"You are all the hopes of this dying world. Please... I beg of you all to save it!" A man on the verge of tears knelt down to the red carpet. Banged his head on the floor while clasping his hands over him.
A luxuriously fixed throne room with themes of motifs centered around lavishness.
A royal red carpet led up to a golden throne.
The throne was a masterpiece. Gold and crimson mixed perfectly together and a long eastern dragon lined the throne. Its hands becoming the handrests for those who would sit on it.
The dragons eyes were twinkling crystals resembling rubies. The way the dragon fiercely snarled forward gave it a lifelike appearance.
A distance before the throne was young men and women who wore identical clothes. They were school uniforms.
Amongst a small crowd of confused youths was a boy. He was remarkably tall and shady. Standing at six foot five, his shoulder long hair glistened in the light. It was a shade of sunset.
His hair resembling a flame. Golden eyes that were sharp and a cold look adorned his face. The youth emanated out a cold aura that served to make his narrowed eyes more chillier.
He was handsome. But the feeling he gave others was one of coldness. He stood near the back, a few more steps away from everyone in his group.
They were flanked to the sides with burly iron clad men. Eyes practically glowing with vigilance and determination.
Cold, steel spears were tightly gripped by their hands and they formed a wall in an orderly manner.
The tallest youth from the group was staring calmly while observing the surroundings.From the way his eyes were narrowed, he wasn't pleased in the slightest seeing their situation.
Countless ideas and thoughts ran in his mind. He felt threatened. The sudden unexplainable urge to leave this place drowned his mind.
The young man felt something unnatural in the air. A scent that brought with it a false sense of peace.
But before he could even tell the others to be on guard, a blonde man stepped forth from their small group and declared his intent to save the world.
Everyone cheered and backed up the man. The blonde haired boy then secretly shot a smug smile at him.
The cold young man grew even more tense. He was the only one against serving under what could only be but a king of a nation.
It was right before his very own eyes that he saw everyone glow and disappear. The same applied to him while he cautiously gazed at his hand.
He clicked his tongue.
He already knew he would be in danger just from the blonde man's smile. He knew they were going to find ways to kill him.
-----
A man could be seen sitting on his bed inside a neatly fixed room. He stared hardly at his opened palm while his expression was a grim one.
A blue collored steel collar glowed dimly as it hugged his neck.
He could still remember everything. How he was minding his own business at class before a glowing circle of sorts appeared on the room's floor.
He can still remember how he and them all appeared before a begging king.
How can he forget how they were sent into a land of trials. A place where life and death were uncertain.
He had killed many of his classmates who had wanted to kill them in there out of greed. He merely protected himself.
And at the end, he got a gift. A special power. A power that he sees as something that given enough time, would let even the powergouses of this brand new world fear him.
But to his classmates and the emperor of the country he found himself in, it was lackluster.
They all had gifts that could be found from the legends and myths of this world.
Heroes. Champions. Saints... His classmates had recieved such gifts relating to the aforementioned. Gods and Goddesses even descended to acknowledge them.
As for him? He was brushed to the side. No one came for him. Yet he didn't care.
But for the young man to wake up one day at an unfamiliar bedroom while a trembling naked princess huddled herself in a corner was the last straw.
He walked up to the woman who shrunk under him as she shivered in fear.
The door had busted open and the blonde man rushed up to him and held him up by the throat.
It was there that the broken princess screamed and started accusing the hoisted up man for violating her and stating how he enjoyed playing with her to his hearts content.
He was set up.
How can he forget everything?
The man sitting at the side of his bed smiled sinisterly. He was too mellow.
Since he had first stepped into that prestigious school, everyone looked down and was against him already. For he was not rich like them.
He was a commoner in their eyes. And to them, for such people of low status to be there was utterly disgusting and undeserving of him.
The man had given no care what they had done to him. The belittlement and all the verbal harassment. He paid no sch thing a heed. He was mature compared to those rich kids who had everything spoon fed to them on a silver spoon.
"What is my gift?" The man asked as if talking to someone while he was clearly alone. But instead of being answered by silence, a child like voice rang inside his head.
(Your gift is a very strong gift. Don't listen to those fools and treat it as garbage. The value of the gift of [True Adaptation] cannot be measured...)
The man snorted before shaking his head. He knew that. He wasn't an idiot like others. The man spoke again and asked a question.
"Then why is it that you are stuck in my head... Answer me Numen..." His lips arced a little upwards and a small child appeared in his vision. The child floated before him with an irritated frown.
A cute little boy who seemed to be only twelve years of age. Yet he was as small as his palm.
"I won't answer that! Didn't I tell you before that I am here to ensure that your journey would be a smooth sailing one! We talked about this Grant! I am your sponsor!" The little child nagged before shouting in displeasure. The young man whose name is Grant merely shook his head while smiling a little.
Grant rolled his eyes before shooting the child a cold look that seemed to send chills down the boy's back.
"You didn't really do a good job. And because of that now I'm stuck in this prison for weeks already..." Grant sighed before pinching the small floating child's nose.
"Oww oww oww!!! It wasn't my fault that I was tired and only woke up after things already went downhill for you! Unhand me mortal!" The child screamed in pain while mashing his cupped fists against Grant's fingers. Grant felt an itch from where he was being "attacked" by the child and let go.
"Some god you are Numen..." Grant rolled his eyes again and the child, Numen froze in response. He smiled embarrassedly before scratching the back of his head.
"Sorry..." Numen bowed in embarrassment while Grant waved him off.
Grant didn't truly blame the kid as he blamed himself for beeing too offguard. Resulting in him getting framed for a crime he committed not and thrown into the depths of a high security prison.
"Atleast you have me. I'm super duper useful!" Numen brightened up and an ahoge popped up from the white spiky front of his hair. The ahoge swayed side to side and optimism seemed to ooze out of the palm sized child.
Numen had a head full of spiky hair and white clear irises that radiated innocence and happiness. He wore nothing but a flowing white robe with small goldeb lines tracing the edges of it.
"Right... I have a pawn that acts as a great scout who can never truly be detected by anyone. You're such a reliable god Numen." Grant patted the child who grew quiete. A forced wry smile parted from the white robed figure's lips as he saddenned a little.
Grant sighed before he stepped out of his bedoom and into the living room before stopping at the kitchen. He just woke up and had to cook something to eat before he had to head out.
It was four am in the morning. That he could tell from the antique looking clock that hung up on a wall. The clock was a product made out of a dwarve's knowledge.
Grant's hands turned into a blur as he diced up the meat chunk on the cutting board. Separating it into small cuts.
He walked to the side and opened up a working electrical stove. Yes that's right. An electrical stove.
It was a byproduct of magitech. The fusion of magic and dwarven technology. To power such a creation, one only needed to insert a decent magic stone or infuse it with a decent bit of one's own mana.
A light green smoke seeped out of Grant's fingers and vanished into the stove. The stove lit up and Grant placed a skillet on top.
He added cooking oil, waited for it to heat up a bit more and then he added the bits of meat he had sliced up.
Numen floated up to the stove with an egg held by two small hands. He raused it overhead before smashing down on the frying pan's edge. Cracking the egg. Numen then proceeded to split the egg in two and the contents of it spilt onto the frying pan.
Sizzle! Sizzle~
The meat cooked along with the egg while Grant had gotten a plate from his plate holders.
He needs to eat to start the day. He was up for another day of hell afterall. The prison was strict and used the prisoners for the higher up's benefit.
Rules and regulations were implemented and order came to the prison.
Grant finished cooking and dug in his meal. He only had an hour before the day officially starts.
Numen laid on his shoulder and kicked his legs. He was waiting.
"How long would you be in this prison?" Numen asked whileGrant swalloed a portion of his food before answering.
"Give me two to five years. By that time I will be out."
"But this place is what the mortals call Tartarus. Even Calamities are kept in check here. How can you get out?" Numen podnered outloud. Grant snickered before finishing his meal.
He will get out.
He can't let those bastards waiting afterall. He needs to get out to make that happen. He won't rest until he gets what he wants.
Payback.