A tall and handsome male with jet black hair navigated the winding roads absentmindedly. His deep blue eyes showed a myriad of emotions as he was stealing glances at the rectangular box that he was carrying.
"A lack of potential, huh?" Neil muttered under his breath as he smiled along the dark alleys.
This smile was different though. His eyes that normally pinched when he smiles at other people were now completely open.
"Hey, kid. Looks like you have something interesting in your hands. Mind if we take a look at it?"
Neil stopped walking as he saw a man in front of him wearing a bandana and stained worn-out clothes emerge from who knows where. Two other men followed behind the man while another two positioned themselves behind Neil.
"Have you ever felt conflicted yet excited at the same time? Oftentimes, I don't understand myself. It's as if my mind knows what I want, but It's my body that knows what I need."
Neil uttered those words in a very child-like manner as he gently placed the box down to the ground opened it up. It revealed a vibrant aluminum blade attached to a black handle.
"Thanks a lot, kid. Do you mind if I can have it? The price? Hmmm, I can let you get out of here unscathed." The men slowly approached Neil as they pulled out the knives seemingly in sync, as if they've done this multiple of times.
"You know. I feel so confused right now. Do you mind if I use the sword? I wouldn't want a person like you to handle a defective product."
Neil's smile never broke as he took the quantum sword out of the box. His eyes showing a tinge of anticipation.
"Besides, that's the reason why I went out of my way to pass by this dump in the first place."
Neil kicked the ground and headed straight for the man who spoke for the group in high-speed.
*Clang
The bandana wearing man was shocked at Neil's monster speed and barely managed to block Neil's swing with his steel knife. He felt his hand go numb as his knife flew into the air having served its purpose to defend against Neil's advance.
"Strong," the bandana wearing man said as a distinct sound of a metal object hitting the ground echoed through the alley.
"The basics of fighting using science: rule number one. No matter what your weapon or gizmo may be. In a melee fight you can only do as much. The rest will be up to your body's statistics."
The air around Neil completely changed as he spoke. The men were taken aback by Neil's strength, but they thought braved it out as their thought process were different from Neil. They were trying to apply the basics of fighting using mathematics; quantity over quality.
*Clang *Clang * Clang
The men dashed forward and exchanged some blows with Neil. Now, these men aren't weak. In fact these guys are infamous for their crimes as petty thieves. The factor that makes them nefarious is that they kill a majority of their victims.
The men danced with Neil as sparks flew in the dark alley. Cold sweat trickled down their backs when they realized that the pretty boy whom they thought was their prey has now become the predator.
"Strength Up!" the bandana wearing man howled. His strength increased dealing heavier blows in his advances.
Neil's eyes squinted when he realized that he wasn't even dealing with a Technorat.
"HAHAHA you're probably the only one with a battle oriented gift here, mister Warmonger. The rest of your group seems to be auxiliary oriented gift holders; that's the Technorats for you. I guess it's time for me to teach you the second rule of the basics in fighting using sccience."
Neil's sword glowed with a a green hue as arcane particles gathered towards it.
"Rule number two. When something has the word quantum in it, even if an element is fighting a stronger element in which it is at a disadvantage of, quantum arcanum will always bend those laws. That is if the stronger element doesn't have an arcanum."
A look of horror plastered on the bandana wearing man's face as he stared at Neil's cold eyes filled with indifference and nonchalance.
Neil took a big swing leaving behind a trail of green hue and slashed across the man's torso.
*Thud
The bandana wearing man dropped face down to the ground with a pool of blood forming under him. The other men that were with him were now as pale as sheep as their eyes seemed to be begging for mercy.
But, why should Neil grant them that? In this barbaric world riddled with monsters and people like them who are monsters in human skin, why would he ever pass up the opportunity to do a good deed?
"I'm not the one who you should be begging mercy for HAHAHAHA"
A series of thuds echoed through the alley as the bodies of every petty thief dropped face down very much like their predecessor.
Neil walked back to his box as he whisked off the blood on the blade. Acting like nothing ever happened, Neil put back the sword inside as he walked down the road in a care-free manner.
"If I were a gift holder of a trashy D-ranked skill like that warmonger mister back there, I'd rather be giftless HAHAHAHA."
Neil broke into a smile as he was thinking of how the sword works so well in cutting up unwelcome people. He opened the door of his house and was greeted with the sight of a bald middle aged man with brown eyes and Leah gathered around the table drinking tea.
"Why the long face, Uncle Max?" asked Neil in a playful manner as he placed the box by the door.
"Sit down, son. We need to talk about a lot of things," Max said in a stern voice.
"Judging on how you burned the letter; it's that person, isn't it?" Max asked as Neil sat down beside Leah.
"That person didn't even visit us? Or to you at least," Leah chimed in as she placed the cup on the table.
"Calm down, guys. There's no other person out there who'll send me something like that," Neil calmly spoke as he sipped his own cup of tea.
"So, what did the letter say?" asked Max.
"To go to Lima."
The air froze in the room as both Leah and Max stared in disbelief at Neil.
"Y-y-you're going to Zenith? It's too dangerous. You never know what will happen. W-w-what if something terrible happens to you... again. Plus, I saw the flyers a while ago. It clearly states there that you need to have a high evaluation on engineering. Neil, we all know the truth here, so let me ask you this question. Do you want to go?" Max asked as his face turned pale.
"Neil, honey, you don't have to push yourself. You can always stay here with us," Leah backed his husband up.
"Shrub trained me to my prime level. Plus, I'm pretty sure their assessment won't be limited to a practical. Uncle, you taught me enough theory in the fields and branches of science. Do you doubt my capabilities? Then that means you are also doubting yours."
Neil stood up and walked briskly to the door.
"We're sorry, Neil. Max and I may have went too far. Who wouldn't be worried about you? You just turned eighteen last October," Leah said.
Neil pulled out the quantum sword from his box and activated it. Arcane particles gathered around his sword and revealed green hues once again. Neil looked at them and revealed his toothy smile. The other two broke into theirs as well. Not because of the sword that they can easily replace for something better. But, because of Neil's infectious confidence in himself and the determination that he exudes.
"HAHAHA okay, we will support you with whatever you want. We only have one condition though. After you pass the screening, you must inherit your aunt's inheritance. It's the only way that we can rest assured. Do we have a deal?"
Max put his hands on Neil's shoulder and looked at him straight in the eyes.
"Sigh. Alright, you win. Then, I guess I'll go to the square tomorrow and submit my application."
"Honey, if things get too hard for you, you can always choose to come back here, okay? We'll always welcome you with open arms."
Leah wept on Neil's chest as he held onto him. Max joined in the group hug having Neil as the chicken in the sandwich.
Neil's resolve has been set. His myriad of thoughts from earlier has finally been bounded. His blood boiled with the thought of finally being able to satisfy his curiosity. But, he'll think about it later. Right now, he wants nothing more but to cherish this moment with the Stanfills.
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"The Stanfills will always have each other's backs. No matter the distance, abundance and the lack. Circumstances form as tempests and races chain us bound, but once a Stanfill, only time can make one sound."