“You are meant to be perfect, Hoff,” A bearded man spoke towards a young Hoff Praya Crestia as the man slammed a piece of paper onto his desk, clearly angry about something Hoff had done. “Father… I’ve tried my best this is the result of my training. It’s all that I can do!” SLAP! Hoff’s right cheek was red. Though the pain may be little on his face, his heart was shredded. “When will you stop that attitude? You were granted the ability to learn everything that you could see. Yet, you let yourself become lazy enough by not training your Forte properly? How have you become so arrogant?” Hoff didn’t respond to his father. His white hair blocked vision in his eyes. Hoff couldn’t find a single word enough to describe his feelings towards his father. Hoff knows that no matter how much he speaks from his heart, his father wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings. Therefore, it’s no use. “Yes. Father,” Those were the only words he could ever say. Those were the words that his father wanted.
-~“Mylen, This is Zedafaust. The target has been neutralized. Though things may seem peachy, a wild card has arrived at the table. Deploying Victor Magnifica will be useful.”Zed walks through the forest, remembering the message he sent to Victoria.KekekeheheGiggling, he combed his hair backwards, entering a secluded factory near the Mylen Manor.Inside, there is a shaped glass prison. Within it, two familiar faces are confined within the prison. A girl and her mother with green hair and eyes.Zed walked casually into the control panel located beside the box."Grr! It's you again! Evil man !" Mika shouted as she hit the glass confinement."Kekekehehe, do everything you can to destroy the glass, I beg of you," Zed said towards Mika. She relentlessly barraged against the glass prison. However, it proved to be to hard to penetrate."Your mother, how is she? How is Ms. Quilla?""Shut up!" To Zed's surprise, Mika suddenly burst angrily towards him. He is by no means offended. He didn't
Serena once again leaps and disappears midair. Meanwhile, Maru charges at Zedafaust, landing a hit on his face. His hands moved flawlessly left and right, landing blow after blow while Zedafaust seemingly just took the attack.BUK!Maru then launched an uppercut onto Zedafaust's Jaw, sending him into the air."KUOH!!" As Zedafaust was about to fly over, his hand was grabbed by Maru, who pulled him back, followed by a punch into the throat.(No human can withstand a punch to the throat, even if that human has a Forte)Still holding to Zedafaust's right hand using his left hand, Maru landed a blow on his gut using his right knee.(I'll kill him now!)Maru placed his hands on Zedafaust's head.(No… this is not right… what if I misunderstood again?).As Maru began to waver, someone spoke to him."Hey… Are you done?""!!!""If you're done, then it's my turn next," Zedafaust spoke, showing his gleeful smile.(This guy! He doesn't seem hurt!)Zedafaust puts his hands on Maru's arms as he sw
(The cycle of death and life is a rule imposed upon this world.) (As people die, another will be born.) (No matter how much they try, no one can escape the fate of death.) (It is an unchangeable rule.) (So, he made a deal with the devil.) (He made a deal so that he may never die.) (He committed blasphemy and was granted the ability to cheat death.) (He is the protagonist of this story.) (It is the story of a man who sold his soul in exchange for knowledge and power.) (A merciless principle corrupted by ambition.) (The unkillable forte wielder, Zedafaust.) “MOM, MIKA GET BACK!” Maru shouted as he activated again, which he had deactivated after getting onto the rooftop. BOOM! An explosion occurred on the rooftop of the factory. “Mika, hold on! Don’t let go!” Serena spoke as she was desperately holding onto a disfigured handrail while also holding onto Mika. She didn’t respond, as a drip of blood was visibly running from her head. The explosion had harmed
Serena smiled as she saw Zedafaust tumble onto the ground. “You think you are the only one with tricks? Don’t make me laugh.”Zedafaust tried to stand back up. It took a while, but he stood tall again in front of Serena.“Predator’s Aura… what a childish Forte. The longer I look at your overwhelming aura, the stronger the fear effect inflicted on me, regardless of whether or not I am stronger than you.”Serena’s eye twitched, and she let out a sigh.“No chance of hiding it, huh? I suppose you know that from Maru. Rather, I think it's from Maru’s memory…”Zedafaust let out a little giggle and said, “What makes you say that? I am dying to know.”“You really wanted me to explain? Why would I reveal my knowledge about your power anyway?”“Who knows? Maybe I’ll confirm if it’s true or not…”Silence occurred between them.“There is no way anyone could ever use someone else's forte. Not to mention perfectly recreating it. Forte is an innate technique that differs from person to person based
“Mister Hoff, are you sure you would just leave them like that?” Xaviel said. “I…” “I’ll finish this for you. You need to go back to meet them!” “Xaviel…” (If I use it now, I can’t use any Forte for the rest of the day.) “Please let me do this for you, Mr. Hoff. I need to atone.” Xaviel said as he gave a reassuring smile. Hoff sighed and looked at Ria. “Ria, make sure to follow his commands, okay? Please do your best to support him.” “Will do, Sir!” Hoff gave a smile and started running in the direction of the other factory located near the site where the forest fire was seen. Hoff was lost in thoughts as he looked back at the Mylen Mansion. “Xaviel. Ria. Please be safe.” Xaviel saw Hoff going away and proceeded with their plan. (Before, Mr. Hoff said what he wanted to do besides saving his family.) (It was to liberate the Wielders, who had been abducted by the Mylen Family.) The mansion was around 4 acres. The size is due to the fact that it is where the court of Mylenia
Victoria Mylen sat at her throne, looking through her endless screenlike objects floating in the air. No one else could see those screens. It is only available to be seen by her. This is a part of her power of The concept of her power is quite simple. If someone inserted a foreign object into his/her body, in this case, Mylen uses her own customized small titanium sphere that she calls ‘receivers,’ it would allow her to control that person remotely. Now, she had developed her power, making it possible to control more than 200 people. (The reason the Prince came here is because he wanted me to capture Herbert Julio, aka the escapee from Priscote Town.) (I must not let him down.) (He would kill me if I fail now.) As she scrolled through the screens, he saw Xaviel enter the sublevel 4, where she kept most of her test subjects. She clicked her tongue. (Too bad for him. I had already relocated all of my test subjects a few hours prior. I know this would h
(Ever since my battle with Krey.) (I have felt something is different.) (It’s like I found a secret to mastering the Forte.) Xaviel closes his eyes. (My theory is that, as all powers do, there is a time when our performance is at its peak.) He took a deep breath. (The reason for my theory is the fact that the human brain is not always working optimally.) (Nothing inside of humans always works optimally.) (If we ever graph it, it would probably look more like a ripple signal.) (The panels…) (MED and The Dark Blue Panel.) (They are figments of my imagination due to my interpretation of how to use Forte.) (Why panels, though?) (This probably happened because I watched too many animations or manga regarding systematical power or litrpg fantasies.) Xaviel raised his right hand, aiming at the soldiers facing Ria. (I will use this power to defeat and save the people controlled by Victoria Mylen.) (I named this skill [Phantasy]) His body slowly emitted a white aura as he unlea
The Fisherman and I follow Jack Nelson as the party ends instead of using a horse carriage or chariot like the other guests. They used a rather peculiar cart that used petrol and ran on wheels. I am familiar with that kind of cart. It's called a 'car' rather than a cart. People in Estovania used it quite a lot, yet they didn't first develop it. Most state-of-the-art stuff originated in Willhelmia or the 'Prince' region."That cart is very fast; how are we supposed to follow it?" I said."WOA-!" Fish shouted a little before I instinctively shut his mouth with my hands. "Shut the hell up, dumbass. We'll get caught!" I whispered as I slightly tightened my grip on his mouth. He reacted by nodding up and down. Only then did I release his mouth from my grasp."But why are you here, Vice-Boss Duke Hebsly?" He blatantly said."Don't say my name so casually. Dammit! And What else do you think I am here for? I am here to help you spy on Jack Nelson!" I replied."But the boss didn't say a thing a
“Excuse me sirs and madam. I am here to serve wine.” A male servant went inside the table where the conspirators of Seraphinania is sitting. He placed the glass one by one, as another servant poured it down.“A perfect time for a drink isn’t it?” Oswald Leysom said enticing everyone to touch their respective glasses.“There might be some rough sides to this plan of ours. Yet, with all the people here, I am pretty sure we can pull it through quite nicely.” Ms. Eye said with confidence before glancing at Mr. Jones. “By the by, is Jones here the one who used to sell opium to the Molosno family?”Mr. Jones looks around as the attention turns towards him. “Yes. As a matter of fact, I am. Yet ever since one year ago, the distributor position for my opium is vacant.”“I see.” Ms. Eye drinks her wine before speaking again, “Then you indeed are Thomas Hebsly.”“Wonderful guess, Madam. How could you ever guess who he was?” Oswald said, making everyone else except Mr. Jones giggle. “I see. Then
I walked with The Fisherman, Duke, and Gilman, who were now dressed as servants. They do look the part, but maybe Fisherman’s scar on his face gave it away that he wasn’t a servant.“Hey, you put this on,” I said giving him a bandage and instructing him to put it on his left cheek.“Will do, Boss-man!” Fisherman said.“Hey, it's hard to say 'Fisherman' all the time! Don’t you have a name we can call you by?” Gilman said.“Hmm, sure I have,” Fisherman smiled. He opened his mouth and said, “People usually call me Fish.”Duke flattened his eye annoyed by Fish’s and Gilman’s banter.“You know what, whatever. Fish is good enough.” Gilman said. “Oh yeah, everyone can call me Gil.”“Guys, I don’t want to break your spirits here. But you shouldn’t use your real name. We’re here to spy on people- You know what? I shouldn’t even be explaining all this to you two! Boss what the hell is wrong with these two!” Duke suddenly got heated up due to the stupidity of the other two people in our group.I
Jack Nelson, Mr. Jones, Oswald Leysom, Diana Mitchford.These four people are the key players in this grand design.A person of power in the shadows in Hestiania. The fearsome leader of the mafias in that region, Jack Nelson. He is also the sponsor and promoter of Sophaya.The other, Mr. Jones, was a man who originated from Estovania and later formed his own Mafia family here in Heliconia. He is my boss and mentor.Oswald Leysom, A politician from Estovania, is known for his poetry and political views that are down-to-earth and helpful to the citizens of Hestiania.Finally, the owner of the party, soon to be Oswald's wife, Ms. Diana Mitchford. A noble originating from Seraphinania that is known to have quite far-right political views.Together, they represent 4 great powers: Hestiania, Heliconia, Estovania, and Seraphinania. Though maybe not the power that is open in the light but the one lurking in the shadows. Documents have been provided by Mr. Jones himself indicating that they ar
A few days after the situation at the safe house, rumors of Sophaya, The Screaming Cinderella’s kidnap, began to surface. No doubt, this led to many people assuming Razor Peaks was the conspirator. Even though no one has asked us directly yet, I hear words regarding the situation, particularly through the words of the woman who wore the uniform.“Thanks for the drink,” I said while sitting in the chair inside the inn I stayed at.“Thank you for the drink, Missy!” Gilman said towards the woman in uniform.Yet, she can’t help but make a scrawny face. Unfortunately for Gilman, she remembered his face, which was the man who extorted her inn for money for quite some time. I drank my morning coffee, which alleviated my drowsiness. “Boss, it’s been quite a few days. Should we start the relocation again?”As per my planning, it is imperative for Sophaya to be relocated every three days due to many parties involved who wanted to kidnap her for ransom money. Of course, I can’t take her to the i
It’s been exactly one year since his arrival at Heliconia and his conditioning. 3 months of re-education and 9 months of training. Even from the first time I saw him, Shankara had shown potential, particularly in Forte, abling to rival wielders of the aristocrat. I believe he has now been honed into the perfect soldier for Razor Peaks. There is no doubt in his abilities and loyalty to some extent. So, today’s test will measure whether he will continue to develop or stagnate.“Sir, a call from Jack Nelson,”Now, the main event is about to start too.***Arriving at the scene, I looked at the safehouse, which no doubt had been bombarded, and noticeable damage had been sustained on the building.“Gilman, stay on the lookout when you have the chance to enter the building and proceed with our plan,” I ordered him, to which he nodded. As I began to walk towards the building, someone emerged from the front door. “I suppose you have arrived already, Mr. Shankara.” A woman greeted me. She was
As soon as I went to check on Sophaya, I only found her bodyguards bodies severely injured. Someone had already destroyed and ransacked the V.I.P. room. No, I am pretty sure at least 5 people were inside. As they finished their kidnap and ransacked the room, they escaped through the intended backdoor, I had previously ordered Sophaya to go.“Sorry sir, It’s all…” Duke said.“It was my decision. It’s my mistake.”Although we lost Sophaya, we found out the motive behind the kidnapping from the members of the Billy Pickers we caught earlier. The remaining lackey blurted out all the details that he knew.From the looks of it, I don’t think he could lie anymore, but I can never be too careful.I grabbed the telephone from the bar counter and dialled Mr Jones.“Mr. Jones, emergency meeting.”***“Who talked?” That was Mr. Jones's reaction.I didn’t respond.He put out his cigarette and sighed before standing up. Me and I were now inside Mr. Jones's office. It was quite a big room; his desk
“Mr. Ankara, what a pleasant surprise. I thought you wouldn’t be coming to the test concert,” Sophaya said to me with a warm smile, though the fakeness of that smile oozed an aura of anger.“Sorry, I was on a date,” I spoke back.“Ah, I didn’t know you were spoken for.” She complimented me with a witty gesture.The perfect solution to this matter actually would be to interrogate her right this instant. But, I wonder if that would play well to her since she obviously suspected something had happened.“I believe we had something to discuss about Mr. Ankara. Perhaps shall we discuss it now?”Understanding her cue, I followed up with an invitation: “Shall we go to my private room?” I said, offering my hand. But to my surprise, she walked past me with a slightly disgusted look and said, “Please show the way, Mr. Ankara.”Unlike her body double it seems she has a higher touch barrier.Indeed, her mannerisms are different than how they used to be.Confirming the possibility to a degree that t
“Good Morning, Mr. Ankara.” The woman in uniform greeted me as I walked down the inn's floor.“Morning. Black Coffee and Bread.” I replied as I wiped my eyes, walking to my usual spot.“White or Brown?” She asked, holding her broom in her right hand.“Brown,” I replied as she turned for a smile. “Will be served soon!” The woman then went to the counter and talked to her mother. I opened my newspaper today and began to read the news. News about a growing business came to mind. Bootleggers of goods in Heliconia are still at large. Trading up to the Avaloria province, where the merchants resided on the continent,The tavern door opened, and Duke Hebsly entered with an unexplainable expression as he sat down in the chair in front of me. “What brings you here?” I said without making eye contact with Duke.“The man you told me to watch. He said he’ll comply.”“Good. Things will be easier that way. Did he give you his telephone number?”“Yeah, it’s all in this paper,” Duke said as he gave me