20 Will I Keep Living?

Damian was contemplating the sunrise as his breathing slowed down. His control over his mana was constant, never ceasing to release all his power for fear of drawing attention.

But even if he hid it, his current mana, which was one-tenth of his total power, was striking enough for classified mages to take notice due to his large reserves.

For now, he would train his magical spells, learn the theory, and occasionally practice with someone else. Still, knowing that he would improve progressively, this decision might increase his capabilities in the coming years.

"Well, at least I should go to Adda's classes before explaining my situation to her, and maybe she'll understand." Damian didn't want anyone to bother him, so he preferred to attend the introductory classes for a few days to avoid drawing attention.

But at that moment, he looked at Luke, who was looking at the roots of a tree not far away. Damian didn't want to run into this kid, but right now, he had to pass by where he was standing on the side, so he had no choice.

The thing everyone had to understand was that he was also a frustrated child who seemed to have lost a loved one; he needed to vent his inner fury, and it seemed safe to do so with Damian, who hadn't harmed anyone.

This world is cruel to everyone; Damian couldn't deny it, so he wasn't resentful towards Luke as long as he didn't bother him further.

"My friend had an unparalleled talent for magic." Luke turned his head towards Damian as he passed by.

Damian froze. Is this kid talking to him? "So, what are you going to do?"

"I'll kill demons; that was my friend's dream, so I'll fulfill it. As for what happened a few days ago, I'm truly sorry; I didn't know your parents were great mages who defended a city to their death, and I'm nobody to deny you learning magic."

Luke's words made Damian feel somewhat surprised. Could it be that easy? "Well, I wasn't resentful towards you, even though I almost left you lifeless. It's not that I wanted to kill or torture you, but rather the accumulation of many unfortunate events."

Damian wasn't very good at having these types of conversations; he could boast about his quick wit, street smarts, and fearless approach to life because of all the things he had experienced before waking up in this world. He usually behaves meekly when he knows he should, and he's a bit sarcastic knowing that he can control the situation even if it gets out of hand.

This time, he knew that Luke was apologizing, but it was certainly something he didn't expect from a kid like him. Most are very foolish; morality in this world is very backward in terms of good and evil, so it's a negative point for Damian, who comes from a modern society.

"At least here, I can't be reported just for sending a text message with an insult." Damian muttered these words, feeling much better.

Luke looked at Damian, wanting to see his eyes, but all he could see was the bandage covering his eyes for some strange reason. "I won't retract my words if you turn out to be useless, but now that we have the same goals, I would at least like us to not have problems later on."

"I'm not a resentful person; if you want to leave things here, it won't bother me later, so you don't have to worry." Damian knew he wasn't comfortable being friends with people who once wanted to harm him, but he could let go of that hatred or distrust over the years.

Luke nodded, bid farewell, and went straight to his room with the excuse of clearing his thoughts because he didn't want to be here with Damian anymore.

Damian had to thank him for that; this conversation was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, so it was for the best. "Well, a good thing in the morning..."

The problems seemed to disappear, but Damian still felt confused. What caused him to be here? He wasn't a fortunate person in his past life; he literally ended up in an orphanage at the age of six and was adopted by a family who only wanted him for the government assistance pension.

"It's not that bad; at least there won't be someone to remind me." Damian smiled but didn't really want to; his story is sadder than it seems.

When he was ten years old, he left his adoptive parents; he was with gangs who taught him to steal, and after being caught by the police years later, he was sent to a correctional facility.

Since then, he has learned that life isn't fair to people; everyone has more luck than others, and that doesn't give anyone the right to commit wrongdoings against others.

Those with money live the good life, and those who are poor struggle for food every day, fearing not being able to eat something by the end of the day. When one reaches the stage of understanding life as an adult, that's when they truly appreciate everything in its time.

He didn't know what he would do from here in a few years; maybe he'll search for that acclaimed fountain of youth to fight for immortality and defend humans as much as he can.

"Fighting a war that is now mine..." Damian mocked with irony: Is that really his dream or just his promise to whoever was the owner of his body until recently?

But he didn't care; he wanted to see many parts of the world, so at least he would give it his all being a good person on the battlefield against demons.

Damian's path was about to be written in an unknown direction; he didn't know how far he would go, but he would keep moving forward and hope that luck would give him a much better life than before.

"Instead of living, I will learn to feel." Damian wouldn't live to survive, but to feel things he couldn't before.

This battle is his because now this body is his, so he won't allow demons to wreak havoc on the world.