Under the night sky, a figure sat on the edge of a cliff, gazing at the dim rays of the moonlight thoughtlessly.
He swung his feet back and forth as they hung over the cliff, threatening to fall into the abyss below.
On Mount Othrys, one rarely experienced such a beautiful display of the night. However, after wiping some of the specters out, Ace had cleared the area of most of the resentment souls.
Ace's lips were curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile akin to a parent proudly gazing at its child.
'Things are going well.'
He truly believed that things were going extremely well. First, he gained an abnormal amount of strength in the miniscule amount of time he had left.
Then, he gained a potential subordinate named Leo, who he knew had an enormous amount of potential.
And finally, he wasn't ignoring or neglecting his family, while giving birth to positive feelings and memories with them, instead of negative ones from his previous life.
Unlike in the past, where he felt like his world was jumbled. In this life, he felt like he was growing; at a fast pace, too.
"Brother?"
Alice emerged from the tent as she rubbed her droopy eyes. She gazed at her elder brother and soon sat beside him, also gazing at the moon.
However, her thoughts were different. She was thinking about what her brother had said earlier.
'People are never safe, huh?'
She naturally accepted this as a fact since she never once doubted her brother. In turn, the sentence brought along an enormous hunger and desire for strength.
Not power, but strength.
Not authority, but a means to protect oneself and their loved ones.
This rang a bell in Alice's heart, forcing her to accept the fact that the real world was a cruel place. Also, it increased her reverence for her brother.
"Ah, hey."
Ace said in response. His clear eyes shone like jewels, but his posture was that of a relaxed person.
Seeing this contradictory pattern, Alice couldn't help but be amused.
'Is he active or relaxed?'
She thought inwardly, staring at her brother.
She was still a little angry at Ace arriving so late. Moreover, he had brought alongside him wet wood, which couldn't be lit.
In the end, she had to go out herself and retrieve the materials needed to ignite a fire.
"What're you doing?"
She asked, to which Ace responded by saying…
"I was… reminiscing."
It wasn't a complete lie, since he had technically been reminiscing on things which had happened a day or two ago.
However, it wasn't the truth, either. Of course, he couldn't tell Alice the truth at least until the Deity of Destruction arrived.
"I see. Anyway, how are things at the academy?"
She asked, forming a curious expression that carried traits of innocence and mischievousness.
Ace raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised at the subtle tinge of maturity hidden inside her voice.
Was it a product of his lecture?
He wasn't sure, but he definitely liked it.
"Well, things are going well. I have a kind of 'rivalry' with a guy, and the hatred of one of my teachers."
They talked all night, until the sun slowly rose.
As the sunlight pierced through Ace's eyelids, he slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying down near the tent.
The last thing he remembered was discussing mana theory with Alice near the cliff, but…
'Did she bring me here?'
He was surprised at how strong Alice was. Had she made a mistake, Ace would have fallen down the cliff, into the deep abyss below.
'I guess we don't need too much body strengthening, then.'
He remarked with a toothy grin before putting all his weight on his arms to get up. He walked inside the tent and saw the innocent face of his sister, curled up like a sleeping kitten.
Her eyes were closed and her breathing was fairly slow. She was curled up inside a brown blanket that had flower patterns on it.
'Looks like she's sleeping.'
Ace noticed that half of her body was exposed to the cold temperature, so he pulled the blanket up until her neck.
'Now, let's begin the training.'
He thought inwardly before exiting the tent stealthily.
After walking over to the edge of the cliff, he gazed at the abyss below before initiating his daily stretches, followed by some work-out exercises.
Despite strengthening his soul, his consciousness still felt fuzzy after waking up. To diminish the feeling, he ran up and down the mountain for a bit.
After his long daily workout, he stood next to Alice's tent, clutching the cloth while trying desperately to steady his breathing.
"Alice, wake up."
He said gently before hearing the noise of a groan. He walked away and waited for his little sister to emerge from the tent.
Whoosh!
The tent door opened, revealing a girl with long black hair, displaying a bright smile.
"Can we begin today?"
She asked, her eyes glittering with excitement. Watching this, Ace couldn't help but let out a chuckle to hide his guilt.
Hadn't told her about his training yesterday, and frankly, he didn't plan to.
"Yeah."
He replied, smiling bitterly.
*
*
*
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
As Ace swung his blade with great proficiency, he hummed peacefully to the sounds of the birds chirping.
It had been a few hours since they began training. Alice was meditating while Ace was training his skill, [Sword Saint] to the Beginner Level Mastery.
Despite having used the first move of [Sword Saint], Vertical Tear, he still couldn't re-enact it.
Whenever he tried using it, his blade along with his body would spasm greatly, causing immense pain to spread across his body in an instant.
Due to this circumstance, he believed it was impossible to learn the moves unless he either strengthened his body, or increased his rank.
"Brother, how long do I have to do this for?"
Alice asked, opening her eyes. She sat quietly atop a rock, not moving an inch from her original position.
Ace turned his eyes away from the sky and gazed at Alice.
"You need to continue it until your consciousness, vision, and perception becomes sharper. Have you felt that sensation yet?"
Hearing this, Alice responded with a quick shake of her head.
Ace smiled bitterly and motioned her to continue.
He then opened up his system interface. Having not checked it in a while, Ace was utterly stunned by what he saw.
[Name - Ace Ambrosia]
[Age - 14 (23)]
[Species - Human (?)]
[Biological Sex - Male]
[Rank - E-]
[Stats]
[Strength - E]
[Agility - E]
[Stamina - E-]
[Mana - E+]
[Dexterity - B+]
[Skills]
[Sword Saint - SS]
[Indifference - SS]
[Flurry Steps - B]
[Mana Manipulation - D]
[Aura Manifestation - D]
[Mana Cultivation - D]
[Body Augmentation - D]
His stamina was average, but every single other stat was incredibly high. Considering that most people have the same or lower ranked stats at a certain overall rank, this was an enormous boost.
Not only had his strength and agility risen above the rank margin, his mana had a difference of two minor ranks compared to his overall rank.
Moreover, his dexterity was super high, too.
Now, including his tricks and all, he was certain he could take on an E+ Rank expert and win, albeit with a little trouble.
"Can we take a break, brother?"
Alice asked, clearly bored out of her mind. Thinking nothing of it, Ace nodded absentmindedly, and motioned her to relax.
He kept staring at his status window with glittering eyes. He hoped he could reach rank E by the initiation of the Dungeon Assignment, but he knew it was a pipe dream.
Despite having reached E- rank in a week, he didn't have any special tricks to pull anymore. Now, any forceful method would only harm his foundation or soul, which he couldn't afford to do.
'Training all day for a long period of time could tear my muscles too…'
He knew he couldn't be too hasty, but he didn't have time. Normally, it took people thirty years to achieve A Rank. That was if they could actually achieve it in their lifetime.
However, Ace had barely nine years; most likely less. Moreover, Akashic Records still hadn't contacted him.
'Wait, can he even contact me on Earth? I would think so, since the mana and system interface is his doing.'
He tilted his head, clearly in deep thought.
Watching this, Alice tilted her head too, trying to guess what her brother was in such deep thought about.
Frankly, she was a little doubtful about Ace's personality recently.
Ever since the day school started, he had been different. Or maybe… mature. He wasn't the playful brother she knew anymore.
Now, he was reliable, powerful, and wise.
He didn't make lame jokes anymore.
Now, he taught her life lessons.
'I wonder what changed him so much. Maybe I can change too.'
She stroked her chin, clearly excited.
In her imagination, she was a wrinkled old lady wearing a blue wizard robe with bright yellow stars painted on it. She also wore a large wizard hat which covered most of her face. She carried an old stick which had quite a lot of bumps on it. Moreover, her eyes looked mature and she was giving out wisdom like it was pocket change or candy.
'I wanna be like that.'
Just the thought made her shiver in excitement.
"Let's continue."
Her brother said, causing her to groan.
Despite her hunger for strength, it was obvious that she wouldn't enjoy training.
She wanted strength, but wasn't like those battle-hungry freaks who partly resembled her brother.
No, her brother was different. It was like he chased strength for something noble. The glitter in his eyes whenever he mentioned the word 'training' was… mesmerizing.
In the end, she let out a sigh and resumed her meditation.
A few hours passed in an instant.
Night had fallen already, and Ace was sitting near the cliff once again.
Alice didn't understand why, but it was like her brother had been spacing out all day. Despite him suggesting they should train, he never trained with all his heart.
Unlike her, he enjoyed training, so it was uncomfortable watching him space out while doing his favorite thing.
'Maybe I should ask him about it.'
Pondering over it for a while, she decided against it. She decided to confirm before accusing her brother.
Ace threw a rock off of the cliff as he frantically tried to search his memories for any methods to progress quicker.
'Soul expansion, item consumption, regular training, and cultivation. Although all four of them are fairly common, the benefits they give out decreases after a certain point of time. Soul expansion is very time consuming, item consumption is expensive as well as a one-time thing, regular training is straining and slow, while for cultivation, I'd need to find a suitable spot with a ton of mana in the surrounding atmosphere.'
He stroked his chin while going through everything in his head.
Even though he lived two lives, and although he achieved rank A very early, defeating a deity with such a meager amount of strength was nigh-impossible.
Even Noah Williams, a person who achieved SS+ rank in only twenty-five years got one-shot by the Deity of Destruction.
'I can probably achieve the Beginner Realm Mastery of [Sword Saint] by tomorrow. The first move is still very difficult since I need a stronger body or a higher rank. I don't think I can upgrade [Flurry Steps], since I created the skill in this life. Also, [Indifference] isn't a combat-related skill; it just helps me maintain my reputation as the King of Indifference, or possibly maintain my composure in extremely painful or nerve-wracking situations. The other skills are just supports.'
Ace threw another rock into the abyss below before entering the tent to sleep.
"Maybe I'll just stick with cultivation for now."
He muttered as he fell asleep.
*
*
*
Near a river which contained the flow of the world sat a boy.
The boy looked childish; possibly around eleven to twelve. He wore a white and gold tunic which covered his entire body loosely.
The boy had dirty-blonde hair and a face splotched with freckles.
His appearance was childish, but on the inside, he was as wise as a monk. Having lived eons, he had an aura of maturity oozing off of his body.
Even so, his personality was just like a child's.
"I wonder if that guy is doing well."
He muttered before gazing down at the river, which was visible in various different shades and colors, such as purple, golden, black, etcetera.
Having lived by this river for billions if not trillions of years, he wasn't fazed by the fact that Ace's face had just appeared on the surface of the other-worldly water.
Watching this display carefully, his eyes glittered for a second before returning to the endless abyss which was visible before the change.
"Wondering how he's going to train…"
The boy chuckled before dipping his hand inside the water, dispersing the image.
He then got up and started walking along the riverside with a bright smile on his face.
"I wonder why I couldn't see most of his information. Despite distributing mana to Earth, I couldn't see Ace Ambrosia's information. I saw a little bit, but that's it."
The boy mumbled to himself while looking upwards, gazing at the mesmerizing stars that shone in the distance like fireworks.
"Is he a deity? No; if he was a deity, I wouldn't have been able to view any of his information whatsoever."
Sitting cross-legged, he stroked his chin.
"Don't tell me… the Celestials? It's not possible…"
Suddenly, he goggled.
*
*
*
"Can't we train for one more day?"
Alice asked while looking upwards at her brother like he was some kind of saint.
Having seen this technique, Ace shook his head in amusement.
It was the end of his two day vacation. Now, it was back to studying, and training endlessly; which he was doing already.
"We can't, Alice. I have school tomorrow. Plus, you have school too!"
"Yeah. I'm gonna study mathematics and language arts while you fight deadly battles."
"Come on. They aren't deadly battles."
"Oh yeah? How come several people got incinerated in that Dormitory War of yours?"
"That was… never mind."
Ace shook his head. Much to his amusement and glee, his sister's personality had changed tremendously.
It was like his lecture that day had worked wonders.
'Was her personality this fragile? Well, there was no trigger back in my previous life.'
He shrugged it off as he descended down the mountain using [Flurry Steps]. His sister tried to keep up, but there was no chance. Even a D- rank individual would have a little trouble catching up.
That was only in speed, however. In overall strength, a D- rank individual could kill Ace in one hit; or maybe just a glare.
Arriving at the base of the mountain once again, regret poured into his mind like a raging storm.
"Arghh, I should have climbed to the peak! I'm too lazy to do it now."
One of primary goals for this trip was to visit the peak of the mountain, but for some reason, it had slipped out of his mind.
Now, he had an hour and a half to reach home, drop off Alice, take a shower, and arrive at the Academy.
"I'm in a pinch, aren't I?"
Watching him mumble, Alice couldn't help but let out a bewildered look as she slowly descended down the mountain.
She kept staring back at the mountain like it was some kind of precious monument she couldn't leave behind.
No one could blame her, however. Looking at the mountain which was covered in rocks, snow, and grass, she couldn't help but be mesmerized by it once again.
The peak extended until above the clouds, truly portraying as the birthplace of the elder gods from Greek Mythology, as well as the place where the Titans resided during the Titanomachy.
"Let's go, Alice."
Her brother called out, frantically gazing at his phone to check for the time every five seconds, as if he had a meeting to attend.
'Nothing's going to happen if you miss school for a day.'
She rolled her eyes.
They soon arrived at their house. They had taken a taxi, but the driver was disgusted by their sweaty clothes and smell.
Thus, he kicked them out halfway.
Somehow getting home before school started was nearly impossible.
'Yup, I'm missing school today.'
Considering school was almost four hours away using [Flurry Steps], he knew he had no chance in the first place.
'Well, I'll just spend time with these guys.'
He swallowed these words while gazing at his mother and father, who were inspecting Alice to see if anything was wrong.
They were terrified of Alice's new personality at first, but on the inside, they knew it was for the best.
Therefore, they thanked Ace with all their heart.
"Go take a shower, Ace."
His mother called out with an order. Yet, her voice sounded soothing nonetheless to Ace's ears.
It truly sounded like he had a mother complex; but in reality, he was just glad she was still alive to give him orders.
After taking a shower, he sat before his mother, father and Alice near the dining table.
"So, what did you guys do?"
Amanda asked, rubbing her hands together. It had started getting cold, since it would soon be October.
Despite the heating system, the mana in the air makes it chillier even inside houses.
"We killed specters and beasts. We also sat on the edge of a cliff and talked about incinerating humans!"
Before Ace could open his mouth, Alice spilled the beans; in the word way possible.
Hearing this response, Adam stood up immediately as he walked towards Ace. Expecting to get reprimanded, Ace locked eyes with his father; his gaze unwavering.
However, contrary to Ace's expectations, Adam patted him on the shoulder before saying…
"Ah, that's why Alice has changed so much. Good, very good."
He smiled brightly. It was the first time Ace had seen his father smile so carelessly, that tears welled up in his eyes; literally.
"No. My change is probably because of the lecture he gave me on the first day."
Alice continued on and on about the lecture and how Ace said that no one was safe.
Noticing that she had no plans of stopping any time soon, Ace facepalmed as he tried to hide his beet-red face.
At the end of her well-written speech, he felt three gazes on him appear simultaneously.
His mother was glaring at him.
His father raised an eyebrow while smiling.
And, Alice was revealing a toothy grin in the form of a smug expression.
"Yes, that happened. Now, I should probably leave. It takes four hours to walk there on foot."
"Who says you're going on foot?"
His mother asked, clearly concerned.
"Wait, did you actually walk here on foot?"
Hearing her response, Ace nodded cautiously, expecting a lecture in return.
However, the moment never came.
"Here, take the bus this time."
His mother sighed, handing him a hundred Clo, enough for him to buy a ticket.
Clo was the currency used on Earth. It was a small blue slip which had the amount written on top of it, indicating it's value.
"Ah, thank you!"
He replied, saying his goodbyes to everyone before leaving with his scabbard and bag.
Exiting the door, he couldn't help but sigh.
In the end, his relationship with his family was still a little bitter-sweet, considering his previous personality prior to his regression.
'I still gotta check out Dormitory A. I heard you can have a butler if you pay a little extra.'
The amount wasn't too much since the school wanted the talents to be nurtured properly. However, it still costs enough for a 'commoner' to lose a fortune.
Soon, he stood before the door of the most prestigious academy in Bryxton once again.