about it," Kayden returned to normal. "And stop using your magic on me, please." It took the boy a while to realize, but he was sure his emotions were magnified.
With his sentence, the guide snapped out of his stupor and returned to reality. He wanted to force the boy to tell him what his trauma was and how he escaped his question, but he saw from the boy's look that he would rather die than tell him anything.
It was the same look as a captured soldier who spent years being tortured and didn't speak a word from start to finish. Leaving that aside, the guide continued to be more animated this time:
"Sorry, sorry, it was unintentional," Kayden doubted that. "So you should fit into the second group, but all your answers don't say that, so I put you in the 3rd group, the anomaly group."
"Is that why you wanted me as an apprentice?" seemed to be the only explanation.
"No, Kayden, I've seen thousands of anomalies and hundreds of geniuses, but I've never seen someone with your mentality. He knows? Most of the people who don't want to kill the baby fight me or cry on the ground, but in the end, they end up killing me during my time expansion spell."
So that's what Kayden felt in that moment, was his sense of time being stretched.
His heart was proof of that. He was looking for something that would take him as far as could be reached. And that was only possible if he walked a path that no one had ever walked on before.
Did it seem like arrogance? Kayden didn't care, he would live his second life however he wanted.
"But … but," the man didn't expect such a direct refusal. "You have a talent for mind magic, Kayden. A few minutes ago, when you lost control, your emotions were mixed with mana, this is insanely difficult, boy."
Kayden was unable to notice, as the guide got rid of the mana's effect almost instantly. He was only caught by the illusion because of surprise.
"I don't want to change my fighting style, guide. I believe you have better people than me to be your apprentice," Kayden bowed respectfully. He didn't want to anger an entity from three kingdoms.
The ghost was quiet for a few seconds. He didn't expect the boy to refuse. He decided to put this matter aside for now.
"Very well, but know that this proposal is open to you even after you leave here," the man gave a small pendant to Kayden. "When you change your mind, show it to any branch of the assassin's guild."
Kayden looked at the gift. It was a small black prism with red accents. As soon as it touched Kayden's hand, he felt a small amount of his mana being sucked away.
He knew what this was. It was an artifact that recognized him as the only user, only responding to his mana. Kayden injected some of it and could feel another man inside.
It was stormy, dark red. It looked like a chaotic sea of blood. Kayden had never felt mana like this before. She seemed almost alive. It was magnificent.
"Hey, boy! Wake up!" Kayden came back to reality with the guide calling him. "That's the enhanced mana signature. Since I'm a mental wizard, she's a bit hypnotic." The boy realized that he spent a few more seconds analyzing the mana than he should have, probably because of this.
"I see, and what is the result of your analysis?" Kayden just wanted to leave at that moment. He wanted to eat instant noodles and sleep... in a real bed, his back screamed at the thought.
"Well, my result was… broken, your personality is completely broken. Your answers make it very clear that you will do everything for your goal as long as it does not go against your principles. And when I say everything, I mean everything."
The guide started showing small drawings of Kayden going through pain and torture to gain just 1% strength... The guide seemed to treat him like a child, drawing his lines step by step. Fortunately, his drawings were almost instantaneous in Kayden's vision.
"I couldn't say where this determination comes from or why, but without a doubt, you have a certain degree of madness", Kayden knew this was because of his first life, but he had no way of explaining it to the guide. "But don't worry, boy, madness is given to everyone who escapes society's mediocre standards."
Kayden didn't care, even if the result was that he was extremely crazy. It wouldn't make a difference.
"I understand," Kayden didn't know what else to say.
"Well, we're done here, it was a pleasure meeting you kid, see you later", Kayden's vision gradually darkened, this feeling wasn't new to him.
.....
'This stone bed is horrible', Kayden started to stir, he was trying to enjoy his last minutes of rest, and little by little he was waking up. 'What the fuck?', the boy felt drops of water on his face.
As soon as he fully awoke, Kayden found himself tied to a tree by ropes. And to make matters worse, it was raining heavily. Some lightning could be heard by the boy in the distance.
Freeing himself from the ropes that were there just so he wouldn't fall, Kayden jumped to the ground, he found himself in the same place where it all started. It felt like years had passed, his epiphany messed up his sense of time.
His focus now was to digest everything that had happened, he was sure he still had a lot to learn from the latest events, especially the epiphany, Kayden was sure there was something more than just passing the rank.
'5th rank', Kayden realized he advanced. In the middle of the rain, he stretched out his arm and started laughing to himself. His only emotion was happiness. Who said he couldn't reach the same level as other geniuses?
Lightning struck practically next to where he was, making the boy recover from his little euphoria. Kayden ran for shelter. By a stroke of luck, he found a small café open.
Even though he was soaked in the rain, he entered. The adults in the place probably wouldn't deny him a towel. As soon as he passed through the doorway he found himself in a small space with a few tables and chairs.
In the center was a fireplace, making the room feel warm and welcoming. Around her were two sofas forming an L. This theme matched the weak colors and medieval details in the objects. There weren't many customers around the place.
"Kayden?", the boy heard a voice coming from the sofa in the fireplace, only the figure's feet were visible. What a coincidence of fate that they find themselves here.
"Hello Shang", Kayden greeted the blonde, as soon as he heard Kayden's voice he stood up. His look followed the usual rules, a golden robe, golden hair, but completely messy and of course, the final touch, Shang was drunk