'Dear me, what now?' Zael thought in panic as he used the Arcane inside the crystal to manipulate the earth to block the guard from killing him, but it was to no avail.
'I was hasty! It was so easy in my memory, I underestimated its toll on the mind!' he thought as he tried to circle the guard.
Thankfully for him, the guard was not strong enough to fully utilize Arcane. Just enough to enhance his physique and crush through the soil.
Zael quickly scanned his memories for techniques and experiences that would help him out. Terribly, he knew that his mind was not strong enough to cast another spell. He could only exploit the after effects of the spell he previously cast, thus the manipulation of the ground below to a small extent.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
As the sound of sword hitting soil and rocks crumbling apart filled the mine, Zael had an idea.
"Ahem! My fellow captives! The oppressor is one! We are many! It is time to stand! Rebel! Rise!!" He shouted. From a memory, he learned that speech is a powerful tool that makes people move.
He was not wrong.
Realizing the situation, the slaves turned to the guard. Their quantity was enough to overwhelm him and buy some time, which Zael greatly exploited.
He ran.
"Sorry, this is for the greater good," he said apologetically as he used Arcane to destroy the chain on his ankle.
"You!!!" The slaves cried.
"Get back here!" The guard ordered, but the damage was already done. The slaves had already blocked him, and the entanglement. The guard had to kill his way out.
"This is not fun at all. Why did one of my ancestors do this a lot? Is this really the way to go? Alas, I do not have any choice," he sighed before vanishing through the forest.
…
"I'm so confused. Their virtues are different, even as one race we think differently. Alas, I guess, I am still left on my own," Zael sighed. He wondered what kind of person he should be.
Seeing the experiences of everyone and their morals, he tried his best to find one that would allow him to execute his goal the best. But as he meditated upon it, he realized that it was out of his control.
"It seems like my own experience will mold who I will be," he said to himself as he meaningfully looked at the waterfall before him. It was two kilometers tall and a hundred meters wide. It sat at the back side of the mountain range and had Arcane flowing through it like fish in sea.
Although he ran away, he was not lost. One of his kin were familiar with this place and knew that this was a Sacred Ground.
"Arcane Falls, the Sacred Ground of this empire. It seems like a Sacred Ground is a place one cannot shed blood on. Blood, by Law, interferes with Arcane. Every place protecting a Sacred Ground fears that if it becomes filled with blood, the density of Arcane will lessen," he explained to himself as he absorbed his thoughts.
"What even is Arcane?" He suddenly asked.
"Hmm, it is the energy that fuels the Laws. Hence, with enough understanding of the Law and enough Arcane, one can access the Laws. Simple enough. However, it takes a toll on the mind, well, from experience, heavily. If I want to train, I need to rest. Thankfully, this is a waterfall, there is a cave behind it."
Just like that, Zael's days started to pass. Without changing his clothes and just moving away to find some fruits to eat, he embarked on a quest to train.
Without stop, he absorbed the memories in his mind and learned how to use Arcane. Slowly, but surely, he worked his brain to its capacity. There is no shortcut to success. There is no shortage of Arcane or knowledge, but his mind had to keep up.
Whenever his mind would reach its breaking point, he would switch to physical training. His memories showed him how physical wellness also improves the mind.
Soon enough, three peaceful months passed.
"I wonder why there are no pursuers," he said as he was taking a bath.
Just then, people started to enter the falls.
All of them were wearing silver academy uniforms bearing the emblem of the Levaho Empire, a knight beheading a dragon. They were led by an Elf professor who had short green hair and deep forest green eyes, befitting that of a male Elf.
"Who goes there?" As the Elf entered the spring, he immediately noticed the unfamiliar presence. However, none was on sight.
Zael was quick enough to dive deep into the river and swim to the cave behind the waterfall.
"Uhm, sir? Is there something that is bothering you?" A Human student asked.
"Hmm, maybe I was just being too sensitive. Come, sink into the river. Allow the Arcane to flow through you. As the best 10 students of the Levaho Academy, you deserve this reward. You have until sunset."
'Best 10, huh? Until sunset? I had been enjoying this for too long, then,' Zael commented on his thoughts. 'Maybe I should join the Levaho Academy, it seems like a nice and safe place to grow.'
Just then, a memory surfaced in his mind. It was his kin being tortured to death by Elves because he beat them in a tournament. After that, another memory appeared, then another, then another. The slew of memories would have been enough to make him mourn in despair three months ago, but now, he handled it well.
'I do not feel anything at all, huh? This vengeance, it seems like I was just taken aback by the memories. Enhancing my mental fortitude completely negated them, fascinating,' Zael thought with a smile, preparing himself for a new life.
However, in a twist of fate, a Fina appeared in the Sacred Ground. Like him, Finas are part of the minor races, and the one before him is a little girl with features of a human, but had no eyes. Instead, she had ears the size of her face, and 8 tentacles instead of feet.
Despite her looks, she was quite adorable and innocence still radiated through her. Zael looked at her fondly, 'This is my first time meeting a member of a minor race. Even in the mines, all I met were humans.'
This was not everyone's reception, though, as disgust and hatred filled the professor and the students. Without batting an eye, the Elf waved his hand from which a ball of air was conjured and shot at the little girl.
The air ball carried her out of the Sacred Ground before exploding and ravaging her into hundreds of pieces.
Without missing a beat, intense killing intent filled Zael. Before he could know how and why, every fiber of his being was filled with anger and resentment.
Before the Elf could even finish his disgusted smirk, Zael had already moved.