15 Years Later...
A warm wind blew from the east, carrying leaves that floated with gentle momentum.
Autumn has begun, a new hope for the villagers of Motowo. A village far away from the capital city of Orleon Country and placed at the east of the country, where fields can be seen.
The villagers' primary job is farming, which starts at dawn and lasts till dusk. The village is in perfect harmony, elders doing the job, and children enjoying and learning.Under the shade of a big tree, three children argue or just act like children.
"No! Enchanter is the most powerful mastery," the black-haired boy defended.
The young boy is Red, a 15-year-old boy who is quite an adventurer. His pretty boy appearance and his innocent face will surely make someone fall in love with him, or should I say, can someone take the cuteness overload he's giving?
"What?! How can you say that? Using magic is too girly; warriors are the powerful ones, and they are manly," a young, fatty boy refuted.
"Yeah! Fatty's right, Red," a bald young boy added.
"B-but—" Red stuttered.
"Hey, you two! Don't make fun of Red," the blonde-haired young boy shouted.
"Larnge! Where have you been?" Red asked excitedly after seeing Larnge.
The two young boys also looked at Larnge and also felt excited for Larnge always bringing good news.
"I've been to the square, and guess what I heard," Larnge started.
"What?!" they asked excitedly at the same time.
"At the end of autumn, three months from now, an elder from Divine Owl Academy will come here to recruit new students," Larnge explained.
"Woah!" Red exclaimed, his eyes filled with excitement.
"Is it for real?" the fatty boy asked.
"Do you think I'm a liar, Dumble?" Larnge asked sarcastically. "Of course it is!" he added.
Then, they all laughed.
"So that means we are all going to Divine Owl Academy!" the bald young boy said excitedly.
"Wow! I'm so excited!!!" Red shouted, then danced crazily.
And the three of them laughed together, except Larnge.
"Uhm, what's the problem, Larnge?" Red asked as he noticed that Larnge seemed unhappy, as if there was something he wasn't telling everyone.
Larnge sighed deeply, and the three of them stared at him curiously.
"I'm not sure if we're all going together," Larnge said sadly.
"What?! Why?" the three of them asked.
"This time there'll be a trial; we need to pass all the trials in order for us to be selected," Larnge explained.
"W-what?" Dumble asked sadly.
"No way…" the bald young boy said disappointedly.
"Larnge, Dumble, Georgie, don't worry. All we need to do is try our best." Red encouraged.
"You see, we have three months left. It's enough for us to cultivate and train. This is not the beginning of our journey yet, so no need to be discouraged early. My grandpa said, to be powerful, one needs to master the optimism rule. Being optimistic means believing that there will be good things that'll happen in the future. It shows that you'll never give up, and it develops your persistence and patience. You won't rely on luck alone; you'll need to rely on your own abilities," Red explained seriously.
Red stared at the three of them and found that their eyes were filled with hope.
"Red's right. All we need to do is to try our very best and believe that we will have a bright future ahead." Larnge agreed with a smile on his face.
Thanks to Red, the morale and confidence of the three rose up. Now, they're daydreaming about all of their dreams nearing their grasp. Their dream is not only to be accepted into the Divine Owl Academy but also to train and make themselves stronger in the academy while mastering their dream mastery.
The four of them felt joy and excitement. They talked a lot about what will happen in the future. The curious yet creative minds of the children helped them to be motivated to achieve their dreams.
A few minutes later, they decided to go home to start their training. They all separated from different directions while heading to their own homes. Houses in the village are scattered, and it's rare to see a house near another house.
However, the square they're all talking about is a gathering place for everyone. It is surrounded by different stalls where selling, buying, and bartering occur. Small inns and taverns can also be seen in the square.
As Red walked to his home, he was filled with excitement. Excited to tell his old grandfather the good news.
As Red nearedhis home, he saw his grandfather. He ran as fast as he could. The old man is staring at the surroundings while checking the weather, finding out it is already autumn.
"Grandpa!" Red shouted happily and ran towards his grandfather.
His grandfather looked at him and smiled gently.
"What's the matter, my Red?" his grandfather asked.
"Grandpa, before I tell you, I want to hear the story about the masteries," Red said eagerly.
"Uhm, you've already heard that a thousand times, my dear," his grandfather replied happily as he touched Red's head.
His grandfather, Shen, is one of the eldest in the village, and somehow his background is still unknown. Shen's hair is a low bun with a shade of gray, and he also has a mustache and beard that nearly reach his chest. Oldness can be seen all over his face and calloused hands, signs that his life was not that easy. He was so old that he needed a wooden stick as his supporter while walking. Behind his frail body, his senses are sharp and sensitive. His every uttered word is clear, and his voice is modulated, unusual for his old and weak body.
"Oh, come on, Grandpa!" Red said as he displayed his cuteness.
He is persistent.
"Hmm, okay, okay," Shen agreed, smiling, and then he gently rubbed his beard.
Shen began to recall the past that was passed down from generation to generation. The old man cleared his throat as he gazed at the blue sky.
"More than billions of years this world was already existing. Humans was known as the most powerful among all creatures. We humans are born with different elemental attributes together with beasts and by mastering the four mastery of human beings we can be powerful. That was our advantage, we harnessed our power not by mere instinct but because of our knowledge. Humans were born with different abilities and varying aptitudes, our ancestors were able to master and differentiate those abilities. So, they categorized it into four, namely, warrior, enchanter, alchemist, and summoner. A warrior is a master of melee and range attack, chasing for complete mastery of their swordsmanship and archery. They are known as agile and strong due to daily physical trainings. The second mastery is enchanter, enchanters are powerful, able to manipulate the elements through spells, and incantations. Furthermore, they are able to tame any beast as long as they are powerful enough. Next is an Alchemist, a genius mastery because they can make pills for training or for healing. They are able to create pills and elixirs for other masteries that'll help for the improvement of one's foundation and increases the probability for breakthroughs. They are masters of furnace who can forge weapons and armors from different kinds of materials. Also, they can't be underestimated because alchemists can set-up arrays that only few can understand. For that reasons, alchemists are one of the most respected and feared human beings in the whole world. Lastly, the summoners, they are rare and hard to encounter in this open world. Throughout my life, only few I have ever met. The rarest mastery of human beings and also powerful, feared by all for they can resurrect or reanimate dead beasts over an area. One Summoner can destroy a village, that is why it is forbidden to practice this mastery. As you journey, you'll know different reasons why summoner must not exist. Presumably, for now they are in seclusion. Uhm..." Shen stopped as he forgot what to say next. (Did he?)
"How about the Supreme Sorcerer?" Red asked, once again immersed in the story. This was his favorite part.
"Ahh yes," Shen said awkwardly, then recalled the next part.
"Supreme Sorcerer is the most powerful human being in this world; it is a title given to a person who's capable of protecting his or her countrymen. Supreme Sorcerers are the ones who keep peace over a country and maintain sovereignty and justice. Anyone who's capable enough could be a Supreme Sorcerer," he continued.
"Now, how come you're early today? It's unusual," Shen asked curiously.
"Uhm, Grandpa, autumn has begun, and at the end of this, an elder from the academy will come here to select students to study there, and the recruitment now has trials. You know it's my dream to study there, right?" Red explained, mixed with excitement and shyness.
At the end of the autumn season, there's a new hope for every village in Orleon Country. Elders will be assigned to recruit new disciples to study and to improve their mastery and abilities in Divine Owl Academy.
In past decades, elders would take all children who were 15 years old and who were willing to study in the academy. However, now, to be recruited, they all need to pass every trial. The academy became strict for an unknown reason.
"What mastery do you want to pursue?" a direct question from Shen.
"I want to be an Enchanter," Red answered with confidence.
"Oh? Enchanter?" Shen said.
"Come with me inside," he said to his grandson.
"Indeed, your body and aptitude are suitable to be an enchanter," Shen said while nodding.
They entered in their house that is made of light materials. May seem old but still in goodondition, no dust at all. Shen stood in front of the bed, then knelt and picked something up from under it.
"What's that, Grandpa?" Red asked with curiosity when he saw the wooden box.
"This wooden box contains two books. The first book is entitled 'The Heavenly Phoenix Record,' an heirloom of our family, passed down by our ancestors to generations. The writings on this book are spells and incantations taught by our family guardian, the Void Phoenix. As you absorb the knowledge, you'll learn how to manipulate the true essence of the fire element," Shen explained.
Red was amazed and, for some time, curious about the contents of the book. He stared at the book for a couple of seconds and found out that there's a figure of a phoenix below the text, and it looks like the book was too old.
"Fortunately, you have the fire element within you. That means our guardian is still with us, our lineage is still thriving. I'm looking forward to the day you'll become a powerful enchanter," Shen said, filled with hope.
"Yeah! I'll become a supreme sorcerer someday!" Red excitedly shouted, full of confidence.
Shen was surprised; his eyes were filled with sadness brought by the old mark of yesterday.
"How about the second one?" Red asked as he noticed his grandfather was deep in thought.
"Hmm, right," Shen composed himself.
"This book will help you someday, I hope. Entitled 'True Essence,' the contents of this book are all about herbs and materials that surround the world, many ways on how to refine them, and the right procedures. This book was written thousands of years ago and given to me by your great-grandfather. If you have time, you can scan this and learn the richness of raw materials. Maybe with this, we will be able to know if you have the potential in alchemy." Shen presumed and then handed the two books to Red.
The cover of the second book is plain brown, and the appearance is noticeably hidden for too long. Although Red can't determine his grandfather's cultivation, he knows that his grandfather is powerful.
Aside from those books and their profound backgrounds, Red was able to prove this unbelievable truth after thinking some questions in his mind for too long. He was always deep in thought about things happening in their home. Sometimes, he saw his grandfather disappearnstantly and effortlessly doing the chores even at old age. He also noticed that they always have meat in their meals even though he did not see his grandfather hunt for food. His grandfather will always say that their neighbors gave it. Although their neighbors are sharing some food with them, it's not always, especially meat, because hunting beasts outside the territory of the village is too dangerous. Children are forbidden to go outside the village. Even adult villagers need to assemble a group just to hunt low-ranked beasts outside the village.
Red remained silent about this, not even to his friends. Who in their right mind would believe that an old man, supported by a wooden stick to walk, is a powerful cultivator?
"You are a smart child, my Red," Shen said as he patted Red's head.
Red got back to his senses.
"You being contemplative proves that. I know you have many questions regarding our identity. That's why you must diligently cultivate to become stronger, for all of it will be answered whenever you are ready, not just mentally or emotionally, but with the strength to protect it."
For the first time, Red was able to hear his grandfather speak profoundly.
Unknowingly, he was able to grasp the profound meaning behind those words and made a breakthrough to another level.
"HAHAHA! Well done, truly remarkable. The 2nd stage of energy condensation." Shen laughed proudly.
"My body feels so light." Red was surprised and excited.
"Now, go to the place where we usually go. Study those books, understand their meaning, and cultivate well, my child," Shen instructed calmly.
"Yes, Grandpa!" Red replied immediately, for he cannot contain the excitement.
Red left excitedly with the two books, off to somewhere. Shen hoped that his grandson could comprehend the two books, especially their heirloom. Shen was happy for his grandson's extraordinary success. Not a normal 15-year-old can do. He believes that his grandson's comprehension is much greater than his.
However, he was worried, for tall trees catch the most wind. He only wished that his grandson wouldd be strong enoughnough to face the storm ahead with a calmlm mind and pure heart. He knows that cultivation is a challenging path that human beings could pursue,, but after surpassing those challenges, a bright future is just up ahead.
Anyone can rule a kingdom or the world itself. However, obtaining a vast power has a great responsibility; a path must be chosen. Use it to protect the weak and rule the world with peace and justice? Or use it to bully the weak and rule the world with cruelty and ruthlessness?