Oliver

The city of Larginia was surrounded by forests and right now I was headed towards the said forest.

It was the instructors special instructions that we train in the forest.

I simply felt that all of this was unnecessary. I mean think about this in a logical way I wasn't training to become a weapon holder or a mage or beast summoner for that matter so why would I need to go into the forest.

It just didn't make sense.

I was lost in my thoughts when all of the surroundings went quiet. It felt weird but Ron was still there walking in front of me leading towards our meeting point so I thought that it was my imagination and thus wondered what would the instructor show me on the first day.

"We will reach our destination in a few minutes get ready to meet your instructor." Said Ron.

But suddenly Ron stopped walking. I bumped into him from behind because I was still lost in my thoughts.

"Sorry my bad." I couldn't help but blurt out but in response all I heard was clattering of teeth as if someone was suddenly placed in the arctic.

The sound was coming from Ron. His face carrying the expression of horror.

I followed his line of sight and similar to him I also experienced fear for the first time since coming to Vespera.

Standing in front of us was a monster which looked like a giant spider.

With its hairy body and that horrendous tail like that of a scorpion it was truly a dreadful monster out of those myths.

My instincts were screaming at me.

I turned to look for Ron and he was still standing there but his face no longer carried the expression of horror.

His face was resolute like he had made his mind. I began to fear about the worst possible outcome.

"Austin turn around and run for your life. Don't bother stopping for me. I will draw the attention of this monster so that one of us can escape." Saying this Ron's set his hands ablaze and threw a flame at the monster.

Tears were forming in my eyes. He was my only friend in this new world and even he was giving up his life just so that one of us could survive.

I hated it. I hated myself for being so weak and powerless but there was nothing I could do to help Ron.

I ran as much as I could as fast as my legs could carry me.

I don't know for how much time I had been running but I felt like I was close to the exit.

I could see the walls of the city.

I put more strength in my legs so that I could exit this forest once and for all.

But all of a sudden I was hit by something in my back and fell down on the ground.

I couldn't move forward. I turned around and a web had hit me in the back.

The monster was approaching me at a really fast speed. It was carrying something in its mouth.

I began to fear for the worst possible outcome and once it came closer I could see what it was carrying in its mouth and my fear came true.

There it was Ron's body dangling in the air his face bloodied and his eyes empty.

He had lost his life trying to save me and I couldn't even reach to a safe point despite all his efforts.

I felt hopeless and weak. I just stood there as the monster approached me.

But I refused to give in without putting all the efforts I could muster.

I tried with all my might to get free from the web somehow but the web didn't even budge an inch.

I couldn't even separate a single strand.

A shadow was present above my head. I looked up and in front of was Ron's half mangled body. The monster swinging it back and forth as if mocking me.

I glared at the monster. If looks could kill I would already killed it a few dozen times. But in the end everything was futile.

I could just wait for it to swallow me so that my existence could come to an end once and for all.

Crackkkkk

The monster swallowed Ron's remaining body and I could hear the sound of his bones being crushed.

Something fell on my head and trailed down by my cheek. It was Rons's blood.

By now the monster was simply playing with me like I was its toy.

No one should suffer this fate that were my honest thoughts.

Once the monster was done with Ron, it approached me. I thought that my sufferings would finally come to an end.

The monster lowered its head to I closed my eyes because I didn't want to see its hideous appearance before I died.

Crackkkkk

The sound of bones being crushed resounded once again. I felt pain in my left leg. The monster had bit off one of my leg.

Fuck

I couldn't help but curse out loud. It really hurt a lot. It hurt like hell.

Never in my entire life was subjected to so much pain.

Even when I had died it was due to a bullet which gave an instant death.

This monster was out to torture me.

In my death I had learnt something. The strong had the right to toy with the weak was they pleased.

If the monster was a human being it would have surely been grinning from ear to ear as it ate me piece by piece.

It had even detached its web from me but what was the point now. I could no longer run. Even thinking was becoming difficult due to the pain.

It continued to eat me limb by limb.

I had grown numb by this point. My gaze vacant. I was simply waiting for the monster to finish me in one bite, to rip off my head, to end the sufferings but unlike my thoughts the monster simply turned around and left.

As if it didn't find the meat delicious no more.

But that wasn't the reason. The monster was intelligent. It simply wanted to prolong my sufferings.

Haha Cough Cough

A weak laughter escaped my mouth that was stopped abruptly as I choked on my own blood.

Truly I was a toy for the monster's amusement. It got bored and thus left.

I didn't know how much time had passed as I lay there but at some point my consciousness began to grow hazy, my mind cloudy.

I could tell I was dying. It was the worst death possible but finally the pain would end. I could sleep peacefully forever. With that I closed my eyes once and for all.

"Austin Austin wake up."I could faintly hear someone calling my name. But how was that possible.

Was there afterlife after afterlife. It felt bizarre. As I opened my eyes there stood Ron in front of me.

I immediately hugged him.

Sob Sob

"I am sorry I was of no help when that monster attacked. I am sorry that I let your sacrifice be in vain. But at least we meet each other in the after-afterlife." I said while wiping my tears.

"What nonsense are you blurting out. One moment we were walking to our destination and the other you lose your consciousness. And do you want to show such pathetic display in front of your new instructor. And whats that nonsense about me sacrificing my life."

Hearing Rons words I felt like I was dreaming.

Was that all a dream but it felt so real. The pain felt so much vivid.

"Take it easy will you Ron. Go easy on him. He was just in the illusion I had created." A gruff voice sounded. An old man walked out as we were lost in our conversation.

Like a jigsaw puzzle assembling itself I now knew what had happened. All this time the man with gruff voice was manipulating me using illusions.

But it felt so real even the pain. How could someone make the brain believe a fake reality so much that all of it felt real.

It also made me realise why so many manipulators went crazy.

Anyone could get lost the caster as well the person on whom the illusions were casted.

It was a truly scary power. Ron's description of double edged sword summarised the path of manipulators perfectly.

As I was lost in my thoughts the gruff voice sounded again.

"Ron I'll take him. But you should hold your part of deal as well."

"Your name was Austin right. Think of it as your first day of training. Rest for the day. We will meet again again tomorrow."

I could only nod my head and "Thank you sir." Was all Ron replied before the old man turned around and left.

I couldn't help but wonder who that old man was he didn't even bother introducing himself. And why was he and Ron treating each other as equals.

What was Ron's real identity and what was the last sentence. What deal had they made.

The more I got to know Ron the more obscure his figure became. Like someone who was hidden behind mist.

But before I could ask Ron about the deal he diverted the topic and I took the hint that it wasn't a topic to be talked about so I left it then and there.

It wasn't something that I could meddle with so I went along with his pace and decided to head to the tavern keep that topic something off limits until I was strong enough to know about it.

It was a day that I wished to wholeheartedly forget and remember as well. It was a conflict between the emotions and the experiences that I had underwent.

I had first hand experienced supernatural powers for the first time and yet the memories associated with it were something horrible.

That night I slept like a log because of what I had been through in that rather eventful day.

The next day I met the old man again in the forest but there were no illusions this time and Ron also wasn't accompanying me.

"Austin tell me how do you think manipulators power work? Weapon wielders and mages train themselves in whatever they are blessed, beast tamers train their beasts, but how do manipulators train? " The old man started off with a question for which I had no answers.

I turned my head sideways indicating I had no answers.

He further continued,"The other three paths they require you to be blessed or be lucky but in the path of manipulators doesn't require luck. All it requires is a sound mind and a strong will power but yet it is the least travelled path because how these power work."

"When training with a weapon you might get injured, a spell or beast might go out of control but they share something in common they aren't deadly. You already know this so why am I saying this point constantly. It is so that you won't harm those around you. That's all."

"Now let me tell you how these power work. How you are to train your mind"

"The body that you have in this realm comes with two additions but for to simplify it lets call them orbs. These orbs are located in your brain and your heart.

If you wish to become a mage or weapon wielder you use the orb located in your heart.

Whereas beast tamers and manipulators use the one located the one in their head.

It also due to this reason that some weapon wielder are able to use elements.

Nobody might have told you this but you only use one of these storage point. And once walk a path you cant restart so let me ask you one last time do you still wish to become a manipulator?"

Was he trying to discourage me. Not that I cared. I had already made up mind.

"Thank you for caring about me sir. But I have already made up mind. It just strengthened my resolve."

Hohoho

"A good resolve. I believe some introductions are overdue."

"I am Austin Markiv. How should I address you sir?"

"I am Oliver Carey. But just call me sir.. Lets get started with your training. Try focusing your mind on the orb that I had mentioned earlier. Also I had called them orbs for the sake of simplicity but they are called as Ruiz. Focus on the one present in your mind."

As instructed I closed my eyes and focused my attention inside my body. At first I couldn't see anything. All focusing my attention did was made me able to hear my heartbeat and the sound of breathing more clearly.

But then I was able to see.

It was like I had suddenly gained x ray vision. The pumping motion of my heart, the blood flowing through my veins, my lungs contracting and expanding with each breath. I could see everything clearly.

I focused my attention on my mind and there in the middle of my brain connected to all the nerves laid the Ruiz. It was like a crystal ball and looked delicate.

I exited the state of deep attention and I was suddenly out of mind. It was weird being present inside your own body.

"So now that you were able to see the Ruiz try sensing your surroundings and tell me if you see anything."

Once again I did as he told me, I focused my attention on my surroundings while closing my eyes.

Much like before I couldn't see anything but then I saw. Mist was floating in all of my surroundings. It was present in two distinct colours. One was red while the other was grey.

But the mist weren't intermingling with each other even though they floated beside each other.

"You see those mists floating in front of you. The red coloured mist is used by weapon wielders and mages to strengthen themselves whereas the grey mist is used by manipulators and beat tamers to strengthen their mind. Focus on the Ruiz in your mind and and try absorbing some of that grey mist."

I focused on the Ruiz in my mind and tried absorbing the grey mist. Nothing happened in the beginning but after a few seconds the Ruiz rattled as if coming alive. With it the grey mist was also moving towards the Ruiz in my mind. The mist was flowing slowly. But it vanished as soon as it entered my mind.

I was surprised but I didn't let it distract me. The old man hadn't told me to stop so I continued absorbing the mist. Soon enough a change occurred. The mist that I was absorbing had condensed into the form of a grey coloured droplet.

"Ok you can stop for now."

My consciousness returned and I could see the world normally.

"That grey mist think of it as something that serves as raw energy which enables us to perform those superhuman feats. But never use that mist in its raw state. Always let the Ruiz present in your brain to condense it."

I took a mental note of that point.

"Your task for today is to fill the Ruiz in your brain as much as possible in the next few hours.So focus on gathering as much of that mist possible. Stop when I tell you to."

A few hours had passed since I had started condensing the mist by now I had gotten hang of it and my speed of collecting the mist had also increased but it the amount of liquid present in the Ruiz was like a puddle of water.

"Alright lets stop there you can form more droplets later right now it is time to introduce to illusions you should be able to form one now."

Finally the wait was over.