The Beginning of a Journey

Tomorrow morning at the East Gate. Libertas yawned, he just recently woke up. On the distant horizon, the rising sun could be seen. Beside him was Igor, behind them followed the hired Mercenary Guard: an Archer, a Tanker and a Swordsman. The gate was wide open, welcoming and seeing off all the coming and going merchants.

Beside the gate were two carriages with two half-sleeping men. One of them groaned, awakened by the noisy crowd. The crowd moved aside while they pointed their finger at his Highness, secretly whispering under themselves. After he saw His Highness, he nudged the other awake and winked at His Highness. Libertas steadily walked to the carriage, even though he felt a little lonely under the scorning gaze of the crowd. He shook his head, he glanced at Igor, the feeling of loneliness evaporated.

"Hello. I believe you both are the personnel my Father prepared for me, correct?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I am the Guide and he the Teacher."

It was a middle-aged man who replied and woke up first. He was lean with freckles on his face. His curly hair was Orange and occasional there was a red strain peeking out. Half-covering his hair was a cowboy hat. His light leather armour glimpsed out of his brown cape.

"So, why did you sleep here outside?"

"Ahaha, you know, this and that has happened… "

"Just tell him the truth, we were kicked out of the palace. You may have heard of him, Petro."

The teacher interfered. He had long straight white hair. On his noses were glasses. His blue robe was finely embellished with a carefully designed pattern. In his hand was a heavy book, he just grabbed. Though he didn't look like a good companion, but at least better than the Guide if he was really that Petro.

"You mean that Petro?"

"Your Highness, please don't call me that Petro."

"Yes, he is."

Petro was one with the best comprehension in this Kingdom, even better than the King. It could be said he was blessed by the Heaven, pitifully he was discovered by His Majesty. His Majesty feared Petro's gift and disabled his Imaginary World, turning him into a cripple. It was unknown, why his Majesty forced an Oath of Everlasting Obedience on him, instead of killing him.

His Majesty brought Petro to the palace, once there he was placed in a Research Team, everyone died except him. Every single time he was forced into a Research Team, everyone died through an explosion. In the end, he was allowed to conduct research on his own, although he wasn't granted any fund for it. Sometimes he blew a part of the palace up, luckily none died, as his laboratory was in a secluded restricted area of the Palace. Why was he kicked out now?

"Why were you kicked out?"

"I dunno, maybe the King had enough of the reparation cost."

Libertas glanced suspiciously at Petro before his gaze moved on to the Teacher. Noticing the gaze, the Teacher shrugged with his shoulder, "How could I know why he was kicked out?"

"I am asking about you."

"Ah, do you know Eduard? I somehow offended him."

"Say, what happened?"

"I was speaking with a friend of mine, discussing the Invaders. He thinks they are some higher life forms. Ridiculous, they are the same as the Chicken Demi-Humans or the Pigeon Demi-Humans! At most are they a variant! Haven't we seen enough of Humans with birdwings? Your Highness, what do you think? Are they Gods Envoy, as they proclaim themselves, or just some lowly Demi-Humans?"

The Teacher grabbed on Libertas' shoulders and shook him. Instinctively, Libertas agreed with the Teacher. The Teacher let go of his shoulders and furiously hit the air with his free fist. After a while hitting the air, he calmed down. He picked up the book which fallen to the ground and grumbled, "Let's depart, it is already late."

Although the Teacher said he was here to teach Libertas, most of the time he didn't teach something. He liked to boast and to grumble. At least, he did tell a bit about the Cultivation-Stages. Libertas was in the Initialization Stage. In this stage on would be very susceptible to the Law, and if not carefully handled, the child could turn into a Law Demon. For some, it is a boon, for others a curse.

This Stage was graded as the zeroth stage, as the Imaginary World hasn't fully formed. Without a fully formed Imaginary World, the Mana from outside can't be stored. Even if it hasn't fully formed, it will absorb the Natural Mana, just to release them again. Through this process, the Imaginary World will be tempered until it fully formed.

Due to the tempering, the Imaginary World was exceptionally receptive to the initial Law. But the initial Law can change with time, as it moved on with the perception and comprehension of the Law. Though small, the personality influenced the change too. It was like water can turn into steam or ice.

Once the Imaginary World had fully formed, one will intermediately enter the Foundation Stage. In there, it showed the Law one comprehended, though it could be seen in the Initialization Stage, it would be fuzzy. It was this Law which absorbed the Mana from the outside into the Imaginary World. Inside the Imaginary World, the Mana would be converted to a special type of Mana, which would then, be stored.

With the process of Comprehension, the vague Image at the start of the Foundation Stage will become distinct. Once the vague Illusion can't be differenced from the Reality, one will be on the verge of the Transcendence Stage. The true Cultivation Journey begins there until then one was considered just a Mortal.

The bridge between the Foundation and the Transcendence Stage can't be crossed. Libertas gazed at the cultivation of his companion following him. He sighed a terrible sight. At first, he believed, it would be a world full of mystery and magic, but it seemed just like a medieval world with some supernatural power here and there.

The Teacher himself was Foundation Cultivator. The Mercenaries were the same as Igor a Mortal, someone at Foundation Stage. Petro was crippled, and he refused to tell at what stage he was before he became a cripple.

It was already six days after his Tribulation, eight more days and his Imaginary World will enter the Foundation Stage too. Strangely, the Initialization Stage always exactly ended after 14 Days following the Tribulation of Awakening.

If Libertas thought back, his tribulation was strange. Instead of the pure white Lightning, it was dark red. If it was a Tribulation of Eternal Sleep it would be pitch black. He shook his head and sighed. It must have been because of his transmigration. The carriage suddenly stopped.

"Chwik! Fight! Chwi! Kill!"

It was an Orc, a humanoid pig, a demi-human. The Heavens granted all Non-Humans an Imaginary World from birth. They aren't forced to acquire one before the age of ten or face death. It seemed the Heavens hated humans. Or why else are Humans forced to understand a Law before the Age of 10?

At least was the Law of the granted Imaginary World constricted by the Parents, it depends on them. All the pure-bred Orcs had all the same Law, Berserker Glutton if it didn't change due to different circumstances.

The Orc was over 2 metres high with a round belly. It held a broadsword, already rusty and bloody. With the broadsword raised high, it rushed at the carriage. The path was blocked by the Tanker, one of the mercenaries, it slashed at him. The Tanker's shield flashed amber and jolted up against the broadsword, creating an opening for the Swordsman to rush in from the side. The broadsword fell down at him. An Arrow flew, hitting the Broadsword, it deviated. The Broadsword crushed to the ground, a hair's breadth beside the Swordsman.

Even if the Swordsman was a hair's breadth beside Death, he smirked. His eyes glowed red, an aura of extreme solemnity and degeneration appeared. He jumped up, for others, it was exceptional fast, but in his eyes, it was in slow-motion. Thereafter a quick motion across the orc's throat, he landed on the ground. With a suave smile, he turned around and waved at them. The Tanker beside him hit him on his shoulder.

"Don't play around."

"Why? Isn't the orc dead?"

"Yeah, but playing around next to a corpse isn't something nice…."

"I respected as I took its head!"

"Guys, stop it!"

The Archer walked to them from the direction of the carriage. As he reached the others, the orc fell to the ground, its head rolled to the ground, a small pool of blood seeped out of the corpse. The Swordsman rushed to the carriage, as he waved excitedly at the others.

"Come, come help me!"

The others sighed, clearly, they were already used to this. Fluidly they dragged the Orc and hung it upside down from the carriage, while the Swordsman prepared a saw, cords, and butcher knives of different sizes. The Swordsman rubbed his hands and licked his lips, eager to butcher the Orc. The carriages drove further after the orc bleed out, away from all the freshly spilt blood. Later was Libertas approached from the Swordsman, again.

"And, was the last Orc delicious?"

Libertas answered hesitantly, he feared what was to come. This was already asked the third time, and every time he was stiff, shocked from all the bloodshed. He wasn't used to killing and all the bloodshed. He abhorred it. Moreover, he didn't like killing, like most other modern people.

Even for the fourth time, Libertas was stiff, but it was a lot better than the first time. He stammered, "Yeah…"

Libertas starred at his feet, not daring to see in the Swordsman's eyes. Wasn't it hypocritical to eat meat, while saying one abhorred killing? He hated hypocrite, but wasn't he one himself? He ate meat and knew an animal must be killed for it, but he abhorred killing. A hypocritical!

"Then do you want to learn? Do you want to know, how to do it?"

The Swordsman's father was a butcher, he was a butcher and he planned for his child to became a butcher too. He was proud to be a butcher. He did say he wanted his child to become a butcher, but he didn't even have a child or a wife… Furthermore, it seemed like he won't ever get a child.

So the Swordsman was eager to teach Libertas, even a bit compelling him to it. Though the last three times had failed in the end, the Swordsman didn't give up. Now, seeing Libertas lightly nod, he was elated! He didn't notice the self-hate and self-mockery in Libertas eyes.