Chapter 1: I'm still alive?

Zed Williams was an average mage who strived for greatness.

Despite his mediocre talents, he never stopped trying to improve himself even when the world scorned him as someone delusional.

He tried and tried and kept trying for 105 years. But Alas, the Heavens were cruel as all his efforts remained unrewarded.

Lying on his deathbed as an old man with wrinkles apparent all over his face. His face remained calm and serene even as he felt his breaths growing weaker and weaker.

Zed knew that his time would come sooner or later but despite this, his mind was clear in the face of death.

Though he had regrets, the biggest one was never being able to reach the apex of magic, he had long accepted his fate as someone who was born with mediocre talent.

However, he wasn't bitter at all. In fact, he was quite satisfied. After all, he had done everything he wanted in this life.

He had lived his life by his own choices, all his decisions has been made by solely him, even if the world ridiculed him for trying to be extraordinary. He lived his life the way he wanted, one that was free from anyone's influence and so, if the result was this, then he was more than happy.

If he had the chance to live life again, he would walk on this path again, even if it was another fruitless journey.

A fool is what people would call him if they heard his thoughts but nevertheless, it is what makes him happy.

"Huu...."

"Huu..."

"Huu..."

His breaths kept growing weaker as he realized it was his time. Feeling death approaching him ever so slightly, his eyes remained closed as a calm smile formed on his face.

'I'm thankful to the Gods for granting me this life. Although I won't deny that I'm regretful that I never achieved my goal, all is fine, for this was my decision.'

'It was my decision to walk on this path and I don't regret it. I could have done much more with my life if I was content with living as an average person but...'

'I refuse! For I am human! If humanity was content with what they had already achieved, then we would have never improved.'

'Magic and technology would have never advanced if humanity was satisfied. Therefore, I too, believe that, so long as I am never satisfied, I will continue improving and achieve greatness!'

'I am Zed Williams, an average person who strives for greatness!'

'And similar to every other mediocre person out there with great ambition, I have met my end, achieving nothing.'

'However! I will never stop trying to improve myself!'

'Not now! Not ever!'

Just then, magic began gathering in his room. The amount made the room rumble ominously as his body convulsed as magic was recklessly being gathered into his body in order to refine his mana circuits.

"Hahaha... HAHAHA! THIS IS IT!"

A maniacal laughter resounded through his house as he felt relieved, like a star burning brightly in its final moments, Blinding light covered the room by the magic that kept improving his body.

However, even as all this happened, deep inside the old man's mind, he felt death approaching closer and closer.

Meanwhile, outside the old man's house, A local Mage Policeman arrived after receiving complaints from the neighborhood.

The policeman sighed after sensing the wild mana that violently began gathering inside the old man's home.

"Haa... old man Zed finally lost it."

He shook his head in pity as he heard the roof of the house being broken. The old man's body glowing radiantly in blue light as he broke through the roof of his own house.

Zed's blazing body then levitated in the air and into the skies. The light permeating across the night and past the town, garnering the attention of the inhabitants of the town.

He then circled around this small town from the sky, while being met with gazes from the people he once knew, some who were close to him, whilst most were people who had scorned him.

As he was doing so, he spotted a mage policeman in front of his house, looking at him with a pitiful gaze.

Zed sighed since he knew who this policeman was but didn't stop gathering his magic. Soon, his body couldn't handle it anymore as he began bleeding from his seven orifices.

"This is it..."

He looked towards the bright moon with melancholic eyes.

He took one last look at the town he grew up in, before erupting, a display of glory visible across the night sky.

Fwoosh!

A distant explosion was heard from the skies, barely affecting the onlookers in the town.

Consequently, the mage policeman took off his hat and bowed. Offering his last sign of respect towards the old man.

"Hey you! Why are you just standing there?! Why didn't you stop that crazy fool?!"

People gathered around Zed's house and they hounded at the policeman who remained unmoving.

"What would you have done if he had burned down my flowers, huh?! Besides, isn't it illegal to gather magic like that?! Why didn't you stop him?!" An angry neighbor complained.

"Yeah! He frightened little Misty as well! What's wrong with you!" Another obese woman shouted.

"I knew we should've sent that man to a retirement place." A man who seemed to be the husband of the obese woman said.

His wife retorted, "Heh, and who'd be providing money? He has no family, no siblings, no wife or children!"

The husband agreed. "He spent his entire life studying magic even though he only had mediocre mana circuits."

"That's true. I wonder why he wasted his life like that. Who would've possibly believed he would become a 1st rate mage with trash mana circuits right?" Another woman looked at the house in disdain.

"Well at the very least, he didn't harm anyone." Another stranger added.

"Eww, are you sympathizing with him?"

The small group of townspeople who witnessed the old man's blaze of glory began to cause a ruckus before quieting down as they saw a magnificent explosion in the sky.

They grew quiet after seeing the mesmerizing and breathtaking sight of display in the skies. Strands of fragmented strands of mana clustered in the sky, one that resembled the aurora borealis in the north.

However, this sight to them felt even more unique.

The policeman stared at this sight with melancholic eyes.

"Farewell, old man. May you rest forever in peace." He whispered under his breath.

-

On an unknown continent, a child could be seen running across the forest. He was wearing green robes made of rich silk, indicating the child was from nobility.

However, his current appearance contrasted greatly with his status. Disheveled hair, a sweaty and muddied body, his robes tattered and his face showing great exhaustion.

In his arms was a crying pale infant with white hair. The infant's cries resounded through the forest, attracting several hungered beasts from within.

The child knew that the infant he was holding was the reason why they were getting chased by beasts but he had no idea what to do.

In his mind, his father and uncle's last words kept resounding.

"Leave and escape. Do not look for revenge."

"Take care of little Lan'er. I trust her to you."

The child gulped but his saliva had long dried out. The thought of abandoning the infant had never entered his mind even when he felt as if his bidy was going to collapse.

He had been running for almost a day or two and he was sure that their pursuers had lost them.

However, he now had several beasts following their trail, chasing them relentlessly to feed on their flesh.

Rustle... rustle...

"!!!"

He could only lament in despair when he heard the unmistakable movement that was approaching closer and closer from behind him.

His body was beyond exhausted, his arms felt numb and weak from carrying the infant while his legs were aching unbearbly.

Even still, he stubbornly refuses to abandon the infant who attracted the beasts with her cries in his arms.

While running, he glanced behind him and found two wolves running after them with no more than ten or so steps behind.

The glowing yellow eyes of the wolves had never appeared more daunting in his life than at this moment.

Fear caused his legs to go momentarily limp but he immeditely snapped out of it and continued to stride forward.

He understood that one moment of his carelessness will cost both of their lives.

He clicked his tongue in frustration as his brows knit tightly, signifying the boy's desperate contemplation in how they could survive through this ordeal.

He didn't mind dying but he had to make sure that the infant in his arms could live.

In this way, he would at least be able to fulfill his promise to his uncle.

"Growl.."

The wolves were drawing nearer and nearer but it was too late for him to place the infant somewhere safe while attracting the danger to himself.

Even then, her survival was unsure since they were in the middle of the forest and her cries, due to her hunger, would only keep attracting beasts.

His mind stopped when he realized that in front of him was a dead end. The wolves realized this too as they immediately positioned themselves to surround the children.

'Damn it!'

The child cursed under his breath and never before had he wanted to cry but no tears left his eyes.

He tried... he really tried his best!

However... it wasn't enough.

His lips began to bleed as he bit himself in frustration. The child could only blame himself for failing his parents, his uncle.... and his little sister.

The child's eyes stayed on the snouts of the wolves that slowly began approaching them. All the child could do was hug the little infant tightly and hope that the terrifying beasts would be satisfied after eating his body.

Such a naïve thought but what else could the child do?

"Growl..."

The wolves' growls were terrifying the child greatly, his body shiverin in fear but... he was helpless.

"Forgive me... Father... Uncle..."

He bit his lips so hard that they bled profusely.

"I'm sorry little Lan'er.. I'm so sorry!"

Finally, the child cried as his feelings of failure overwhelmed his fear.

This was his greatest regret, being unable to save his little sister.

Although they had no blood relation, His father and his uncle (Lan'er's Father) were close enough to call each other brothers for life.

And so, he was raised thinking that his uncle's family was also his family, so he considered his uncle's daughter his little sister.

"I'm so sorry..."

His face crumpled in regret while blood trickled down his lips. However, no matter how tired, pained, scared, and terrified the child was, he refused to close his eyes even when the wolves leapt towards them.

'At the very least... I must make sure they eat all of myself first before they eat little Lan'er!'

"GROWL!"

Boom!

Suddenly, he heard an explosion from the skies. The explosion was so loud that the wolves trembled and left in a haste.

The child looked up at the skies and was met with a magnificent scene. Strands of blue light scattered, running in lines across the firmament.

'An Immortal?' He thought in daze.

But before he could continue his train of thoughts, the scattered lights suddenly gathered towards him at great speed.

It was too fast to the point that the next thing he knew, he was surrounded by the light.

"What the..."

He didn't know what was happening but all he could do was embrace the infant in his arms in a last ditch attempt to protect her.

Soon, the boy lost consciousness and collapsed.

-

Zed grumbled as he felt his entire body ache.

'What the... I'm still alive?'

His body was in no state to move and his eyes had never felt so heavy before.

'Heh... is this the price for trying to forcibly advance my mana circle? But I never heard of anyone living through that.'

Just as he was thinkinf about to lying still and rest his tired old body, he heard a nearby cry that was similar to a croak.

He ignored it at first but that creature's croak was similae to a dried out throat. It was clear to Zed that whatever it was that was near him, it would soon die.

Still though, his curiosity won him over as he lifted his heavy eyelids to see and as if by instinct, his arms moved to grab whatever the croaking creature was.

It didn't take long for him to realize that it was an infant.

Immediately, his body was jolted awake as he saw that the infant was in a very grave state. If he didn't do something, the child was sure to die.

The infant was pale while her body was heating up. Her little lips were shivering while her throat seemed to be croaking for air. Her cries had long dried out but she couldn't do anything else to portray her pain.

'Shit! What the fuck?! What sort of heartless parents would abandon a baby in the middle of the woods?!'

He thought of calling for an ambulance, or help, but he found out he was wearing unfamiliar clothing that wasn't his.

He disregarded this strangeness as he remained focused on saving the infant.

"Wuuu...."

The infant's throat was completely dry, her cries were raspy and her breath was weakening.

'Damn it!'

Having no choice, he decided to use his magic in order to try and save the child. Although his affinity for water was low, it was enough if he wanted to hydrate her.

It was in that moment did he realize somethinf very crucial.

He couldn't feel mana! Even worse, his mana circuits were gone!

"..."

The shock of being unable to feel mana was immense for a mage like Zed. However, before he could stay in daze, the infant's pitiful croaks reminded him of the urgency of the situation.

'Oh no... What should I do?! I can't let this child die!'

Seeing as he was manaless now, he had to do something practical and not waste any more time.

He decisively picked up the infant only to stagger seconds later.

'Damn it! What the hell? What happened to my body?!' He thought while gritting his teeth in frustration.

His body was bruised, battered, and exhausted but he refused to give up. His legs screamed in pain but with great determination, he stood back up and calmly observed the surroundings.

'No signs of a nearby river. I need to keep looking.'

This time, he didn't wander through the woods aimlessly. He looked around and trekked towards higher places in order to get a higher view of the forest.

When he reached a certain level on a mountain which was by no means easy, he found a nearby river from the distance. Immediately, he wasted no time running towards it.

He kept checking the state of the infant every half a minute since he was incredibly worried about her.

"I'm sorry my child... you were born from irresponsible parents... just like me."

Zed was also an orphan himself, that's why he had no family and so, meeting an abandoned child like him, he felt a great sense of duty to protect the child especially when she was only an infant.

Plus, her pitiful raspy cries were gripping his heart. It felt like he was the one torturing the infant.

Soon, they reached the river and he tested the water himself. Confirming that the water was drinkable, he wasted no time at all trying to give water to her.

Cupping water with his hands, he slowly moved it towards the infant's face and little by little, he started pouring water in her mouth.

He made sure to carefully and slowly pour little amounts of water at a time, enough for the infant to drink.

"Guu.. Guu..."

Although the infant's state slightly improved, her throat was still sore. But an improvement was still an improvement so Zed did not panic too much.

'Still though... what do I do? I have no experience in raising babies, but what I do know is that she won't be able to live just by drinking water.

She needs milk for nutrients... but where would I be able to get that? We're literally in the middle of a forest!'

When the infant was satisfied, she stopped crying, most likely because she felt uncomfortable from crying with a sore throat.

Getting through the first difficulty, Zed sighs in relief as the forest finally becomes silent.