[Even the strongest are bound to something… some chains are forged from birth, others from power yet untamed.]
Ace gasped awake from the ringing sound in his head. Feeling his surroundings, he realized where he was. The familiar room had run-down walls and a mattress stuffed with old wheat. He got to his feet and walked toward the door, following the orange glow of the burning metal.
"Finally up? You little rat!" the old man said with a grin as he examined the burning metal before placing it on an anvil.
Ace weakly nodded, still tired from the torment he endured earlier.
He looked at the old man as he began tempering the blade, striking down with tremendous force.
"Sorry..."
Ace said with a quiet voice. As he began to do his daily work.
Doroth, the old man smiled to himself.
**
It took Ace more time than before to finish cleaning the blacksmith, because of the toll his body took from the dreadful pain from before.
As Ace stepped back into the run down room of his to rest, his head rang once again.
[Congratulations! You've become a first order human. Would you like to know what your attributes are?]
The unfamiliar voice was in Ace's head again, this time he had managed to get a clear idea of what it was.
'is this the spiritual guide that those who awaken manage to get?...'
Ace thought to himself. He had read some manuals about the awakened, that he found lying on streets.
Ace tried to focus more into the inner voice.
"May I know what my attributes are?"
The voice rang in his head again, but he was getting used to it.
[Your will is impenetrable. Your tenacity is admirable. Your soul reflects condemnations]
"What?" Some seconds passed before the voice came back.
[Your attributes have been decided. You will be always under the condemnations of destiny as your will is impeccable. May you be fortunate in the future...]
Ace suddenly felt his whole body being restrained by something, it was difficult for him to even stay standing.
[?a?? l??e?]
[??i?? ?e??h?]
[??h? ??]
[???c? ??u??]
The voice rampaged in his head, what it was saying was inaudible and impossible to understand.
[Chains of destiny: You're a prisoner of the chains of destiny. Escaping them is not a task that can be done. But Destiny is always fair and so it will grant you abilities just like it has granted you condemnations. May it be fortune or misfortune. You will always be chained to Destiny]
Ace took a deep breath.
'what the hell is going on!? Did I not get any abilities to use? What's with the all narration thing! Damn it. No combat abilities means I'm be good as dead in this dog-eat-dog world. Guess I have to stay here in this damned place for the rest of my life... Shackled like always..'
"Damn it!"
Ace turned around to leave with anger, when suddenly the voice rang again.
[Your soul core is starving]
Without much time for him to react, Ace felt the strength slowly leaving his body.
'What does it mean?? My soul core is starving?'
Ace didn't know what to do, he was only being bewildered every passing second as his strength slowly left him. As he kept thinking he slowly came to a reason.
Maybe his soul core didn't have any spiritual essence left as it was depleted by the voice ringing in his head?
With that he sat down on the cramped floor, closing his eyes and crossing his legs and began meditating.
Ace felt his strength slowly returning to him, as his body began warming up with a thick and peaceful energy flowing through his veins.
And as he accepted the energy it flowed into his dantian giving him new found strength.
When Ace slowly opened his eyes after what felt like seconds, it had already begun to become dark. Ace hadn't eaten anything, but didn't feel hungry, on the contrary, he actually felt full.
Ace stood up, looking at his hand as he opened and closed it.
'so, I did it right... I never thoughts those manuals that someone threw away could help me this much... As the saying goes, someone else's trash is another man's treasure'
With that thought, he stretched before going out for a bit. Waving to Doroth as he stepped out of the front door of the blacksmith.
Ace looked at the sky, the orange-ish colour from the sun gliding under the horizon gave him a refreshing warmth to his heart.
Ace always loved looking at the sky, that's why one day he wanted to fly but always felt like he was bounded to stay on earth by shackles and never chase his dreams.
With a sigh and a shrug he walked towards the dim light of the street. Leaving the dark alleyway that's directly connected to where he lived. Behind there was the outskirts free from the unsightly buildings where he had to roam.
The Region of Death was made with three levels.
Ace looked up at the preposterous tower that was visible on the first level, the tower of tenacity, it was a grand symbol of humanity's resistance. And it was tall enough to surpass the clouds and the top of it couldn't be seen. Ace felt like a cockroach living and surviving in this hell while looking at heaven where only actual humans could live.
Ace has already tried to sneak into the second level but he was immediately caught. The person that caught Ace was a decent person and let him go, if not for him Ace wouldn't be alive to be mesmerized by that damned tower every time he saw it.
'I wonder. Would someone from this shit hole will ever be able to touch that tower..?'
Ace pondered before he was thrown off his balance, from a small figure. Almost as tall as him. Shaking, almost like running away from something. Or someone?