As dawn cracked, I rolled out of bed to the floor, groaning and asking what had happened. I thought back to high school. I was a nerd who always admired those who participated in sports, the jocks. Their bodies were lean and fit and always got the chicks. I promised myself I would become strong and handsome one day to get chicks and be like them. Daily I exercised, becoming fit. I went from a fat blob of a nerd to an in-shape, still nerdy person always addicted to shonen manga and superheroes, sadly never getting girls and getting stuck in a dead in-job.
Oh, those were the days. I always liked to imagine that it was me who those girls looked at and wanted, but sadly I wasn't.
"Today is a new day."
I remarked to myself in my empty and lonely two-bedroom condo with a smirk.
"I'm so stupid."
I said as I grabbed my phone and walked into the bathroom, where I started brushing my teeth while checking my messages.
"message from grandpa - happy birthday grandson, I'm happy you are moving up in the world, like just the other day you got promoted to a manager. Now you must be making a lot of money. Well hope you have a great day, so I sent you $100. Try getting some girls, why don't you? You are already 23. Try not to go till 30 to lose your virginity."
"That old man, I love him. Wish I was a baller, like him getting chicks like no other,"
I thought. I kept scrolling and scrolling, reading 15 different messages of people all congratulating me on my promotion and wishing me a happy birthday.
"I'm so sad and lonely,"
I thought. After brushing my teeth, I changed from my pajama pants into a business casual outfit and ran out the door grabbing my bike to help me travel the 3 miles to and from my job. I rode through the corroded streets dodging and weaving through human and vehicle traffic. I look out into the world where I see apartments stacked next to other flats, towers next to towers, and skyscrapers next to even taller skyscrapers which is what I see on my 3-mile journey. As I creep up towards the building, I hop off and walk into the office, placing it outside, secured to the parking rack with a metal lock. As I walked into the office, I was greeted with a hardy.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHILIP!" Everyone on our floor yells.
They bring me a cake with my name on it and a candle.
"Blow out the candle and make a wish," angela, my boss, says.
"I wish to finally get someone who will love me and hopefully lose my virginity with," I said in my head.
After we ate cake and cleaned up, we went back to work.
At the end of a long day, I check my phone, and it's 10:37 pm and dark outside. The last person left an hour ago after fixing a bug in our system. I packed up my belongings and made my way outside, where I found my bike chain broken and stolen, so I decided to walk back home. During my trek, rain began pouring down, causing the path in front of me almost impossible to see. Thinking I could make it home, I increased my pace, thinking of taking a nice hot shower before cuddling up in a blanket on my bed to watch an episode of 'the hero from the fray, fantasizing about being in the world.
Running through the rain, I saw a faint light out of the corner of my eye. It got closer and more blinding. Instantly everything was a white and infinite void but yet a tiny box. A voice called out.
"I saw your death and felt you deserve a better life than what you have now. I will give you one power and a new body, half your old age, that will slowly grow older to the age you died in your previous life with the knowledge of the previous life. I have one wish for you. Assassinate the man who kills me. Apparently, he is a man of great strength and power, having the ability to kill me, the mighty deity of all 10 Exousia gods."
"Well, I have questions, like who are you. Why don't you kill him yourself if you know who he is? Powers, what type of powers?"
"For your first question, I am Exaldera, a great diety. Second, Through my great strength, but here is a catch. I don't know who, what, when, where, or how I was killed. I can see our battle and not at the same time. Lastly, the powers I give you are of the hero who came thousands of years before you are born in your new world."
"Could you show me yourself?"
"I shall show you but be forewarned my being is infinite, and nothing my face and body are as bright as the sun and as dark as the pits of hell, those who see my original form shall die, but since you are already dead your being can see me in my human form,"
Out from the void came a being with long blond hair, white eyes, and a blinding ring above his head that glowed with the sun's brightness. He stood tall and straight with gold-trimmed armor, his sword lay on his sheath, and 8 enormous wings that resembled that of a falcon.
"Now that you see me, I shall give you your abilities and send you down to the world to find and assassinate my killer, and if you succeed, I shall grant you whatever wishes and powers for you in your new world. Is this a deal?" Exaldera said.
"So I can't go home because I'm dead, so I guess there is only one thing to do, accept it. If I can have any power, I would like universal manipulation."
"Then I shall send you down into the world as no.59 in the nation of banik, don't worry, there are only around 64 others, so please work together and kill him,"
I spawned on a brick road lined with trees. Standing there, I wondered how I would kill someone I didn't know the name of, what he killed Echem with, or what battle Exaldera fought and died in. This is an almost impossible task. Then suddenly, a carriage came riding from behind me, but I continued to walk.
"Henry, could you stop the carriage, please?"
"Yes,, master Tomashi."
"Hello traveler, where are you traveling?"
As I walked, I heard a voice behind me and turned around to see a carriage driven by two massive white owls. I asked for a ride to the next city, and as soon as I entered, I was blinded by the gold and red silk that lined the room. But I was also enamored by its beauty.
"Are you feeling well?"
"I am ok. Could I tell you something?"
"Sure anything, I think we could be great friends. So as friends, we have to be open."
"I know you won't believe me, but I'm not from this world."
He took some time to process the information, then he started laughing.
"I can tell. You seem not from this world."
"You believe me?"
"Of course.
His laughter began to subside, and suddenly, the cabin went silent.
"By the way, my name is Tomashi, and he is my butler Henry if you couldn't tell."
"Thank you both for picking me up. I'm Philip. Where are you two off to?"
"We are going to the city of Tourzen, the capital of Aswor. There, I shall train and learn at the Cervene academy. They are only one of ten schools that teaches how to be an adventary, so they are very prestigious."
"Why are there only ten?"
"Well, your powers and abilities are unique to you or your clan or family, so your powers could be taught to you by your family. Basically, this is an academy for rich people with parents who do not have not enough time to take care of them."
"So why are you going there if you already have a clan that can teach you?"
"I wish I could be taught by my clan, but currently, my clan is at war with the Nusuma clan. It's sad. Our two clans have been at war for thousands of years."
"Oh, that sucks."
He began to smile
"Don't worry. My goal is to stop the war between our clans and become the head of our clan."
The atmosphere began to lighten up as the ride went on, and as I sat staring out the carriage at the trees that lined the road, it slowly transitioned into farmland. Then soon, the wheat fields turn into massive walls surrounding the city on a river.
"Hello, welcome to Aswor, two copper per person."
The carriage journeyed through the city before stopping in front of a building with a massive gate. I stepped out of the carriage to stretch and admire the enormous estate in the middle of the city.
"Come on, new buddy. The campus is open for today only. We can explore the academy before it opens tomorrow."
We walked through the academy, from the science lab to the training room, before exploring the academy grounds. As we walked through the grounds, Tomashi promised to pay for my admission if I pass the entrance exams, so I would try my best.
We completed the lap around the academy grounds before returning to the carriage. We retired for the night; the following morning, we woke up and rode back to the academy for testing. Lining the streets are thousands of students waiting for the campus to open so they can take the entrance test, Where we stood too.
"I see you are here Tomashi. Who is he?"
He says while pointing toward me.
"I'm Philip, Tomashi's friend."
"Wow, Tomashi finally got a friend. It only took a decade."
"Who is that?" I asked
"That is Akira,, son of the Nusuma clan leader. He is like me, and we used to be friends before our families realized that we were from opposing clans."
Suddenly they opened the gates, allowing a flood of students into the estate and commencing the testing. Testing lasted the whole day since then. The first test, I stood on a platform where I was given a piece of paper with a symbol on the back. I was told to concentrate on the palm of my hand and put all my strength, will, and determination into setting the paper on fire. It lit with a dark blue light. Then we took a test on literacy. The last test was an ability test. We stood in a field where we showed our powers. I wasn't able to perform an ability as well as the rest. Even after replicating other water users, I could only shoot a few drops of water.
At the end of the day, the test grades were posted. Tomashi was in first place, and below him was Akira, in second place. My ranking was seven-hundredth, solidifying my place in the one-thousand-member student body, in an already prestigious, exclusive, and sought-after academy.
This is the beginning of my adventure, and I shall find and assassinate that man.