1 DEATH

Outskirts of B-19 city, in an isolated patch of grass, was sitting an ash-grey-haired boy of 15.

Beside him lay some books related to finance and a torn-up schoolbag containing a certificate of excellence.

"Damn it! How much longer before I can open up a personal account for business...The old man doesn't let me use his. At this rate, the diner will close before I can start to manage it...."

[It is alright, as soon as they move him to the hospital ward, I can assume the ownership of the diner temporarily, and then I'll be able to make some more money.]

[BEEP] [BEEP] [BEEP]

the boy looks at his armband and it was glowing green. he swiped the air in front of him and a hologram appeared containing his account interface, and a notification.

[TIME FOR THE MARTIAL CLUB WATER BOY]

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! Already?? these damn books, why'd they have to be so interesting?? I almost got lat--I AM ALREADY LATE!!!"

The boy packs up his stuff and puts on athletic-looking boots which then start glowing and the boy runs at a speed comparable to a hover car, towards the city walls. The city is like a fortress surrounded by rainforest-type vegetation filled with trees and vines. He reaches gate C where an area has been cleared of vegetation for constructing infrastructure. He waves through the gate and then through the city itself. About ten minutes later, he enters the poshest area of the city where all the wealthy people live and the most expensive shops are. He arrives at the front of a place called Erwin's Martial Club.

The security there saw a boy who looks particularly out of place with his worn-out clothes and a school bag on his back. Especially his glowing expensive-looking boots made the guards skeptical of the person's identity and he intend to chase the boy out. The boy stops and fixes his messed-up and reveals his charming, boyish-looking face, which looks odd on his well-built body, which maps up to an adult athlete.

"Am I late Andre?....huff....huff...I should take a bath first...."

The guard was sure that there wasn't someone who knew his name as he used to guard the VIP section of the club. A voice then came from behind "Ha Ha the boy toy is here!!"

Andre then realized "Alan??"

The only employee of the club appointed by the Lady of the Erwin. Even if he is still underage according to the Ashtar federation's laws, he still gets paid the highest for training partners in the entire club.

Alan went in and checked the day's schedule and found out it was Lady Erwin, [well that explains all the glares in the way now....]thought Alan.

He was infamous in the club for being the exclusive training partner or punching bag for the Ervin family women and was rumored to be their boy toy who gets to marvel those women in their training outfit. And that truly was a thing of envy. The Erwin family was the biggest and strongest family in the B19 city and had almost 3 battle masters and 1 great battle master which could rival a top family from any B grade city and small families from A grade cities. these people monopolized most of the training resources in the city and their family members were looked up to as royalty in the city. wife of the current Erwin family head was also a battle master and her daughter was an up-and-coming genius of level 2 fighter. and being from such a family spoke of their pride as big families. the fact they were very sexy also mattered. and Alan was their supposed training partner. it was a rumored quality time that those ladies spend with him and this fact was privy to very few people in the club. so the overall image of these ladies was very well maintained. But Andre used to guard the VIP section where the VIPs practiced and he had seen the lady and the young lady of the house take this young man inside with an enthusiastic attitude.

As Alan was about to reach the VIP area gate, his band gave an emergency notification in front of him. he stopped abruptly and dashed out and picked up his speed boots, and ran outside the store in a frenzy yelling in decipherable wails throughout the way.

when he reached the hospital and asked for his old man, they gave him the room number and he went there hurriedly. there he saw, on the bed, was an old man who looked to be in his 80s but with a well-built body structure lying, sleeping. he went to his side, held the old man's hands, and started crying. the old man's eyes twitched as he opened their eyes and he said" ah boy...you're here...." he saw Alan and wiped his red tears. he took the blood from the boy's tears and smeared it upon Alan's armband which was his personal computer. and said "I thought about it a lot as I raised you as my own, that we can only dictate and control your past, not your future. it is up to you, and what choices you make. but there's one thing I would say to at least guide you towards your potential, that there is no one who can match you in this entire federation, my boy, you are the greatest here....just like your father was....."

Alan was completely oblivious to the meaning behind the old man's words and was just crying blood tears beside the old man. the old man focused his already blurring eyes and said solemnly "My only wish is, Just live as you want....be fulfilled....your people don't live with regrets...Just like your parents....please, Young Master."

And with that, old man Johanness died. He was the only one in this part of the Yellowspring galaxy who could perhaps know the heritage of Alan.

Alan stood up and closed the eyes of old man Johanness and wiped his tears. Only then did he realize that he was not tearing saltwater like most of the humane species. But still, he did not think much of it and went ahead to cover the old man. He had been with the old man his whole life but only now did he notice old man Johanness's physique. It was more like an old man but still radiated a powerful presence. It was full of grievous scars but his head and forearms were spotless. And his right shoulder was made up of metal. It was not the normal prosthetic body but one which was not technologically possible in the Ashtar Federation.

This stunned Alan, now he seemed to realize the weight of what the old man had said before he died. And he thought there should be a reason that he was oblivious to these things and that some things should be kept secret. He called the staff and filled out all the formalities needed in the hospital for the dead's burial. he then went directly to the city's administrative block and went on to transfer the old man's assets onto himself. People there were looking at him weirdly as they came to know that his old man died just now and the boy is already looking out for the assets. this was just the way Alan was, he felt sad, but he felt that he should not show it on the surface. it may be seen as cold-blooded but when you live in a dog-eat-dog world, without much to depend upon and your only reliance is now gone, things will change, you have to grow out of the mindset that you can trust the world. you can only trust yourself.

As he was exiting the block after getting all the procedures done, he felt a big hand on his shoulder from the back which held him in his place. he turned around and saw a big hunky man in his mid-30s with a tony starkish beard and a large red glowing sword on his back. that was the current Erwin family head, John Erwin. The man was about 6 ft tall with a lean but muscular build and had a sharp look which made his overall appearance a dependable leader type.

the man asked, "Did you cry, boy?"

Alan just gave a slight nod and said" I'll come to the gym early tomorrow" and went away.

A man in a military uniform, with a commander rank, came to john Erwin and asked "Who is this kid? His attitude was not very good towards you?"

He's a very very expensive black piece of mineral whose impurities I am trying to get rid of you can say..." [and I haven't been able to scratch anything about this mineral's origin even after trying for more than ten years]. He didn't say the last part.