(A/N : Time Skip everybody!)
- Fifteen Years Later -
"Today's the day isn't it, Art?" A beautiful woman asked as she handed her son a plate full of delicacies. She was a great beauty, a beauty that didn't match her actual age.
A handsome boy with pitch black hair paired with sharp golden brown eyes that looked like a bird of prey, nodded at his mother's words before wolfing down the delicious food that his mother cooked for him.
It has been fifteen years since I reincarnated. The name my mother have given me is Arthur Von Astraea, but my family and people who are close to me calls me Art.
During these fifteen years, I learned many things about this world. Honestly, when I first came in to this world I thought I have finally gone crazy.
This world I have reincarnated in is called Erythia. Surprisingly, this world isn't that different from the Earth that I used to live in. The only huge difference is that this world has fantasy genre attached to it. A world where flying lions are a thing, ants walking on two feet and much bigger than average size human adult, humans have superpowers and etc. And this world is much, much bigger than Earth.
Also, every city in a kingdom have walls that reached up to 45 meters to protect it from outside threats.
Most importantly, there is a system here that every being on this planet have that allowed them to evolve into higher life forms called Index.
This Index is a game-like system ability where you can see your stats, race, job, and skills.
To raise your stats, you have to kill other beings in order to absorb some of their stats. However there is a catch, you have to significantly contribute towards the killing or kill the being yourself in order to absorb the stats. If you have contributed only a little, then you will absorb little to no stats at all.
Who oversees this contribution system? Of course, it is the Index itself. The Index is fair to all, the higher your merit is the higher the reward will be.
Humans who managed to get a skill of their own and become a higher life form than ordinary humans are called Evolver.
Of course, there are also humans who prefer to live in peace than to go out and risk their lives.
Moving on, every children who have reached the age of 15 is given an ID that serves as a pass in order for one to go out of the city walls and explore in order to become a full-fledged Evolver.
And today is that day! Today I'll receive my ID and finally go out and explore! Like what my father always say, adventure maketh the man!
"I won't stop you but I only have one request. You better get home alive." A voice that contained deep worry and anxiety reached Arthur's ears which brought him back to reality.
The owner of the voice was no other than his mother, Lylia Von Astraea.
Arthur could see a bit of sadness and reluctance to let her son go and explore the world in his mother's eyes.
Seeing this, Arthur gulped down the last bit of food in his mouth and got up. He walked to his mother and gently caressed her face.
"Do not worry my extremely beautiful mother! For, I, Arthur Von Astraea is a man that has been honed to the bone by one of the strongest human in this kingdom!" Arthur boasted as he tapped his chest in the most manly way.
Clearly his way of cheering up his mother worked when he heard a chuckle from her which made him smile.
"What man? You cheeky little brat! Honestly, you and your father are so alike!" Lylia pinched her son for being so boastful.
A second later she quieted down and stared at her son, Arthur also didn't look away. Lylia fully understood that some day, which is today, the youngest would finally spread his wings and follow the steps of his father and older siblings.
She knew that this day would come, the day where Arthur would take off from her nest and with it the chances of her youngest not coming back alive to her embrace also emerges. Which extremely worried her and was the source of her reluctance to let him go.
However, grabbing on to his ankles would only increase the chances of him dying.
Lylia steeled herself one more time and with a light pull towards her, she gave Arthur an embrace full of her feelings for him. Arthur also hugged her back and assured her that he will come back home alive every time he go outside the city walls.
Arthur knew how emotional his mother was and it was because of her passive skill, so he just let her hug him. A moment passed and their moment was disturbed by the ringing of their doorbell.
'Crap!' Arthur winced as he gave his mother his most loving smile. However, deep inside Arthur knew that he was hiding what he really felt. Fear.
In that instance, Lylia's expression grew cold and the air around her turned heavy. Arthur felt a chill run down his spine when he looked at his mother's distorted face.
The thing that his mother hated the most was disrupting her precious time with her babies. He learned it the hard way, it was when he was still 10 years old, Arthur and Lylia was having a fun time during one of their daily walks when suddenly a guy purposely bumped in to him causing Arthur to fall on his butt. Even more, the guy was the one who shamelessly asked for compensation.
When the guy took a glance at Lylia, his face immediately paled. Of course he knew who this woman was! He immediately kneeled on the ground but before he could do so, Lylia instantly snapped and broke the man's arms and legs on the spot.
She cursed at him and regretted the fact that it didn't happen outside the city. Lylia said to the man that if it did, she would have already ripped his head off from his body and spit at his corpse.
Arthur back then immediately engraved this memory in his heart and vowed to never interrupt his mother's moments. Although he knew with all his heart that his mother would never hurt him he still kept his vow in his heart and soul.
Arthur was brought back to his senses when he felt his mother moved away and walked towards their front door. A clicking sound was heard and door of their front house opened revealing the other people outside.
The corners of Arthur's lips twitched when he saw who these people were.
His older sister, Elisse Von Astraea, was the one holding the doorknob and behind her was his older brother Zeke Von Astraea. At the back of both of them, Regas Von Astraea the father of their household. His father's hand was still reached out towards the doorbell.
Seeing Lylia coming towards them, they felt happy but with each step Lylia took towards them, the happiness they felt instantly dimmed and was replaced by dread.
The three didn't ask why for they knew that today was the day that Arthur would finally receive his ID pass and surely Lylia was spending precious time with their youngest.
Zeke and Elisse blamed themselves for forgetting this important fact. And of course they blamed their father Regas even more for ringing the damn doorbell.
They could've just opened the door since it was their house!
While the two were blaming themselves and their father, Regas himself was sweating buckets. He knew how emotional his wife was and because of that he didn't even tried to escape.
Escape? Ha! He didn't want to die yet.
Regas's body visibly shuddered when he felt Lylia's hand on his head.
"Your hair... should I leave some or should I burn all of it?" Lylia asked her husband with a a straight face.
"Please make it less painful." Regas pleaded and tears slowly began to form at the corner of his eyes. He knew that only by pacifying his wife's wishes would turn her back to normal. Heck, he was even glad that it was only his hair that would get burn.
Lylia acted like she didn't hear her husband's words. Heat started to emit from her hand and later on Regas's hair shone brightly and caught fire. It made a sizzling sound before turning into ashes and was carried away by the wind.
Arthur watched his father's hair burn to ashes. The vow in his heart that he would never ever disturb his mother's moments strengthened once again.
And although his family was like this, the Astraea Family is one of the powerhouses in this kingdom.