"Is it really necessary for you to join the wars?"
"Are you truly— truly sure?"
I look at my aging father. His face appears calm, but I know the worry he hides beneath that expression. His heart is restless. I shift my stance, adjusting the backpack strapped to my shoulders, its weight a constant reminder of what lies ahead.
"Please don't go! We should play together this weekend at the park!"
Their aura feels heavy, thick with concern.
Raising an eyebrow, I offer them a reassuring smile, closing my eyes momentarily to ease their anxiety. My two younger siblings stand nearby, their eyes mirroring our father's unspoken fears. But my attempt to lift the mood fails. Their expressions remain unchanged. It's not a choice, It's mandatory. I must participate in making sure we are safe.
The Inter-racial Special Force (ISF) has deemed me one of the top prodigy warrior of the Human race, a rare genetic miracle they said. Despite my young age, I have been chosen as Top Prodigy for my out standing result on performance and power againts the monstrous entities.
Truthfully, It's a combination factors of the miracle of genetic and training, I've been doing basic training and workout since I was 5 years old. The result? I outperformed other kids or even people few years older than me by a mile.
However, even after more than a decade of dedication… I'm still far away from my potential. Well, at least that's what the ISF said.
Complete honesty! I still lacks experience, and even after all of this, some of the monsters are still stronger than me. The "high danger" threat one can equal my strength. This war camp, will give me opportunity to be better.
In fact, I only just turned fifteen years old a week ago. To top on that, I haven't even started puberty yet, that basically mean I'm a late bloomer. Yes, I may still look and sound like a child—but only for now!
I barely met the height requirement for human. In truth, I am exactly 165 cm.
I once made a promise, that I would become the best. The best for our average family, for my father, for my twin siblings whose 5 years younger than me and most importantly for my mother.
"The best…" so that I would never disappoint my beloved Mother.
I went exit the house.
At that moment, a core memory resurfaces, one that has stayed with me for a decade. The day I first witnessed a soul depart for the new ones….
"Arghhh!"
"Push, Just a little bit more, push! One, two, three—push!"
"Mama, stay strong! Please, stay strong!"
Desperate cries filled the dimly lit room. My mother's ragged breathing, my aunt's urgent encouragement, and then—the piercing wails of newborns.
I sit there, helpless, witnessing my twin siblings come into this world. I could only offer words of support. My father, on duty fighting monsters, was absent. The moment he received the news, he rushed home as fast as he could.
We were in the midst of war, and outside, the heavens raged, thunder roaring through the night. Yet, even the storm could not overpower the cries of the newborns.
My mother was losing too much blood.
The specialized doctors took longer to arrive—the country was in ruins, the roads dangerous with lurking creatures, and transportation scarce.
I sit by, unable to do anything. My hands trembled at my sides. I wanted to cry, to scream, to beg the heavens. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to stay strong.
I CAN'T.
Watching Mama suffer so much PAIN—
I-I can't…
"God, please, save my mama," I prayed, my thoughts breaking apart in silent desperation. My heart pleaded for a miracle, for mercy.
Stop her pain! give it to me instead!
Mama is kind. She is gentle. She has always been there for us. Please… please!
Her ragged breaths began to slow. The twins' cries softened.
The room grew unnervingly quiet.
A flicker of hope ignited in my chest.
Mama? You made it? You're not in pain anymore?
But then—I opened my eyes.
And what I saw was my aunt, trembling, wiping away the endless stream of tears cascading down her face.
At first, I didn't understand. Relief washed over me for a fleeting moment. But confusion quickly followed. An uneasy curiosity gnawed at my chest, a curiosity I desperately wished I never had.
I'm frozen, my gaze locked onto my aunt.
I DON'T WANT TO MOVE MY EYES. SOMETHING FEELS WRONG.
My body refused to turn. But I knew—I had to look.
It felt like moving a mountain, but I forced my eyes toward my mother.
She lay there, on the verge of death.
A strangled gasp escaped me. Instinctively, I rushed to her side. My mouth opened, but no words came out. My throat clenched, strangled by emotions I could not express.
Mama had lost too much blood. My aunt was powerless; she used her mana but her healing magic didn't work. Humans, unlike others like elves, were only capable of wielding low-tier spells.
At that time, I had yet to awaken my own power.
I could do nothing.
If only I had been stronger. If only I had been better.
Tears streamed down my face, my sobs silent but uncontrollable.
Then—mama's eyes fluttered open.
Slowly, painfully, she looked around. She fought against the darkness creeping in, determined to take in one last view of the world.
"Mama?!" My voice cracked. My chest ached.
She could barely speak, yet she forced herself to.
Her expression was peaceful. Normally, I loved seeing her at peace.
But not this time.
Not like this.
Her trembling fingers reached up, brushing away my tears. She pulled me close and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.
"My Sweetheart… Thank you…"
Her voice was so weak.
Her touch—so warm.
"Where's… my babies?"
My aunt, her eyes red and swollen, brought the wrapped twins to her. My mother, with the last remnants of her strength, held them close, placing the same gentle kiss on their foreheads.
"Haaa… my children…"
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"Ehe… cuties…"
Her voice grew fainter. Her breath, shallower.
Then, she turned to look at us one last time.
"Thanks…Don't be sad… All of you… forever… I… love you…"
And with that—she exhaled one final time.
Silence.
I couldn't react.
The tears kept falling, but I felt numb.
Her soul drifted away, leaving only her empty shell behind.
Moments later, the sound of hooves echoed in the distance. A frantic knocking at the door.
I opened it.
My father stood there, drenched in rain, an elven doctor by his side.
"Mama?! Where is she?! How is she?!"
I couldn't speak.
I only lowered my gaze.
He understood immediately.
His face darkened.
Soaked and silent, he and the doctor entered the house to do what had to be done.
As for me?
I stood at the doorway, staring up at the stormy night sky.
The rain poured endlessly, as if the heavens themselves were mourning with me.
Ever since then, I have taken care of my twin brother and sister, while my father spent most of his time searching for money. He retired a few weeks after Mama's death.
My father and I tried so hard to move on, but it was almost impossible…
When I was 4 years old, a year before—
"Darling! Don't forget to take your food again!"
"Uhh—haip, haip, alright…"
"You always say that, yet you forget it again!" Mama playfully pinched Father's cheek.
She smiled and chuckled as she handed him the food. A few minutes later, she noticed me struggling to do five pull-ups.
"Honey~… what are you doing??"
"Oh! Let strong Mama help!"
Mama always seemed so happy. Her presence alone was a blessing from the gods. Effortlessly, she did twenty slow, controlled pull-ups and even muscle-ups. I was flabbergasted. My lips curled into a smile out of pure admiration.
"Ehe, right! Mama is strong! Now, let Mama help."
She assisted me with my workout.
Some Humans are actually really strong—maybe as an adaptation to monsters, demonic beings, and dark entities? The Elites are like superhumans! But even that wasn't enough to keep up with other races and opposing entities. Humans do have mana to supplement their strength, but it's generally weaker compared to others.
Seeing how much I improved after learning proper form from her, Mama was both shocked and excited.
"Woahh! Very cool! My child, you're going to be one of the greatest!"
I looked at her, my eyes wide open, eyebrows raised with determination.
"MAMA! I WILL BE THE BEST!"
"Ohhh, haha! That's the spirit!" She patted my head. I could do nothing but smile…
One of the reasons Mama didn't survive was because, days before giving birth, she lost too much mana fighting off monsters when they suddenly ambush while the protectors were quite far away. The monsters that attacked area bunch of Mighty (Medium Danger)
"Take the children out!"
"But Mama!?"
"I will follow after!"
Even in the very last stage of pregnancy, she was able to delay a squad of monsters and goblins with her agility, speed, and strength. However, she used too much stamina. In the end, the only way she could kill the monsters and escape was by using the "Overclocking" technique—draining excessive mana to enhance her physical ability and restore energy. Because of this, she became far weaker than she should have been.
As the general houses were destroyed, people evacuated to hidden shelters. My mother could barely walk when she arrived, supported by another scout ranger. She collapsed, and those present did their best to ensure both she and her unborn child were okay.
I couldn't do anything. I didn't know how to use my mana—nor was I sure if I ever would.
I was pathetic. Even now, after reaching such a level of raw power and strength…
Nothing has changed.
Mama is still gone.
BUT—I still have my beloved family. My little sister and brother.
I smiled and walked straight to the base camp. I could use my super speed, but that would cause too much noise, drain my energy and attract unwanted attention—especially from monsters. Even at my strength, half of the top-tier monsters could still match me. I had learned various skills throughout my childhood. I barely played with others, except for my siblings. For 10 years, I'm lock in.
I naturally had a lean body. My puberty hasn't started yet, so I couldn't build much muscle yet— just enough to be skinny-lean? Haaa… (I sighed).
I learned all of this knowledge and many more throught self-study using various medium. I can understand new knowledge quite easily, while other kids struggle to even read.
Upon arriving at the location, I saw many warriors, adventurers, mages, elves, dwarves, and acromegalies making preparations.
Now's not the time to worry about this. There's a war ahead. If it's Mighty threat monsters, I can kill them instantly. But that also depends on whether they have monster specialist on mage healers or not. Hmmm…
As I'm wondering—
"Oi, kid! What are you doing here?! You must return—this isn't a place for children to play."
A distant, manly voice came from a dwarf. Kid, heh. Ironic, isn't it?
"Uh, sorry! But I am one th top prodigy representing human race this time, assigned here by the ISF ."
The dwarf and his comrades were confused. What the hell is this kid talking about?
Out of nowhere, a silent yet incredibly fast projectile shot toward me. Instantly, I caught it between two fingers. It came from a tall male elf—probably around 185 cm.
"What?!" I exclaimed, unsettled.
"So he's the top prodigy human kid. Nice to meet you."
"You, why did you attack me?"
"Well, I figured if someone has the balls to call themselves a top prodigy, they must be it. Or… if they're just faking it, they'd die. Right?"
I stopped. I mean… he had a point. Anyone who claimed to be a prodigy would be on a death list—let alone a TOP prodigy.
"And also, you noticed I put some poison magic on it, right? If you weren't the top prodigy without the mana resistances, you'd be dead. Like, DEAD dead."
"THERE'S POISON?!" "It's low-calamity level, by the way."
"HUH?! IT'S HOT" I quickly let go of the projectile. "Oh, thought you'd figure it out, lol."
"You did what old elf-man!?" "I'm not old."
"SHUT. Oh yeah?! How old are you, then?"
"Wait, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3… oh! This year, I'll be 300!"
"THAT'S OLD-" "No, it's not, kid."
On average, elves in the world live up to only 600 years, aging five to ten times slower than humans and some humanoid races. So being 300 meant, at the very least, he was a middle-aged, grown-ass man in elf terms.
"Yeah, yeah, you're an old man—" "Say that again, and I'll teleport you to the middle of the ocean."
However, Some of the gifted Elven Archons and Royals could live up to 2,000–3,000 years due to their immense mana and mostly unique biology. But they were extremely rare—it was like winning a genetic lottery for an elf.
This old elf-man? He was none of them. Judging by his mana and appearance, he was definitely middle-aged.
"Heh. Old elf-man, nice to meet you too."
We proceeded to shake hands—
"Why are your hands hot?"
"Oh, I cast another low-calamity poison on my glove, lmao."
"YOU OLD BITC—"
"ENOUGH. (Sigh) We need to stay focused. Anyway, nice to meet you guys. I'm one of the prodigies from the dwarf clan."
"Oh, how interesting. Three prodigies including, EHEM, me… well, the kid is the TOP prodigy, but they're human, so it doesn't matter—" "Shut up, you racist old elf-man."
"Well, let's shake hands—" "NO," the dwarf said.
"Uh. Evil, may I know why?"
"Before I throw you to the other side of the mountain, you'd better remove that magic poison."
"Oh my, you noticed?"
"WHO WOULDN'T NOTICE WHEN YOU JUST DID IT TO THE KID 30 SECONDS AGO?!"
"Brothers! Relax. We have a literal war ahead."
"Ah, you're right, and I'm not old, kid." "Yeah, just remembered that. Thanks, kid."
These weirdos really forgot the most important thing? Oh god, I can't imagine how they handle basic common sense.
"It's already twilight. Let's enter the base camp and rest. Tomorrow, the Royals and ISF will finalize preparations. The war could start in three to seven days."
The dwarf and I were surprised.
"Oh, that's fast."
"The royals need to step in too? That means the situation is way worse than I thought. You sure know a lot, huh, Mr. Old Elf-man!"
"For the last time, KID—I. AM. NOT. F#CKING. OLD!"
Then, an announcement echoed through the air.
"To all honored comrades, team compositions and strategies will be discussed in a few minutes. Please enter now."
"Well, goodbye then, Mr. Dwarf and kid."
"I will return to my comrades too, later, kid."
"Uh? Haip… yeah."
That was even quicker than expected. No time to waste—time is gold. I'll head in right away.