Return of the S-class Young Master

Underground District

“Again!”

The child-like voice of Rito became increasingly irritating for the heaving and kneeling Cielo Regalia. His limbs were trembling, and his energy was close to none.

“Damn this!” Cielo muttered under his breath as he struggled to stand up. His spending black uniform as an official heir was drenched with sweat. His slick black hair was now disheveled. And his once sharp onyx eyes flickered a bright blue color every once in a while.

Rito, who was squatting atop Cielo’s head, scoffed. “What? You are going to give up, boy?”

“Never!” Not minding the added weight of the child on his head, he spread his knees, clasped his fists together, and closed his eyes. “I would rather die again than give up now.”

“That’s the spirit!” Cielo hummed in approval. He formed a triangle shape through his clasped fingers and closed his eyes as he spoke. “Now, use the God’s Eyes again and focus! Until you find my domain, we will not stop this practice!”

Cold sweat trickled down Cielo’s nose. The moment he pinpointed the pool of energy at the center of his consciousness, he was immediately assaulted by a torrent of thoughts from millions of people around the manor, the city, the continent, and the world.

-What will we cook today for Master Ren?-

-No! Don’t kill me!-

-How much is it?-

-The total amount is three million.-

-Hey! Watch where you are going!-

-Where is she?-

-Do we have class today?-

A myriad of thoughts wrapped Cielo’s consciousness all at once, making it impossible for him to locate the thought of the guardian beast hovering over him with a smug grin. 

“Focus!” Rito slapped Cielo’s head. “Your meridians will break if you try to isolate one thought at a time, stupid boy! It is called the God’s Eye for a reason. You need to be one with the flow of the world—both the good and dark sides. Hear the screams of suffering and rejoicing their happiness; be one with the world. Only then will you be able to unlock the God’s Eyes of the Regalia Clan.”

Through gritted teeth, Cielo spat. “Why did you even make such a complicated skill? Are you that reluctant to hand this skill over to my predecessors?”

“Smart, boy. But not entirely.” With his knuckles, he hit Cielo’s head again. “Each guardian beast provided the clan they chose a unique skill. It is part of the ancient pack. But God’s Eyes is a different skill. It needs more than greed to master this. With great power comes great sacrifice. The way I see you endure this hellish training, I can say that your desire to trample those who condemned you is far bigger than your greed for power.”

“You’re wrong.” Cielo grinned amid the onslaught of blood from his eyes, ears, and nose. “My desire to eliminate them all and my greed to protect my family both hold a big place, Rito. I can’t lose them both. No more righteousness, no more petty dream to become a hero who will change the rotten system of the hidden clans, just a son and a brother who will dye the world with our enemy’s blood as long as I can protect them.”

Cielo snapped his eyes open. Gone were his dull onyx eyes, replaced with gleaming bright blue ones.

Rito smiled genuinely before jumping off from Cielo. Before his little feet could touch the rocky pavement, he shifted into a fifty-meter black serpent with equally bright blue eyes.

What was once a cliff, used often by the Regalia Clan’s guards, turned into a wide lake. Standing at the center of the vast blue lake with a never-ending clear azure sky were Cielo and a gigantic black serpent.

“Welcome to my domain, kid. This is my core, the source of my power, and the foundation of God’s Eyes.”

Cielo’s heart pounded. He felt refreshed when he realized he was standing at the center of a lake without sinking! Beneath his combat shoes, he could see clear blue water. He could not help but stretch his hand in an attempt to touch the sky; it was so vast, and it felt so close to him. Slowly, his lost energy started to come back to him. “Will I ever have this kind of domain?”

“You will, and you must. The God’s Eye is a unique skill to the Regalia Clan’s chosen heir and an ultimate skill at the same time.”

Cielo’s eyes widened upon hearing the two words he could only read in the ancient scriptures. An ultimate skill was equivalent to a god-tier skill. It was an ability that could make or break the heavens and earth when used wisely. His critical eyes were now fixated on the towered black serpent before him, wondering how a god-tier sacred beast could be bound by an ancient pact. 

‘Does this relate to his wrath on the Regalia Clan and the other hidden families?’ Cielo thought.

“Yes, it does. I am a beast that is not meant to be bound by an ancient pact. It is not the right time to learn about me. You still have a lot to do for your goals, boy. You better stick to your business for now. Back to the topic, the God’s Eyes has the ability to pierce someone else’s domain without losing your vitality.”

Cielo frowned, still not getting the God’s Eyes.

“Worry not, boy. You will learn how to use this in a perfect training ground, and that will be tomorrow.” The gigantic black serpent hissed and swirled around the frowning Cielo.

“Why tomorrow when we can practice today, Rito?”

Rito stilled. His big bestial eyes widened as he stared at Cielo as if he had grown an extra head. “You forgot about tomorrow’s appointment, did you? Ren Regalia will skin you alive, boy!”

A gasp escaped from Cielo. Realization dawned upon him upon the mere mention of ‘tomorrow’. He snapped his fingers and pointed at the hissing Rito. “Tomorrow is my first day for the Round Table for all the official heirs!”

The giant black snake nodded its gigantic head.

 

 

 

“WHAT IS THAT, CIELO?”

Ren Regalia, waiting for Cielo by a black car, pinned his sharp gaze on the child the latter was holding with a firm yet gentle grasp.

Cielo’s stoic face cracked a genuine small smile as he looked down at the child next to him, who was obliviously playing with a small black snake. “Shiela needs a nanny, and I let my mother relax for a day away from her children. It is long overdue, Grandfather.”

“You are going to bring a six-year-old child to the Round Table? Aren’t you putting her in the face of danger? You don’t know how dangerous the heirs are! There is always a secret competition among the members of the Round Table. You are not the only one who awakened the guardian beast; the Aberon Clan has the youngest heir in history and the most dangerous one.”

‘The Aberon Clan? Oh, yeah! The senile dragon! Hurry up, boy! I want to meet that old fool. It has been a few centuries since I sparred with him.’ Rito chimed in at the back of Cielo’s mind.

Cielo merely glanced at the foot-length black snake that Shiela was playing around with before shifting his attention back to his grandfather. This time, the moment Ren Regalia looked at his eyes, his grandfather was met by a pair of bright cerulean eyes. 

“You mastered the God’s Eyes.”

Cielo shrugged. He did not correct the old patriarch. There was no need, for he had every intention to master the skill as soon as possible.

Sighing, Ren Regalia gave way to his grandchildren. “Remember, the Aberon Clan is something we should not offend, at least not for now.”

Cielo brought up his grandfather’s words even at the time when he was seated inside the car.

‘How can I forget the Aberon Clan? In my first life, the new leader of the Aberon Clan was the reason why I was able to live for twenty years with Shiela. It was also the Aberon Clan’s leader who gave my mother a respectable funeral and grave when the Regalia Clan failed to do so,’ Cielo thought.

Shiela tugged on his suit, pulling Cielo from his trance while looking beyond the tinted window. “Bwother, is it weally okay for Shiela to come?”

Ruffling her pigtails, he scooped her from her seat and placed her on his lap. “Brother Cielo will protect you this time, Shiela. No power in this world will ever take you and Mother away from me again. Not even God himself can do it.”

Shiela hummed, placing her baby chin on his chest as she did not get what her brother was saying. Instead, Shiela’s attention was immediately pulled by the swirling snake around her little arms.

‘I will assign her to you, Rito,’ Cielo thought.

Hiss!

Cielo was about to open his lips when the scenery outside the window stopped him.

The Regalia Estate stretched to a hundred hectares filled with greenery and canyons—a natural border protection for the territory. Beyond the manor was the buzzing City of the Rojas of the Regalia Conglomerate under the protection of the Regalia Clan. 

The main road was closed, especially for the convoy to use. Rows of black cars passed the empty highway without slowing down for traffic, making it easier for Cielo to view the towering skyscrapers that littered the city. Congratulatory digital banners for the new heir of the Regalia Clan were everywhere—from the billboards of commercial buildings to public transportation, his face was pasted everywhere.

With clenched jaws, Cielo watched the people living under the Regalia Territory celebrating for him. This image overlapped with the one from his first life, where it was Jun Regalia in his position; it was the beginning of hell for Cielo and his family. He knew deep down that the future was slowly changing, and he was ready for anything in his way.

The moment the convoy exited the bright center of the city, it swerved to the left, where fewer people were lurking around. Casinos, bars, and auction houses filled Cielo’s sight.

The dark side of the City of Rojas—Underground District’s Branch One.

A bodyguard opened the car’s door for Cielo and Shiela. Fixing his gray suit, Cielo held Shiela’s small as they stepped out. Looking up at the sky, the sun started to set. The hue of fading light and crawling darkness clashed in the sky. Though the Underground District was filled with lights from giant digital screens around the area, there was an undeniable air of darkness that could not be snuffed out.

‘Hmmm… This place is filled with human malevolence. Despair, ruthlessness, desperateness, greed—dark emotions filled the air, the true face of the hidden families,’ said Rito with a voice laced with mockery at the back of Cielo’s head.

“Lead the way,” said Cielo as if he did not hear Rito, nor did he see the curious glance of the people around him as they stopped in front of the biggest auction house in the city—the Regalia Auction House.

“This way, Young Master.”

Cielo followed the attendant when a butler clad in white stood in their way. Bowing his head as he placed his wrinkled hand atop his chest, he said. “Greetings, Young Master Regalia. My Mistress would like to come in with you if that would be alright?”

Cielo was about to walk past the butler when he caught the symbol of a dragon pinned on the butler’s uniform. It was the symbol of the Aberon Clan. On instinct, he looked past the butler only to see a young lady sitting in a wheelchair with her entire head covered with a bandage.

‘The dragon heir,’ Rito said through their shared thought.

‘The heir of the Aberon Clan? Then it means….’