trees spinning? ... 0.1275 0.1275 There, in the darkness, I see a spot of blinding light with two dark spots that looks like eyes - a line coincidentally took form just below to make the whole resemble a face. What face? Whose face? Is this a dream? Coming to such a realisation, the dark world around me spun like a wild herbal slime after being sucked for its inner juice. Tee hee...to compare such two images only because of "spinning" really shows what type of dream this is. Maybe this dream I''ll remember more vividly than the others. "You will." The dark world shatters like tranquil waters being disturbed, replaced by a courtyard that I have not seen before. A castle of light stood as the background, wide and imposing with a height like that of the elder trees. A boy around my height kept a fair distance as he observed with his face towards me, but his eyes were covered with a midnight blindfold. My eyesight took in all of the sadness portrayed by his scrunched face, so much so that I couldn''t hold back and asked: "Why are you sad?" It seemed my question went unheard as he turned his back and looked up to the stars. Knowing my question will not be answered, I turn my sights upon the castle once again to examine it more thoroughly with these eyes of mine that will not miss even a speck of dust. Whereupon, my eyes opened into the direction of the castle, where only but a wavy sheet of silver that disconnected from the realm of reality could be seen. Even the boy seemed to sense that disconnection as he spoke:Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Time is up it seems, and this means that only this much is the extent of your limit." He said in a disappointed tone. A tone that reminded me of my moments just before awakening here - moments of humiliation and powerlessness to do nothing, simply because you cannot see the world as those with power see it. I could visually see my rage boiling in a spiral, the earthen rubble around me started to float upwards and surround me in a cocoon of madness. Am I not the genius my father has said me to be? I knew I was different from the others, but was I elevated to a position opposite my true nature by a stupid father? Am I in fact the opposite of a genius, a mule? "What is the extent of my limit?" I shouted fiercely, knowing my cries would be answered by a silence within this star-cloaked realm of nightmares. - The next moment, I am grasping the edges of a blanket upon an unfamiliar bed in a strange circular room I have not been in before. There were five other beds pointing to the centre of the room with a storage chest in front of each, all identically alike. I sit upright with sweat trickling down my face, holding tight onto the warm cover as if my life depended on it. Once again, I humiliate myself just like the scene in the afternoon where I walked backwards even as Teacher said to come forward. The occupants of the other beds were girls like me, which means that the big group was split up when we reached the location the nightingale was leading us to. Unfortunately, I had not been able to take in the appearance of my new residence...a shame. Walking out the room, I descended the spiral stairs and entered a meeting room of sorts, it was a cosy place with a large fireplace and a small table in the middle which you could enjoy a morning drink on. Going past it and descending a few more stairs, I started to think of this place as a maze instead of a residence, but I managed to leave the large holding somehow and enter a courtyard. Oddly familiar. Then, I turn to look at the appearance of the maze of stairs and rooms I had exited out from...and I am hit with a sense of helplessness once again at the sight of a castle enshrouded in light, standing wide and imposing with a height like that of the elder trees. 0.13 0.13 Prefection, a funny name for the humans to give this one. Perfection sounds a little like it, and maybe it''s what she had meant when naming this one. But surely Mother jests if she believes in a dreamy word such as "perfection", especially a word that could describe qualities of gods that those religious creatures pray to. Even Mother has a goddess that she prays to, Nightess the goddess and governor of the night. Idiots. Ever since I had awoken inside the doctor''s cottage and arrived to the large structure, it has been my opinion on everyone I had met so far which has not changed a single bit. Mother is no exception. She presses her head against my chest every morning and night, listening to my innate [pulse] in an attempt to recreate it as her''s. But how long has she tried doing so? Too long. Her talent fell short and now there is no more time. Today when the sun orbits this side of the world, I will take her arm after challenging her and proclaim her Mother no more as a show of my real power, and then I will head to the leader of her and take residence in order to learn and gain power from a more powerful person. Since even these orcs are not enough to contain my thirst any more. "Ahhh" The last one, the leader of this cavern, makes a shrill scream as I poke around his eye-hole. The energy of the earth swooshes through my body and I wrestle it profusely to obtain complete control, dominating the flowing power into submission. The same power my Mother spouts her bullshit about, "make peace with it", "don''t try to control it". Then what am I doing now? The energy explodes with my body as a centre, sweeping the corpses into my circle of dominance and the aura of my race grinds the bodies into crimson mush. The blood floats around me in rivers before it is evaporated and my cube of influence grows larger and stronger. This is my power. Transcendence is what mother calls it, but I call it a stepping stone. She says "Transcendence" is the next and final step after obtaining an "Aura", and is only achieved when you have cultivated five decades of age or if you are talented enough then you can reach it in half. An idiots teachings creates further idiots, and it is apparent when Mother teaches me. Final step? Transcendence is the final gain of power? Then why are there people more powerful than others after they both obtain transcendence? It is because they keep on gaining power or had managed to gain more power from the previous steps than other opponents. There is no final step.Stolen novel; please report. Thus, the cretins that religious people call gods are weak with no further power. Nightess, the governor of the night? It only means her power stopped evolving after capturing the night, and so if I can capture the night and a little of the light, does it mean I can destroy Nightess? I know that Nightess is some bullshit tale created by pompous religious goblins in order to control people, therefore it would not be a fight at all since I would be victor by default. Try existing before trying to flaunt power, you fat gods. Wandering back to the perimeter of the large structure and my current home, I feel a weakling run out from inside and onto the yard. Her face turns a myriad of emotions when it sizes up the large structure, fear and stress is prominent. I should kill this one for fearing something without even an ounce of power. I retract the statement, the structure is a holding of energy and nature essence. Even so, to fear a building is putting yourself underneath it. I should kill that female villager now before she gives Mother a headache. Someone with a foundation lesser than a building''s will never amount to anything. I take off my blindfold and prepare for the moment she turns around. However, it seems my main objective will be completed in two short seconds. My Mother standing firm atop the castle, releases her [Aura] and draws in the energy within the night sky to make it peaceful around her. She must have already sensed my flaunting killing intent on her life, and that I must praise, she has been worthy of being the first Mother after I had been reborn. I increase my aura by tenfold and transcend, everything around me is my command, my sword draws itself as Mother''s eyes connect with mine. "I will be taking my leave." Her sword arm leaves her body in a precise cut, and it disintegrates in a mass of energy and joins my influence in an instant. She, Kyrie, had to give me something as a parting gift for her Ex-Son. "You are a stranger to me now." The newly found power makes me float as I start diving down 100 meters into the yard next to the female, preparing to cut her down in a single flash. However, Kyrie''s energy envelopes the girl faster than I can arrive and so I withdraw my sword. It seems Kyrie has something in mind, which might mean the girl should be a delicious influx after she has grown in Kyrie''s teachings. Except, given the foundation of this girl, it will take a few decades and the influx might be extremely insignificant after I have grown beyond [transcendence].