Chereads / Ascent of the Dragon / Chapter 3 - "Remnants of Glory"

Chapter 3 - "Remnants of Glory"

Disciples filled the training ground around me, their swords slicing through the air with precision. Some practiced with various weapons, while others immersed themselves in the art of magic or buried their noses in books.

I wandered through the hall, nonchalantly while the enthusiastic young warriors gave it their all. The guild building loomed majestically above, a testament to the hard work and dedication of my comrades.

As I looked at the structure's grandeur, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. The image of the elegant guild seamlessly transitioned to the cruel present, the crumbling ruins it had become in my new life.

I couldn't help but feel a bit of sorrow. This guild had once been our pride, built from the ground up through relentless effort and shared dreams. Now, it stood as a shadow of its former self, a reminder of the battles fought and the betrayals endured.

Taking a deep breath, I gazed at the run-down building once more.

"Even in its sorry state, it feels like home," 

The gentle wind caressed my face, and I realized that out of everything from my past life, the guild was the only place where I truly felt a sense of belonging. It was something I had come to understand far too late.

Flashes of my comrades flickered through my mind. A smile crept onto my face as I recalled those moments.

"I guess I'll miss their bickering. I wonder if any of them are still alive," I murmured to myself, the weight of my thoughts settling in.

With a sigh, I pondered my next steps.

Reincarnated, I was free from the chains of responsibility that had once weighed me down. For the first time, I had the chance to live for myself, to forge my path.

Before my reincarnation, I had been a cold, emotionless killer, my eyes devoid of life, burdened by too many responsibilities. The events of the war had taken a toll, and emotions I had long buried began to surface.

Now, without those burdens, I refused to waste this opportunity on something as petty as revenge.

As I lost myself in thought, a racket of noise pulled me back to reality. Intrigued, I followed the sounds until I reached the training ground, where disciples practiced martial arts with fervor.

I observed them diligently, their swords slicing through the air, spears thrusting forward, and bodies moving through rigorous physical training.

"There are still those who carry the guild's name," I mused. "But without the necessary resources, it will be an uphill battle."

Among the crowd, one disciple caught my eye. The young man radiated a significant amount of Ki, an impressive feat for someone of his age. Shinra Reijin, a disciple of the Arcane Guild, was honing his martial arts skills using Ki.

I thought this was the best time to use this new skill. I silently mutter "Temporal Insight". Suddenly, the system appeared:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

STATUS WINDOW

NAME: Shinra Reijin (LVL-13)

AGE: 16

RACE: Human

TITLE: "The Unyielding Disciple"

AFFILIATION: Arcane Guild [Disciple]

Ki: Core Establishment Stage [2/5]

Mana: N/A

____________________________________________________________________________________________

SKILLS:

Swords Mastery [S] (ACTIVE)

Warrior's Mentality[G] (PASSIVE)

12 Scales of the Dragon Blade [C](75% mastered)

____________________________________________________________________________________________

"Wow, he's talented," I thought, my admiration grew.

"To emit such ki at his age is nothing short of incredible, especially with so few resources."

I looked at his skills, looks like the only sword movement he has learned is the 12 scales of the dragon blade. Which one was that, what about the other sword movement?

but what interested me was more his passive skill "Mentality" and its rank [G]. It's the same rank as my temporal insight skill. I don't know if [G] rank is low or high but from how useful this skill is, it might be a high level. While I was observing him, he looked at me and our eyes met each other.

I heard the unpleasant sound of the system and the status window of Shinra disappeared and a new window appeared in front of me. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

QUEST ALERT!

OBJECTIVE: MAKE SHINRA YOUR FRIEND

REWARD: YOU GET A FRIEND :)

PENALTY: YOU WILL BE SHOCKED

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

I rubbed my eyes and I looked again at the status window. What kind of fucking nonsense was that!? What was the deal with this bullshit system? Shocked? I slightly smirked, you think I am scared of a slight shock?

At the same time, he started to walk towards me and I don't know I just panicked inwardly. I'm not exactly a social butterfly. Maybe I'll just try to appear friendly.

I attempted a smile, but instead, He looked even more disgusted.

Shinra approached with a puzzled expression impairing his youthful features. "Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked rather rudely. "This is sacred ground for our guild. We can't allow outsiders here and wipe that creepy look off your face! How dare you stand here and mock us?"

Confusion swept over me. "I was just standing here..."

Was this cocky shit talking to me? ME!? It's been a while since someone talked to me like that it made me chuckle a bit which only seemed to infuriate him.

Shinra pressed on, his tone accusatory. "We might not be a big guild anymore, but we don't take kindly to outsiders mocking us on our grounds. So, get out."

 When the fuck did I mock him? I wondered, my mind racing.

Before I could clarify, Shinra's voice boomed, "JUST GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE..."

But our interaction was abruptly interrupted by a man in his 30s or 40s, dressed as a martial arts instructor.

Kiba Ryotsu was his name. He was the martial arts instructor of the guild, teaching the disciples the art of combat and the utilization of Ki.

Kiba's sharp gaze landed on us. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice steady.

Shinra quickly stopped emanating his aura, hastily reporting, "Nothing, sir. I was just asking the outsider to leave the training ground."

Kiba's seriousness deepened, knowing full well that Ki Shinra had just unleashed against someone who posed no threat. "WHY?"

"It seemed to me like he was mocking us," Shinra explained, his demeanor calm but defensive. "As he was an outsider, I asked him to leave so we could train without distractions."

Kiba turned to me, recognition dawning on his face.

"Aren't you the kid we found in the woods? What was your name again?" he asked.

"The name is Ryojin Yukimura," I replied, my voice steady and I could see Shinra raging because of the way I was talking and I seemed to enjoy seeing him like that.

"What are you doing here at our grounds?" Kiba inquired, concern etching his features.

"I just stepped out for some fresh air. I happened to see the other disciples training and was just watching. I don't think I did something wrong, but if I did something to offend you, I am sorry, I guess. I'll go back now," I said, trying to defuse the situation.

Kiba's expression softened. "Alright, take some rest. I apologize for Shinra; he speaks like that to everyone, so don't take it to heart."

I nodded, casting a curious glance at Shinra, who still wore a glare.

What's wrong with that guy? Should I just kill him?

I walked away because I might actually kill him.

Deciding to leave the training ground behind, I made my way back to Haruka's house. As I entered, Haruka greeted me with a warm smile. "Oh, you're back! The food's ready."

She had prepared a generous serving of Miso pork cutlets, the aroma wafting through the air.

"Are you hungr—?" she started but paused, noticing the way I drooled over the cutlets. A chuckle escaped her lips. It was kinda pathetic of me but if you ate that food, you would act just like me.

"Come, sit down. There's plenty, so eat as much as you want," she encouraged. Gratitude filled me as my eyes lit up. "Thank you for the food."

Just as I was about to dig in, someone entered the room—it was Shinra.

"I'm home," he announced, his eyes locking onto mine.

At that moment, our gazes collided, and he exclaimed: "YOU!!!"

Should I just kill him?

...