Chapter 4 My Siblings and Serious Training.
I looked in the mirror in my massive bedroom and I studied the scar that ran from the left side of my lip to my chin. A jagged slash was what was left from my fight with Ken Shouryu a few years ago. My father would be returning soon. I wonder what he would say about the scar. He knew about the fight of course and my mother had given me an earful before contemplating on what a war with the east would do to the Empire.
The explosion had cost me my eyes and most of the skin upon my body along with my right arm, but you should've seen how I left the other guy. This was how I learned how amazing the magic of the Empire truly is. It cost them an 8th tier spell scroll which was worth quite a few cities, but a split Empire was the last thing the Empress would want. It was also how I learn how resistant a magi human was. I took an explosion point blank and I lived to tell the tale although I cannot begin to describe the amount of pain my body experienced and the feeling of regeneration afterwards.
My mother was very serious about starting a war with the east. Not only had she gotten a few concessions from the Empire for the injuries to my person she got quite the amount from the east dukedom as well. I was told my father almost left his post the moment he heard and the only thing that stopped him was the meeting between him and the Empress.
Moriah had been severely punished by her mother although I didn't know the details and all I got from the fight was a cool scar. The rest of my body had been regenerated but I chose to keep the scar as a reminder. The pain here was real. This world was real.
While I was recovering on the airship home Murnia explained to me why Ken Shouryu had a hand in his ass.
'Young Master Ken, was it? I don't believe you govern what goes on between me and Moriah.'
My first mistake, I left no room for quarter no chance for that block head to back out. I had basically said in polite manner 'who the fuck are you' as Murnia put it. She was very angry and crying when she finally got her hands on me.
'Honor? You're no knight, no mage, no warrior, you're just Ken Shouryu. Mongrel.'
The second mistake, this showed that I didn't put Ken Shouryu in my eyes at all. Someone who was my peer. I passed over him like his station didn't exists in my eyes. It's been 3 years and at any event I attend I hear the whispers.
"Honor? You're no knight, no mage, no warrior, you're just Ken Shouryu. Mongrel."
I looked at the scar as I spoke those words to myself in the mirror. 3 good years and a few months had passed since then. Now I was 7, but I appeared to be 12/13 years old. This Magi Human stuff was just plain weird, but I understood its necessity especially after learning about the Eradication War. Honestly speaking if I had a chance to do it again I would. I didn't put Ken in my eyes, and it cost me yes but in my first battle it was a valuable lesson in my path to power. The exhilaration I felt in my first battle was nothing like I ever experienced on earth. No video game could compare to the physical power my body exuded and I was no more than a tier 1 in physical cultivation. I had barely completed the first tier at the time and couldn't use any special moves. That was pure physical power. After that battle I had become more than driven. I would never be put in that position ever again.
3 years passed and I was well into the 3rd tier of physical cultivation and the 4th tier of magical cultivation. This much power and I had yet to choose an aspect. That would enhance my power even more.
'Show me my list of aspects available.'
A screen appeared in front of my face, and I carefully read through it.
Aspect: Strength (Common)
Requirements: Aspect space.
Effect: Doubles current body strength, increase mental resistance, increase endurance.
Unlocks perk: Limit Breaker (Common).
You meet the requirements of this aspect. Equip?
Aspect: Speed (Common)
Requirements: Aspect space.
Effect: Doubles current body speed, increase mental resistance, increase endurance.
Unlocks perk: Flash (Rare).
You meet the requirements of this aspect. Equip?
Aspect: The Fighter (Uncommon)
Requirements: Aspect space, higher intelligence.
Effect: Gain a basic understanding of all weapon types including ranged, increase mental resistance, increase endurance.
Unlocks perk: Jack of all Trades (Rare).
You meet the requirements of this aspect. Equip?
Aspect: Vitality (Uncommon)
Requirements: Aspect space, strong vitality.
Effect: Triples the amount of vitality your body has, increase mental resistance, major increase in endurance.
Unlocks perk: Heal (Rare).
You meet the requirements of this aspect. Equip?
(New!!!) Aspect: The Heir (Rare)
Requirements: Aspect space, governing domain.
Effect: Increase in all Ruler skills including judgment, governing, domain defense, domain offence, major increase mental resistance, major increase endurance.
Unlocks perk: Young Master (Legendary).
You meet the requirements of this aspect. Equip?
Aspect: Harbinger (Legendary)
Requirements: Aspect space, Harbinger from Earth sent by [Beyond].
Effect: Increase in all stats which include but is not limited to endurance, vitality, speed, magic, and strength. Gain the skill Perfect Recall, allowing you to recall all special events that occurred within 3 years with perfect clarity. Increase combat damage output by 10%.
Unlocks perk: Those who Travel [Beyond] (Legendary).
You meet the requirements of this aspect. Equip?
(New!!!) Aspect: [Beyond] (???)
Requirements: Aspect space, qualified soul, ???, ???.
Effect: ???.
Unlocks perk: ???.
You meet the requirements of this aspect. Equip?
Now. What. The. Fuck.
I didn't even know where to begin. I had been staring at this screen on a weekly basis. For 4 fucking years. The only thing that stopped me from picking an aspect was hesitation and fear. I feared what would happen to me if I accepted. We don't negotiate with terrorist, but I wasn't the Bush administration with an army at my beck and call. Even still I was one of one hundred thousand. I knew that I was most likely in a better position than most who would be climbing this ladder of power. I was certain others took their aspects and started their journey.
During these 4 years of my abstinence from the aspects 2 new aspects appeared for me. Aspect of the Heir and [Beyond]and I intuitively knew when they appeared. The Heir was when I took an honest hand at governing my growing force. Murnia band of friends that I saved immediately offered their loyalty the moment they learned, and I had become known as something of an orphan collector as I would take orphans off the street and give them a choice to become something better. I was assigned a guard by the name of Roan who I found out later on was Rue's older brother. It seemed the siblings had been employed for the Kans for generations. He handled most of the training of my troops however I insisted on taking an active part. I would already have their respect just by giving them a chance most orphans couldn't dream of but in I wanted their full loyalty and secrecy I needed more than to just give them a place to stay.
Aspect: [Beyond] appeared the same day the nightmares officially stopped. The day I officially accepted who I became and who I was. I wasn't the indecisive college student anymore. I was no longer Terrence Brown. My name is Aegis Kan heir to the Dukedom of the West. Next Lord of the Wall and I truly embraced that destiny, but I wanted more for myself. My family had been guarding the wall for over 1000 years. The year was 1232 ES (Empire Start) and my family had overseen the west dukedom since my greatest grandfather sliced the head from Rakix Doom the Supreme of the orc, goblin, and ogre alliance. The farmer turned warrior was still alive until this day whereabouts unknown according to my family. Several generations of Kans were alive but nowhere to be found. Just another perk of advancing your power but of also being a Magi Human. Our lives are already extended to around 200 years even without cultivating. Each tier adds life span and becoming ranked changes you forever. Most human commoners can already live until 130. When I investigated this, I found out that if they take up a cultivation path and can get to the 3-5 tier they can live as long as a non-cultivating magi human. Another reason the Empire requires everyone to have knowledge up to the third tier in magic cultivation although there was a price. They're not required to use them but to have the general knowledge if they so choose to advance. Most commoners would only be concerned with tier 0 spells like |Spark| to create a fire and so on.
A knock was heard at my door before two little gremlins entered screaming and waving wooden swords at me. I smiled and turned to face my two siblings. Tara charged at me from the left sweeping her sword low to try and catch my calf and Akash stabbed towards my chest. The mirror was to my right and I didn't want to crash into it, but I had all the time in the world to dodge the 2 kids. Laughing I took the best course: straight ahead parrying Akash sword hitting the flat part with my hand and calmly jumping over Tara's sweep. The force I put into hitting Akash sword sent the weapon tumbling from his hands and as I jumped over Tara my leg shot out lightly kicking her over.
"Surrender hero's I am the villain West Bandit, and you can never defeat me."
I struck a Ginyu Force pose as I waited for my siblings to recover.
My sister struck her pose before speaking and my brother rushed over to grab his sword before posing next to her.
"Have no fear. I am here!"
I burst out laughing. I had taught them these poses, and it was incredibly cute on them. Keeling over I didn't see the attacks coming but I sensed them. I left them strike me however to finish our little play.
Falling back and clutching my chest I gave out a cry of anguish.
"Arrrgh, you may have gotten me this time, but you will not the next!"
Now it was Akash turn to say his phrase.
"Hmph. To conquer fear, you must become fear."
The chuunibyou in me was becoming activated ever since these twins were born. They were a bundle of joy and really help me without even knowing it themselves. I never wanted to see their smile and innocence taken. I think they were part of the reason Aspect: the Heir also appeared. I was slowly learning more and more about what it meant to be Lord of the Wall and I wouldn't wish the position on any of the 2.
Amaya ducked underneath the swing of my axe barely avoiding it from clipping the top of her head. A fireball appeared on her left and I jumped back the moment it fired off at her. A great amount of mana drained from my core. Time slowed and Ahana appeared only to grab her daughter and disappear right as the fireball would have hit where she was.
I smirked that would count as my win 362-290. We did not use any protection spells or even armor so a hit could be fatal. My lead had increased ever since I came to the end of my second growth phase. I was more used to my body and more content with my spells and the results were showing. Amaya and Ahana appeared in front of me. What had seemed like teleportation was just Ahana moving at extreme speeds. Amaya was pouting and glaring at me, and I laughed a broad grin breaking out. This only increased her anger, so I stuck my tongue out. Only to catch my aunt Ahana rolling her eyes as I looked at her.
"Good job Aegis. The fake you hit Amaya with was perfect. If this was a real battle situation she would have died. However, you would be nearly out of mana.
Amaya you did well keeping up with Aegis however you're a bit late on thinking fast on your feet like your cousin. You could have done the same and cast an indirect Magic Shield or Earth Wall both in the 3rd tier of spell categories. Although it would similarly leave you drain, you'd still be in the fight."
Amaya had been studying just as hard as me and with me helping her understand some spell constructs she had difficulty with she had advanced and kept pace with me.
"Yes mother."
"Now the both of you go back to the castle and discuss what you did right and wrong."
I held my arm out for Amaya and she took it, but she refused to look my way. So, I decided to start the conversation.
"You actually had me in the beginning of the fight. I was off balanced from your initial burst of speed. Why did you hesitate?"
Amaya paused and I stopped with her. I was used to these pauses as she would take this time to collect her thoughts. She had this quirk since we were children. As we started walking again, I knew she was ready to speak. This time she looked at me as she spoke.
"I think I hesitated because I was scared. You know were using real weapons and not blunted ones now. One thing you may not know is that your mother had scry over your location the moment she felt something was wrong with you. I happen to be with her at the time. We both saw your scarred body. I… I hesitate every time I see your scar."
This was a big revelation to me I never knew mother let alone Amaya had seen my condition when Ken awakened his bloodline with me in the line of fire. A lot of things suddenly became clear to me. The reason for my win gap against Amaya became clear. I opened my mouth to speak when a flash appeared before me. Teleportation. My father appeared before me and the words I wanted to say never had the opportunity to come out. The last sentence he said to me before leaving returned to my memory.
"Train hard and pay attention. Talk to your teacher and Ahana about edible plants and survival tactics. You will need it."