Staring at the plain, old house in the middle of Robertson Gardens street, Ace felt a sense of nostalgia arise from the pit of his stomach.
But, it soon disappeared and was filled with negative thoughts and emotions.
It was a dark and gloomy night. Even the moon wasn't visible in the sky, giving a sense of sadness.
Having neglected his family in his previous life, he was nervous to even enter their home. He had already met them, but it was only for a couple of hours.
Besides, he hadn't even apologized.
'Well, I'll sound like a maniac if I try to apologize, so screw that idea.'
He considered giving them a gift, but then remembered that he had no money.
At this point, all he could do was hope they're content with the news he was about to tell them about.
'I wanna tell them that I came in second place in the Dormitory War. But, I promised that I would win….'
Letting out a sad sigh, he decided to think about it later, or give them a gift on his next visit.
'It's not like they're going anywhere. I can do it next time.'
With that thought, he knocked on the wooden door that was decorated with weird patterns from mythology.
'They would freak out if I told them that I had contact with an actual deity.'
The thought of his dad staring at him with a gaping mouth brought a smug expression to his previously indifferent face.
'Ah, right…'
He quickly turned [Indifference] off before any of his family members could open the door.
Clank!
Creak…
The door was opened by a little girl with black hair. She was about the same height as Ace, but a little shorter.
As she gazed at their visitor, her eyes suddenly lit up as she tackled her brother using all her strength.
"Brother!"
She squealed while rubbing her face on Ace's chest.
The latter patted her on the head before hugging her, just like she did to him.
He didn't say anything because he didn't know what to say. In front of his family, he somehow always had social anxiety.
"Let's go inside, okay?"
He spoke gently before entering the house and closing the door behind him.
He and Alice, his sister, walked throughout the small corridor before entering the living room, where two adults were stated.
Ace's mother was sitting near the dining table reading a newspaper, while Ace's father held a remote in his hand, rapidly switching between channels on the television.
Watching this, Ace chuckled on the inside before waving his hand.
Despite his action, none of them seemed to notice their son because they continued on with their tasks.
Noticing the issue, Alice quickly voiced out…
"Mom, dad! Brother is here!"
Finally, his mother took the initiative to turn around. Seeing her son standing near the door, she smiled gently and reached out with both arms.
Ace teared up as he finally ran inside his mother's arms and embraced her tightly.
His father also looked back and smiled, albeit not as gently as his mother.
He waved his hand at his son who looked back at him with a smile.
Soon, Ace's father got up as he walked towards Ace. He reached out his hands, beckoning him to shake his hand.
Ace escaped his mother's embrace and shook his father's hand, much to his satisfaction.
"Welcome back."
Although that was all he said, Ace still felt the proud tone of his voice.
He didn't know why that was, but he understood the gesture.
Nodding once, he turned to look at his mother once again.
"Ah, Ace. You should probably go take a shower."
His mother said while plugging her nose playfully. Ace chuckled while nodding in agreement.
He put his bag and scabbard in the corner of the room before entering the shower delightfully.
He let out a moan as he experienced the warm water touch his skin. Even though he showered at school, nothing could beat showering using hot water at your own home.
After scrubbing his body, he exited the shower and wore the clothes he brought.
Wearing black sweatpants and a slim, navy T-Shirt, he exited the restroom.
"You're back."
His father remarked as Ace entered the living room. His other family members weren't so emotionless as his sister hugged him once again, and his mother gave him a gentle smile.
Soon, the four of them sat near the dining table.
Staring at his dinner, Ace couldn't help but swallow his saliva at such a delicacy.
The main dish was meatballs and rice, while the sides were sauced chicken tenders and a bit of nachos.
"Dig in."
Everyone nodded as they started devouring the food before them. It had been nine years since Ace ate such amazing food, and he knew that all too well.
"Could you pass me the salt, mum?"
Ace asked as his mother nodded, passing him the jar of salt.
As Ace was about to start putting salt on his food, a voice entered his ears.
"I heard the Dormitory War just ended. Please tell me you didn't end up in last place."
His father asked in a mocking and sarcastic tone. Hearing this, anyone would retort, but Ace just smiled, completely comfortable with this question.
"Actually, I came second."
Hearing this, his mother and father both spat out their food. Amanda started choking as if she had heard the weirdest thing in her life.
"Stop lying, Ace."
Adam commented, his tone filled with disgust. He felt that even if one failed, one shouldn't lie about it.
"I'm not. I only lost to Lily Yearning because of the rank difference of two minor ranks."
He said, still staring at his food.
His father still didn't believe it, and spoke…
"Then prove it."
Ace just smiled once again before walking over to his bag and taking out a golden card.
Witnessing the display, Adam choked on his food before taking a big gulp of water.
"What the…!"
"Dormitory A, access card."
His mother completed his father's unfinished sentence. Even Ace's sister, Alice was gazing at the card with glittering eyes.
She wasn't surprised at her brother being amazingly strong, but the card was just too majestic to take your eyes off of.
Ace, Adam, and Amanda felt the same, as they gazed at the card.
There was longing visible in Amanda and Adam's eyes as they scrutinized the card that their son had gotten from the school.
"Ace… how?"
His father asked with widened eyes.
"I told you that there was a reason I spent all my money the other day."
He explained with a light smile. He wasn't uncomfortable with their surprise, but something that did irritate him was their exaggerated reactions.
Of course, he wanted them to be proud of their son, but not in this way…
It felt like they underestimated Ace on an entirely different level than those bullies he faced.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness inside his heart. Ever since he regressed, his feelings towards his family had been complicated.
It was easier talking to strangers or those who wronged him, but interacting with his loved ones who he neglected was difficult.
"What rank have you achieved? I heard Lily Yearning was an E+ rank individual. Wait, does that mean you're…"
His father didn't dare continue. He only hoped for his son's success, but jumping three minor ranks in a week?
This was a completely different level of 'talented'.
Adam even thought it was enough to rival Noah Williams, who he was friends with back in the day.
"Yes, dad. I achieved E- Rank the other day. It's a little slower than I wanted, but it's alright for now. Besides, it'll only get slower as my rank goes up."
Hearing this response, his father could only scrunch his eyebrows and say…
"Y–Yeah. Yeah, sure."
Adam doubted if his son was human, considering the crazy things he'd pulled off at Academy 07 over the past week.
"Right, I'm one of the Kings in academy 07."
Silence.
This revelation led even Alice to widen her eyes in utter shock. She knew that Kings were the strongest, most influential, and well-respected people chosen by the students of the respective year.
"T–That's great! What rank?"
His mother asked, trying to alleviate her shock. She was extremely proud, but even she doubted her son was human.
Their family had never raised a prodigy in their many generations.
"Ah, I used to be #1, but after losing to Lily, I got pushed down to #2. Also, my nickname is the King of Indifference."
Adam was on the verge of fainting.
'My son is more talented than Noah Williams!'
His pride for his son was overwhelming as it was clearly displayed in his tone.
Watching this, Ace couldn't help but smile brightly. His parents were proud, he wasn't neglecting them, and they were closer than they ever were.
What more could he want?
Now that things with his family were settled, he needed to begin training.
There was supposed to be a new assessment in three weeks time, named the 'Dungeon Assignment'.
From what Ace remembered, they were entering a D Rank dungeon, and were supposed to conquer it using sheer numbers.
Since all first years were F to E Ranks, it was hard for them to clear a D Rank dungeon even with overwhelming numbers.
That is why Ace had to train as hard as he could in these three weeks to increase his strength.
The next day, Ace stood before Alice as they stared at each other.
The latter flinched when she saw the former's indifferent gaze, but soon regained her composure.
Being a 12 year old, Alice had no foundation. Her flesh and bones were akin to a regular human, and she was below the F- rank.
Usually, one would reach the F- Rank by either gaining a skill or consuming a special product such as the Heaven and Earth Ginseng, which Ace used.
In his previous life, Ace gained a skill, automatically pushing him up to the F- Rank.
However, the method Ace used wasn't the best one.
Many thought that if you have high-ranking skills, you'll become strong one way or another. However, the foundation matters more than anything before becoming an F- Rank individual.
If one had a strong foundation, they would absorb mana, comprehend techniques, and train quicker.
And, to gain that foundation, one had to strengthen their body along with their soul.
Ace didn't want his sister to have to be protected all the time, nor did he want her to be a weak individual.
What he wanted was for his sister to become just as strong, or maybe even stronger than himself.
For that, he decided to train her for the next two days, spending his weekend with his sister in the mountainside.
Getting permission from his parents wasn't too hard, considering he was one of the best in his school.
However, Ace knew that the trip would be dangerous. Despite that, he wished for his sister to witness the severity of training and overcome this obstacle.
He decided he would dedicate some of his time preparing his sister for the future when she joined Academy 07.
Even if it was only for two days a month, if they continued this for two years, she would start school at rank F+ at the least, quickly rising through the ranks at a faster pace than even the best in the world.
This would be the result of her cruel and harsh training, along with her resolve and the willingness of her caring elder brother.
An hour later, the two of them arrived at the base of Mount Othrys, named after the peak on which the Titans resided on.
As they looked up, they witnessed the true beauty of nature. They gazed at the radiant rays of the sun shining down upon them along with the fog that shrouded the peak of the mountain.
This would be the place they would train at every month.
For Ace, it would be a fun experience, but for Alice…
'I don't know…'
In his previous life, Alice went on to quit striving for strength and became a scientist who researched on the field of mana.
However, Ace didn't want that to happen this time. He needed his sister to become one who is admired by everybody in the world.
To achieve that, Ace wanted her to desire strength.
"Let's start climbing."
Ace said as he gazed at his little sister, who was looking up with glittering eyes.
"Are we really climbing this? I mean, is it safe?"
Hearing this, Ace chuckled distastefully. Having witnessed the apocalypse, he never knew what it meant to be 'safe'.
He wanted to teach his little sister how to always be cautious.
"Do you think anyone is safe in this world?"
"Hm?"
"Alice, do you truly believe anyone is safe in this world, and most definitely cannot die?"
"Well, yes! I am, because I have you, mum, and dad."
"No, you don't."
Alice's face paled at Ace's response.
"But, won't you protect me?"
"Of course I will, but it doesn't always mean I can. Also, what if I'm not there to help you in case of need? Besides, currently, I'm very weak."
She gazed down at the ground, her face deathly pale.
"W–What about… Noah Williams? He's safe!"
She said with a frown.
"What if he's attacked in the middle of the night? What if the entire population gangs up on him? What if he's killed by a stealth-specializing assassin?"
Tears welled up in Alice's eyes as she suddenly realized the fact.
"D–Does t–that me–mean… no one's safe?"
"Correct. All one can do is try to become stronger, bit by bit. If you're strong, the chance of you dying to someone decreases exponentially. If one can learn to rely on themselves, they'll never be betrayed. Of course, I'm not telling you to not trust someone, but be extremely cautious in life."
A couple of minutes passed as none of them spoke. Alice was still processing the things Ace said, while the latter was negotiating with his own mind whether the things he said were alright for a twelve year old to hear.
He wanted her to become stronger, but didn't want her to lose her childhood. He only wanted for her to be able to protect herself in time of need.
Soon, Alice gazed at her brother with eyes filled with determination.
'Looks like it worked.'
Ace swallowed these words while smiling inwardly. His speech had gotten through to Alice, prompting her to strive for strength to protect her, and her loved ones.
"Now, let's go."
Ace suggested as he grabbed Alice's hand. Offering no resistance whatsoever, the latter started climbing alongside her brother.
They arrived at their destination after four hours of diligent climbing.
[Mount Othrys]
Mount Othrys was a place abandoned by the residents of Bryxton city. Back in the day, many people visited the mountain, but after its beast and specter infestation, no one dared to step foot on it again.
For Ace, that was marvelous. It meant he and Alice could train without restraints however much they wanted. Of course, they would still have a chance of being invaded by the specters, since they can permeate through walls.
"We'll be staying here."
Ace informed her as soon as they set foot on the boundaries. Gazing at the barren land at about half the height of the mountain, he chuckled at the irony.
After nightfall, the place is usually crowded with thousands of specters and beasts roaming around.
Some might be deceived by the quiet atmosphere, but Ace wasn't such an easy-going guy.
"Should we set up camp?"
Alice asked, to which Ace nodded.
"I'll go get the firewood. You stay here and install the tents."
Alice nodded, and Ace took off downhill to find some fertile ground on which trees grow.
After walking downhill for about half an hour, he came across several trees.
"Specters!"
He called out in a poetic tone, gathering attention from all the evil spirits around.
Specters were like ghosts who carried resentment for others. After death, the souls of humans usually formed a cluster and became specters. After their transformation, several specters usually clump up in one spot and try to alleviate their resentment by unleashing their bloodlust.
Also, they're a great way to strengthen one's soul as they are literally large lumps of soul.
Strengthening one's soul allows for better potential in the future, which is why some people climb mountains only to grind specters.
The reason no one roams around Mount Othrys is because of the beasts that roam alongside the specters, which makes it inconvenient compared to the other mountains.
However, since Ace and Alice need both beasts and specters for their training, it's a win-win situation.
Suddenly, several translucent ghost-like creatures appeared before Ace. Their eyes shone with an enormous amount of bloodlust and killing intent, which sent shivers down Ace's spine.
'Calm yourself down.'
He thought inwardly, closing his eyes.
"Well then… let's begin."
He remarked.
There are several ways to strengthen one's soul using specters.
One of the most common ways is to let yourself be hit by the specters, causing your soul strength to deplete. Then, one can meditate, letting the fragments of soul in the surrounding area join together, strengthening and expanding your soul.
It's very similar to the process where one depletes their stamina, and then lets it regenerate, in turn increasing it.
Ace took off his shirt, standing in the middle of nowhere as the specters feasted on his soul.
His soul was abnormally strong already, much to his pleasure. However, he needed it to be the strongest in the world if he wanted a chance at defeating the Deity of Destruction.
If his soul was powerful, it meant he could train quicker while also enduring soul-targeting attacks.
Crunch!
Crunch!
The specters bit pieces of his soul as they permeated through his body, causing an enormous amount of pain to the person in question.
However, he purposefully kept his screams low-pitched so as to not attract the attention of his sister, who was working diligently to set up the tents.
An hour passed, and Ace's soul was almost completely extinguished. With the miniscule amount of strength he still possessed, Ace unsheathed his blade and ignited his aura.
He then used [Flurry Steps] and put the specters out of the misery by sending them to a place where they would either suffer or rest in peace for eternity.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
His blade didn't connect with their bodies since they were intangible. However, it did scatter their soul into soul fragments, wiping the little consciousness they had left.
After killing the last specter, he lurched away from the spot and sat near the cliff. Sitting cross-legged, he cleared all his thoughts while focusing on absorbing the soul fragments in the area.
'There we go.'
Ace remarked as his soul started expanding again. Only, this time it was a little stronger than before, clearing and consciousness and improving his perception abilities. It also strengthened his aura, giving it a stronger glow.
Since the strength of one's aura was determined by their will or resolve, the growth of one's soul was fundamental in the betterment of one's aura.
When he finished restoring his soul to a certain extent, he slowly stood up while stretching his bones.
Having sat for at least an hour, his bones had become rigid.
After he did so, he gazed at the sunset off in the distance. The entire sky had a red-orange hue which reminded him of the so-called 'Color of the 4 Directions' which the indigenous people believed in.
The color red symbolized many different things, such as beauty, war, blood, etcetera.
Looking at such a hue, he couldn't help but let out a faint smile. He didn't understand what it was, but looking at the sunset made him feel relaxed.
It felt like he was performing his life's purpose correctly.
"I should probably head back to the camp now. Ah, the firewood! Alice is gonna kill me!"
He said, with a fearful expression. He knew Alice could be childish and clingy, but when things don't go her way…
Ace preferred to not even think about what could happen at such a moment.
"Well, someone's gonna die today. And it sure won't be these filthy beasts and specters."
He gulped while praying for his life.