Atwell Orphanage
Lakane district
Pele city
Nation of Haumea
13th June 285 A.G.M
You shouldn't be here.
It was never supposed to happen this way. What is that thing?
It's none of your concern. Begone, Woman. Begone.
I'm his servant. I belong to him, not you. You can't command me.
Foolish ring, I am him...
Eren woke up, shoving his upper body straight up in shock from what he had been experiencing in the darkness. And then a rush of pain jolted his body, making him gasp in response. His whole body was shaking, spasming in intense pain. He tried to take in deep breaths, checking his body for any sign of a wound. But his body was alright. He wasn't wearing any shirt but white pants, and a roll of bandages was around his abdomen. He checked around, realizing the familiar room of his in the orphanage. Behind him was his poster of the Iron Queen.
"Eren, you're awake," Mother Ruth was sitting by Ash's desk by the window. She looked exhausted like she had slept there. And then it all came back to Eren. There had been a Maleficiant attack...and a Hunter had been involved.
"The Maleficiant...What happened to it," Eren inquired.
"It's dead. You killed it...Do you remember," Mother Ruth asked. Eren remembered it. The Hunter...Alastor had transferred his magic to Eren giving him the power to kill the spirit. Eren could remember what it felt like to wield magic for the first time. It had been amazing, exhilarating like he was being touched by the fabric of creation itself. But he supposes that feeling was over for him. It had to have been a one-time thing. But it didn't matter. He had awakened his power. That should be enough.
"The Hunter..what happened to him? And how long was I passed out for," Eren said.
"After the Maleficiant was killed by you, the Hunter disappeared." Mother Ruth said.
"Disappeared...What do you mean," Eren said.
"I mean his body was gone. All that was left was the pile of blood," Mother Ruth said. "I...I couldn't sense his Mana, so I assumed he was dead."
"He saved us," Eren said. "He believed in me…. We have to find him. We can't just-"
"Eren, It's been thirty days now since you fell unconscious," Ruth said.
"What! Thirty days-"
"After you fell unconscious, a squad of Hunters arrived. They attended to the scene, and helped with the reconstruction of the damages to the building." Mother Ruth said. "But you...it seemed like your body went into shock from using Magic for the first time."
"Shock.." He said.
"The healers were astounded. They said that you were experiencing Mana poisoning," She said. "According to them, your body couldn't handle the excess mana that your spirit energy was converting. They said there was nothing they could do for you...but I knew. I knew you would survive." She hugged him, her arms were tight around him, the grief and pain that she had been holding were released. Mother Ruth didn't know how... but she had been sure of Eren beating the sickness. The boy was an Irregular. He had been able to heal from the Maleficiant's attack, something even she couldn't heal. Somehow his body had adapted to survive the attack. And now it had happened again. For a Mage or Mana Warrior to use Mana, they needed an M.C.S.( Mana circuit system), a special organ within the body that allowed Mana to flow within one's blood. Though Eren had opened his spiritual gate, he still lacked a Mana circuit. That was why he had suffered from Mana excess. But his body had adapted and transformed to allow his body to form the circuit. Mother Ruth had watched the process after she bought him back from the Healing Center. He had been squirming in pain, the process of evolution was painful, and yet the boy never woke up. The seizure that he had been experiencing had only stopped last night. After that, Mother Ruth had examined his body with a simple spell, and the circuit was right there. Eren was now a full-blown cultivator. She had been astounded. She couldn't understand how this could happen. Was this the work of the Hunter, Alastor, or was there more to it? Something that had to do with Eren's origin.
"Eren..."
"It was nice...to be able to use Magic for once," Eren said. "Goddamn, my body hurts. I guess it's a good thing I won't be using it anymore. I don't think my body likes it."
"Eren, look" Sister Ruth pointed at a black book that was on the desk beside Eren's bed. The boy raised his eyebrows at it. The grimoire was still there. Which made him check his finger for the...Yes, he still had the ring on his middle finger. He picked up the book and opened it. There were random symbols scribbled around it, symbols that looked the same. He flipped through the pages, seeing the same symbols being repeated. He couldn't believe his eyes. This was the same book that had saved him in his fight with Onyanko, and now the Magic power Alastor Kinsway had given him was bound to it. That was what was going through Eren's head. He believed that Alastor had transferred his powers to him not knowing that his Spiritual gates had only just been unsealed.
"How is this possible," Eren said. "How...I thought he lent me his magical powers...not give it to me.." Mother Ruth doubted that was what had happened. She had no idea what the Hunter had been thinking, but she doubted transferring all his magical power to Eren had been his goal. Whatever power or phenomenon within Eren had messed with the Hunter's true plan.
"He called me an Irregular...what did he mean by it," Eren said. A flash of distress ran through Mother's Ruth face. she tried to hide it from Eren, but Eren caught it.
"Mother..."
"I'm sorry, Eren. I'm so sorry. People with your power..."
"My Power..." Eren said.
"Irregulars are beings that go against the system made in place by the World's will," Mother Ruth said. World's will. Eren had heard of something like that. According to the doctrine of the Lumerian religion, the World's will is a natural phenomenon that dictates and observes all the natural events that happen within a world. It was some kind of higher state of existence that even the gods answer to. "Irregulars do not abide by the rules that the World will impose. They always go against the grain. It's because of this that they can cultivate both magic and martial power. Something no living beings shouldn't be able to." Eren's eyes nearly popped upon hearing this. It was a known fact that you were either a Mage or a Mana warrior. You couldn't do both. So how in the hell could someone cultivate both paths?
"Because of how powerful and abnormal Irregulars are, the Global Union keeps a tight hold on them," Mother Ruth said.
"Wait...what does that mean for me," Eren said. "Am I going to be taken? Am I in trouble.." Eren had never heard of this Irregular stuff before so he couldn't help thinking about his future.
"Sshh! it's okay." Mother Ruth said. "For now, many believe that you awakened as a Mana warrior. Thanks to the Martial arts that you've practiced for so many years when your life was in danger, your body was finally pushed to Awaken. That's what I told the Hunters who arrived on the spot."
"And they believe that," Eren said in surprise.
"Hmm! You wouldn't know but in the Eastern continent, that's how most people awaken. By joining a Martial arts sect, they learn a Martial arts cultivation technique that allows them to awaken. You just happened to have done it by yourself without any training manual. You took the longer path."
"So what am I going to do about my grimoire," Eren said. "And the Enchanted tool that I have,"
"I think it's best if you focus on your Martial power for now," Mother Ruth said. "We don't know what would happen if the Hunter Association found out that there was an undocumented Irregular. The best thing to do is focus on cultivating your Martial powers and reach the Intermediate rank. If you want to take the Namer exam this coming August, then you must go from your rankless state to Intermediate."
"All this time, I wondered why I couldn't cultivate," Eren said. "Wondered if I was defective. The only one born with a dead spiritual gate. But the truth was that my gate was sealed all along." Eren began to laugh, the idea that all this time something had been hindering him, and it was never his fault. But who the hell could seal someone's Spiritual gate? It must have been when he was a baby or maybe when he had been born. Did his parents realize that he was an irregular? Is that why his powers were sealed to make sure that the Government and Hunter Association didn't find him? Eren was tempted to ask Mother Ruth about his birth parents, to know if she knew anything. But he didn't. Eren was quite content with the parental love he had received from Mother Ruth. It might not have been enough for a little kid growing up, but it was something he was good with. Which is why he never cared about getting adopted or not. As Eren was thinking about his future, the door to the room opened, and Ash walked in, his hands in his black pants, his white shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbow. The wounds he received from fighting the Maleficants were gone, looking as handsome as ever.
"So you're awake," Ash said. His red eyes studied Eren, his Internal sense noticing the colorless core within his solar plexus, a sign of him being rankless.
"You only have a couple of weeks to reach Intermediate to take the test," Ash said. "Are you sure sleeping for thirty days will help you?"
"Ash.."
"Oh shit! He's right," Eren said jumping off his bed. "I can't be lying around when I'm so far behind." Eren grabbed his grimoire and looking at it, he sighed knowing that he couldn't use it because only a Mage could wield a grimoire. People would wonder why a Mana Warrior like him was doing with a grimoire. So he placed it inside his drawer. "Thanks for the heads up Ash,"
"Now you can't complain about being the only one who can't cultivate anymore," Ash said.
"Hey! When the hell did I ever complain," Eren said. Mother Ruth and Ash both looked at each other before they busted out laughing, thinking of the days when this ruffian would cause trouble because he couldn't cultivate.
~
Entrance exam
Tower center
Downtown District
Pele city
Nation of Haumea
5th August 285 A.G.M
Eren was filled with nervousness as he got out of the Automobile that Mother Ruth had ordered for them. It was public transportation that took them from the Lakane district to the cleaner and good-smelling downtown district. Eren was not a stranger to Downtown. He had been fond of skipping classes just so he could go downtown, and attend any cultivation expo that he could. The buildings downtown were made out of silver, brass, and iron substances, some of the buildings were dome-shaped. People walked in a clean orderly line, obeying the traffic rules which was the opposite of Lakane. He lifted his arms, yawning, trying his best to get rid of the anxiety he was feeling. He had woken up full of energy, ready for the exam. Breakfast had been quick, a plate of toasted bread and scrambled egg with bacon and he was ready to go. Ash had been quiet, saying nothing back home and on their way here. As soon as the vehicle had rounded the corner, and the Exam building had become visible, Eren had been feeling a nervous tightness in his gut. He took a glimpse at Ash but the boy's face was hard to read. Around his wrist was a Spatial band, a storage device that held his Enchanted tool. Eren looked at the ring on his middle finger, feeling the dense energy that was within it. He had spent the last weeks cultivating and training, trying to get used to using a throwing weapon. Thinking about his new fighting style that he had come up with made him feel better. As long as he had the Ring blade with him, Eren knew he could fight people above the same ranks as him.
"You coming or you're just gonna be spaced out all day," Ash said. He was in front of Eren, watching him as he was psyching himself up. Eren smirked at him and then pushed past him, his confidence back in play. The Dungeon Center was a massive building with a circular dome as a roof. They had to climb a long step to get to the entrance of the building which was surrounded by lots of people. Eren's eyes widened as he saw the crowd that filled the space. Adventurers. They were all there, dressed in fighting gears, each of them separated by their parties. Eren could feel their eyes on him, judging him and he couldn't keep his eyes off them. There was an aura, a feeling around them that he couldn't describe. There were a few among them that you could just tell upright that they were expert Adventurers. And some looked foreign. Adventuring was a lucrative business, even more so than being a Hunter. The Adventure guild offered all kinds of jobs that only could be done in the dungeons like hunting monsters, clearing a whole floor, and finding Manna crystals or Manna stones. The guild's main office was on Namer Island, but over the years they had established branch offices in other nations, even nations outside the Global unions as long as the Guild paid their taxes. This meant that Adventurers from all over the world could pretty much travel the world as much as they liked for their jobs. And from what Eren had learned, some Adventurers were also Hunters.
"This way," Ash pointed towards a post with a direction to the Namer University entrance exam. They headed towards it, with some of the Adventurers whispering and looking at them.
"Ignore them," Ash said as they got to the entrance door for the exam. There was a stall right next to it and a line. A woman with a spectacle was standing beside the line of people, a tablet in her hand as she spoke out.
"If you're here for the Exam, make sure you have your credentials ready," The woman said. Eren bought out the form that he had gotten after he got his result for the written test. It was a confirmation that he was approved to take the test. He was about to get on the line when someone brushed past him, a spark of static shock went through his body. The stranger stopped and then turned around to stare at Eren. He froze as his eyes made contact with her. She was dressed in a navy blue trench coat with a winged star circled by a halo pinned on her pockets along with some silver insignias. Her silver hair was tied in a ponytail and her red eyes seemed to pierce through like she could see deep into Eren. Eren had no idea who she was or what she was, but he could feel a deep pressure emitting from her. Though his Internal senses weren't as sensitive as Ash's, he could feel the Mana around this lady. Now that Eren could perceive Mana in his surroundings, he was getting used to the way the energy permeated through the air. And the mana around her was especially denser than it was around those by him. But what struck him most was how captivating her eyes were. Then she walked away, leaving Eren staring after her. The woman in front bowed to her and then moved aside as the girl went into the building.
"Get into the line," Ash hissed. Eren took the spot that Ash had saved up for him. He went back to thinking about the girl. From her looks, Eren knew she was a Hunter with a higher cultivation rank than him. She had the Association's symbol pinned on her, and the way the space around her felt... She was not an ordinary Awakener.
"She's one of them," Ash said as the line began to move.
"One of whom," Eren asked.
"The Great Families," Ash replied. The Great Families. No way. The Great Families were a group of Mages who ruled the Lumerion empire in the center continent. There were six of them, and each member was considered to be above the average Mage. They were the most powerful and influential families within the Global Union, as their ancestors were the ones who created the Union in the first place.
"From her looks, I bet she's a member of the Greyron Family," Ash said.
"No way," Eren said. "Why would a Royal member of another country be here in Haumea,"
"Because she's a Hunter," Ash said. "She has jurisdiction in any country in the Global Union,"
"That's so cool," Eren said. Ash walked up to the stall where a man with pointed ears in a green robe was checking out the forms. Looking up at Ash, the man whistled. Eren could see the shock on his face as he marveled at the way the surrounding external energy hovered around Ash. Ash pretended not to notice it and showed him his form. The man used a wand-looking object to examine it, and then he nodded. He gave Ash a tag which Ash placed on the right side of his chest. He walked into the building. Eren excitedly took out his tattered form and handed it to the man. He gave the form one look and then raised an eyebrow at Eren.
"What!" Eren said.
"The amount of Mana you have is very low," He said. "What rank are you again," Eren sighed as the man brought up a sore subject for him. By the grace of the gods, Eren had managed to barely reach the first tier of the Intermediate rank. And what was even worse was that his natural Mana reserve was lower than the Average First Tier of the Intermediate rank. He had expected them to doubt if he was of the Intermediate rank. He flexed his core within his solar plexus, and it shined a low bright shade of orange, indicating that he was indeed of the Intermediate rank. The man scoffed and handed a tag to Eren.
"Participant No.451," He said. Eren took the tag and pinned it on his right chest. "There always is one every year." Eren had taken a step forward but then stopped.
"What do you mean," He asked.
"Just that there's always one of your kind in here every year," The man said. " Low class who think they can go beyond the lot the gods have given you by becoming a Hunter. I feel pity for you kid. The Hunting business is not all fun and rainbows like you think it is."
Instead of causing a scene, Eren decided to walk off, entering the building. He was still fuming from what that bastard had said, but he couldn't afford to let his anger get in the way. He took deep breaths as he found his way to Ash. Ash was hanging in a corner, ignoring the stares that the other participants were giving him. We were in a large hall with a large silver crystal floating in the middle of the room. There was a pentagram around the crystals along with different sigils and glyphs that Eren didn't understand. Although there were a lot of participants, the room was large enough to fit all of them. From what Eren knew about Dungeons, it was that there were seven of them in the world, each of them stationed in various continents. And while there were seven Dungeons, there were several Dungeon gates all over the world. Rifts in space that connected our world with the mysterious world of the Dungeons. Over the years, mankind had learned to access the rift gates and had built buildings like this for the Adventuring business. Eren knew that the rift gate in this Dungeon center was connected to the only Dungeon in the western continent. He would have loved the chance to go to the one on Namer island. That was the most famous Dungeon in the world. Ash got off the wall and met halfway with Eren who was heading to him.
"Those sigils, they once belonged to the Primevals," Ash said. The Primevals. The first inhabitants of the world before mankind and the other folks arrived. Eren looked at Ash and wondered how he felt looking at one of the last remnants of his People. The Asterion clan was the last of the Primevals before they were massacred long ago. Eren didn't know much about the events and he didn't normally bring it up because of how sensitive it was to Ash.
"Can you read them," Eren asked.
"They're words of conduits," Ash said. "It seems that the crystal is supposed to channel the energy of the rift in the area and open for all the participants."
"Interesting," Eren said. So the rift wasn't even showing right now. There was the sound of the door closing, and Erem looked up as the light within the room dimmed down just a little. He noticed for the first time the upper floor area where a delegation of people sat, staring down at all of them. Eren saw the Hunter girl looking at him. He gulped, feeling self-conscious as she kept her sharp gaze at him. Ash jabbed him with his elbow, grabbing his attention.
"It's rude to stare," Ash said.
"Attention all Participants of this year's Entrance exam." A short man in the middle of the delegation was standing and speaking out. He wore a brown trenchcoat, his hands tugging the side of the suit as he spoke. He wore a monocle in his right eye, and Eren could tell that the device was a Magic tool. "You have all been chosen out of a select few who took part in the Written Test. The fact that you are here means that you were chosen because you have the qualities to serve as candidates for this part of the exam." He took a pause and stared at all the candidates in the room. He then cleared his throat again and resumed speaking. "Namer University isn't just any Academy Institute in the Global Union. It is a prestigious academy that has taken in not just Nobles and Royals from various countries in the Union but has birthed many skilled and great Hunters, Hunters that have proven their mettle in defending the Union and the world at large from great dangers. Not many have the chance to have this experience but with the Arlene act, an opportunity created by the blessing of the Great Zangretus family,-" Eren was grateful to the Zangretus family, one of the Great families that lived in the Lumerion empire alongside the other Great family. They had created a scholarship program that made it possible for those who didn't come from an Awakened family or an aristocrat family to be able to attend Namer University which was expensive as hell. The purpose of the exam was to determine not only admission but the scholarship to attend the University. Without this act, Eren would have had to get a job to make up the money, just to get the chance to get in.
"Now, for the practical exam, this year we have decided to make this fairly harder to pass the exam. Due to current political events going on in the world, the crisis in the Middle East, and the sudden shift in power in the Reim Empire. What we need isn't just any Magic Knight but the best of the best. So we are looking for quality over quantity. That is why the exam is taking place in the Dungeon, not the usual test centers that we normally use." Eren's heart was beating fast, and so were all the candidates in the room. He could hear it, and he could smell the anticipation that was coming off them. The Dungeon. Eren had never gone Dungeon raiding or exploring, so he had no idea what the inside would be like, but Mother Ruth, a former Hunter, had told him stories of the place. And from the stories, there was lots of adversity that was waiting for them inside.
"All candidates will be transported to the first floor of the lower level, and your objective will be to gain as many Mana cores as possible. Those with the highest amount of Mana cores will be awarded a certain level of points. After gaining as many Mana cores as possible, you must get to the Guildquarter at the Guild association area within the lower level. But before you go to the Guild Quarter, you must arrive there by a certain time according to the time that your wrist band indicates." He made a clapping sound and Eren, astonished, watched as a black material began to form around his left wrist. "That is a StoreDeck. There are three buttons available. One is a map that leads to the Guildquarters. The second is to measure the passing of time. As you well know, time works in an abnormal way within the Dungeon. The band is synchronized to the flow of time in the outside world. This means you must get to the Guild Quarters by the time the countdown is done. Not before and not after. You must arrive at that specific time. And the third button allows you to store the mana cores that you gain in a dimensional storage unit as ordinary spatial rings can't contain Mana cores.." Gain as many Mana cores as possible within a certain limit of time. And get to the Guild building no later than the exact ending of the countdown. This was going to be a strange test indeed.
"Your time starts as soon as you're transported to the dungeon." The instructor said, "Now we will begin the activation of the Crystal rifts and good luck on your journey." After he was done speaking, there were chatters among the candidates, loud and excited about what was to happen.
"Good luck," Ash said. "We might end up in different places so..." He stopped and took a deep breath. He took out a blade from his spatial band and handed it to Eren.
"What's that for?" Eren asked.
"Who knows what might go on in there," Ash said. "The Dungeon is not an ordinary place for someone who barely knows how to use their Magical power. You might encounter something that even you might not be able to deal with. If that happens, put my blade within your Storedeck and I'll sense its disappearance from the normal space and know that you need my help." Eren put his hands on Ash's outstretched hand.
"What's going on with you," Eren said. "You've been more supportive of me lately ever since I could cultivate."
"If you're so adamant about getting into Namer, then I figured I would make sure you don't end up dead," Ash said.
"Didn't know you cared," Eren said.
"It's for Mother Ruth," Ash said. Eren sighed and then pushed the blade away from himself.
"Thanks but I'm good," He said. He thought back to that Lightfolk man outside that had questioned his strength. Eren had wanted to spill some blood right there. But he had controlled himself. His thoughts and opinion didn't matter to Eren. But Eren wanted to prove something to himself. That the other night with the Maleficiant cockroach hadn't been a fluke. That he could walk on the path that would lead him to what he desired most. The world and the system in place were unfair, and it had been that way to Eren since he was born. But right now and here, Eren could begin his journey to the top. If he could get on top, then he could do something. This was it. It was do or die. And more importantly, Eren wanted to enjoy the thrill of the upcoming battles without any interference.
"I have to do this with my own strength," He said. "But I appreciate the help." There was a loud crack and the boys' attention turned to the crystal that had begun to glow. There was a spinning noise and the glow of the crystal began to spread.
"Good luck and May the goddess, Chango, watch over you all," The instructor said as the Light warped them all into darkness.