Four years had passed since Kriantis's birth into the harsh embrace of the Blood Forest and the Safrion tribe. Four years of absorbing, analyzing, and adapting, all from the confines of a rapidly growing, yet still fundamentally weak, child's body.
The world that was once a blur of incomprehensible sounds and overwhelming sensations had slowly sharpened into focus, largely thanks to the passive skill that had manifested just two months in.
[Language Comprehension (Basic - Rank I): Increases the speed of understanding and learning new languages (spoken, written, nonverbal) by a factor of 10. Current Languages: Common Tongue (Fluent - Reading/Writing/Speaking), Safrion Dialect (Native - Listening/Speaking)]
While full literacy would require formal instruction, which he had yet to receive, understanding the spoken Safrion dialect, the nuances of tone, and the flow of conversation had become second nature long before his second year. It was an invaluable tool, allowing him to process the constant stream of information from his family and the village environment.
His internal world was a stark contrast to his external reality. While physically mastering the challenges of walking, then running, on the uneven ground of Bloody Haven Village, his mind was constantly working. He diligently practiced the internal circulation of mana, following the faint pathways he could now perceive within himself.
(Stage 2: Mana Bonding achieved last year. Control is finer, the pool feels slightly larger… Energy stat is now 15. Still small, but the growth rate is noticeable. Let's push towards Stage 3: Manacule.) Kriantis nodded as he stopped to think.
He often sat observing the daily life of the tribe, his golden eyes taking everything in. Hunters returning, sometimes triumphant, often weary or injured. Gatherers sorting herbs and materials, their knowledge vast but specific. Nurturers tend to the sick, the young, and the general well-being of the village.
Then there was his mother, Merlia (Lv 17, ER: H-), who expertly managed her duties, her movements efficiently, and her mana usage for simple tasks seemingly effortless despite choosing to remain a Follower.
Not forgetting his eldest sister, Raia (now Lv 11, ER: I+), training rigorously with the other Hunter aspirants, her spear a blur, her determination fierce.
Aside from those two, there was Amber (Lv 7, ER: I), the quiet middle sister, already displaying an uncanny knack for identifying rare plants and minerals, her focus intense.
And finally, Pamela (Lv 5, ER: I-), the youngest, her face tear-streaked as she endured basic combat drills under the relentless tutelage of their father.
Karos (now Lv 29, ER: H+) had not forgotten Big Red. The memory of the disastrous first encounter – the beast's terrifying resilience, the fiery deaths of Leyla and Riomo – was etched into him. While leading necessary hunts for the village, much of his focus his drive stemmed from that failure. Kriantis often saw him return late, covered in grime and exhaustion, sometimes with new scars, heading straight to the training grounds or his small office to study notes Karos kept hidden – notes Kriantis suspected were about the Fire Bear. The weight Karos carried was palpable, a mix of grief, responsibility, and burning determination.
(Father possesses the same Golden Venerable Talent I do, suppressed though it may be, judging by his eyes. Yet his progress feels… slow. Level 29 after four years of this? Is it the lack of efficient methods? Or perhaps my past life knowledge, or maybe even the system… Who is to say…) He found himself watching his father with curiosity.
Around the time Kriantis turned five, the rudimentary communal lessons transitioned into more formal tribal education. All children began learning the core tenets of survival in the Blood Forest – advanced first aid, basic tracking and foraging, monster identification (focusing on Outer Zone threats), tribal history and laws, and fundamental combat principles.
Kriantis, deciding early that limiting himself was counterproductive to his ultimate goals, didn't hold back. He absorbed information related to Nurturing, Gathering, and Hunting with equal, unnerving speed. His questions were insightful, his memory seemingly photographic, and his grasp of strategy and logic far exceeded his peers.
This naturally drew attention. Instructors were baffled, then impressed, then occasionally wary. His peers reacted with a mix of awe, jealousy, and confusion. He found himself with a small, curious group who were intrigued by his competence – potential friends, perhaps.
Chief among them was a lanky, brown-haired boy named Toro, a Hunter trainee known for his quick reflexes.
It all started during a lesson.
"Ughhh!…. So boring… Hey, smart guy. Do my stuff too, and I'll protect you, keep you safe. People like you tend to fight terribly, so you can count on me." Toro smiled brightly as he presented his oh-so-generous offer.
To this, he earned a chuckle from the golden-eyed boy; there was a softening in his expression, even if slight.
"Is that so? Are you promising to be my knight?" Kriantis spoke without care for what he might sound; it was almost an impulse, a drive to make the most out of the world around him, and the brown hair boy was no exception.
"Promising?! Your knight?! What are you? A princess? Of course not!" Toro shook his head so fast it might've fallen off had he put a bit more strength into it.
Only a child could move that way and feel no real consequence right after.
"A pity, I think you would have been a fine knight. Plus, if we are talking royalty, I'll be more than a princess or prince, more than a king, in the end, I want to look down on emperors, and even the Gods don't escape my endless greed. If you won't stay, I'll go back to my work." A luxurious smile revealed his expression, plunged in sin, it was so simple yet it was hard to look away, to not ponder his ludicrous words.
Such was the effect of a devilish man, well, boy in this case, at least outwardly.
"You… You're crazy… You think I would be great if I were your knight?" Toro paused, even taking a step back, but he didn't leave; he couldn't, not now, so he stepped forward, eyes narrowed as he let a single question escape.
"Of course, anyone who follows me would only look up at their own, everything else will be under." As those words left his mouth. So did a hand go extended, right there carrying the weight of a choice that carries two fates, paths that we stay or part ways?
"You're confusing... But if you keep doing my part, I don't mind. I'll be your knight. I want to be great!" Taking this hand, Toro shook it, looking ahead at a future he had no idea he had just sealed for himself.
After that day, Toro would follow Kriantis around quickly, embracing his knight role more than he expected, while his new Boss would take care of any schoolwork for both of them.
They did most things together and became known as inseparable, and Kriantis's performance brought eyes to them, until one day, people approached them.
"Boss… Why are we surrounded?" Toro asked as he looked around, and there were people who all had different levels of seriousness looking at them.
"I have no idea, but it seems fun, don't you love a little challenge?" He posed for his knight.
"Not like this! I can't fight them all!" The knight hid behind his boss.
Aside from a knight, others were pulled in, and another was a quiet, observant girl with green hair named Elara, daughter of a prominent Gatherer.
Watching from afar, she had noticed him from the beginning before even the teachers took notice of the prodigious boy with golden eyes; there was something about him she could not ignore.
While he was not ugly, he wasn't all that handsome either, he was average in looks, and while he did he a great physique, so did others with better looks, so why was he the one who called to her?
That's what she asked herself, why can't I stop looking at him? Until she convinced himself of something.
"It's the golden eyes… Yes, his great talent! That's why! And the markings! Yes! Surely because he's blessed… Can't forget the hair! His affinity for the neutral element with that black hair is…
"Wait, now that I look closer, is the underneath of his hair platinum? Isn't that elemental affinity... Together with Neutral, that would make him an Omni-elemental… No way!" Elara noticed finally, and yet she still felt heavy around him.
Day after day, the classes were easy, her father had long since prepared her to excel and be a prominent gatherer just like him, and yet here she was distracted in class, gazing at some boy.
"Urgh! I feel like I'm crazy! Boys are gross! Stop thinking about him…" Elara wanted to fight herself for these unwanted feelings, and yet she simply had no control over them.
As time passed, Kriantis proved to be the best, time and time again, to the point that everyone started paying attention to him, isn't just her anymore.
"… Hmph! Why do they care? So what if he's the best in class? I bet won't even matter once we're out of school…" She found herself pouting at all the attention thrown his way.
Never did it stop, until one day, he started walking with a kid named Toro, and that raised her eyebrow.
"Why is that dumbass with him? They don't match at all! He would match better with me than him! Whatever!!!" Elara got herself all red thinking about it and ran off.
Things didn't stop there, and those two soon became known, and it was hard to see them apart from each other.
"Why are they so close?!… Even as friends, it's too much! Unless… He likes boys?!… NO!!!" In the middle of class, she found herself yelling and called everyone's attention to her.
This led to her apologizing to the teacher and then later making a decision.
"Enough! I need to find out why he annoys me so much! I'll talk to him today." Elara nodded, then hesitation could be found all over her trembling state, just thinking of the idea.
Despite this, she pushed through and found herself as one of the people who surrounded Kriantis and his hiding knight.
(What do I do?! Why are all these people here?! It looks like I came with them! But I didn't know about this!!! No! It will look like I'm his enemy! No!… I mean... Good! I shouldn't be focused on him anyway, but it's still not something I'll do! Yeah! It makes perfect sense that way!) Elara thought to herself as she looked at the situation.
There were rivals too, particularly a sturdy, red-haired boy named Borin Popio, one who started paying attention to Kriantis from the beginning.
(Why does my dad care for him so much?) Borin wondered, looking at the boy with golden eyes.
This question plagued him as his father, Rore Popio, the redhead Hunter commander, had given the order 'keep an eye on him', and nothing about this boy explained this.
(I get that he's talented with those golden eyes, and black hair with platinum locks, but that means little without a mind capable of putting such talents to use, just look at his bum of father, he has golden eyes too, but my dad with his Cyan eyes, a talent much inferior stands above him.
(Plus, I have black eyes, only one rank of talent below him. He's not special! Even blessings mean nothing! I'll stay above him, you'll see, Dad.) Borin's mind was filled with a mess of thoughts on the matter, but he still listened to his father.
In this world, talent could be seen in the eye color of each individual, while their elements of affinity can be seen in their hair color.
The ranks for talent were from lowest to highest:
Red- Mortal, Sky, Heavenly;
Brown- Royal, Imperial;
Yellow Ancient;
Orange Immortal;
Green Progenitor;
Cyan Transcendent;
Azure Chaos;
Indigo Saint;
Purple Divine;
Black God;
Golden Venerable;
Grey Supreme;
White Eternal;
And finally, Rainbow Primordial.
While the hair colors indicate which ones out of the central nine basic elements one has affinity to, those being: Fire(Red), Water(Blue), Air(Green), Earth(Brown), Light(Yellow), Darkness(Purple), Positive(White), Negative(Grey), Neutral(Black), and added to those 9 was the extra special Platinum(Elemental).
Due to this, Borin found himself always keeping track of Kriantis just as requested of him, only to watch him live up to his immense talent, unlike Karos.
Day after day, the boy proved he was everything he doubted could be.
(How?! He should have been just like his dad! A waste! Somehow, I am the son of a commander. Ended up behind him, unacceptable!) Borin shook his head, determined to change this.
However, reality was far crueler than that, quickly other faces came up, and he was not just the 2nd, but the 7th in class, and this made him boil.
(How are there so many talents like this?! It makes no sense! I should have been the best, so why?! Why are 6 of them above me???) He could not understand it, and yet not a single bit of him gave in; he was going to change it.
Time passed, and things stayed the same, no matter how hard he tried, there was no catching up if these ahead were always running faster.
(… How could a loser like Toro be the 6th for so long, right above me?! He can barely think with that thick head! It's his fault! Golden eyes! You're carrying him! So that's why dad wanted me to pay attention…Then fine, you'll carry me too! Then! I'm surpassing you!) Borin decided that he had reached his limit with this frustration.
After days in and out of training, his hardest work didn't work, he was going to make the most of what was available.
When it came to the rankings of the class, there was Borin at 7th place, Toro at 6th place, Elara at 5th place, 3 others above her, and Kriantis in first place.
The 4th place, however, was Liatine, a girl with purple hair and azure eyes, the second daughter of the Gatherer Commander.
(Mom wants me to be the best, and I think I can do it. She said my older sister was the best in her class every year. I can do it too!) She thought at first.
Then as things progressed and she saw others perform better than her? From the golden eyes boy in the first place, undisturbed, to the other two who managed to get ahead of her.
(I need to at least make it to the top 3! I see the way mom looks at me now, and I can't count on a member of the chief's band like my sister to help… I have to do it on my own! No matter what!) Liatine concluded decided to change things.
Despite her best efforts, though, things didn't change, and she could not catch up, only keep her position.
(… I'm trying, I am, I swear, Mom, but these people are not normal! The golden eyes, I can understand him being above me, our talents are too far apart… but the third and second… They should still be within my reach and yet… I can't… No! I will surpass them! I will!) Liatine kept pushing and trying her best.
In the end, though, nothing changed. It all stayed the same.
(… I don't have a choice, I have to push things… I'll talk to golden eyes, he made a nobody like Toro into the 6th place… Yes, I can't stay like this.) Liatine nodded to herself, having decided.
And just above her was the third place.
In the beginning, Morio, a boy with green hair and Indigo eyes, was sure he could be the best. As the son of the Nurturer Commander, there was no way he would not.
(I am the best, my mom is a commander, so who else but me will stand at the top?) He was sure of himself when things started.
Though as time passed, and his placing as the 3rd became cemented, those thoughts began to waver.
(So, there are two people above me… Annoying, but I can't deny it, they are good. If I want to be at the top and surpass my sister and take a spot in the chief's band like her. I have to observe and find who to work with…) Morio decided and kept an eye out from then on.
Things didn't change even as time passed, and he concluded.
(It seems everyone else in the top 7 wants a piece of the golden boy, number 1… even number 2 herself… I have to see this, it will be the perfect opportunity to pick a side.) Morio nodded to himself, making this decision.
Just like the others, on that day, he went to the meeting spot.
Back at the beginning, for the last participant of this exclusive meeting, the 2nd place, had their head held high, just like most of the others.
Eima was not like them, though. She was a girl with purple eyes and blond hair, carrying a different kind of weight.
(I need to be the best, no matter what it takes; I will train until my body gives up, but I won't allow anyone to stand above me. I must! For them all, I'll change our lives, we won't stay in the gutter. I will grant us forgiveness!) Eima clenched her fists as she put her mind to it.
Thus, just like all the others, she was faced with a harsh reality; despite training and doing her best to study every day must have been longer than all the others; he stayed right ahead of her.
(How?! I know he has golden eyes… I know he's more talented, but I try… I do my best, my fingers hurt, my legs hurt, my head hurts, my body hurts! I'm tired, dizzy, and hungry! Everyday! Every bit of me is put here, so how, how is he still doing better?… I need to find out!) She could not believe it, it made no sense, nothing seemed to work, so she would find out.
Taking a day-to-day follow the golden eyed by, she was going to understand how he did it.
Was it real, or was there something else going on?
The day was like many others, until it was time to leave, and for the first time, Eima didn't go straight to training and studying, instead going after Kriantis.
To her surprise, he did just that, he started training as soon as he got out, picking an empty area just at the end of the village, he used vines to tie shaped stone to his body, and before he began exercising.
(…. That looks heavy… It can't be that bad, right? But I still train way more than he ever could every day! This means nothing! He doesn't have what I do! His life is far too simple! Too easy!) Eima shook her head, unimpressed.
Things didn't stop there, as for the rest of the day, non-stop for hours on end, Kriantis did various types of exercises and training challenges she had never seen or thought of before, but that wasn't the problem.
(How?!… It's been 20 hours, and he's still going, and it's almost 4 in the morning… I would have been asleep long ago… My body would have given out long ago. How?!… How is he smiling?!?! He… He's nothing like me! He enjoys this!!! My pain, my life, all my strength is because I have to… and HE is someone who enjoys this… Is above me?! No! No! No!…) She shook her head in disbelief, unable to understand how it was possible.
Smiling ear to ear with sweat fully covering head to toe, Kriantis finally fell down after 24 hours of training, half a day of training with only small minutes-long breaks.
After this, he gathered his stone weights and put them back in his hidden spot, and went to sneak his way back home.
At that time, Eima went to his spot and found the weights, and when she lifted one of them, while Kriantis had 5 on him, she fell to the ground with it.
(How?!?! It's too heavy! I can barely lift it… I train for 12 hours every day… how, how is he such a monster?!… No! I'm not going to lose, I'll slay the golden monster with my own two hands, and stand at the top! It's the only way to get forgiveness! I will challenge him directly!) She clenched her fists to the point her hands whitened, and he started pushing the stone weight off, and decided to go beyond.
Once she left, the boy with golden eyes came back to put his weight back in place.
"It seems I have a lot of eyes on me, as expected. I wonder which ones will fall to my side? That will be fun to see." He smiled to himself before going back home for good this time.
That marked the end of the impasse between the top 7 of the top 10 students, not only in a class nearing the 100, but also in a year of classes nearing 1000 out of 5000 students in total, in a village with 50,000 people.
Such was not unusual considering the 50 billion humans on the Planet of Primoria, among the 310 billion intellectual beings, 490 billion wild beings, and the 200 billion neutral beings, accounting for the 1 trillion of life on the planet, not counting insect, micro, or plant life as they would push the number to 3 duodecacillion of all total beings that could ever be classified as life.
In the middle of all that, the day came, the 7 met, 5 of them surrounding 2 boys, the 1st place and the 6th place.
At the age of 9, Kriantis and aged similar peers,s with no more than one year of difference, they all gathered for something quite serious.
It ended up being a standstill; nobody took the first step, as Toro hid behind Kriantis.
(I'm here to watch, no way I'll get involved. Not this fast anyway.) Morio crossed his arms, looking around to see what would go on next.
(What now?! I look like I'm here to gang up on him! I can't look like a brute! What do I do? This is why I don't talk to guys! Something always goes wrong.) Elara had her eyes twitch as she tried to look for a way out of it.
(Why is everyone here?!… I thought I would come talk to him and get a leg up… Did the others have the same idea, or is this something else?) Liatine raised an eyebrow, looking around only to see all the top 7 here.
(All these maggots are here wasting time… I only need the gold eyes bastard, but how do I break off this odd standoff?) Eima frowned, looking at the situation around her.
"Well! Since it seems nobody has the guts, I'll speak up. Golden eyes, freak! You're going to help me grow stronger, to use these black eyes of mine to their fullest!" There was a smirk on Borin's face as he held his head high and took the first steps, walking up to Kriantis.
All eyes came to him as he pulled all the tension and attention with not a single bit of fear or worry.
(Borin, the arrogant brat of Commander Rore, 7th place, and only one talent rank below my golden eyes. Unfortunately, he's not the kind of person I can deal with as it stands, not worth it. Is he leading this front against me? Are they going to threaten me to help them?) Kriantis looked him up and down, shaking his head internally.
"Is that so, now?… And why would I do that?" He questioned with the smile of a whimsical kid, called to enter a candy store.
"Yup. Because I have this. The payment." Borin pulled out a red sphere with a transparent look and a viable circuit of veins going into its center from all sides.
Eyes widened from all those around, there it was, an item they would need at least the equivalent of to rise and go beyond their current ER: I.
(A particular core, together with a magi stone, is the two best ways to rank up once you reach the level cap of your ER. The level cap for ER I is level 5.
(Once you are level up, to level up any further, you'll need one of these two items or an equivalent, which would be much harder to get to remove the level cap, also known as limit break, to keep leveling up until you reach the next rank. Of course, the child of a commander just has one.) Kriantis' eyes focused on the core in his hand, and his mind did the rest.
The thoughts of the others were similar for all those present, a tinge of surprise, and a change of perspective.
"Smart. Even so, how do I know you won't back out and choose not to pay once I help you?" Kriantis asked.
Before even saying anything, Borin threw the Particular core at him, and then he said.
"No need, I can't act like I'm poor. I'm not, it's not worth my time to screw you over, besides, you're useful." He shrugged his shoulders as he responded.
"Oh, you got me. I'll help you out." The golden-eyed boy nodded after he grabbed the particular core.
"Really?! This guy?! Are you sure, Boss?!" Toro finally spoke out, feeling a bit unsure about this.
"It's ok, he's quite the surprise. Plus, this P-core is just what I needed." Kriantis replies unbothered.
(This guy, Borin, I misjudged him, he's definitely worth having around… I hope I can get him. Oh well, either way, the end result will be the same, someday, you too will be kneeling to me.) Kriantis smiled, the thought bringing him great joy.
Right then! Borin got in the middle of all the commotion and said.
"That solved, I'll be the mediator now. From what I can tell, it seems some of you want trouble, but you can't really touch me, so pick a side and say what you have to say."
Even though some didn't want to listen to him, there was no lie in his words, as the son of a Commander, it was problematic to start an actual fight with him, even for the child of another commander.
So things fell into place.
(Hahaha! This guy ruined my fun, I can't believe him, I guess I have to choose now. What a pity, honestly, after that, this golden-eyed boy, he's creepy… gives me shivers, like a monster that has to be put down before he gets too dangerous. It seems I know my side.) Morio thought to himself before taking a spot across from Kriantis.
"It seems we'll be staying rivals, how exciting. I am waiting to see you lose." Morio said to his face.
"How unfortunate. I hope you're immortal." The golden-eyed boy replied.
(This has reached a point of tension, this greedy golden eye won't do anything without taking a bunch, so I won't be able to stick to him, might as well take the other side and steal his methods once he's down.) Liatine walked to stand next to Morio.
"That won't be necessary with a burden on your side, and a weak sponsor, it's only a matter of time." She added.
Following this, another person walked up, Elara, who stood next to Kriantis.
"I won't allow you people to gang up on him, just because he's number one! Your jealousy is sad!" She commented, frowning at them.
They didn't have much time to react to that, though, as Eima finally stepped forward and made Morio take a step back as he felt her mana, and she then kept the spot at the front across from Kriantis, shutting everyone up.
"I will bring you down, and you'll suffer every second of your life. I hate you and your very existence. So be ready, if I have the chance, I will kill you." She declared blatantly, and then walked away, not waiting for a response.
"That will end up badly if you do try to kill me. You'll end up dead. I have no qualms, be it men, women, or children, an attempt on my life is likely to be a death sentence." Kriantis answered with his eyes narrowed.
There was a stop from her, and without looking back, she says. "At least you're not irredeemable, I hope you live up to those words, for your good. Not that it will save you."
Then she left.
"Hahaha! This will be fun, I guess we'll solve this during the trainee passage trial. Until then, make sure to stay number 1," Morio commented and turned to leave.
Leaving only Liatine, who sighed.
"You two will regret following him. As for you, you're also the child of a commander! Where is your class?! Tch! I hope you have fun while it lasts." She was the next one to leave.
From then, there was a bout of silence.
Soon to be broken.
"She's so annoying… I can't believe my dad wanted to marry us…" Borin commented with a bored look on his face.
"You have an arranged marriage?!" Elara was the first one to react.
"They can do that?" Toro was confused.
"Huh? No! Almost had one. Anyway, I'm out. Tomorrow I expect you to come to me with a training regimen fit for me, and if you don't, I'll tell my dad you stole from me. Hehehehe!" Borin walked off laughing to himself.
Leaving only three of them.
"Thanks for standing by me. You didn't have to." Kriantis smiled at Elara.
"Ehhh!… Ahem… I mean, hehehehe, I did… No, it's just the thing do to right!… Right thing to do! I won't stand by bullying! Yes! That's it." Elara crossed her arms and turned her face, trying to hide the blush quite poorly.
"Huh… She looks-" Toro was about to comment, but Kriantis covered his mouth.
"Thanks for that, either way, let us get you home, so you can rest after all this mess." The golden-eyed boy offered.
"That would be nice." She nods her head.
From there, both of them take her home.
It was just the beginning of the journey in this new world, where things would twist and turn in all kinds of ways, and there was no knowing where it would end.
However, in a journey that could be said to start, but never end, the path Kriantis chose is that of excellence as he works to rise to the very top of all things.
To truly live up to his class and job, he would have to go to hell and back, many, many times, and nothing excited him more; he was fully ready to face a world much greater than him.