My Dracula System: Rise Of A Warrior

WEAK BOY IN A CRUEL WORLD

Today was another day the notorious Clayborn Guild brought terror to Ravenshire village.

As a group of ruthless earth ability users, they exploited their powers to prey on the weak.

An elderly fishmonger sat outside his humble cottage, desperately trying to sell the last few fish on his tray.

His peaceful afternoon was shattered when members of the guild approached him, snatching his purse and attempting to wrestle it from his grasp. "Just let it go, old man," one thief sneered, pulling harder.

"I beg of you, don't take this money. It's everything I've sold since this morning. That's all I have left to live on," the old man pleaded, kneeling down, his hands still attached to his purse.

The old man's strength was no match for the young thieves. His grip slowly loosened, and he finally let go. The thieves smiled, satisfied with their victory. "You shouldn't have tried, old man. It was pointless," they mocked.

As they turned to leave, a voice spoke from behind in a commanding tone. "Give him back his purse!"

The thieves turned around, “who dares to stop us?”

However they burst into laughter when they saw Rylan, a seventeen-year-old, weak-looking boy with dark hair, standing a few meters away with an angry stare.

"Oh, it's the weakling without an ability. Are you trying to save the old man, boy? You know better than to challenge us, don't you?" Greg, the leader, activated his Earth ability.

Gaius, the old man, sensed Rylan was in danger. "No, stop Rylan, it's not worth it. Just let it go; you might get hurt."

Rylan dropped his basket of fish, which he had just caught, and charged forward. "Don't worry, Gaius. I won't let them get away with your hard-earned money."

Greg shook his head. “ You fool, you will regret trying to be a hero.” He said, lifting up a piece of earth and directing it towards Rylan at full speed.

But Rylan managed to dodge it, only to see more earthly projectiles coming his way.

He quickly spun around and evaded them all with agility.

Even though he never had an ability, he had practiced martial arts everyday to make up for that weakness.

However, he had another weakness that held him down: since childhood he suffered from Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW), a condition where an abnormal electrical pathway in the heart causes a rapid heartbeat.

This prevented him from doing strenuous activities for too long.

As Rylan got closer to Greg he could feel his heart race increasing rapidly. “ No, this can't happen now,” he thought desperately. “I need to help Gaius at all costs.” with determination, he pushed himself forward.

Unfortunately, Rylan took only a few steps before passing out and falling to the ground, just a few feet away from Greg.

Greg stood there, confused. "What? Is that it? You put up a big fight, and then you just pass out? What a waste of my time," he said, turning around and leaving with his men.

The villagers watched in fear, too afraid to intervene. They knew how brutal the Clayborn Guild could be. They could only shake their heads, feeling disappointed in Rylan.

"What was he thinking? No one has ever dared to stand against the Clayborn Guild, but he thought he would defeat them without an ability?" one of the villagers commented. "How pathetic," another spat, as the crowd dispersed.

Gaius rushed over to Rylan, took him in, and laid him on a mat. As he prepared some herbs, he glanced at Rylan lying there helplessly. His mind drifted back to the first time he met Rylan. Rylan was just a little boy, left alone in a cruel world.

His parents had perished in the devastating war against the Maulaks, towering beings from outer space with human-like forms, but standing at least ten feet tall.

Their bodies were a deep blue hue, hardened like armor, with tails resembling those of dragons and spikes protruding from their backs. The number of spikes on each Maulak's back indicated their combat level.

The Maulaks' spaceship had suddenly appeared on Earth a few years ago, leaving everyone bewildered about their origins and intentions.

However, it soon became clear that they sought to exploit Earth's resources, deeming humans too weak to stand in their way.

Initially, humans were defenseless against these formidable beings, as ordinary guns and bombs had little effect on them.

But in a surprising turn of events, powerful supernatural beings who had been hiding among humans began to reveal themselves, joining forces to defend Earth.

A mysterious figure known as Marvel Holstein emerged, distributing millions of books that taught humans how to awaken unique abilities and craft sophisticated weapons using beast cores. As suddenly as he appeared, he vanished.

With their newfound abilities and weapons, humans, aided by their supernatural allies, put up a valiant fight.

Ultimately, the Maulaks' spaceship retreated, never to be seen again. However, the war's aftermath left many children orphaned and homeless, Rylan among them.

Forced to survive on the streets, Rylan had been stealing from a young age. But the day he stole from Gaius, he didn't get far before collapsing. Gaius, noticing the boy was sick, took pity on him and took Rylan in.

"You stubborn boy," Gaius said, tears rolling down his eyes. "You know you're not feeling well, but you still insist on fighting for me."

After Gaius had applied the herbs, Rylan opened his eyes. He sat up, trying to process what was going on.

“What happened?" He blinked several times.

“You passed out while trying to face the intruders from the Clayborn Guild.” Gaius replied.

“Again? I had been training hard all this while for that moment, only to end up passing out as always. I am so useless!.” Rylan lamented.

Gaius offered him some cooked fish, with a warm smile. "You did your best, Rylan. That's all anyone can ask for."

Rylan's face darkened. "No, Gaius. I failed. But I promise I'll make it right. I just turned 17, It's time to attend the military academy."

After the first war with the Maulaks, it was suspected that they could return, so the Earth federation gave an order that every teen from the age of 17 was to attain a 2 years training in any of the Military academies to learn an ability.

But the abilities they served in the academy were weak because they were cheaper. However the rich could buy strong ability books at higher levels. A poor kid like Rylan on the other hand, could not afford such interesting books, so he could only hope for a free one at the military academy.

Gaius's eyes widened with concern. "Rylan, are you sure? The military academy is no easy place..."

Rylan's jaw set. "I'm positive. I'll awaken an ability or learn from the free level one ability book they offer. I'll become strong enough to protect you and the village."

Gaius's face softened. "I'm proud of you, Rylan. You've always had a good heart. The villagers called you pathetic for standing up for them, but here you are, fighting on their behalf. But make sure you don't push yourself too much, you know your health. Don't rush into things. Take your time, learn, and grow strong."

Rylan's determination burned brighter. "I understand, Gaius. I won't let the Clayborn Guild terrorise this village anymore. I'll make them pay for what they did to you."

Gaius placed a reassuring hand on Rylan's shoulder. "I believe in you, Rylan. You'll make a fine soldier."

Rylan nodded, a fierce look in his eye. " Thanks, old man."

With that, he stood up and packed his bag, his excitement building as he prepared for the big day ahead. Tomorrow, the prestigious military academy would open its doors to new students from every corner of earth, and he was determined to be among them.

As he zipped up his bag, he couldn't help but wonder; What ability would he awaken?