Three-years later

CHAPTER 3.

Three years later.

A little boy with spiky green hair, a little short for his age, walked down a street filled with people going about their daily chores. He was about three feet tall, his eyes covered by a blindfold.

Dressed in a navy blue shirt and a sea blue top, he moved through the crowd as some stared and whispered.

"Such a cute kid! He's so handsome at this age. But why are his eyes covered? Does he have a sickness?" a high school student whispered to her friends as they passed by.

Suddenly, two men began to run, searching for someone in a panic. In the middle of them was Taro, who scanned the street and noticed the green-haired boy walking gently.

"Gojin, you can't be out on the street!!" Taro shouted.The young boy heard his voice and began to run away.

"I've never been stuck in that old palace for two years without seeing the outside world! I am not going back!" Gojin muttered, sprinting. He was surprisingly fast for his age.

The three men chased him, running as fast as they could. Passersby stared, some even thinking the boy was being kidnapped as he ran.

Taro increased his speed and eventually caught Gojin by the top, lifting him off the ground as he began walking back to the other two men.

Gojin wiggled his body, trying to escape from Taro's grip, but it was all in vain. He crossed his arms in anger as they took him away, back to where they had come from.

****

Earlier that day, Gojin had woken up as early as 7 AM, which was quite surprising since he usually slept until noon. He began planning his escape while the workers inside the large mansion—more akin to a palace—were busy with their chores.

The estate was massive, with beautiful gardens and high walls that kept him confined. The walls were always being added cause of Gojin, always trying to escape. They had even assigned guards to watch him.

The workers were cleaning and attending to their duties while the exorcists held a meeting nearby.

Ryu and Yuki had helped Gojin devise his escape plan. He promised them he would return in three hours, just wanting to see the world beyond the house walls.

Since he was their beloved younger sibling, they agreed to let him go for the short while. The two distracted the guards who were always watching, allowing Gojin to slip away.

However, he had been gone for more than three hours, which made Ryu and Yuki worry. Now six years old, they ran to find Taro and informed him that Gojin had escaped, prompting the search.

****

Two minutes later, they arrived at a park where two luxurious black cars were parked. The two men entered one vehicle while Taro and Gojin climbed into the other. Inside, a driver was waiting, along with another man in the front seat.

"Let's head back; we've caught him," Taro commanded. The driver started the car immediately, and they drove off, the other car following closely behind.

"If you don't try to escape again—this is the third time this month—I might take you on my next quest. Would you like to go?"

Gojin, who had been furious just moments before, felt a grin spread across his face. He turned away from the window and looked at Taro. "Yes!" he replied in his squeaky voice.

"Good. I have a raid this afternoon, but you have to promise me you won't escape anymore. Ryu and Yuki will be following the other exorcists since they're beginning their training soon, and they'll be going to the academy in a year. You need to grow fast," Taro said, patting Gojin's head.

All the children of the clan, along with those from other clans, were required to complete a year of training before heading to the Exorcists Academy for a full-time program lasting six years, plus an additional two years for exorcism of low-ranked souls. Only then could they finally be independent and called exorcists. The academy was known as Kōkai Gakkō.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the front of a large gate—the Seren Clan's palace. The man beside the driver stepped out and opened the door for Taro and Gojin to exit.

They proceeded into the palace while the two cars drove away to park in the designated garage for the clan's vehicles.

Ryu and Yuki noticed the two and ran to them with worried looks, each grabbing Gojin by a hand. The two were now taller than him, standing about two feet taller.

Taro released Gojin to them and headed off to meet Satoshi and the Clan's head to notify them that they had found Gojin.

"You said three hours but went out for six. I won't let you go out again, Gojin," Yuki declared firmly.Ryu instantly replied, "We'll be out for a while, so you have to obey the rules. If you do, I'll let you play a VR game with me."

Gojin's excitement grew, and he decided to heed their rules, knowing that freedom awaited him as a reward. The two dropped Gojin off in his room before heading to the relaxation hall. In about two hours, they would be heading out.

Gojin moved over to his tiny chair, a desk at the same height placed in front of it, adorned with six books that were above his reading level—though he could read them just fine. In spirit, he was beyond his years.

"Stats!" he requested from the system.Two small screens appeared in mid-air, right in front of him:

[Name Given: Gojin Yamamoto]

[Title: God of Doom and Chaos]

[Rank: Special Rank]

[Ki present: 89, still able to obtain more]

[EXP: 10]

[Techniques: None]

[Skills: The Heavenly Six Eyes: Doom]

[Host can go on quests to receive more EXP, techniques, and skills]

The other screen displayed:

[Store: Locked!!]

[Book Tab: Currently unavailable]

[Main Goal: Become the acclaimed Celestial in a God's rank]

[Level: God Beginner]

[Vault: Reach level! The OverLord]

"That's understandable. So can I control or even restrain my eyes' gaze?"

[Yes, Host can restrain the power that the Heaven's Eyes hold. Host has to obtain a special technique called RUNO for restraint.]

[Difficulty in obtaining: Easy]

"Yes!! So if I go on quests, I will be able to get the technique. But when will I receive quests?"

[When Given by the system]

Gojin shifted his gaze away from the screen to look outside the window. He stood up from the chair, closing the system tab with just a thought.

A teddy bear was tied to his bedside; he had done this himself. Moving over to the teddy, he bent down to its height. Gojin proceeded to open one side of the blindfold—the left side—revealing a green eye, resembling a glowing emerald.

The moment his gaze fell on the doll, it instantly squeezed and exploded, scattering soft stuffing around the room. Gojin quickly closed his eyes and lay down on the warm floor, contemplating what to do next.

The sliding wooden door opened, and Taro entered with a smile and a katana in his hand.

"It's time; let's go."

Gojin became overjoyed and hurried to grab his notepad, where he kept details of everything he saw.