Entering the Public Training Room for the first time in two days, Ace was bombarded by nostalgia as he frantically savored every glance.
Sadly, all he saw was a lanky-armed individual practicing martial-arts in the center of the room, acting like he owned the place.
Ace still hadn't asked Leo about his progress of the request Ace made after winning the duel. Due to this, he walked over to Leo while revealing a toothy grin, hoping for Leo to have been through extreme pain completing his request.
As their eyes locked, Leo let out a groan as he continued practicing his martial arts while acting like Ace didn't exist.
Startled by this behavior, the smile on Ace's face only widened as he realized what had happened to this 'rival' of his.
"Hey."
Hearing this, Leo lazily turned his head around while waving like an absent-minded nerd who fell in love at first sight.
"What? Did you fall in love with me or something?"
Ace asked while widening his smile to such a degree where his expression didn't look physically possible anymore.
"No, I'm just savoring the fact that you have severe dark circles under your eyes. Seems like you went through just as much as I did completing your stupid request."
His expression became a little excessive while he poked Ace's tummy, causing the latter to let out an even wider smile.
"Nah, not really. All I did was train with my sister."
Leo's eyes drooped down like a dog hearing the human he lives with call him a 'bad dog'.
Then, he lifted his face up with some trouble and started reciting the details about his expedition.
A little while ago, after losing to a duel, he received a request from Ace. Ace wanted him to find as much information as he could about Lily and Melissa, since the former thought he could recruit them in the near future.
So, Leo's expedition began. He searched every nook and cranny of the school for information about Lily and Melissa, even following them for a while.
"I didn't really find anything interesting."
Leo concluded, staring at Ace to witness his next reaction.
Ace sighed, putting his hand on Leo's shoulder. He then began giving the latter life advice; literally.
"If I were you, I'd be a little careful about what you do. I know for a fact that Lily and Melissa are not normal. And, if you think they are, their butlers probably noticed you and told Lily and Melissa to act normal in front of you. Ah, right; watch your back for any flying daggers or, I don't know, nunchucks maybe?"
Hearing Ace's explanation on what might have happened, Leo's shoulders stiffened.
If Lily and Melissa really sent assassins after him, even his family couldn't get him out of the mess that Ace put him into.
"You..! You did this!"
Leo's eyes turned bloodshot as he tried to roundhouse the guy with the casual look in front of him.
"Hey, hey! It's not my fault you suck at spying. Besides, why would you go on your own, anyway? Send spies or something!"
Ace explained before walking away. Before he could exit the Public Training Room, however, he paused and then turned around.
"In three weeks, there will be a test for the first years named the 'Dungeon Assignment'. We'll be diving into D Ranked Dungeons for the test. Just wanted to let you know."
He said before exiting the room.
Leo stared back at the disappearing shadow as he tilted his head.
'How the hell did he get that information?'
This was the moment he realized Ace was abnormal; in the brain.
'There's no way we're actually diving into D Ranked dungeons… right? That's for second years!'
His expression distorted while he considered the possibilities of Ace's words with a horrified expression.
'Should I be angry at Ace, or the school board…?'
*
*
*
Standing before a humongous Dormitory practically decorated using jewels was a man with black, wavy hair and crimson eyes.
His expression was beautiful as he gazed upon the majesticness of the structure standing before him with glittering eyes.
In his previous life, he had been stuck in Dormitory D his entire school life, and had been thrown into the real world without any preparation.
This time, he needed preparations; lots and lots of it.
He opened the giant door to enter the building. His eyes were suddenly bombarded with several lights, and glass reflecting that light.
Looking around, he saw countless trophies, a reception, and even a couch.
'It's a lounge inside of a Dormitory…?'
He had never been inside Dormitory A before, and was extremely excited for his first experience. Thankfully, he had not been disappointed as his eyes carefully scrutinized every nook and cranny of the lounge.
Soon, a receptionist appeared behind the reception as she asked with a polite smile…
"Sir, this Dormitory is only for the top 5 people in each year's Dormitory War. If you want to leave a message, please do so right now."
Although her expression and tone were polite, her eyes and words said otherwise.
"Ah, I'm Ace Ambrosia."
He replied, as he received a strange look from the receptionist.
"Ace Ambrosia. I was #2 in this year's first year Dormitory War. I'm also the #2 King, King of Indifference."
He recited his aliases and positions as the receptionist suddenly apologized for her mistake.
"I just… those clothes."
"Why, are they bad?"
Reluctantly, she nodded. Ace sighed as he took out a blue ID and showed it to her. Then, he took the stairs up to his room.
He hadn't noticed his beggar-like clothes until now.
'Leo must be having a fun time right about now.'
A weird scowl appeared on Ace's face but it disappeared in an instant, leaving no witnesses.
Spoon, he stood before the door to his room which was practically covered in jewels. Behind the decorated door was a room beyond comprehension for anyone from a middle-class family, including Ace.
Pushing open the door, his senses were bombarded with the luxury of the room. The air smelled like strawberries and the floor was practically shining due to how clean it was.
Because of the shine, Ace wasn't able to see for a split second, but when his senses adjusted to the atmosphere, he gasped.
Before him was a room meant for quadrillionaires.
Firstly, the area was around seven-thousand square feet at the least.
'Maybe this is why the building looked so huge even though it housed barely twenty people.'
The floor was covered in smooth wood and rugs. The bed was humongous; enough to house more than eight people.
There was a vending machine, refrigerator, pool table, two bathrooms, three desks, office chairs, two closets and finally… a private training room.
Seeing this, Ace couldn't help but clench his fists with ecstasy.
'I don't have to see that loser's face anymore! Well, I still need him to become my subordinate though. Why are my thoughts so contradictory!?'
He didn't know whether to become friends with him or not. He needed a subordinate, but… Leo was just too annoying.
'He probably saw my clothes but didn't say anything on purpose.'
Ace snorted, and his frown soon turned into an expression of happiness again as he tossed his stuff aside and practically flew atop the bed.
His head hit the soft fabric of the mattress as he fell asleep in an instant.
*
*
*
Near the banks of a river splotched with different colors sat a boy, counting his fingers.
His expression was indifferent and his hand was swift.
He was determining the position of the Deity of Destruction, who had been ruining his plans for centuries.
Of course, the boy had also been ruining the person in question's plan, but it was for the good of the Universe, unlike the Deity of Destruction.
Suddenly a pillar of light flashed through the banks of the river as it covered most of the area around it.
The boy violently turned his head towards the incident, only to see a corpse.
No, it was alive. It was a human, and he was alive.
"Ace Ambrosia?"
The boy squeaked, choking on his words. His throat became dry and cold sweat piled up on his temples and forehead.
Before long, however, the sweat disappeared, only leaving popped veins and a red face.
The boy, who was known as Akashic Records, slapped Ace several times but the latter showed no signs of awakening.
After a while, he gave up, and sat on a rock nearby.
Gazing up at the stars, he smiled faintly.
Finally.
Even if unintentionally, someone had come to visit him for the first time in eons.
It didn't matter if it was the plan of those damned Celestials who governed the Cosmos and held all authority inside the Star Court.
He was just glad he finally had a visitor.
Soon, Ace's eyebrows quivered as his eyes slowly opened. Adjusting himself to the atmosphere, Ace lifted his upper body.
He sat near the banks of the river, only fifteen meters away from Akashic Records, who he locked eyes with.
"Huh?"
He questioned reality. Soon, he gasped profusely, prostrating before the figure of the little boy who only stared at him with glittering eyes.
Those eyes soon narrowed to slits as he maintained his composure.
"What're you doing here?"
"This junior greets his senior."
Ace yelled, trying to sound as submissive and loyal as possible. His reverence had risen to new heights, and he was scared even looking him in the eye.
That was the reaction of any human when they found themselves face-to-face with a Deity.
"Get the hell up."
Akashic Records yelled in embarrassment as he flicked his finger upwards, causing Ace's body to stand on its hind legs without the latter's permission.
"Yes, sir."
"Call me Akashic Records."
"Yes, Akashic Records."
Akashic Records stroked his chin as he scrutinized Ace.
"On second thoughts, call me Akash."
"B– But sir… that's too casual."
It was like Ace's composure was non-existent as he played around like a docile cat before Akashic Records.
"Call. Me. Akash."
Akash said in a tone not worth questioning. Although Ace was against it, he couldn't go against the word of his savior.
"Yes, Akash."
"Good. Also, talk casually."
"Yes, Akash."
"So, why are you here?"
"Uh, I have no idea. I slept on my bed and just… woke up near a river which is… glowing!?"
"Yeah, that's the river of the Cosmos. Every deity connected to spirituality has a river in their abode."
"Does the Deity of Destruction have one?"
"No. Only deities associated with spirituality have one!"
Scratching the back of his head, Ace muttered…
"I see."
"Well, since you're here, I might as well give you some tips."
Hearing this response, Ace's ears perked up as he realized he was going to receive some training from a deity himself.
"Really!?"
"Woah there. Don't get too ahead of yourselves. I can dilate the time in my abode a bit so that a day here is equivalent to an hour on Earth. However, I can't maintain it for long, okay?"
"Yes, sir."
"Also, you shouldn't train too much; it can cloud your judgment in dire times. Try gaining a little more combat experience in that little body of yours."
Akash was correct. Although Ace was skilled in combat during his previous life, he was overshadowed by the prodigies due to his inability to control his body perfectly.
This was also the case when Lily utterly defeated him in a few swings.
"I see. Anyway, can we start now?"
"No. First, let's start off with a history lesson."
Ace groaned loud enough for Akash to hear. The latter shook his head with an indifferent expression, hating the current situation since it made him feel like a parent.
"Long before the Universe was created, there were Primordial Beings who roamed the emptiness which is now called 'void'. Back then, even the void itself was a Primordial named 'Khaos'. An unknown amount of time passed, and the Primordials decided to create the cosmos or the universe. They worked together to finally harness the power of Creation and build the universe from scratch."
"Then, due to the backlash of harnessing the power of Creation, the Primordials lost their personality as well as their memories, becoming domains which we now harness or live on. Using the power of Creation also brought along a 'control device' which was soon named the River of Cosmos. Now, if there was a universe, there had to be lifeforms. So, the original lifeforms were born from the domains which were originally the Primordials."
"There were two types of lifeforms at the beginning. There were the Celestials and the Deities. The Deities were beings associated with a specific type of object, power, or being. On the other hand, the Celestials were the people who controlled those specific elements. Think of Celestials as the nerds, and the deities as the freeloaders."
"Then, each Celestial or Deity who controlled or was associated with spirituality received a fragment of the River of Cosmos, which one can use to control the flow of the Universe, akin to how I reversed the timeline. Ah, I guess that also makes the Deity of Time useless. At least the Celestial of Time can control time as he wants. However, the former can only utilize the River of Cosmos, which is available to more than just him."
Finishing his history lesson, Akash found a man with the looks of a fourteen year old boy staring at him with glittering eyes and a gaping mouth.
Noticing that the lesson had ended, Ace quickly slipped out of his stupor as he raised his hand.
"Yes, Ace?"
"I have several questions."
"Go on."
"Firstly, if Creation took the might of all of the Primordials, how can the Deity of Destruction, the freeloader of the opposite element perform it?"
"Good question. The elements and laws of the past have regressed in power. And, since the Deities and Celestials don't have enough power to match up to what the Primordials did, they can reduce the power of their element, wielding less."
"I see. Now, my second question. If you're a deity, who is your corresponding Celestial? And, how are you omniscient?"
"I am partially omniscient, which means I have the only copy of the Akashic Records, hence my name. This means I can access the records any time I want. However, the information will fry my brain even if I am a higher being. I am not a Celestial nor a Deity, but a fragment of the Primordial Khaos, who was said to be omnipotent. Knowing more will only hurt you in the future."
Ace fervently nodded his head, showing his understanding.
"Now, let me give you some tips. According to the previous timeline, the dungeon you will be visiting in three weeks has a special surprise inside."
Hearing this, Ace's eyes practically bulged out of his sockets.
'A special surprise. Since the fragment of a Primordial Being is saying this, it must be something unprecedented.'
"In the dungeon, there is a tiny fragment of the River of Cosmos which originally belonged to the Deity of Enlightenment before his ascendance to a Celestial."
"Huh? Deities can ascend? No, wait a minute. A fragment of the River of Cosmos!? In a D Rank Dungeon!?"
Akash sighed as he explained.
"Do you know what dungeons are?"
"Yes."
"Good. That dungeon used to be an EX Rank Dungeon until the ascendance of the Deity of Enlightenment, in which the universe forced him to lose contact with the dungeon, which left a piece of the river of Cosmos in that place. Since no one retrieved it in your previous life, you have a chance."
"Wait, can that do me any good?"
"You'll see when you get there. Now, about the ascendance. Deities can ascend into a Celestial once they gain enough followers or lower life-forms who depend on them. They can also expand their powers by becoming closer to the Primordials. Now, since the Celestial of Enlightenment was destroyed by the other Celestials because of him being too 'overpowered', the Deity of Enlightenment took over. He was a little weaker, by the way."
Ace didn't know what to say so he opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to process this information.
He was amused by this discussion which sounded a little like something out of a fantasy novel when the protagonist's mentor teaches him about the world.
"Now, shall we begin the training?"
"I guess so."
Ace replied absent-mindedly, unbeknownst to the terror he was about to face.
*
*
*
"Keep swinging!"
Akash yelled as he violently drank a bottle of water, even though it was unnecessary for higher life-forms to do so.
Having tormented Ace for the last twenty hours, it was his turn to finally relax while Ace continued his life-threatening training for longer.
Using his infinite knowledge, Akash had researched the copy of the Akashic Records to figure out a way for Ace to train for as long as possible without falling asleep.
Teaching the method to Ace, he did a little tweaking so that it wouldn't cause harm to his body.
As he watched the boy who was now colored in a crimson substance called blood, Akash felt not even a bit of pity as he threw the cap of the water bottle over to Ace.
The cap hit Ace's head extremely hard, almost causing him to lose his balance.
In these twenty hours, Akash had bestowed upon Ace several methods of getting stronger, as well as gotten him started on some of them.
Firstly, Ace had reached the Beginner Level Mastery for [Sword Saint], allowing him higher dexterity while using the specific skill.
Using [Sword Saint], his dexterity would be A+ instead of B+, giving a tremendous boost in how he wields the blade.
Although it wouldn't affect Ace's other stats, his proficiency in using [Sword Saint] was almost at the level of an A+ Rank swordsman.
Since Akash made it so the techniques wouldn't hurt Ace's body, he had to reduce the power drastically so as to not accidentally kill or cripple him for life.
Secondly, Ace has received another skill book from Akash, named [Self-Fire Affinity - A].
However, although it didn't cause Ace any harm, it did exhaust his body because of the amount of flames he needed for his most basic attacks.
He could now coat his blade in flames as a prerequisite to [Sword Saint]'s third move, 'Flaming Strike'.
Although he wouldn't gain an extreme amount of strength at first, his future was bright considering his preparations.
Akash walked up to Ace as he chugged his final sip of the water. He threw the water bottle on the ground and it immediately disintegrated into nothingness.
"Ace, coat your body with flames."
Ace huffed and puffed, trying to steady his breathing before opening his mouth.
"Why?"
Following this question, Akash just slapped him on the head.
"No questions."
"Yes…"
Ace quickly channeled mana through his entire body, forming an equilibrium of mana through his veins.
Then, he used [Self-Fire Affinity] to ignite that mana, causing his entire body to burst into flames.
'His veins can't handle the amount of mana he has. His mana stat is higher than his other physical stats, which is why most of his skills won't work.'
Akash pondered over this for a while before opening his mouth.
"150 laps around the field, 1500 pushups, 500 squats, 500 crunches, 5000 jumping jacks, and 500 whips."
Ace's expression soon distorted as he finished processing the information. His eyes drooped and his legs weakened.
He soon fell on his knees before falling unconscious.
"Slacker."
Akash scoffed before laying down next to him.