1 Prologue

Earthland, Ishgar, The Pergrande Kingdom, Nevios.

A young boy was sitting inside the village's orphanage with a somber expression. He was looking through the window and daydreaming as usual. He wanted to be a mage, go on adventures, save damsels in distress, or maybe even join a guild. Alas, it wasn't meant to be since he was born without the ability to use Magic.

"Edwin, would you be a dear and come help me with the dishes," an elderly woman called out.

"Yes, Matron Nera," he replied.

Edwin didn't mind helping the old woman. She had taken care of him ever since he was a baby, who was abandoned in front of the orphanage. There were no signs of his parents, so the Matron named him and taught him everything he knew.

Nera was like a mother to him, and he greatly admired her because she was also a mage. She was able to use a Caster type Magic: Water Magic. She had learned it from a book, but the Matron had told him that she had barely scratched the surface of what was in the book. Edwin had also read the magic book, hoping that it would unlock his magic, but he only ended up being disappointed with his lack of success.

Still, that hadn't discouraged him since Caster Magic(one that is expelled from the body) wasn't the only type of magic on Earthland. Holder Magic requires a mage to use an external source to produce the Magic. Edwin had begged the Matron for days before she relented and got him a set of Magic Cards, one of the cheapest magic items one could buy. He had as much success with them as he did with the magic book. None at all.

After he finished helping Nera with the dishes, he returned to his usual spot by the window. Edwin sat down and picked up the magic book that he had left there earlier. He might not be able to use magic, but he loved reading it. He flipped through the pages, but before he could start reading, he was assaulted by a pink blur.

"Big bro Edwin! Pleashe read us a story! Pretty pleashe!" A girl no more than five years old begged him. She had pink hair that was tied into two ponytails with a cute round face. Following behind her were six more kids ranging from four to eight years old.

All of the orphans from the orphanage had gathered to beg Edwin to read them a story since he was the only one able to read fluently and also the oldest one, being eleven years old.

Edwin couldn't refuse them and relented. "Is there any story that you want me to read you, Zoe?" He asked them.

"Yes! The one about the girl that jumps down the rabbit hole!" Zoe instantly replied.

"No!" The oldest boy called out. "That one is too girly! Read us the story about the hero with the big sword that saves the princess!"

The kids then argued for a bit before deciding on the story about Conan the Hero. Edwin sat on a chair with all the kids lined up in front of him, sitting on the ground. They were staring at him with their big and eager eyes since this was one of their favorite ways to pass the time in the orphanage.

Edwin had just opened the book and read the first sentence when the ground shook. That was followed by a horrifying roar and a blinding red light. Edwin was forced to close his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opened them again, he was looking at the village.

The part of the orphanage that had been there a moment ago was gone alongside the rest of the kids. It's as if they were never there, to begin with. He stood there frozen in shock, his brain unable to understand what had just happened.

"Edwin!" The Matron called out to him, but he didn't react to her since his ears were ringing from the noise. Nera's brown eyes were filled with tears, and her hair looked even grayer than normal as if she had aged a dozen more years in the blink of an eye.

"We have to get away from here!" The Matron said and picked him up with unnatural strength.

Nera started running towards the forest next to the village with Edwin in her hands. Tears were dropping from her eyes from the loss of the kids, but at least one of them was still alive, and she had to get him as far away from the village as possible.

In her grasp, Edwin caught a glimpse of a twelve-story high humanoid creature with red skin. The monstrosity had eyes as black as the void and curved horns coming out of its head. Every time it opened its mouth that was filled with long and sharp teeth, a loud roar came out of it, followed by a massive beam of red light. Whatever the beam touched got disintegrated without leaving a trace behind.

Nera also saw the monstrous being and even recognized the Demon known as Farion. She'd heard stories about it, but Farion was supposed to be slain by the Five Elements of Pergrande, the strongest mages of the Kingdom. She didn't know how'd the Demon appeared in Nevios, but what she did know was that she had to get away from the village as fast as possible.

Nevios was doomed, and there was nothing that could save it. The old Matron just hoped she would be able to escape before Farion destroys the village. Alas, that was not to be.

Farion destroyed everything in its sight just as Nera left the borders of the village. The Demon popped a human it was holding in its mouth before focusing on the running elderly woman. With a single leap, it landed right in front of Nera and Edwin.

The Matron's eyes widened in panic, but that lasted no more than a moment before they hardened with resolve. She would die, that much she was certain of, but she would at least try to save Edwin. Or at least give him a chance of survival.

Edwin stared with lifeless eyes at the monstrous Demon as it reached out towards them with its gigantic clawed hand. Just before Farion grabbed them, a blue magic circle lit up behind the boy.

"Water Magic: River Stream!" The Matron shouted. A burst of water shot out from the magic circle and hit Edwin in the back. The boy was sent flying towards the forest and outside the reach of Farion.

Edwin flew for what felt for an eternity before he roughly landed on the ground. His head hit the ground hard, and he fell unconscious on the spot with blood dripping from his head.

The Demon grumbled in annoyance as its clawed hand grabbed Nera. With a squeeze, the elderly woman's life was extinguished. Farion threw her in its mouth and turned towards where Edwin had been sent flying. Before it could chase after him, he felt a presence behind him.

"Wind Magic: Dimensional Edge!"

"Fire Magic: Heavenly Fire Burning Fields!"

"Earth Magic: Heavenly Descent!"

"Lightning Magic: Heavenly Lightning of Absolute Destruction!"

"Light Magic: Holylight Lance!"

Devastating spells hit the Demon one after the other. Farion let out a roar in pain as multiple wounds were formed on his body from the devastating spells. It turned towards the five mages that had slain him once and prepared to at least destroy one of them this time.

Edwin laid unconscious on the forest floor, unaware how close he'd come to dying from destructive spells that were cast so close to him. The Five Elements of Pergrande had managed to best Farion once more, but the village of Nevios and its inhabitants had been destroyed except for Edwin.

Still, that didn't mean that he was safe since blood was dripping from his head, and he would've died had he not been found by a middle-aged man with green hair and was dressed in rags. He had a saggy green beard and piercing red eyes.

"I was woken up by that stupid rumbling, and I figured I could go grab some of that tasty orange pie, but nooo, the village decided to move places," the man grumbled.

"And what is this?" The man probed Edwin with his barefoot. "A dying boy? Can I eat him, I wonder? Hmmm."

The man poked Edwin in his wound and tasted his blood. "Blergh. Disgusting. I'd rather eat dirt. The dirt that's thirty-five steps to the left of my cottage was pretty good last time I tried it. Hmmm."

"Now... What do I do with this then." The man probed Edwin with his toes. "The brat's going to die without help. Welp, that's not my problem. Hahaha."

The man turned around and started walking away, but abruptly turned around as he sensed something. His red eyes lit up, making them look demonic as he looked at Edwin. He had sensed a pulse of energy coming from the boy. It was a type of energy that only someone like him could sense.

"Now, what is this?"

The man walked back to Edwin and studied him up and down. There was nothing different about the boy, but he was able to sense that something had changed inside him.

"Well, well, well. This is interesting. Interesting indeed. Hmmm. Now I'm suddenly interested."

The man's hand glowed with green light, and the wound on Edwin's head healed visibly to the naked eye. He then propped the boy on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before walking back towards his cottage in the forest.

The next time Edwin opened his eyes, he was greeted with something strange. A transparent blue window floated in front of him.

[Name: Edwin

Age: 11

Class: -

Stats:

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 1

Spirit: 0

Skills: -]

Before he could make heads or tails of the transparent window, demonic-looking red eyes popped in his view.

"You finally awake, brat? Took you long enough."

"What? Where am I? Who are you?" Edwin asked a series of questions before he remembered what happened at the village. His green eyes quivered, and tears appeared in them.

"No... Matron Nera, Zoe, Doug..."

"Whatcha' crying about brat?" The man asked with a tilt to his head.

"The village..." Edwin morosely replied.

"Bah, no point of crying over spilled juice. Nevios and the villagers left so deal with it," the man said.

"They left? What are you talking about?" Edwin asked with hope in his voice.

"Yah, they left. Went to the Underworld they did," the man sagely told him and nodded his head.

"What?" Edwin asked, not understanding what the man meant.

"They left the land of the living and went to the land of the dead? What do you not understand?" The man asked and looked at him as if he was an idiot.

"Oh," Edwin mutter and dropped his head, tears dripping from his eyes.

"Now, you are crying again. Great. Just perfect," The man complained. "Ask me a question, then start crying when I answer, typical humans. They grow dumber with each generation. I think it's because of the food they eat. But then again, nothing happened to men when I ate it. Hmmm."

"Whatever brat. The name's Shego, and we gotta' discuss your living arrangements when you done weeping. I like consuming human food, but I'm fine and dandy eating whatever's nearby. I found a tasty bark while you were wasting your time and sleeping about," Shego said.

"Thinking about it, Ima' go and grab some. You want?" Shego asked but received no response from Edwin.

"Pff, cry all you want brat, but they ain't coming back. You won't get to see them unless you decide to go to the Underworld yourself. I can send you there nice and easy, but it'd be a mighty waste after I bothered saving your dying ass, no?"

Again, there was no response from Edwin as he continued grieving.

"Bah, humans and their stupid emotions. Couldn't they evolve out of them already? Sheesh. Whatever, a tasty bark with my name on it is waiting for me. Can't keep it waiting for long, or it might start crying."