"That seems to be everyone."
"Well time to tally all their classes up. Once our lord returns, these kids are going to be in for quite a wild ride."
"What about that one?"
Unsure of what to do, they stared oddly at the child who was spacing out. Dominic's eyes were oddly bright at the moment, a complete opposite of the dead eyed stare they had seen from earlier. Hell, when squinting their eyes the two guardsmen could even recognize an emotion hiding inside the little boy. An emotion everyone knew well.
It was one of fear.
"Ah..." Dominic stuttered. He wanted to say something to assure himself yet the words never left his mouth. Becoming bitter thorns shredding into the throat.
Gaze wandering throughout the area, he could see the happy children rejoicing and discussing things related to classes. Some even drew makeshift weapons and started fighting. Their weapons may be sticks but Dominic could see the foundations of fighting techniques present.
"Hey guys look!" A kid called out. The air was ruffling his baggy clothes as a formless pressure blew against him. Some words left his mouth and a small ball of flame burst into the air, sending a wave of heat that made the area grow a little warmer.
"Take this asshole!" Said child snickered. A wave of his hand sent the fireball the size of a basketball hurtling towards Dominic. The latter furrowed his brows. He was not feeling well at the moment and another ignorant child had already targeted him.
'I want to kill you.' Dominic glared full blast and clicked his tongue. Black strings materialized from the tips of his fingers and they cut an arc, slicing through the air like the sharp blades that they were. The fireball met with his strings and it was sliced cleanly in half. Losing momentum before collapsing into a flicker of embers.
"Ah!" Black strings wound around the child who sent the fireball barreling towards Dominic. Like a chicken gripped at the base of its neck, Dominic's target of hate was lifted up high into the air by his strings. His open palm started clenching, slowly closing and his strings followed in pursuit, winding tighter and tighter.
"What do you think you're doing!?!?!"
"PUT HIM DOWN!"
"Don't be so cocky kid!"
Alramed, the guardsmen all got riled up and advanced towards dominic with their weapons drawn. They were sure that there would be casualties but as guardsmen entrusted to watch over the town, can they really back down at this crucial moment?
Dominic clicked his tongue. There were too many and if he fought right now he would only exhaust himself.
Swinging his arm, He threw the child into the air, shifting the guardsmen's priority into catching the child.
He left the village with hasty steps. Unbeknowst to him, he was being watched.
-----
They know...
"Damn it..." Gritting my teeth, I ran as fast as my legs could take me. Through the gaps of the houses I weaved and bobbed, eventually finding the stone wall that surrounded the village.
It was tall. About two times as tall as an adult man and the round rocks cemented together seemed to have been harvested from a river. Judging from the moss growing on it and some cracked sections, this wall had been standing for a long time.
Concentrating, I managed to feel it. A cooling energy present in the air as my vision shifted.
In the air was white mist. White mist that flowed freely without direction. A connection akin to a string attached to a puppet fromed between me and the mist filling the surroundings.
I glanced at my hand and saw that white mist was slowly but surely trickling out. The mist was special.
It was mana. The very backbone of life and the arcane. Fuel for magic and sustenance to life. For magic spells existed in this world.
In the past I was not able to see this mist. But after receiving a skill named mana affinity upon attaining a magic related subclass, it was now visible.
My focus intensified. The mist wafting from my body leaked out even faster, its misty form changed into a color of pitch black before becoming ten strings attached to my fingers.
This was the fruit of grandmother's teachings. Sharp, lethal strings formed from mana that are able to rend flesh so easily.
The strings rose into the air under the swing of my arm and my mental control. They flew across the wall, wrapped onto a something and I climbed out of the village.
I needed to go home.
I need to think. I need to plan.
My steps brought me farther from the village and closer to the forest I called home. Dubbed as the witch's forest, Only me and my grandmother lived in it as people steered clear of it.
My heart threatened to jump out of my chest. Sweat dripped from my head.
If the gods know about me. Then why haven't they acted yet? A person from another world was certainly an explicit exhibit. Don't they want to just kidnap me and dissect me?
My thoughts wandered back to the system herself. The owner of the system's voice was a woman. Her tone was kind, gentle and soothing. But at the same time it was playful and dangerous.
What does she want from me?
"If the system speaks to you. You are bound for death or glory." Grandmother had warned me not to excell too much in learning her ways. A warning I refused to heed.
Doubts filled my mind until I arrived at a certain truth. The system. Grandmother's warning.
The system needed strong individuals. And the only reason that I can think of is because of that damned thousand year cycle.
It has already begun. Six years since the start of the 44th cycle but there was still four more years of preparation.
As I am right now, I can kill easily. But it isn't enough.
I need to...
I need t-
"Tell me honestly. Why are you still alive?"
A voice pulled me out of my thoughts.Halfway into the witch's forest, there stood a child barring my way.
His skin was a healthy flush of rosy pink. Golden, short spiky hair complemented by crystal clear sapphire eyes. His stature wasn't too big but the signs of him being a strong and tall man in the future was there.
Wearing a clean, white wool villager outfit,with crossed arms he stared at me with his head slightly tilting to the side.
The eyes were the window to the soul.
If my eyes were dead and lacked life, this kid.
His eyes radiated pride. A fullness of himself.
My mood plummeted again. No way...
I was sure that I was no main character. No matter how much you look at him from any angle.
He was just as handsome as I am. But that didn't matter. I could sense it faintly.
There is something wrong with this kid.
His appearance itself is too much of a giveaway.
Nonetheless, I snorted at him in contempt.
"My life and death does not concern you. Now go back to your village before I strangle you to death." Spitting venom at him, an ugly frown surfaced from the child's face. None liked to be mocked outright and I did just that.
I have my own life. And this kid is trying to meddle with my affairs.
I walked forwards undisturbed. Passing by him and thinking of the route home.
"You know... No matter how much I look at it." He spoke again. This time there was a tinge of coldness that made me stop in my tracks.
"You're not supposed to be alive Dominic. So how did you even survive it?"
The wind fell into silence.
BANG!
The ground cracked underneath me, black strings formed from the mana escaping the confines of my body. I had turned around to jump back.
Swish!
A sword swing barely missed my face. My left cheek stung from the air and proximity of a wooden sword nearly grazing it.
The golden haired kid had already closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye.
Ridiculous.
After retreating, I observed the boy, formulating counters and assessing him. A blank expression dominated his face. Just the sight of it annoyed me so much.
It was the expression of when a bird you had caught had managed to somehow escape your hand.
"You dodged it? That wasn't supposed to happen."
To the boy holding a wooden sword, It seemed that I was nothing in his eyes. Just a strangely colored bird that had wandered into the farm.
Twiiinnnn~ A melody of strings sounded out
Gritting my teeth further, I stretched my strings between my hands. The mana forming them grew more solid as my will wanted them to be as sharp as possible.
I'm having a very bad day.
The gods apparently know what I am.
I hate beimg watched.
I'm still far away from my desired peaceful life.
And now this kid.
This golden haired, blue eyed freak came to block off my route home when I had just wanted to go home and rest.
My name in this world was Dominic Remington. It was the name that I had in my previous life and also coincidentally the name that grandmother had given me.
I was the witch's grandson.
I was a walking target.
Cain village referred to me as many things.
But...
The village didn't know my name. No one really knew what my name was, except for my grandmother.
So how did you know?
Tell me golden haired child.
Tell me main character.
What is your cheat?
My hands were shaking. My heart was beating faster. Mana roiled inside my body even more intensely and a deadly glint shone from my strings.
"I'll ask again. Don't you ever make me repeat myself again." He spoke in a commanding tone. A deep voice filled with power assaulted my ears.
As if I care about how you feel.
Everything has been frustrating so far.
"I..." Through gritted teeth. Words started forming.
"Mnhm?" His eyes brightened up in curiosity.
"I will make you beg for mercy." I smiled.
My life so far had been full of stress. Dying and training is stressful you know?
I needed a punching bag.
And I guess a punching bag that could punch back would do.