There may also be some inaccuracies, since English is not my native language.
Essentially, TBATE is first translated from English into my native language — and in that process, some details are already altered to make it more understandable for us. Now I'm taking that adapted (and somewhat distorted) version, revising it, rewriting it, and then translating it back into English.
I hope you'll point out any mistakes in the text that I might have missed.
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Lucius Zogratis
A faint knock on the front door made me open my eyes. After spending the entire night purifying the aether core, I was able to increase not only the amount of aether stored, but also the speed at which it moved through my channels. The progress was negligible compared to the time spent in the relictombs, but it was better than sitting idly by.
"Ascendant Lucius," a gentle voice came from behind the door.
I got up and went to open the wooden door, and saw a girl, about ten years old, timidly waiting for me. For a moment, she just stared at me with her mouth open, while I waited for her to speak. The girl seemed too stunned to say anything.
"Yes?" I finally asked.
"Oh!" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ascendant Lucius. My name is Tiris, and Loreni has instructed me to assist the esteemed Ascendant during your stay in Maerin."
"You're just in time, Tiris. I wanted to know where Grey is right now."
"The Ascendant Grey is currently meeting with Mayla," she replied without looking up.
Patting the child on the head, I moved toward Arthur's villa. "Grey and I have a cart full of mana beast corpses. Could you send a few people to take it to a store where I can sell them?"
"Will do!" Tiris quickly bowed to me, trying to hide her bright red cheeks, and hurried back to the city, but on her way out, she caught Mayla's eye. Nodding to each other, they both ran into the city.
After they "accidentally" met, I made eye contact with Arthur. Communicating mentally, we sent the two children away.
"Did you hear that someone was killed last night?" Arthur asked, beginning to remove the beast corpses from his extra-dimensional rune.
"It was me," I replied calmly, throwing the corpses nearby and stacking them in a pile. "I decided to take a walk around town in the evening, and I went into an alley to shorten my route and saw a man robbing another. Because of the darkness, the robber somehow decided that I was easy prey and attacked me."
"And you just killed him?" Regis asked.
"No, I thought it was an opportunity, so I activated the system. And after a couple of blows, I gave him everything I had. And of course, I killed him afterwards. I wouldn't want many people to know that I have this ability, and besides, this guy wanted to rob me," I said simply, throwing away another mana beast. I didn't throw them all out, as I doubted that this backwater town would be able to buy them all. Only the weak ones were enough, so I threw out three that were quite strong for this area.
"Do you feel anything after killing someone?" Arthur asked, looking at me.
I stopped what I was doing and looked at him for a couple of seconds before sighing. "To be honest, no. I don't care at all. I'm even a little glad because of this robber, I now have some very good news."
Ignoring their looks, I raised one finger, ready to lie again. "First, I finally understood how the system works, and there is a pattern that I noticed back in relictombs, but I was only able to confirm it last night."
"A pattern?" Regis asked intrigued.
"Yeah, a pattern," I continued, already thinking about how to play this idea right. "The system can be divided into three stages: once I get x0.5, three times I get x1, and six times I get x2, although x2 is more random since I couldn't notice a pattern when improving or getting the true x2."
"I see," Arthur replied, scratching his nose slightly, clearly deep in thought, a habit I had noticed.
"Good news number two," I said, raising my second finger and immediately opening my palm.
A jet-black blade appeared in my hand. "I upgraded your blade to an unusual rank, just as I upgraded the seed of the world to a new rank. And I think that after you reach the second layer of the aether core, this seed can be planted in your core; the first layer of the core is simply too small."
I was only able to upgrade this blade once for him, because the second time it simply split in two, at least that's what I told him in the lair of the giant centipede.
Although in reality, I simply took advantage of the wealth system in the lava zone and got a couple of these blades. But since I had planned it, I prepared in advance and carried nonsense in the centipede zone.
Arthur's hands reached for the blade almost mesmerized, as soon as his hand touched the hilt, the sword emitted light and lengthened in real time to fit better in his hand.
"It's just like..." Arthur began in an overly emotional voice.
"The Dawn's Ballad? It seems to me that this blade is already on par with Asura's weapon, though not at its peak, but this sword already has the beginnings of an ego," I said, showing my left hand, which had a black and white metal bracelet as wide as my index fingernail.
"The beginnings of an ego? What can you do?" Regis asked with interest.
Meeting Arthur's gaze, I continued, "This is no longer just a sword. I'll think of some other weapon, and it will happen." The bracelet on my hand, made of flakes of light, took the shape of a familiar dagger, only now it looked much better. A second later, under my thoughts, the flakes of light reappeared, and the dagger became a red spear.
Since this weapon had moved to a different class, it had become too good, from its sharpness and durability to its change in shape, color, and texture.
After thinking again, the red spear in the flakes of light took the form of a bracelet on my left hand.
"Wow, how cool! Just like in movies and games!" Regis said excitedly.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, and in a moment the sword changed shape into a short dagger with a serrated blade, changing again to take on a form similar to my bracelet, only on his right hand.
Arthur was about to thank me, but I just waved him off.
After a while, Mayla and Tiris returned with five strong men.
"Th-This..." The bearded man, who was deliberately showing off his muscles in a tank top, turned pale at the sight of the mana beasts, while his four companions took a step back in shock.
I frowned. "Is there a problem?"
"N-N-No, esteemed ascendant," said the bearded man, cautiously poking the bear with his foot. "It's just... these beasts are considered dangerous even for a team of high-level mages."
A couple of minutes later
By the time we reached the city itself, the center of the square had been rearranged for the initiation ceremony, as a line of twenty or so children had already formed. At the end of the line was a child who immediately caught Arthur's eye.
It was Belmun. The boy who had tried to kill Arthur for meat last night. It seemed that their meeting had taken place after all.
"Didn't you say the ceremony would start later?" Arthur asked.
"Yes, but often the lines form in advance," said Mayla, nervously watching the line grow longer.
"Then maybe it's time for you too?"
Mayla turned to Arthur. "Oh no! It's all right, esteemed ascendant. It is my duty to assist you, so I will just stand in line once the ceremony begins."
I looked over at Tiris, who was staring at me without blinking, ruffled her hair, and replied to the two of them. "Go, everything will be fine with us."
There was some reluctance in their expressions, but impatience got the better of them. Thanking me and Arthur, they headed to the end of the line.
"They're good kids," Regis said. "It's a shame that Agrona brainwashed them and everyone else on this continent. But... you're quite affectionate with children, Lucius."
Shrugging my shoulders, I calmly watched the crowd. Because of my height, I easily towered above the crowd. "I told you I have younger siblings, and I've been looking after them since childhood because my mother works two jobs to provide for us. So I'm pretty calm around children. .... Even the noisiest ones."
The ceremony continued as soon as a man dressed in black approached the raised platform, followed by two figures in gray hoods. The most striking part of his wardrobe was the obsidian staff he carried. At the top was a small gemstone that shimmered with the colors of not only elemental attributes, but also had a faint trace of aether.
"Esteemed ascendants," a faint voice came from behind.
Turning around, I saw Loreni, dressed in a work suit, with a layer of sweat above her eyebrows. "Please forgive me. I completely forgot that today is the day of Mayla and Tiris's initiation."
Arthur's eyebrows furrowed. "Again? Mayla and Tiris have already been initiated?"
"Ah. They've been trying to get their first mark for the past three years, since children are required to be tested from the age of six," she explained with a hint of concern. "If the mark doesn't form during today's initiation, I'm afraid they'll most likely be considered unmarked, just like me."
I watched with the rest of the town as the first child climbed the stairs and knelt before the official holding the obsidian staff. Muttering a long incantation in a language I didn't know, which I immediately began to analyze, the official walked around the boy and placed the tip of the staff against his tailbone.
Blood dripped from the boy's back as the stone began to glow, until finally the official drew his weapon and ordered the boy to turn around and lift his shirt. Fascinatingly, I saw the ether change slightly. I didn't understand how exactly, and if I could see mana, I would understand more, but... I can just watch.
"Fiorin of the city of Maerin has been blessed with the mark of a caster! May he bring pride to his family and defeat all who stand in the way of our mighty sovereigns!"
There were cheers of joy, and I saw the boy beaming with pride, even though tears of pain were streaming down his cheeks. After he climbed down and ran into the arms of his family, the next child climbed up. The initiation day continued, with the whole spectrum of emotions displayed by the child and his family, from complete joy and pride to despair and even anger.
Unlike Arthur, who was rocking back and forth, I watched the whole time to see how the aether changed when the forms of the spells changed from person to person. It was a pity that I didn't understand the language, but it was only a matter of time. The more times I descended into the relictombs, the better I would be at reading the runes, and with my rank eleventh intellect, I only needed a drop of information and knowledge to spin them to the maximum.
Artur was bored until Belmun climbed onto the podium. My anticipation grew as I watched him climb the stairs to the impassive official. I knew that because Artur was next to the boy, his rune would be different, and I was curious to see what it would look like.
I could hear indignant murmurs and even some disgust as Belmun silently knelt before the official. However, the expressions on the faces of everyone present changed when the official's staff became brighter than usual. Even the eyes of the impassive official glowed with interest until the stone dimmed and Belmun fell to the ground.
When a dead silence fell over the crowd, the official hastily lifted Belmun's shirt and exhaled sharply before helping the boy to his feet.
"Belmun of the city of Maerin has been blessed with the crest of the striker," he exclaimed as Belmun looked at him in complete shock.
"The crest?" Loreni muttered.
The entire square seemed to sigh in unison before the murmurs began to grow in volume. Even two adults hit Arthur while they shouted, hugging each other. Belmon practically jumped off the stage, rushed to those who looked like his parents, and fell into their arms.
Fortunately, my tall stature and the pressure I exerted created a natural circle around me, so unlike Arthur, I was not hit.
"Belmun from the city of Maerin will undergo further evaluation before being placed in the appropriate academy!" declared the official when he regained his composure.
"Is Belmun the one known to the esteemed ascendant Grey?" Loreni asked.
"Huh?" Arthur turned to Loreni. "Why do you ask?"
"The esteemed ascendant smiled for a moment, so I just assumed..." Loreni shook her head. "Forgive me for that."
The initiation continued as usual—either the children received the mark or they did not—until Mayla stepped onto the platform.
Loreni clasped her hands as she watched her sister kneel on the stage. The official's staff would become even brighter than it had been with Belmon.
"Th-This..." the official muttered, completely confused this time. "Mayla of the city of Maerin has been blessed... with the emblem of the sentry!"
The crowd and even the official cheered, and the man in black even patted her on the back. However, both Mayla and Loreni had grim expressions on their faces at that moment.
"Aren't you happy that your sister received the emblem?" Arthur asked curiously.
"Oh, n-no, of course I'm happy, esteemed ascendant! I'm very proud of her," she said, lowering her gaze. "Excuse me, esteemed ascendants. I'm going to congratulate my sister."
I watched her walk toward the stage, wiping her face with her sleeve.
"A crest and even an emblem," muttered a voice behind me. "It looks like our city will receive a lot of additional resources this year. But it's unfortunate for Loreni. I've heard that talented sentry are carefully trained and most often sent to the relictombs."
"Shh, don't say that out loud, you idiot. Mayla should be proud that she can help our sovereigns in their search for relics!" said another voice.
Arthur was about to leave the town square, but I tugged on his sleeve and pointed to the stage. Tiris came on stage, and although the crowd was still murmuring loudly, the official paid no attention and pointed his staff at the kneeling girl. The official's staff became as bright as it had been with Mayla.
"Th-This..." muttered the official, this time even more confused. "Tiris from the city of Maerin has been blessed... with the emblem of the striker!"
The crowd erupted again, shouting that it was the mercy of Vritra, etc. Ignoring this, Arthur and I left the town square.
"If you haven't figured it out yet," I began, "the aether affects the runes you receive. The boy who wanted to cut you yesterday and the two girls, they were all close to the owners of the aether core."
Arthur's eyes widened slightly, but he shook his head, pushed all his thoughts aside, and replied, "I'm no longer surprised that you know that yesterday they wanted to cut me up for a piece of meat. But... maybe you can give me some instructions on what to do with this keystone."
I nodded my head, coming up with a plan that even sounded bad in my own head: "I can't do it. The author just wrote about epiphanies and all kinds of nonsense, like he was sitting there and suddenly shouted, 'I get it!' You've unlocked the key stone. But it would be good if you could show me your memories of the Epheotus, of training with the Asuras, and finally, how to behave in society. I'm not a king, so I don't have refined manners, although I think I should. My appearance stands out too much, and without manners, it's even more noticeable."
The first rays of dawn were already appearing on the horizon when Arthur and I parted ways. I focused on practicing the God Step and hand-to-hand combat that I saw at Kordri's. Only after seeing it with my own eyes did I realize that they didn't live for thousands of years for no reason.
Even though I was talented and devoured the knowledge Arthur showed me, I realized for the first time that I needed time to repeat everything I had seen.
The progress was excellent.
Now, using God Step, I could reach my target point with much greater accuracy than at the beginning. The knowledge of the original plot came in handy. At first, I had a problem; I couldn't get through something, but it was only a momentary issue, and I fixed it that evening.
And now I was standing in my villa and visualizing Arthur's villa, and because of the high characteristics, it was quite easy. I took a step back from the door and concentrated again on the aether paths, which stopped at the closed door. As the mental image of the interior of Arthur's villa began to form in my mind, I connected it to the purple paths I could see, forming a mental map of where I thought they should continue.
From the original, I knew that I had to not only look for the paths, but also feel them and allow them to guide me. This made the ability much faster and more effective to use, and it also meant that I could use the God Step to move to a place that I could not see directly.
I had already done this, but only in my own villa.
Activating God Step, I disappeared in a flash of amethyst light. I appeared in Arthur's villa hotel, crackling with aether energy.
Regis's look was priceless. Arthur was still fiddling with the keystone, and I, as a "good friend," slowly returned his talent and Regis's talent to their original values.
I had a very bad plan for obtaining a new Godrune.
Over the next few days before the annual exhibition, we all lived in a calm rhythm away from the curious residents of the city of Maerin. Without the need for sleep or food, I spent my mornings cleansing the core to replenish my ether reserves, after which I trained for about six hours with the mental image of Kordri.
In the evenings and at night, Arthur and I would stop at the top of a tree-covered hill, not only practicing the God Step, but also fighting each other and mana beasts together using aether.
Tiris stopped by on the first day after the initiation, but I told her I wasn't going anywhere and made her go home. However, because she refused, I gave her a task to collect one of each type of food, then sent her home, saying she had done everything I asked.
Of course, I gave these products first to Arthur and then to Regis, from milk and eggs to tomatoes and strange goods of this world, I improved everything.
In recent days, in addition to training, I tried my hand at cooking. I was a pretty good cook in my past life, and now, with a supercomputer instead of a brain, I tried it a couple of times and got really into it. Since I raised all the products to the third and fourth ranks and then threw them into the wealth system, twenty-four hours later, I ate peacefully for the first time since coming to this world.
I wasn't lying when I said I don't eat from other people's hands. I don't know where it came from, but here it is.
And so, somehow, I found myself in the arena, with Pallisun and Aphene standing opposite me.
How did we get here? Oh yes, as soon as Arthur saw the dead religion and knowing the capabilities of the future GodRune, he sent me to defeat these two, referring to the empty core. Although, it seems to me that he was just too lazy to fight them himself.