"My goal is to devise weapons that'll surpass magic and power."
Joseph Algorith
Encyclopedia #1 Summary
The Felas Continent had twenty-six hours a day for five-hundred days per year. But if compared the ageing process of humans of The Galaxy, then it's slower as it is proportionate to humans. If one were to be one-hundred-and-fifty years old here, one would be around Two-hundred-five years old back at home. Those five-hundred days are further split into the four seasons; spring is one-hundred days, summer is one-hundred days, fall is one-hundred days, and winter is two-hundred days; there are six months in total.
The nation of Thesin is of the Human race, lying in the middle of the lands of the six other major races. It was abundant with natural resources where metal mountains reside and rivers flowed by, bringing a great amount of freshwater. The geographic weather comprises of a small amount of snow, enough rain to support farmlands, and moderate sunlight. The economy was boosted because of how centralized it was between all the races, providing a great trading hub for all racial merchants. There is a great mountain range that surrounded the human nation, with six major passages, each leading the other major races. For some reason, it is unknown how even great mages of the earth element aren't able to move the foundations of the mountain range. Using this natural barrier, Humans built six great cities, accompanied by great walls, to barricade the six paths in case of an invasion.
Six years prior to the level three bullet experiment
At the age of two, I able to walk around my room. My room had a navy blue colour painted on what seems to be blocks of stones. Inside were toys that would excite or conceive the curiosity of a child but in my eyes, they were nothing but distractions. Okay, when I do get bored, I would play with them in order to rest my overworked mind. A window was placed one meter to the right, opposite of the doorway. It was pretty clean because maids or butlers came by time to time.
At the time, there was me and a person named Vena. Vena was a 14-year old attendant, who kept a watch over me or to provide me with the necessities, such as pastries or other food in general. She had brunette hair, a small nose covered with dabs of freckles and warming, hazel eyes. Her personality was kind, caring, and diligent, which was expected since her job was to care for a prince. Though she worked as a bodyguard, too, with her aura becoming rank two, two weeks ago, which is truly outstanding for her age. However, I'm not sure whether a level two would be able to protect me if a higher ranking assassin were to come. But then again, it is unlikely for that to happen with the many experts within the castle and it's probably the lowkey servants who would take such an action.
In return for such a genius to guard over me, she receives personal training from my mother, the fifth general of the fifth legion that compromised over one-hundred-thousand soldiers. The only thing that irritated me is the fact she won't get me books that I've wanted from the library or the fact that I'm never alone. Even when she trains with my mother, I'm forced to watch their training.
Speaking of which, my mother walked into the room, bringing four books with her. Her platinum hair was tied into a ponytail while her face bared high cheekbones, pale tan skin. Her silver eyes were full of motherly love when she saw me. She wore on some very expensive, light and powerful amour meant for agile movements. Other than the inscriptions were written over the armour to strengthen its defence and boosting attributes, it was simple in design. Her personality was strict, confident, straightforward and empowering, of what a general should be, but she did have some soft spots, and I was one of them. Usually, she radiated of valour but at the moment, kindness and serenity were deeply ingrained her smile.
Behind her was a female attendant, a lieutenant in fact. Her name was Thelsa and she had brownish skin with curly, black hair, and a pair of piercing light brown eyes. Her face, however, radiated coldness like an iceberg, barely changing or moving. It seems to provide no emotions at all.
"Here are the books you've asked, son," she warmly said, "and how have you been?"
"I've been fine, mother, I-"
Suddenly, Vena interrupted and snitched my earlier actions, "My Lady, your son was misbehaving as he tried to escape his room again. His explanation was that he wanted to see the library."
In a blink of an eye, my mother's face became strict and stoic, the warmth disappearing and there came my horror. "What've I told you, Joseph, you shouldn't leave the room without my permission. I understand that you have a much more intelligent mind and your curiosity is getting the better of you, but danger still lurks within this castle. Remember what I've told you before?"
"Yes, mother, I'm sorry for disobeying. Usually, I'm smarter than this, but being a small child limits my freedom while vast knowledge is so close; my hands couldn't just wait."
My mother relentlessly sighed at my limitless curiosity, while her face contorted into a helplessness visage, "I've already told you, I would get the books. Anyways, here they are."
Seeing the books in my mother's hands, I remembered the conversation my mother and I had last week. It surprised her a bit when she discovered my ability to speak, but it wore off quite easily and was instead happy. There were two reasons because of her lack of surprise. The first reason is that, apparently, nearly one out of a hundred thousand mature faster in terms of mentality, matureness, or increases the capacity of intelligence. Usually, these people become great mages, warriors, merchants, or other professions. The other reason is because of the small message my mother received from the guardians, which implied that I'm special and should be protected yet not catch major attention. The precautions were probably due to my state as the reincarnation, but it seems like only she knew and no one else, not even the king. Though, the king did complain to the six guardians, before they slept to recover, why he wasn't able to know. They answered that it was best to keep it confidential. And so, he stopped.
When I told my mother of my plans, she realized that I was one of the chosen ones, however, it didn't change our familial love nor did her caring attitude stop. She assured that since she gave birth to me, I would forever still be her son. I'm grateful for that and it was truly there and then that I considered her my true mother, at least in this world.
After the emotional moment during the conversation, I informed her what I needed to fulfill my goals. I stated that I needed to learn more about this world, therefore she brought books today. I then mentioned that I required a workshop and wanted to form a small army, one that I would revolutionize. She answered that it was best for me to form an army consisting of people whose age was near mine, as no adult would be willing to listen to a young child, even if they were to recognize it was the chosen one. My requirements weren't harsh, only that they were able to do manual and arduous work. Intelligent minds were automatically accepted. And so, she said that she would commence a recruiting of young orphans or children from families for this project. They would, of course, be trained to strengthen their bodies for the meantime. As for the workshop, it was best that I developed my body a bit more and she recommended to star strengthening techniques meant for ages two and above, but needed expensive and rare resources, like herbs, to utilize. Eventually, at the age of five I would have some strength to do some experiments and therefore, it would be the time she would present a laboratory. As for the materials, I decided to discuss it when I received my lab and after studying the chemicals and metallurgy of this world.
I appreciated my mother's efforts in pulling strings behind the scenes and resources to recruit young children. It wasn't easy and very expensive to have such an operation, even if I limited to one-thousand soldiers. In the regiments, soldiers are usually recruited above twelve years old for three main reasons. At this age, children are more likely to expose their potential, they have finished gaining their elements, and they can do manual labour. The reason why soldiers need to do manual labour is that there is a rent they need to pay. The entire military held nearly three million soldiers with each receiving some sort of resource in order to further their advancement in training, with the talented ones gaining more. If one were to calculate the amount of money it would need to sustain such a group, the national treasury would eventually collapse within a few years or so. In an event of a war, taxes will be raised in order to accommodate most of the remaining gap once soldiers suspend labour work.
As for the elemental reason, there is the time gap between the age of nine and eleven, so if one was gifted, they would eventually awaken an element, or more if one is fortunate. Out of one-hundred-thousand, roughly ten thousand are able to become either mages or warriors. However, out of the ten-thousand, about one-thousand are able to advance above rank three and as for that one thousand, around one hundred-fifty will surpass the limit of rank seven. Finally, nearly ten people out of that one-hundred-fifty can make it to rank ten. Though these numbers aren't concurrent for mages and aura users live long lives, and so they make up more than half of the current forces.
As for ranks above ten, only a handful, such as the six guardians and the hero, are able to transcend it. As said before, rank tens, from what I've seen from the destructive fire element, are able to produce fire-power similar to that of a Howitzer from WWII, but once passed this rank, the only major improvements one may gain are a longer lifespan and larger mana storage. As far as the destructiveness of the spells goes, they would only improve to compare with one-and-a-half of a howitzer. As for the highest rank, which is twelve, their firepower is double of a rank ten.
As for the other races, their profession rates, whether it's a mage or an aura user, is double of that to ours, while their weaker profession is similar to the size in our army. But, the exception occurs with the Demonic and Draconian races. There people in this world that would be able to utilize both mage spells and aura methods, tripling their threat. For example, if a man were to have a fire element in magecraft while the wind element as their aura, they could be analogized as cars with machine guns. These people are rare within the races except for the Demons and Dracons, their rates being double-triple of the standard.
When my mother informed me of that in our previous conversation last week, it didn't give a long lasting effect on me. Maybe because I haven't seen the wars that had occurred in the past or I'm too arrogant, but I believe that my revolution shall transform everything. With the creations of my inventions, a common man would be able to defeat a mage or an aura user. Spells will be whittled down to pieces from the many projectiles. Explosions shall eradicate earth walls and cities, turning them into rubble. My goal is to devise weapons that'll surpass magic and power.