With Jago and Felina cheering him on, Bowen placed his delicate hands on the mirror, hoping for positive results. Mr. Ian took the paper and stared at it intently. Bowen noticed Ian's pupils dilate for a moment, and then Ian turned his gaze towards Bowen as if trying to assess him.
"Kid, your result is... negative. Sorry, you don't have any elemental attribute. You have a very low affinity with mana, but that's it," Ian said.
[Why so much drama and reaction if you're just going to tell me this? So I have to rely on the system for all my abilities now] Bowen thought to himself.
"Bowen, don't cry, it's okay. When I become strong, I will protect you. Don't be sad, okay?" Jago said, worried and determined.
"But I'm not sad, nor am I crying," Bowen replied.
"No, no, I know you're sad," stated Jago.
"Hey, I'm really not sad, okay?"
"How can you not be sad? Even someone like me got an attribute, but you got worse results. I know you're secretly sad and you're hiding it to not make us worry. Once you're alone, you'll definitely cry..."
[This bastard! Is he telling me to cry right now? Or is he poking at my sore spot, telling me I'm not as talented as him? Hey, I know you want to be a best friend consoling your pal in need, but you have to do that when I'm actually worried or sad. Why are you doing it when I don't even care about the results? I am the protagonist... ummm... please delete that... I mean, I have a system and God helping me] Bowen thought to himself.
Bowen somehow assured his stubborn childhood friend that he was doing well. Jago stopped speaking after giving him a doubtful look. Felina was glad that Bowen didn't take his results to heart. Just like every other mother, she always believed her son was the best, and she wouldn't care about what others said about her son's results.
"Master Jago, we have to prepare soon," Valtor suddenly appeared in front of Bowen, Jago, Felina, and Martha.
"Prepare? For what?" Jago asked.
"Of course, we have to prepare to depart for Sylvia as soon as possible."
"Should I come too? Is it far from here?" Jago asked.
"Yes, it's so far that it would take at least a month to reach by flying on a wyren. It's on a different continent."
"What? No way! I didn't expect I'd have to go so far to study. Then when can I come back home?" Jago asked, worried.
"You can only return when you graduate. With your talent, Master Jago, I'm sure you can finish your studies in 10 years," Valtor replied.
Jago's eyes started to tear up. "No! I'm not going to Sylvia. Mom, let me stay here with you. I don't want to go."
"Jago, don't be like this. You have talent that others don't have. You should make use of it," Martha said, also worried about being separated from her son for too long but trying to be resolute and not stand in his way in the name of love.
"But Mom, you'll be alone. What if you get sick? Who will take care of you?" The argument continued.
Martha's husband died when Jago was only 8 months old. After that, Jago and Martha had only each other to rely on. After a long time of struggle, Jago reluctantly accepted to go to Sylvia on the condition that his mother had to write letters for him every month. The school seemed to have a rule that did not allow their important students to venture out if they were not strong enough to graduate. This rule was in place to protect these young students from danger. Ian and Valtor discussed and finally agreed to postpone their departure to the next day's dawn to respect Jago's feelings. Martha, Jago, Bowen, and Felina made their way to Barn to enjoy their short time together by celebrating Jago's admission.
"Sir Valtor, sorry. I would like to take an early rest today," Ian finished his lunch earlier than others and excused himself from discussing pleasantries with Isadora and other important people of the village.
"It's okay, Ian. You must have used up all your mana working on the artifact. You can rest," Valtor and others agreed.
Ian slowly exited the door of the meeting hall and walked further and further out of the borders of Allar. After some time, in the absence of the populace, his legs picked up pace. He used wind magic and covered the maximum distance he could in a given second. His legs stopped abruptly in an inhabited land near Allar. His eyes were full of fear and nervousness.
"Thank God, I didn't get caught! It's really difficult to keep a straight face under such pressure," he thought in frustration. He double-checked for any watchful eyes around him, then slowly started to infuse mana into his space ring. An attribute result paper from the artifact flew from the ring and landed in his hand. His eyes blinked, his lips trembled, and his heart was beating so fast that he thought he might die from blood pressure.
"Why? Just why is a monster like this in a rural village? How could a commoner give birth to it? No way... no way... something big is going on. I have to report it soon... damn it, why should he appear before me when I take the test? Why should I be the one to see his result... damn it... damn it..." he cursed himself. He kept biting his bleeding lips with a horrified face.
He wiped the sweat from his face with trembling hands as he took out a small red square crystal plate, which was a rare communication artifact that someone like him could never afford in his lifetime. After looking left and right and confirming his safety for the umpteenth time, he slowly poured a drop of blood onto the crystal. The crystal plate glowed and started turning black.
Just when it got completely enveloped by darkness... CRACK... cracks started to appear on the crystal plate here and there and it turned to bits of powder in front of his eyes.
Suddenly something like a flash passed before him and he could see his right hand with the paper lying on the ground before him. He knew better than to suppress the voice that came due to pain, or else the cold hands that lay on his neck would easily rip his neck bones apart as if grabbing a thing.
Slowly, the owner of the hand revealed herself in front of Ian. Pale white skin, curved eyelashes. Plump red lips, mesmerizing red eyes. Long black hair that almost touched her slender legs, revealed seductively from her long, luxurious one-piece gown. She was fully clad in red, with red horns on her head and an evil smile on her bloody lips that sent shivers down the spine.
"Sac...sac...succubus?" whispered Ian softly. "Ha...haa...heen...heek...Ian, who already guessed what is gonna happen next, started crying. "Please...please...let me live...ekkk...I...I will tell you who I was going to report to...ekkk...so pleaseee...eep..."
The red-clad lady licked her lips seductively, looking at the terrified expression on Ian's messed-up face. She wished that moment of sweetness would last forever, but alas, she was busy and had a lot of business to do.
"No need, darling..." she said softly, whispering into Ian's ear. "I already know who you are working for," she said, giving a gentle smile that seemed to be the cruelest smile that would tear out the last bit of hope in Ian's heart. And in the next second, Ian's body met the same fate as the communication crystal. Brushing off the ash remains of Ian that stuck to her hand, the succubus glared at Bowen's attribute paper with keen interest. Her eyes glowed dangerously for a nanosecond.
With the last words, "Finally, Things are getting interesting!" she disappeared without even leaving a trace of the incident. Everything returned to its previous state, such that even footprints and the scent of Ian vanished without a trace.
Author’s Rambling Corner
OMG, things are getting interesting! That succubus lady seems to be a powerful character, right? I wonder who she is! By the way, does anyone know what was on Bowen's test result paper? I find it curious that the system didn't mention it. Anyway, if you have any ideas about the plot development, please comment and Happy reading :)
With Jago and Felina cheering him on, Bowen placed his delicate hands on the mirror, hoping for positive results. Mr. Ian took the paper and stared at it intently. Bowen noticed Ian's pupils dilate for a moment, and then Ian turned his gaze towards Bowen as if trying to assess him.
"Kid, your result is... negative. Sorry, you don't have any elemental attribute. You have a very low affinity with mana, but that's it," Ian said.
[Why so much drama and reaction if you're just going to tell me this? So I have to rely on the system for all my abilities now] Bowen thought to himself.
"Bowen, don't cry, it's okay. When I become strong, I will protect you. Don't be sad, okay?" Jago said, worried and determined.
"But I'm not sad, nor am I crying," Bowen replied.
"No, no, I know you're sad," stated Jago.
"Hey, I'm really not sad, okay?"
"How can you not be sad? Even someone like me got an attribute, but you got worse results. I know you're secretly sad and you're hiding it to not make us worry. Once you're alone, you'll definitely cry..."
[This bastard! Is he telling me to cry right now? Or is he poking at my sore spot, telling me I'm not as talented as him? Hey, I know you want to be a best friend consoling your pal in need, but you have to do that when I'm actually worried or sad. Why are you doing it when I don't even care about the results? I am the protagonist... ummm... please delete that... I mean, I have a system and God helping me] Bowen thought to himself.
Bowen somehow assured his stubborn childhood friend that he was doing well. Jago stopped speaking after giving him a doubtful look. Felina was glad that Bowen didn't take his results to heart. Just like every other mother, she always believed her son was the best, and she wouldn't care about what others said about her son's results.
"Master Jago, we have to prepare soon," Valtor suddenly appeared in front of Bowen, Jago, Felina, and Martha.
"Prepare? For what?" Jago asked.
"Of course, we have to prepare to depart for Sylvia as soon as possible."
"Should I come too? Is it far from here?" Jago asked.
"Yes, it's so far that it would take at least a month to reach by flying on a wyren. It's on a different continent."
"What? No way! I didn't expect I'd have to go so far to study. Then when can I come back home?" Jago asked, worried.
"You can only return when you graduate. With your talent, Master Jago, I'm sure you can finish your studies in 10 years," Valtor replied.
Jago's eyes started to tear up. "No! I'm not going to Sylvia. Mom, let me stay here with you. I don't want to go."
"Jago, don't be like this. You have talent that others don't have. You should make use of it," Martha said, also worried about being separated from her son for too long but trying to be resolute and not stand in his way in the name of love.
"But Mom, you'll be alone. What if you get sick? Who will take care of you?" The argument continued.
Martha's husband died when Jago was only 8 months old. After that, Jago and Martha had only each other to rely on. After a long time of struggle, Jago reluctantly accepted to go to Sylvia on the condition that his mother had to write letters for him every month. The school seemed to have a rule that did not allow their important students to venture out if they were not strong enough to graduate. This rule was in place to protect these young students from danger. Ian and Valtor discussed and finally agreed to postpone their departure to the next day's dawn to respect Jago's feelings. Martha, Jago, Bowen, and Felina made their way to Barn to enjoy their short time together by celebrating Jago's admission.
"Sir Valtor, sorry. I would like to take an early rest today," Ian finished his lunch earlier than others and excused himself from discussing pleasantries with Isadora and other important people of the village.
"It's okay, Ian. You must have used up all your mana working on the artifact. You can rest," Valtor and others agreed.
Ian slowly exited the door of the meeting hall and walked further and further out of the borders of Allar. After some time, in the absence of the populace, his legs picked up pace. He used wind magic and covered the maximum distance he could in a given second. His legs stopped abruptly in an inhabited land near Allar. His eyes were full of fear and nervousness.
"Thank God, I didn't get caught! It's really difficult to keep a straight face under such pressure," he thought in frustration. He double-checked for any watchful eyes around him, then slowly started to infuse mana into his space ring. An attribute result paper from the artifact flew from the ring and landed in his hand. His eyes blinked, his lips trembled, and his heart was beating so fast that he thought he might die from blood pressure.
"Why? Just why is a monster like this in a rural village? How could a commoner give birth to it? No way... no way... something big is going on. I have to report it soon... damn it, why should he appear before me when I take the test? Why should I be the one to see his result... damn it... damn it..." he cursed himself. He kept biting his bleeding lips with a horrified face.
He wiped the sweat from his face with trembling hands as he took out a small red square crystal plate, which was a rare communication artifact that someone like him could never afford in his lifetime. After looking left and right and confirming his safety for the umpteenth time, he slowly poured a drop of blood onto the crystal. The crystal plate glowed and started turning black.
Just when it got completely enveloped by darkness... CRACK... cracks started to appear on the crystal plate here and there and it turned to bits of powder in front of his eyes.
Suddenly something like a flash passed before him and he could see his right hand with the paper lying on the ground before him. He knew better than to suppress the voice that came due to pain, or else the cold hands that lay on his neck would easily rip his neck bones apart as if grabbing a thing.
Slowly, the owner of the hand revealed herself in front of Ian. Pale white skin, curved eyelashes. Plump red lips, mesmerizing red eyes. Long black hair that almost touched her slender legs, revealed seductively from her long, luxurious one-piece gown. She was fully clad in red, with red horns on her head and an evil smile on her bloody lips that sent shivers down the spine.
"Sac...sac...succubus?" whispered Ian softly. "Ha...haa...heen...heek...Ian, who already guessed what is gonna happen next, started crying. "Please...please...let me live...ekkk...I...I will tell you who I was going to report to...ekkk...so pleaseee...eep..."
The red-clad lady licked her lips seductively, looking at the terrified expression on Ian's messed-up face. She wished that moment of sweetness would last forever, but alas, she was busy and had a lot of business to do.
"No need, darling..." she said softly, whispering into Ian's ear. "I already know who you are working for," she said, giving a gentle smile that seemed to be the cruelest smile that would tear out the last bit of hope in Ian's heart. And in the next second, Ian's body met the same fate as the communication crystal. Brushing off the ash remains of Ian that stuck to her hand, the succubus glared at Bowen's attribute paper with keen interest. Her eyes glowed dangerously for a nanosecond.
With the last words, "Finally, Things are getting interesting!" she disappeared without even leaving a trace of the incident. Everything returned to its previous state, such that even footprints and the scent of Ian vanished without a trace.
Author’s Rambling Corner
OMG, things are getting interesting! That succubus lady seems to be a powerful character, right? I wonder who she is! By the way, does anyone know what was on Bowen's test result paper? I find it curious that the system didn't mention it. Anyway, if you have any ideas about the plot development, please comment and Happy reading :)
