Hi, putting a work on this site is a first for me so forgive me if I'm doing this wrong. The story I'm writing is about a guy who's practically the embodiment of combat reincarnated. God of the Infinite Space and God of the Eternal Time were betrayed and sealed. They create a soul using the mixture of many souls of the battlefield, the result was a man who gained the Yin-Yang Crest and was able to beat them up before escaping into their Zodiac Worlds cycle of reincarnation. Now, after destroying himself and becoming a guardian entity for his new 'self', he sets to protect the child who will one day slay Gods! Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Reincarnation, Martial Arts, Magic Chapter List Chapter 1: Endless Battlefield Chapter 2: Soul Core Chapter 3: Worth It! Chapter 4: Phoenix Empire Chapter 5: Wisdom System Chapter 6: Warmonger's Ash Chapter 7: Simon Rainglow Chapter 8: Shadow Boxing Chapter 9: Echo
-Right click that -Copy the link address -Highlight the text you want to link -Click on the icon to link -Paste the link and click insert
Chapter 1: Endless Battlefield 'Why am I even here?' The old man standing on a lifeless battlefield filled with corpses thought in revelation. At first, he thought that after he died of old age, his soul was transported to his own personal hell. A hell that looked a lot like the battlefields of his past life. He remembered back to the time he first arrived, once he awoke, he saw his body was equipped in a green-coloured soldier uniform and was armed with only a single military combat knife. At that time he looked around at the savage world around him in confusion. The soil under his was like ash, the sky was like blood, and the clouds resembled poisonous toxic fumes. Underneath the artificial light of the sunless sky was a man killing another with a strange melee weapon. It looked like a spear, axe and scythe jumbled into one singular existence. A kind of halberd he had seen in depictions of historical battlefields. After looking closely, he found that the man was also wearing strange armour as well, one that looked quite ancient. Blood had already ceased to spray out the unrecognisable corpse that laid lifelessly on the ground but the ancient soldier still continuously attacked! No words left his mouth as he looked at the savagery unfolding in his presence. A strange and foreign emotion started to envelop his heart as he watched the ancient soldier attack the silent corpse. The sound of blade cutting flesh sounded like drums, a foreign drum that seemed to have never existed in his original world, then a black light fell from the sky before entering his chest. A red hue tinted his blue eyes as his heart started to lust for slaughter. He pulled a knife out of the holster near his shoulder and charged at the ancient soldier without much thought. The ancient soldier seemed to suddenly be able to sense his location at the exact moment he chose to attack. The knife in his hand cut through the air and recklessly stabbed towards the ancient soldier's throat but was intercepted by a bloodied halberd. It took no longer than a second for him to snap the ancient soldier's neck after entering the state of close combat. 'Not enough... kill... kill!' Was the only thing his bloodthirsty heart screamed. The bloodlust in his heart was like the beating drum of war, it was never ending as it constantly pounded the same tune, just like his own heart. He searched around and killed all people he came across for an unknown amount of time on the grey battlefield. Time passed... and after what felt like an eternity of wandering the infinitely stretching battlefield filled with foes, he had finally adapted to the savage world. All those he encountered had melee weapons with them as they hovered around like murderous and evil ghosts. He was one of those vicious ghosts as well until he found the battlefield had no other demons like himself left. His mind cleared as the red hue in his eyes faded into the empty battlefield. The only things left around him were corpses of the unknown soldiers he killed in that bloodthirsty trance. The scenery around him faded and what he found was that he was standing in front of two individuals. "Apostle Candidate: Very Strong." The angelic woman who seemed to be the embodiment of light expressionlessly commented in a monotonous voice. "Congratulations on earning a new life." The demonic man who seemed to be the embodiment of darkness happily laughed as he patted on his shoulder. "Where am I? Who am you? Why did I have to go through that trial? What was the purpose of that test-" Just as he was about to continue rapid firing lots of questions he found that there was something wrong with his arm. He pulled up his sleeve and saw that a green serpent tattoo suddenly appeared to be magically slithering to his hand. "You may be confused right now. So isn't it better if we tell you the details all at once? Don't answer that because I can't be bothered listening to useless questions. I am the God the of Infinite Space and she is the Goddess of Eternal Time. She doesn't talk much so don't even bother looking at her for a proper explanation about your... unique circumstances." The demonic man said with an eerie smile, then he flicked his fingers, causing a screen to appear. On that screen was a world that completely contrasted with the one he had been sent to fight at moments ago. It had many mountains, forests, rivers and clear seas. Nothing like the polluted planet he was originally from. Normally, he would have ignored the amazing scenery shown on the screen and beat both of them for sending him to that savage battlefield, but a white ray of light stabbed into his chest the moment he was about to act before forcefully calming his wrathful heart. His sea blue eyes were tinted with the azure colour of the sky before his heart was restrained in a state of serenity. He was once more unable to control his body as he was forced to watch them patiently explain what was happening. "Let's first talk about history, and by that, I mean the true history of the Cloudy Sword Continent of the Zodiac World." The demonic man pointed at the screen and started to explain. The angelic woman who had beauty that was fit for a god also flicked her fingers and caused the scenery to change. He suddenly found himself seated on a round table, drinking tea tranquilly as if the killing from moments before was a big lie, he felt that his soul was being cleansed of impurities as he drank tea with the beautiful woman beside him. Although his heart was tranquil, and even more serene that it had ever become in his past life, he still felt sadness towards the fact that he was being treated like a toy soldier. The screen showed different images and drawings as the demonic man spoke. "The both of us created the Zodiac World along with the God of Heavenly Weapons and God of Natural Elements in order to feed off Faith Energy." The screen showed depictions of two other Gods along with their past selves as the demonic man spoke. The God of Heavenly Weapons looked like a complete barbarian but even he looked more normal that the strange God of Natural Elements that wore a suit of four bright and vivid colours. He felt a strange sensation in his heart as he watched the illustrated scenes that showed his how evil the other two gods were compared to the two who'd forced him to go through countless hellish ordeals in that battlefield. "Even though we didn't create any races that would worship our different 'colours' on the Zodiac World, we still gathered faith energy from the races created by the other gods, especially the God of Heavenly Weapons since he made a plethora of mystical races to help him increase the followers of his different faiths." The screen depicted the different religions the mystical races of the Zodiac World followed and showed many diagrams containing information regarding their branching beliefs. He suddenly understood what the demonic man meant by colours after seeing faiths of the Zodiac World. Even in his own world, there were many depictions of god and different religions that told of different gods. In those religions it's especially focused on the fact that the different Gods they worship are merely the different colours of the true God above them. He was atheist, so this whole 'Two Gods were sealed by two other Gods' incident caused him to harbour doubt the intentions of the two Devils that captured him even more than before. "The Cloudy Sword Continent was at harmony until we were betrayed and sealed by their combined efforts. Now it's humans versus every other mystical race until the two Gods decide to let us out." As he spoke, the images on the monitor changed, a video of the two of them being stabbed in the back showed before ending once they were sealed. "We are not the type of people who would, in the words of the humans of your own World: 'Take a bullet lying down'. So we opened up the void and summoned the spirits of many soldiers from other parallel worlds and put them in an arena in order to create a soldier that will free us from our seals. That soldier we created is you."
Chapter 2 Soul Core 'Well, now that I've explained everything why you're here, let's move on to what we want you to do." The demonic man mysteriously smiled before sitting next to the angelic woman and drinking the actual tea pot. 'Why the hell are these two so addicted to motherfucking tea!' He awkwardly thought with a clear and tranquil heart. His heart is telling him to forgive and forget whilst his mind is constantly reminding him to settle their dept. "The Humans of the Zodiac World have this pearl inside their bodies. It's called the Human Core, a sphere that stores what you'd call 'Magical Energy', in other words: Mana." The demonic man said as he pulled a crystal clear pearl out of thin air and placed it in his hand. "Crestless Cores have nothing within them. They are completely empty and clear. This is what the ordinary ones who haven't joined a Faith have inside their bodies. There is no exception to this rule, except for you of course, who will be given our 'Divine Protection' without needing to give any 'faith' in return for our help." As he finished his his sentence, the demonic man pointed at the pearl in his hand, the response to the demonic man's gesture was the engraving of a crest within the pearl. A black, intangible energy surrounded the Human Core, dyeing it completely in the colour of an abyssal darkness. "Me: Help." The angelic woman calm and emotionless voice resounded. She pointed at the core as well, and in response a white crest engraved itself within the pearl using a radiant light. The two crests seemed to be at war within the pearl in his hand. The heavenly light and abyssal darkness spiralled into a whirlpool, trying to gain dominance over the other, they kept on fighting endlessly within the pearl. "You bitch! We already agreed that this soldier would be my apostle! How dare you try to steal!" The demonic man was enraged by the angelic woman's actions. The energy he sent into the pearl became more intense, causing the darkness within the pearl to gain more power, but this only provoked the angelic woman to doing the same. The light and darkness within the pearl became akin to mortal enemies. They fought ferociously without holding anything back. It was at that point that the pearl suddenly turned into a crest that looked like both yin and yang. "Human Core: Equilibrium?" The angelic woman asked as she stared at the foreign crest within the pearl. "Don't ask me. We've never given our Divine Protection to the same person before. The balance between our powers is just a coincidence." The demonic man replied without much thought as he looked closely at the pearl in his hand. It was then the Yin-Yang Crest within the pearl vanished. "Huh? Where did it go?" The demonic man snatched the pearl out of his hand and asked in perplexity towards the angelic woman who beside him. "Crest: None." The angelic woman replied as she stared at the clear pearl. "That's too bad then. I knew something like an equilibrium between our divine protections was impossible." He also stared at the pearl for a good moment before sighing. A satanic smile appeared on his face as suddenly thought of an treacherous idea. "Since the engraving was a failure, this Human Core is now defective, so what do you think we should do?" He turned to look at the angelic woman and asked with eyes that anticipated her answer. "Defective Candidate: Disposal." Even though her words were cruel, her eyes showed not even a hint of killing intent. "We might as well let him out. Who knows, if he has good enough skills, he might be able to mess with those bastards." The demonic man finally, for the first time since he arrived, looked into his eyes. An eerie and disgusting feeling arose in his heart in response. The demonic man stretched out his hand and was about to place it on his forehead, but he didn't wait for the demonic man to continue due to the foreboding feeling he felt from it. "I am not useless." He said calmly towards the demonic man who stopped after hearing his tranquil voice. 'The serenity in his eyes seemed to come from his soul.' Was what the demonic man thought, his hand stopped in mid air, allowing him to continue what he was about to say. "I can kill even a dragon if I just used my wisdom. That is the advantage I gained from my time from my time on Earth." He proclaimed resolutely. He had already digested the information the demonic man had given him, although there were many things that were explained too vaguely for him to understand, he understood that doubting the unimaginable things that happened to him wouldn't help. He did not know how strong a dragon from the Zodiac World was, nor did he know if the Zodiac World even had dragons to begin with, all he knew was that the Zodiac World is mystical. "What advantage? How can use it with such little magical ability? The Magical Potential of your Human Core is now ranked F, that's a rank which is even lower than most ordinary farmer of the Zodiac World, do you think you can make up for the difference in power with technique?" The demonic man voiced in ridicule to what he claimed. A pawn like him can kill a dragon? If it was that easy then every human would be able to slay dragons with ease. "I understand clearly that I wouldn't be able to do anything against a dragon with my weak flesh and low magical ability. I do not have extravagant hopes in being able to kill such a powerful mythical beast with my bare hands. I know my weaknesses-" "Knowing your weaknesses isn't enough, to survive in the savage Zodiac World, you need to overcome such weaknesses. How would you be able to beat a dragon without fighting it? Will you call for the help? A dragon is far more superior than your World's tanks. We both have read your memories and know of every possible solution you'd be able to think of. Dragons can fly, are bulletproof, can breath fire and are able to create strong shockwaves with their roar. One mere soldier wouldn't even be able to wound it." The demonic man heartlessly cut him off half way through his explanation and decided to continue what he was about to do, but the angelic woman's hand stopped him just before his fingers touched skin. "Solution?" The angelic woman gave him another chance and asked using one simple word. He knew that the only way to avoid a calamity was to answer the demonic man's question. "I don't know the solution yet but if I was given the time I would be able to revolutionise my World's military weapon technology using the Zodiac World's magical energy." "Revolutionising your World's military technology using magical energy sounds... ingenious! Good plan." The demonic man retrieved his arm and smiled with less malice in his eyes. "It would have wasted a lot of time and effort if you turned out to be a weakling. Good! But ingenuity is not enough to cover all weaknesses." The demonic man's said in a deep voice. "He shows a lot of promise, so decide for yourself, should we give him our new 'colour'?" The demonic man continued and locked eyes with the angelic woman with a serious gaze. "Affirmative: Commence Human Core Reconstruction." The angelic woman answered decisively. With a snap of her fingers, two white pearls appeared in the air, one contained the silhouette of chains whilst the other had wings. "Then let's do this!" The demonic man smiled wryly and snapped his fingers as well, causing two abyssal black pearl-like Human Cores to appear in the air. Unlike the angelic woman's pearls, the ones the demonic man pulled out had vague silhouettes within them, one had the silhouette of a shadow while the other had the silhouette of a heart. "War God colour, Underworld God colour plus Law Goddess colour and Forest Goddess colour. Let's see what chaos is created by the union of these four contrasting colours!" The demonic man laughed satanically as he watched the four pearls fuse into one entity.
Chapter 3: Worth it! The two beams of radiant light from the white pearls and two beams of abyssal darkness from the black pearls hit the crystal clear pearl-like Human Core held in the demonic man's hand. The heavenly light and abyssal darkness entered the Human Core once more, but this time they didn't fight for dominance. The white and black 'colours' of the silhouettes fused together into one grey entity, a brain. "A brain silhouette? Now that's even creepier than my War God's heart silhouette." The demonic man exclaimed as he looked at the grey silhouette of a brain within the core. "From now on this silhouette will be called Wisdom God's Divine Origin. As a Divine Origin holder, you will be able to the Wisdom God's Divine Blessing to whoever joins our new 'colours' faith. Well, it doesn't matter how you use its ability because the main point is that you are to find a way to free us after we send you out, so no pressure. This Divine Origin we have given will shatter your soul if you fail to pursue the goal we set up and will return to us after your death. So don't even try rebelling against us, okay? Since we could always find a replacement for you." The demonic man threatened with a disgustingly satanic smile. After seeing the creation of a new 'colour', he was too intrigued to notice the demonic man's vicious threat, an action that he didn't regret one bit. "Now that you understand your objectives, you can leave this place and enter the Zodiac World's cycle of reincarnation. Go forth!" The demonic man ordered and pointed towards him. The Human Core in his hand flew out of the demonic man's hand and fused itself into the centre of his ribs. A red hue tinted his left pupil and forced him to feel the sensation of bloodlust in his heart. The drums resounded in his head, his heart beat faster and pounded the tunes of war. It was a familiarity of the tunes were strange to him, his eyes seemed to have lost their light as he was forced to walk towards a door that appeared in front of him, his every step was like a robots. At first he thought that the colourless battlefield he was transported to after his natural death was hell, but after understanding the feeling of being treated like a machine, he realised that true hell was where he was standing. He didn't even have the right to feel hatred towards the 'Gods' that used him like a tool. His heart was bound by their will, giving him no choice but to comply, but even so his mind rebelled! "Ahh... The drums..." He said softly, his voice attracting both of their attention. "The drums are always beating aren't they? No matter where I run, the drums follow, not even the sea of serenity within my heart can drown out the endless drum beats of war." The two Gods behind him looked at each other as he spoke. It was at that moment his hand touched the doors handle, the expressions of the two Gods that summoned him looked nervous all of a sudden as they felt that something wasn't right, the blue and red hues of his two eyes faded as he turned his head to look in their direction. "I thank you for reviving me... but know this... I am not a tool! I am a human, a soldier, my name is Alex Stuman!" A shockwave of invisible energy released out of his body as the words left his mouth and sent them flying. They both coughed up mouthful of blood as they looked at him in terror. ""Impossible!"" They both voiced at the same time in disbelief as they saw Alex break free from their mental restraints. They both pointed at him at once, a beam of energy shot out of their fingers and hit the Divine Origin within the Human Core inside of Alex's ribs. "You bastard! Get ready to have your soul shattered like glass!" The demonic man roared in rage as the beam of energy started to create cracks in the Human Core within him. The angelic woman looked as calm as before but her head seemed to nod in agreement. "Argh...!" He screamed in pain. An unimaginable pain covered every fibre of his being as he manipulated the invisible energy to activate the Yin-Yang Crest only he was able to sense. He stopped the damage that was being done to the pearl in his chest using the invisible energy of the Yin-Yang Crest. It only took Alex less than a second to realise the importance of the Human Core within his body and the reason the demonic man continuously repeated he would 'shatter' his soul. The grey silhouette of a brain within the core faded the same way as the Yin-Yang Crest did, cutting off the connection it had with the two Gods in front of him and becoming his own. "Don't look at me like that. Didn't you know that humanity has a long history of doing the impossible?" Alex said with a sneer. He grabbed the beams entering his chest with his bare hands, and with a tug, he pulled the energy beams connecting to him like a rope. The two Gods were shocked by the incomprehensible ability he showed and were unable to react after having their bodies pulled in front of him. [Street Boxing: Double Punch] After clenching his fists, he threw both his arms in a curved motion, hitting both their temples at the same time. [Baritsu: Double Decker Palm Burger > Tai Kwon Do: Double Kick] He grabbed both their heads and smashed them together to confuse their senses. Alex followed up with an extremely strong slap to their cheeks as they were busy seeing stars. He knew that the two dazed Gods would most likely destroy him once they've regained their wits, so he opened the door behind him and jumped into the air before catapulting himself into the door by kicking their stomachs using both his legs. 'Now that was worth it.' He thought triumphantly, but after realising that the damage to his Human Core wouldn't heal, he felt pain in his heart. He felt that it was lucky the two Gods messed up and accidentally gave him an ability he could use to fight. He knew that although he injured them, it was only due to the seal that restricted both their powers, that was the only explanation he could think of when he thought of why he could injure them. If they were humans, he might have believed that he could beat them, but after experiencing their powers he knew that he didn't have that power. He hated the fact that he could only injure them and not kill them! Once he went through the door, the ethereal body he used to injure the two Gods faded, the only thing left in the void was the Human Core he was given. No, to be more accurate, the true name of those pearls within the living organisms of the Zodiac World were Soul Cores. The Human Core he had in his chest was a corporeal manifestation of his Soul so damaging it meant injuring his spirit. He knew that there would be repercussions due to this. That was the last worry he had in his mind before fully losing consciousness.
Chapter 4: Phoenix Empire "Glory to the Phoenix Empire!" The soldiers of the Crimson Flame Phoenix Empire yelled as they went to war with the Beasts that attacked the borders. Men holding blades that were covered in magical energy roared as they attacked the multitude of different Beasts that either charged or flew. The Generals commanding the Field Armies gave out their orders on the midst of a gruesome and bloody death battle without even flinching. Their calmness showed their experience as war veterans and the soldiers that were sometimes unable to keep up showed their inexperience. The difference between ranks could be easily seen by the stripes and designs of each soldiers uniform but the thing that all the many soldiers had in common was that they wore crimson. Their fire coloured uniforms stood out amidst the blood of Iron Hawks and Horned Bears that they had slain. "Archers, hold arrows and fire at my command! Guardians, keep up the good work!" A roar resounded from a certain part of the chaotic battlefield. A man dressed in a Flame General uniform looked on calmly at his troops and commanded the soldiers that were located behind the main army. The men standing beside him trembled in both excitement and fear as they stood in a defensive turtle formation. Their shields displayed many signs of damage as they tried to defends against the Beasts that ran past the front line. Suddenly, a Sabre-tooth Cheetah swiftly squeezed past the front line and attacked them. They covered their large Scutum Shields with Mana (Magical Energy) and allowed the speedy cheetah to attack them, giving it no opportunity to infiltrate the more inner parts of the army. They claw marks on their shields only increased with time. "Come at me you bitch!" The General who exited out of the formation taunted toward the Sabre-tooth Cheetah that was attacking them. The Sabre-tooth Cheetah seemed to be incensed by the scarred man's roar and shifted its attention him instead. [Sword Art: Infernal Slash] The Sabre-tooth Cheetah didn't even last a second as the General dispatched it with a sword covered in magical flames. Then the General ignored its burnt and bisected corpse to check on the Archers who were located within the enormous defensive turtle formation of soldiers. His eyes suddenly caught sight of a soldier who trembled even more than the other Archers he was paired with. The General could instantly tell that the Archer was either inexperienced in war or a coward through to his bones. He could emphasise with the Archer due to his experiences as a recruit who was just starting out in the army but he couldn't sympathise with him at all. "Archers, steady your aim towards the Air Raid and only fire after I gave the signal!" The General ordered with a resolute voice, the men who were given the order had cold sweat dripping down their backs as they saw the blood covered beaks of the flying Beasts, but they obeyed orders all the same. From where they were located, they could see that the front line was a mess of flames that were being sent everywhere due to the other Sabre-tooth Cheetahs interfering with their tactics, and the screams of dying men could be heard as blood spilled onto the grassy plains. A lone Iron Hawk broke away from the flock of Winged Beasts that were circling the battlefield and headed towards the Archers location. "Hold your fire! Don't you dare fire without my signal!" The General roared towards the Archers that were looked like they were all about to waste their arrows killing a lone Winged Beast. He didn't run towards where the Iron Hawk was about to attack and kept his eyes on the Winged Beasts flock. The lone Iron Hawk got closer to the turtle formation of Guardians and was about to fly over them to kill the Archers who were hiding behind them. As soon at it was about to get closer to the Guardians protection them, a Archer couldn't take it anymore and fired an arrow at the Iron Hawk's head. [Low-Tier Magic: Fireball] Even before the arrow landed, a ball of fire hit the Iron Hawk's head and blasted it off. The Mana reinforced arrow could only fly past the falling corpse of the Iron Hawk as it descended from the sky. The General could only sigh as he looked towards his son located furthest behind all the Archers, his eyes couldn't help but look back at the cowardly Archer who still held onto his arrow even though he was at the front. He glared at his son who had looked back to him for a moment and continued to eye the flock of Winged Beasts that were circling the air. It was only a ten second after the General killed the Iron Hawk that the flock noticed them and started to attack. "Fire!" The General roared, a rain of Mana reinforced arrows were launched into the sky and fell on the flock of Winged Beasts in response to his order. The flock of Winged Beasts screamed in pain as they fell out of the sky. The General didn't allow any of them to have even a tiny chance of survival as as he then changed the formation into an attack type to kill the fallen Beasts. ------------------------------------- 'I survived!' The cowardly Archer thought as he saw the aftermath of the Beast Raid. Over the years, the amount of Beast Raids attacking the empires borders had increased, giving the man no choice but to fight in many battles. "You there." The General called out after organising the remaining soldiers. "Yes, General Armstrong, Sir!" The cowardly Archer saluted in respect. "What is your name?" The General curiously asked without hesitation. "My name is Fredrick Rainglow." The cowardly Archer answered reflexively. Only after informing his name did he realise how the General looked pleased. "You have done a good job. If you also didn't trust me and gave in to your fears, there's a chance the other Archers wouldn't have been patient enough to follow my instructions." The General praised with utmost sincerity. "Thank you, General." Fredrick smiled as he accepted the General's praise. Neither he nor General Armstrong noticed that a skinny recruit was eying Fredrick with resentment for his actions. He felt wronged because he knew he was going to be punished for disobeying orders from his superiors. 'Fredrick Rainglow... I'll remember your name.' The skinny man thought. Fredrick didn't know about the fact that he had unknowingly made an enemy out of the General's son, but even if he did he wouldn't be able to think about it due to the message he received from his wife at home. {It looks like our child was born in your absence. Come home quick or I'll name him myself. Love you~} Was what his wife had briefly written in her letter. After going back to the South District of Raven Town, he found that his wife was holding their precious child in her arms, the little boy's face cutely blinked a few times as he looked at his mother. "Fred, look look, isn't he just the cutest thing ever!" His wife exclaimed in an adoring manner as she gazed at her son who was strangely quiet in her arms. "Martha, is there something the matter?" Fredrick asked as he saw that his wife was just staring at her son face. "Dear, is it normal for baby to be so quiet? He's been silent ever since the doctor left." Her beautiful face was suddenly showed worry as she looked into the ocean-like eyes of her child. "Meh... I'm sure it's normal." Fredrick hadn't raised a child before so he simply thought that it was normal. "What should we name our son?" She asked after seeing that her child had suddenly fallen asleep in her arms. "Let's name him Simon. That was the name of my great-great grandfather and he's the strongest guy I'd ever met in my entire life." Fredrick answered unhesitatingly to her question. It seems that he had already planned his what he was going to answer beforehand. The both of them talked about various things as they happily planned their child's future, but what they didn't know was that the there was something only their child could see with his eyes closed. Something that brought even Simon's mature mine bewilderment. [Name: Simon Rainglow Race: Human Magic Potential: Rank A (Damaged) Divine Affinity: Yin-Yang Crest Divine Origin: Wisdom God Divine Blessing: Martial Wisdom]
Chapter 5: Wisdom System 'What in the world are you?' He thought towards the screen in his head. [Helpful Info: I am the manifested ability of the Divine Origin within you.] 'Is that so?' As if sensing the many questions in his mind, the Divine Origin displayed a multitude diagrams as it explained in letters, allowing Simon to gain a better understanding. [Helpful Info: I was once an entity created by the joint power of the God of Infinite Space and Goddess of Eternal Time. Once the hosts Yin-Yang Crest severed the connection between me and my creators, my existence became an anomaly in all of the Zodiac World.] Along with the message was a diagram concerning what a the Divine Origin was and how it existed in his Soul Core. It showed how the brain silhouette inside his Human Core had its own sentient intelligence due to the concept that was used to create its existence. As a Divine Origin that was created out of the concept of Wisdom, it was innately able to manipulate mental energy, allowing it to be like a artificial intelligence within a computer. It was a contradictory existence that defied the laws of the universe. Even though it was merely a silhouette within his Human Core, without spirit nor flesh, it had its own consciousness. 'Then what's with that status from before? Why did you choose such a game-like way of showing my current life's information?' He asked curiously. [Helpful Info: I do not have the strength to connect to the hosts Mental Origins so I created an ability called the Wisdom System in order to communicate with you. Creating such an ability is within my power as the Wisdom God Divine Origin.] [Helpful Info: Please ask me about anything when you are troubled.] After reading the information, he became curious as to what was the Mental Energy his Divine Origin was talking about, but a red warning message interrupted his thoughts. [Warning: The Equilibrium Energy within your Human Core is discharging outside Host's body due to the damage sustained before your reincarnation.] After reading the red window, he realised that a abundance of invisible energy was leaking out of the cracks made by the combined efforts of the two Gods, and it seemed as if his new parents were unaware of its existence. [Warning: Discharging such large amounts of Equilibrium Energy at once could cause Energy Poisoning to all nearest living organisms.] [Helpful Info: After analysing the composition of the Host's unique Yin-Yang Crest, the Wisdom System has formed a solution, will you like me to implement the solution immediately?] 'Yes!' He answered immediately, if his energy killed his new parents, who would take care of him? Right now he was still a baby of only a few days old. [Implementing Solution... Using Wisdom System to divide the Equilibrium Energy into two parts... Success.... Angel Energy and Demon Energy has be derived from the hosts excess Equilibrium Energy...] [Ability Creation in progress... Success... Demonic Enchantment and Angelic Enchantment created...] [Searching for compatible catalyst for Demonic Enchantment... Catalyst Found... Demon Bone ability created...] [Searching for compatible catalyst for Angelic Enchantment... Catalyst Found... Angel Blood ability created...] [Enchantment of the Host's flesh in progress.. Implementation Complete.] As the messages popped up, a number of changes happened around him, the invisible energy that was discharging outside his body divided into two dark and light transparent magical energies. Those energies seemed to have pulled into his body by another invisible force from within his Human Core and channeled into every part of his body. "Waaah!" Simon screamed in agony and alerted his parents after feeling an intense pain cover his entire body. "What happened to him!?" His mother asked in panic towards her husband. "I'll get a doctor." Simon's father was still able to keep a clear head as he left to find someone who could help his son who was screaming in agonising pain. Simon's body trembled as light and dark energies injected themselves into his flesh. His skeletal system and immune system went through an unforeseen shocking transformation. His mother could only comfort him in her arms after he lost consciousness. ---------------------------------- "Doctor Artwood, what has happened to my son?" Fredrick asked towards the man who was cleaning his glasses after exiting the room where his child slept. He had brought his son to the best and closest doctor living in Raven Town's South District, Doctor Jeff Artwood. "I have never come across a situation like this in all my life as a believer of the Oracle Church." The man's face seemed to be perplexed as he spoke. "What happened?" Fredrick the man asked again with unwavering eyes. "He's fine. Nothing detrimental has happened to his body... Nothing detrimental that is..." Before Fredrick could interrupt, the Doctor brought out a piece of paper and put it on his desk. He moved away the Flame Lamp and other devices he had on the desk between them to the side before sliding the piece of paper over to Fredrick. "I found after utilising my Revelation God's Divine Blessing that your son actually has a cracked Soul Core." The Doctor informed seriously as he showed Fredrick his findings. Fredrick took the piece of paper from Doctor Artwood's desk and read the medical examination results before narrowing his eyes at the Doctor. "This is just impossible. My son has a cracked Soul Core of Rank A Magical Potential? Is this a joke? Do you even know what the a Rank A Magical Potential even is?" Fredrick doubtfully asked. A child's Magical Talent depended on his ancestry. So it was natural for him to assume that the Doctor was lying to him about his precious child's medical test results. "You can go to any other Doctor and they'll tell you the same thing." Doctor Artwood said with a sharp tone. His eyes displaying a seriousness that couldn't be expressed in mere words. "Fine. I believe you. Do you have any idea why his Soul Core's broken? I've never heard of such a condition before." Fredrick backed down and continued to question about his son. "The reason you haven't heard of such a condition is because those with cracked Soul Core's usually die within a few seconds. Your son is luck to still be alive." Doctor Artwood's cold words caused Fredrick's eyes to tremble. "I don't understand your son's condition at all. The reason why he isn't discharging any Mana into the surroundings through the Soul Core's crack and the reason why that crack is slowly healing is an anomaly I'm unable to explain. You know of what the Empire will do if they find out about his true Magical Potential, so make your choice, will you stay here or will you take your family to some place the Imperial Family will be unable to find you?" Doctor Artwood curiously asked whilst lifting on of his brows. Fredrick felt like a heavy mountain had been placed on his shoulders. He knew that the current Phoenix Empire that was fighting against Beast Raids everyday would take his son away from him if they found out about his talents. It was then that his wife exited the room Simon was sleeping in and took the paper before sitting next to him. "So that's what happened?" She asked as she looked at Fredrick's dark eyes. "What should we do?" Fredrick asked without even turning his head. "We'll do this then." After saying that she whispered something into his ear.
Chapter 6: Warmonger's Ash 'Urgh...! Now that was painful... You could have at least warned me about the pain beforehand!' Simon complained to the system in his heart. [Reason or Good Excuse: I do not understand the concept of 'pain'.] 'Fine then. Now you can explain what exactly have you done to me?' He decided to swallow his anger and ask. [Helpful Info: The Host's Skeletal System and Immune System have been permanently improved by the effects of Angel Blood and Demon Bone.] 'What's Angel Blood and Demon Bone?' [Ability Analysis- Angel Blood: The Host's blood became a permanent catalyst for the Angel Enchantment ability after implementation of the Mana Discharge solution. The current ability gained by the enchantment of the Host's immune system is higher immunity to disease and poisons.] [Ability Analysis- Demon Blood: The Host's bones became a permanent catalyst for the Demon Enchantment ability after implementation of the Mana Discharge solution. The current ability gained by the enchantment of the Host's skeletal system is greater physical ability and self-healing.] 'You wrote 'current' twice. What do you mean by that?' He asked after noticing the way it had written the message. [Helpful Info: The Host's body is undergoing an adaptation phase. The Host will be able to awaken more abilities from the two catalysts once the adaptation phase is complete.] [Catalyst Maturity: 10 Years.] 'Ten years?' He thought to himself as he looked at the system message. It was then that he started to reflect on what had transpired ever since he escaped the endless battlefield. 'The world just doesn't seem colourful anymore.' He thought as he opened his eyes. Even though he should be able to feel his parents affection, his heart was unmoved, it was as if a layer of grey completely covered his view of reality. 'Wisdom System... No- System, is there a way to seal my memories?' He asked with melancholic eyes. The drums in his head had finally stopped beating after an eternity of battle, but now that the tunes of war have ended, he felt a weird emptiness. In the world he saw through his desolate eyes, there was only himself and his enemies. He could no longer remember if he had family in his previous life, nor could he remember the warmth of love, all he now knew was how to survive on the battlefield. He couldn't bring himself to live on after losing his purpose in life, even thought he gained a new beginning, a part of him couldn't accept it. 'I... just want to die peacefully...' He thought melancholically. His eyes stealing a glance at his parents who had placed him on a cradle before they slept. He didn't know who they actually were right now, but he could see from their actions that they treasured him and thought of him as family. 'I just can't return their emotions... My heart is too empty, too apathetic, too lost... but even so... I cannot allow this to continue!' With that thought in his mind he tried to connect to his Human Core, an ethereal energy that was neither hit nor cold connected with his mind and moved to his will. 'System, is there any way to seal all my current memories?' He asked the Wisdom System, after showing a loading screen for a few seconds, it quickly responded to his request. [System Notification: The Host's request is possible. After connecting the Host's Mental Origin with the Mental Origin of the Wisdom God colour within the Host's Human Core the Wisdom System will be able to download your consciousness into it.] 'What does that mean?' Alex thought. [Helpful Info: The Host's conscious will become part of the Wisdom God colour's Mental Origin. The Host current 'self' will cease to exist as a Human and will merge itself into the Wisdom God colour's consciousness.] After reading the notification, his heart trembled, because he realised that losing his human body meant death. 'Will I still be able to feel this pain in my heart after 'merging' myself with the Wisdom God colour's consciousness?' Alex couldn't help but ask, his eyes dark and wavering. [Helpful Info: Affirmative. The Wisdom God colour doesn't have an Spirit Origin. Unlike other living organisms, it does not understand the concept of 'suffering' and 'pain'.] He contemplated about his decision after reading the Wisdom System's reply. The images of all he experienced until now flashed before his very eyes. 'Hatred... all I am is hatred without love... and that's how it should be. If I was to let go of the memories of that battlefield, would I still be myself? Can a warmonger like me live without the dum beats of war?' It was at that moment he let out an innocent laughter, his features sharpened, and his gaze became more resolute. 'System, implement solution!' He roared towards the Wisdom System. [Implementing Solution... Wisdom God colour's Mental Origin activating... Success... Host's Mental Origin Connection... Enabled... Commencing Download of Host's consciousness...] That was the last message he read before his consciousness started to fade. He could feel a line of energy opening the gate to his inner mind and connecting to his sea of consciousness. Within the world of his Inner Mind, his Mental Energy was like a sea, and he himself was like a image standing above it like a divine existence. When the gate to his Inner Mind opened, all Alex could see on the other side of it was a tunnel, one which he knew led to the Wisdom God's Mental Origin. He knew that all he needed to do now was leave his sea of consciousness throughout the gate and transform into his Divine Origin's consciousness. He moved towards the door with fast strides but stopped just before entering it, as he looked at the door, he started to remember the one he used to reincarnate into the Zodiac World. 'This is my decision!' Was what he thought before stepping forward with resolve. His body was shattering to pieces, but he didn't feel regret, his eyes looked back at the child that suddenly appeared in his sea of consciousness with a deep warmth. 'I'm dying now... truly dying... with no one to remember I ever existed...' 'It's just so unfair... I'm sure I would have been able to live happily if I wasn't so crazy about war. So addicted to killing enemies on the battlefield.' A dejected feeling arose in his heart as he looked at the newborn consciousness that was replacing him. He never wanted reincarnation. He just wanted to die on the battlefield like a warrior, but that option was taken from him, causing his hatred for the Gods that used him like a tool to increase. 'I punched Gods! I literally punched two Gods! Aren't I awesome...! Hey, Simon Rainglow, you better be as awesome as me after growing up!' 'No, actually, you better surpass m-!' His voice was cut off. It was at that moment that Alex Stuman's consciousness died... and Simon Rainglow's consciousness was born! "Waaah!" Simon cried as he awoke his parents from their slumber. Alex Stuman vanished. However, what he nor the Gods that reincarnated him into the world could have predicted was that his decision would give birth to the child that would later be known throughout the Zodiac World as the God Slayer or Otherworldly Archer. And it all started with one message. [The Host's Divine Origin has taken up the name of Alex Stuman! You hear!? Ability Creation.... Result: Martial System, Auto Combat, Auto Counter. Martial System's gift: Street Boxing + Martial Hybridisation = Compass Style Compass Style uses fist strikes to weaken and knockdown all foes.]
Chapter 7: Simon Rainglow The Cloudy Sword Continent had quite a dystopian society compared to Earth's due to the threat of other races. However, even in such a world, the Crimson Flame Phoenix Empire was the most straightforward civilisation that truly embodied the Zodiac World's sense of morales and virtues. It was a militaristic empire that only thought of power and weaponry. A useless person would be looked down upon whilst a useful person would be respected by all, no matter how corrupt a useful person is, they are never as sinful as the weak or cowardly. Simon Rainglow had experienced the feeling of being praised for his exceptional wisdom and unnatural combat prowess, but he was also subjected to envy among his peers. In the Primary Crimson Flame Academy, a place all youths talented in combat enrol so that they have the chance to join the Phoenix Empire's war against mythical races, his evaluation was monstrously high. So high that his instructors were actually worried about which Combat Academy branch he was going to enrol. "We need to discuss about the future of that exceptional student named Simon Rainglow." The vice-principal informed the principal of the largest Primary Academy within the Phoenix Empire. "Name: Simon Rainglow Mastered Techniques: Titan Flesh, Imperial Boxing, Mana Reinforcement Magical Potential: Rank D Divine Crest: None I've read his student details and met him personally, so my decision of where he will be enrolled is final." The old man announced with a sharp voice. "But why the Martial Academy? His sharp mind and incredible intellect is more suited for the Mystic Academy. I am sure, with his talents, he would have been able to form a Crest in no time at all." The middle aged vice-principal didn't back down and continued, which caused the principal to sigh. "You do not understand his true abilities. Although his Rank D talent is above average and his abilities are superb, he has one weakness. And that is Titan Flesh technique he mastered, a strong technique that once used, cannot be undone. His Rank may be D on paper, but his true Rank is E at most, give up on him." The principal stated bluntly to man in front of him. "I know you favour this student due to his Thesis on Explosive Weapons and their uses in Military Tactics. I know his intelligence would be wasted in such a Academy, but you must remember how suited he is for the Martial Academy, and the codename given to him by our academy." The principal sighed once more as he continued. His eyes seemed to remember the strange student his Primary Academy taught for five years. Every student of a Primary Academy would gain a title after their graduation to summarise their talents. Since those that enter Primary Academies are usually those that want to join the military, a codename would be given to every student as reward for their efforts to showcase their overall fighting style and personality. "Wasn't giving him that codename a littl-" "You think it was inaccurate? Do you truly believe so?" The principal rolled his eyes before turning his seat. The middle aged understood the principal's gesture and decided to stop arguing. -------------------------------- In Simon's lively neighbourhood at the East District of Raven Town, the thirteen year old Simon Rainglow was preparing to head to his new place of study, his face smiling innocently. 'Gotta make a good impression on my new classmates. Hmm, I wonder what my code name is? Martial Gladiator? Combat Dragon? It better be something cool.' He thought as he spiked his black hair upwards. With the way he wore his uniform, one would think that he was a scholarly student, but his sharp features would radiate a dominant aura onto others. "Teacher, does this look nice? What do you think?" His voice resounded in the empty room, and in response, a ghostly man's figure appeared behind him. 'You should be able move unhindered in that combat suit.' The man replied emotionlessly with a monotonous tone. "Teacher ... I'm not going out to fight someone..." Simon retorted awkwardly. 'The Phoenix Empire has a society that's tailored to make warriors out of even the most common man." Alex countered with a disinterested tone. It was as if his only reason a Alex was talking to Simon was just to continue on the conversation, his eyes were lifeless and his body was like a ghosts. "Teacher..." Simon called out emotionally as he looked Alex's face. The memories of the past resurfaced as he thought of the first time he met the emotionless phantom in front of him. He remembered how alienated he felt from the rest of the world after coming to understand his circumstances. 'An ability that can advise me on anything, an ability that can support me in battles, and the abilities to slightly alter time or space. Aren't I the luckiest person alive?' He thought sarcastically to himself as he saw the more youthful Simon in the mirror. He remembered how reliant he was on his abilities and the mistakes he made because of his childish naivety. The images of his past seemed to be projected on the mirror before him and displayed how his reliance on Alex had caused chaos in his childish mentality. 'I don't understand why you're learning the copies of my martial arts through my memories instead of using the hybridised versions stored within the Martial System. You even ordered me to turn off your Auto Combat and Auto Counter ability as well. Isn't doing that just detrimental to your growth?' Alex logically asked with a look that showed how he couldn't understand Simon. 'Teacher, you wouldn't understand. I only want to learn how to fight from you, and nothing else, never again will I become that demon again." Simon's voice was unnaturally as he spoke. Accidentally punching his those he called his friends, almost killing those who bullied him, and displaying powers that could attract the attention of many mad scientists wasn't his goal. 'I am not you.' As his words rang out he remembered the battlefield he saw after activating Auto Combat for the first time. The drums that endlessly beat a tune of war in his heart. He never again wanted to hear those drums, nor did he ever want to feel the apathy his Auto Combat ability had forced upon him, all he wanted to was diligently train his archery skills so that he could become a military Archer. 'Your answer is illogical...' Alex spoke bluntly before vanishing into thin air. Simon heard Alex's thoughts but didn't really make much a reaction. He had already knew of his Teacher's personality even though he only spent about three years interacting with him. After he unlocked his Time Alter and Space Alter ability, the message about the Wisdom System gaining an Avatar was the last alert window he ever read. At that time, he was already starting to understand how terrifying his ability could be, but the appearance of Alex's true form was what truly changed him. 'Alex Stuman... The embodiment of combat and war... I remember your exploits and have seen you ability, but know this: I am Simon Rainglow! The man who'll show you how to use your strength to do what's righteous!' Simon thought as he left the room with a resolute sharpness in his bright eyes.
Chapter 8: Shadow Boxing 'Time to train a little before I go.' He thought and stood in the middle of his room whilst stretching his muscles. Before leaving his house, Simon trained his body using an ability he created himself, his Mana circulated the Soul Core in the centre of his chest. A shadowy figure appeared before him readied in a orthodox Boxing Stance. 'Activating Shadow Boxing ability.' Alex informed as the figure started to attack. [Street Boxing: Straight x2 > Heavy Overarm] The shadowy figure let out two precise straight punches before he could react, hitting his forehead, then smashed in onto the ground by using an overarm punch which made use of the shadows imaginary weight. A transparent image of Simon left his body and smashed into the ground. The real body of Simon stood in place but the battle between his avatar and the shadowy figure had just begun. [Capoeira: Handstand > Foot Drop] Just before the shadow could continue its attack on Simon's transparent figure, he quickly changed the entirety of his fighting style, two feet lifted up into the air to hit the shadows chest before following up with a kick. The transparent image of Simon dropped his foot from his handstand position but was blocked by the shadowy figure's crossed arms. Simon's eyes sharpened as he looked at the shadowy figure from his curved position before following up his attack by dropping his other foot as well. [Capoeira: Double Kick > Flip Kick] Both feet smashed into the shadowy figure's guard, allowing him to launch his body back and flip himself in order to break the shadowy figure's guard using a flip kick. Once the kick succeeded, he stood and started move his entire body in a dance-like motion. [Compass Style: Northern Lunge > Needle Straights] The aura around the shadowy figure changed and boxing stance it had became less orthodox. It lunged forward at a breakneck speed and appeared in front of Simon, then rammed its body into him using its shoulder, a crack appeared in Simon's transparent figure as he seemed injured. The shadow didn't even give him time to breath as it followed up with a combo of powerful straights. His body retreated and dodged the shadow's punches but the cracks on his body onto grew as some of the shadows punches successfully landed on him. [Baritsu: Knuckle Sandwich] He bent his legs and changed his stance once more, then countered with a punch that hit straight into the shadow's jaw. [Baritsu: Collar Hold > Double Palm Burger Deluxe] After grabbing hold of the the collar of the shadow's clothes and pulling the shadow towards his body, he let go in order to slap him. Two slaps simultaneously landed on the shadows cheeks, causing its body to crack the same way as his own, but the shadowy figure still had the strength to throw its head forwards onto his own. [Compass Style: North-Western Lunge > Heavy Hook x2] After their heads collided together, the shadowy figure disappeared from Simon's sight, his mind could only register the shadowy figure's movement after two heavy strikes landed on the right of his ribs. [Tae Kwon Do: Roundhouse Kick] His chest started to shatter into pieces of glass, but his eyes were unwavering as he jumped into the air and rotated his body before letting loose a flying kick. [Compass Style: Southern Sway] The shadow dodged by swaying its body backwards but didn't expect that Simon would charge towards it straight after landing on the ground. The shadow didn't seem phased by the suddenness of Simon's attack and lifted its arms. [Baritsu: Sandwich Deluxe] Simon's fist was like a hammer as it smashed into the shadow's guard. A crackling sound ensued as the fist was unable to break through, but he didn't back down one bit, a ferocious roar left his lips as he used the force of his body to drive it. The crackling sounds of the shadow's body increased, it was at that point did the shadow's arm shatter, leaving it with only one arm to defend. Little did he know that at the same moment his fist broke the shadow's arm, its fist was silently placed in front of his neck as they passed, ready to break his neck. "Brother! What are you doing?' A voice resounded behind him and broke Simon's concentration. This caused both the half-shattered transparent figure of himself and the shadowy figure to vanish into thin air. "Haven't I told you to not just barge into my room?" Simon said in dissatisfaction as a single bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. He felt that he had almost beat the shadowy silhouette this time they fought. 'The answer is no. You wouldn't have been able to win.' Alex informed monotonously. He had seen everything, especially how the shadow was moments away from beheading him. 'Wasn't I at least close...?' Simon believed his claim immediately due to the fact that Alex never lied before. 'Yes. You were.' With that reply, Simon smiled and looked towards his sister. "Merilin, as your big brother, you should respect me enough to listen to my requests." Simon tilted his chin up and said with a look of 'arrogance'. "We're only one year apart!" Merilin frowned and stuck out her tongue. "Our age may be one year apart, but now I'm a teenager, a child like you must listen to your elders." He laughed as he really liked acting haughty in front of his little sister. Her tongue-tied face was just hilarious in his eyes. "Stop it or I'll tell your classmates about that time you called the instructor Mom!" Merilin threatened with a red face, causing Simon's smug expression to fall, he coughed a few times in a row before continuing. "So, why did you come here?" Simon asked as he tried to change the subject. "You...! Forget it... Brother, how does my new uniform look?" After calming down she twirled on the spot and showed off her new school uniform. "Nice and cute! What about mine?" He asked after replying to her sincerely. "Nice and cute...?" Her reply seemed to come out in the form of a question. In return for her insincere answer, he grabbed her cheeks and started to pull. "Ow! It hurtsch...!" She exclaimed in pain after being unable to resist. "Cute...? You mean handsome right? Right?" He teased as he continuously pinched her cheeks, but his fun was interrupted a shadowy silhouette that bolted past the door, it was then that he felt his own cheeks in pain as well. "Awww~! Simon, you look so adorable today, you know that?" Martha exclaimed in joy while winking to her daughter who was released from Simon's clutches. Merilin giggled as she saw her brother struggling to no avail. Not only was unable to bring himself to fight his loving mother, but even if he did, he wouldn't be able to win. She was one of the many leaders of the guards that patrolled the streets of the Phoenix Empire in order to apprehend criminals and any infiltrated terrorists. Her strength may be comparably weaker to General Armstrong of the Rear Devision of the Field Armies, but even so, it was enough to be a lot stronger than any ordinary soldier. Martha's eyes then glanced at the special wristband near Simon's hand. "We're going to the Martial Academy in a carriage now. Be sure to say your goodbyes to the both of use, and remember, never take off your Mana Limiter. Okay? Doctor Artwood will still be visiting you in order to treat your disease every month." Simon nodded heavily to her words after she released his cheeks. The only person in the room who knew about the truth was only Alex and Martha, but Alex didn't inform Simon of the truth for some reason. He stayed silent as he watched the loving family leave.
Chapter 9: Echo Alex stepped out of the house, then somehow appeared somewhere far above the Crimson Flame Phoenix Empire, a look of contemplation appeared on his face as he looked down on the savage civilisation beneath. "This world is amazing, isn't it?" A voice resounded from behind him. "I believe a corpse talking to an echo of the man he once was is something 'ironic'. Why would you believe I have the potential to understand the concept of beauty?" Alex turned and asked the man who looked exactly like himself but dressed up casually behind him. "You once had a heart, who knows, you may be able to 'logically' answer my question. The same way you 'logically' thought traumatising Simon would be a good idea." The man replied sarcastically to Alex with glaring eyes. "The trauma he experienced was merely a miscalculation. It will not happen again." Alex informed blandly. Alex is an emotionless entity, but that didn't mean it was completely ignorant of the heart, it at least knew some of its complexities as a former human being. "The Spirit Origin... or 'Heart' of a person is like a garden. The feeling that take root in the grassy plain which is the 'Heart' depends on the experiences within the 'Mind'. You should have been able to calculate that returning Alex Stuman's combat experience would cause him to hear the war drums once more." The man said as he looked at Alex's face while narrowing his eyes. "Echo, get to the point." Alex ordered as he suddenly noticed a black cloaked man watching Simon from a distance. "Those are the Empire's Blackcloaks keeping on eye on him due to 'your' mistake. If others are able to continue monitoring him without interfering with his life, then that's good, but what do you think would happen if they crossed that fragile line?" "My proposition is simple. Unlike you, I have the ability to use his Yin-Yang Crest, so give me permission to interfere with his enemies." The man named Echo requested with sharp eyes. Simon already knew of the Yin-Yang Crest within his Human Core, but he was ignorant when it came to using its power, but Echo was different due to him being a remnant of Alex Stuman's original consciousness. With his knowledge and experience, he would easily be able to manipulate it easily. "You are merely a footprint on a sandy beach and an echo of the original Alex Stuman, the real 'you' will eventually disappear if I gave you permission to use the Yin-Yang Crest for Simon's future." Alex theorised monotonously. "You're worried about me?" Echo lifted his brow in confusion at Alex's words. "I don't have a heart, but I can theorise what emotion Alex Stuman would feel if the only sane remnant him disappeared from Simon Rainglow's Mental Origin, do you truly wish to taint yourself with the consciousness of another being? Possessing a human does a lot more than merging two separate minds, if you were to continue, the only true copy of Alex Stuman's personality would cease to exist. He would feel sadness if-" "I am a fake." Echo interrupted. Alex's didn't continue to use words to persuade Echo and listened closely. "Alex Stuman died that day, he died along with his true self, a knockoff imitation like me doesn't deserve to be called his remnant. You can calculate all you want, but in the end, the human heart is just too complex." Echo sighed. "Look at Simon's life closely." Echo said as he turned around. They were existences that were much like ghosts due to the abilities given by the Wisdom God colour, and right at that moment, they were using their abilities to project their consciousnesses outside of their original body, Simon Rainglow. "You have only been able to see the world from within his Soul Core, but I am different, extremely different. My consciousness has always lived within Simon's mental origin, within the darkest corners deep under his sea of consciousness, feeling everything he had from the very beginning." Echo said with rising emotions, his eyes looked at the Phoenix Empire not in a birds eye view, but only focused in just to where Simon was traveling. Echo had existed within Simon ever since Alex Stuman downloaded his consciousness into his Human Core's Divine Origin, he had always watched over Simon even in his darkest days of life, Echo's mind seemed to remember the first time he had actually 'awoke'. In the past, Simon was different from other his own age, but even that was acceptable until his strange abilities were uncovered by his classmates. It wasn't as if no had seen a user of the Titan Flesh technique, in fact, there was a fair amount amount of Titan Flesh users in a massive civilisation like the Crimson Flame Phoenix Empire. However, the difference between him a normal Titan Flesh user quickly showed itself after a certain incident. As he was making his way back home with his friends, a carriage that had its maintenance neglected tipped over after one of its wheels fell off, causing it to coincidentally fall in their direction. Simon was a child who cherished his friends, so he tried his best to help them get out of the way of the falling carriage, but one of his friends was stuck in place by fear due to the suddenness of the situation she was in. Without even thinking of the consequences, he jumped towards her and used his body to shield her, the only thing in his mind was the hope that his reinforced body wouldn't be too injured by the heavy carriage. The carriage smashed into Simon's back with the weight of many barrelled supplies that the fat merchant within was transporting somewhere else, but his misfortune didn't end there as the horses still dragged the carriage despite its condition, even after the carriage driver had fallen off his seat. His body was barely able to handle the force of the carriage, so the fact the Animalistic Beasts were pulling the carriage made it so the part on his back scraped his flesh deeply, broken pieces of wood stabbed into his flesh and threatened to injure his organs! He felt pain that no other ten year old his age would be able to cope with, his back dripped with blood as he was powerless to do anything, the only thing he could do was choose between sacrificing himself or abandoning her. Any His mind was blank as he eyes started to water, he didn't have the heart to abandon his friend, but he valued his life just like any other. It was at that moment that the Angel Blood and Demon Bone within his started to awaken their special abilities. He didn't feel his body strengthen, but he felt blood vessels and bone marrow were unified with the Mana within him. He circulated the neither cold nor warm energy within him and found that his body undergoing a change. Spike of abyssal black bones grew out of his back and pushed the carriage back, saving his life in the process. The injuries around his body healed as well due to the efforts of the pure white blood that covered his bleeding flesh. However, what he didn't notice at the time was how his ability looked to others who were seeing him heal. The clothes on his back were torn, and black spikes protruded from beneath his flesh, a white substance floated outside his body while healing him. If the people around him hadn't seen the accident and his bravery, they would have thought he was a demon that was attacking the young girl under him. As for the expression of the young girl in question, she had already fallen unconscious after being scared by his demonic form, a silence surrounded Simon as he slowly lifted his head.