8 Companions

In the next morning he used 'Teleportation' to visit the shack. Teleportation spell is a spell originated from Space Energy. Space energy itself was unknown in the current age. The knowledge about this energy was lost together with the Great Disaster. Even the God Slayer was ignorant to the existence of this energy.

Just in a blink of an eye he has arrived at the front of the shack. Elias thought that this spell is very convenient, with it he doesn't have to worry about an entry fee if he wants to visit any town.

In the previous day he told the orphans that he will prepare the places for them in the village, that's why he doesn't directly brought them to the village yesterday. He also told them that he will return the next morning to bring them to the village.

Everyone already waiting for Elias's arrival, when the front door of the shack suddenly opened. Elias was no longer used his disguise after he showed them his true appearance in the previous day. He also told the kids not to call him uncle but big brother.

"Are you ready?" Elias asked smilingly.

"Yes." Irene answered.

"Alright, all of you, close your eyes." Elias said.

Everyone present closed their eyes. They don't know why Elias told them that but they trusted him.

"Now open your eyes." When they opened their eyes they are dumbfounded. All the surroundings has changed. It was no longer in the cramped shack. Currently they are in a wide area surrounded by 3 meters high stone wall in all direction. There are also stone buildings and a moat carrying clear and clean water.

"Welcome to the village." Elias smiled looking at their expressions. Irene looking at him with shock. She expected the village mentioned was just a group of huts surrounded by wooden fences. This is different from her expectation, very different.

But the kids was not focused at the village. They were surprised at how the environment suddenly changed.

"Big Bro. How did yo do it? Was it magic?" The excited brats asked Elias.

"Big Bro, can you teach us magic?" one of the older kid asked.

"Of course. I will teach everyone of you magic or battle aura." Elias answered smilingly while patting the kid's head.

The kid became crazy with excitement. They never imagined that one day they can learn magic.

In this world it was believed that not everyone can have an awakening, even though everyone has energy in their body, however, just a few of them have enough energy to release them in the moment of awakening. Moreover the children under 10 years of age doesn't have enough energy to have an awakening even though they are very talented. It was because the energy in one's body was like a water inside a bottle. If someone was still under 10 years there is a vessel covering the mouth of the bottle. It can be opened only when the energy inside the bottle was fully filled.

But this believe was not the case for Elias. The knowledge he got from the memories told him that instead of water in a bottle the energy was more like wind in a pipe. It start from the outside of the body absorbing the energy from the world, then circulating it to the inside of the body and releasing the energy outside of the body. The problem is there is a cover in both ends of the pipe, preventing someone to have an awakening. Of course Elias also found the technique to get rid of the covers. It is not a problem if someone was too young or doesn't have much energy in his body. He can just absorb the energy from the world which is very abundant.

The current age's cultivators thinks that the energy is something originated from the body. But the ancient age found that the energy wasn't something that starting from anywhere. It was exist in a circle, it has no beginning and no ending.

--__--

Two months later.

In the Man-Eating Forest, there is three little kids, 2 boys and a girl walking together in the outermost area of the forest. One of those boys holding a sword, the other boy carrying a spear that looked two times longer than the boy's height. On the other hand the little girl carrying a staff with magic stone on the upper end.

Those kids looks not afraid of the threat the forest possessed. They just walking through the area leisurely, at times they are even making some noises.

"Ugh... we still haven't found any beast even though we spent 3 hours wandering in this area." One of the boys said while hitting a boulder with his sword.

"Let's wait a bit longer. I heard that Zack's group met a beast in the afternoon." The girl said while looking at the boy with a spear running around here and there touching everything unfamiliar to him. After the girl spoke, the boy with spear looked towards the girl, "Maybe the beasts are still taking a nap, you know this time is the nap time. I wonder if the others in the village are taking a nap now. Uuh.. I'm sooo sleepyyy..." The boy with spear said. These kids are the orphans that Elias took from the shack. The boy with sword is Aldrick, the girl is Clara, these two are the oldest kids in the village and their age is 5 years old. On the other hand, the spear boy's name is Kasper, he is still 3 years old. Today is their turn to train in the outermost area of the forest. Elias planned to train the kids in this forest once a month.

Aldrick currently reached level 6 beginner warrior, while Clara was at level 6 beginner mage. on the other hand Kasper was at level 4 warrior. Except Little Ake, the baby, and Little Lars who is still one year old, the other orphans has showed high talent in their training. Four boys and one girl became warrior while 2 girls and a boy became a mage. the lowest of them is at level 4 beginner realm.

While they are still in their happy-go-lucky behavior. There is a man watching them behind a tree one hundred meters away. This man of course is Elias who was currently watching their training while protecting them from any threat that exceeds their capability. Suddenly he felt something approaching them. He recognized this aura, it was Iron Legged Bull, a level 7 low beast. As the name goes, this beast has very strong legs that can even break ordinary weapon and armor. This beast can fight on the same level with 3 level 7 cultivators. But Elias does not worried about the kid's safety, because he as their teacher know how strong they became. The kids he trained can fight on the same level with cultivators 2 levels higher than them.

After 2 minutes, the bull which feels that it's territory was invaded appeared right in the front of the kids. The kids got excited, they don't have to look for them anymore, there is one meat delivering itself to them.

The bull snorting, ready to attack at anytime. It still calculating what kind of enemy it faced this time.

Kasper who was so bored and sleepy got crazy with excitement, 'Finally a beast arrived. I can go home after this and take a nap than play with the others.' He thought.

"Big Bro, Big Sis. Let me handle this one okay. My hands are so itchy now." Kasper said.

"Are you sure Kas. This one looks so tough, you know." Aldrick said.

"Hmph.. There is no way a mere bull can handle the mighty Kasper." He said confidently.

"Alright. Be careful then." Replied Aldrick. He prepared himself to act if something unexpected happen. "Clara, get ready to attack if Kas can't handle it."

"Okay." The girl said.

"Alright. Be prepared you weaky weaky bull. I'm going to bring you to Big Bro Elias so that he can make roasted bull."

"Take this. Mountain Destroyer Spear Technique." Kasper shouted loudly.

"..." Aldrick and Clara.

"What the.." Elias was dumbfounded. He doesn't recall ever teached Kasper that technique. He even doesn't know what kind of technique with such a name.

Kasper runs towards the bull and thrusts the spear to the bull's head. The bull just snorted and avoided the spear. Before Kasper making another move the bull already standing at it's front legs and lifted it's hind legs, without waiting any longer the bull kicked Kasper's ass.

"Habbyuuuhh...." Kasper was thrown twenty meters away and fallen flat on his face.

"Kas!!!" Both Aldrick and Clara shouted. They looked at the bull angrily.

'Now take my disciples' fury, you damn bull. Hehehe.' Elias thought.

"Dragon Slash." Aldrick shouted while slashing his sword at the bull. The bull tried to fend the slash. But it doesn't expect that the sword's aura was very strong. When the slash connected with the leg the bull used to parry, it felt a sharp pain in it's leg. Finally the bull aware that the leg was cut off. It became terrified, those kids was stronger than it. It tried to flee, but unfortunately, before the bull managed to move there is a voice from the girl.

"Lava Rain." Clara shouted loudly. Suddenly many red colored magma balls thrown from the cane in the girl's hand.

The bull despaired. It was no longer putting any resistance to the attack. It know that this attack was far stronger than it can hold. The lava balls rained at the bull. It was died without feeling many pain. The bull's body burned to ash.

'Uhh.. Isn't it a bit overkill.' Elias facepalmed. 'And what's with those loud shouting. I told them to pronounce the spell in their mind.'

Aldrick went to remains of the bull and took something like white stone, it was magic core. Every beasts has magic core inside their throat. The higher the level of a beast the darker the color of the core will be. A low level beast has a white colored magic core in their body.

A magic core can store energy that can be used by cultivators when their energy running low, it was like an energy bank. The other use of a magic core is as an energy connector between a weapon and it's user. A cultivator can send their energy to a weapon if the weapon was equipped with magic core. A magic core only works if the energy put into it is the same as it's original energy, for example a core of iron legged bull suited for metal energy.

A white colored magic core was priced at 10 silver coins. Elias planned to sell every cores they got, but the problem is the stores in the town was limited, so he have to visit a city to sell them. The nearest city from the village is a port city called Maron City. This city is located in the Allender Earldom. It is ruled under a noble family, Allender Family. Allender Family has exited for hundred of years. Under their rule the Maron City grew from a little village to a prosperous city. Most of it's income is from the trade in the port. This city has trade relationship with the merchants from Serben continent.

But for now he planned to collect a good number of cores first before going to the city.

Back to the kids, Carla has checked on Kasper who is crying on the ground. He held his painful butt which was kicked by the bull. It was fortunate that his clothes has been

"Okay kids, it's time to get back. I think it's about lunch time now, your Big Sis must be waiting for us now." Elias said while walking towards the kids.

"Yesss. I'm very hungry." Aldrick said while rubbing his tummy. On the other hand, Kasper who was crying before now looking at the ashes of the bull. He glared at Clara resentfully.

"Big Sis, why must you burn it? If you don't burn it we can have a roasted bull you know." Kasper complained to Clara. But Clara just responded with shrugging her shoulder.

"Now, now. It's just a bull. I will bring you one next time, okay." Elias calmed Kasper down.

"Okaayy.. Big Bro is the bessstt." Kasper shouted while jumping around.

"Alright, come here kids." Elias said. The kids approached Elias and stood near him. In a blink of an eye the their surrounding changed to the village.

Irene who saw Elias and the kids has arrived waved to them and said, "Hey guys, it's lunch time. Everyone is already waiting for you."

Since they joined Elias, they were never worried about foods anymore. Everyday Elias will hunt some beasts in the Man-Eating Forest. The meat of the beasts is very nutritious for people, while also helping them in their cultivation. While for the magic cores, he sold them to the town and bought some breads and milk. Irene is very thankful to Elias, if not for him they will be still struggling to life in the shack.

Irene currently reached level 9 beginner mage. Their cultivation speed was unthinkable. If normal people start cultivating from 10 years old, they have to spend 8 years to reach level 9 beginner realm. While the disciples of a sect or a student of an academy spent 5 to six years to reach the same level. But the orphans in the village reached their levels just 2 months after they started cultivating.

"Big sis, what is the menu for the lunch?" Kasper the foodie asked Irene.

"Go see it yourself you little foodie." Irene said while kneeling and patting Kasper's head.

"Okay." Kasper said while pulling Clara and Aldrick with him. After the kids left Irene approached Elias.

"Thank you." She whispered in Elias's ear.

"For what?" Elias asked.

"For everything." She answered smilingly.

"It's no big deal." Elias said while scratching his nose embarrassedly.

"Let's go, the kids must be waiting for us." Irene said.

"Okay."...'They are my companions, my family.' Elias said in his mind

--__--

In the town, in the Lord's mansion.

Viscount Lorist Rivald, the lord of Tiris Town sitting in his study while drinking a cup of tea when suddenly someone knocked on the door.

"Knock..knock.."

"Come in." The lord ordered.

A middle aged man entered the study. He is the mansion's butler also the lord's most trusted subordinate.

The man bowed to the lord than stood in front of him.

"My lord, there is a report from the soldiers patrolling the the town's surrounding area." The butler said.

"Say it." The lord said.

"5 soldiers that patrolled the western area outside the town found a stone fort 1 km west of the town. It was located at the place which the hut of the Pledl family was. They said that the fort was forty thousand square meters wide and the wall was 3 meters high. They haven't confirmed the owner of the fort because they wait your instruction My Lord." The butler said.