-Chapter 9- Dethroned and Corrupted

Tessia Crestless/Eralith P.O.V.

It has been some time since the accident, a few years. I've been living in the Crestless estate training with my uncle Zanshu. I am still adjusting to my life here after losing my memory, I still haven't gotten any of my memories back yet. Uncle Zanshu has been taking care of me well,

The training was mostly light exercises until I had awoken my mana core just a few weeks ago. I was a conjurer, and when he tested my elemental affinities I had an affinity with plants and wind magic. This was wonderful news to me and my uncle. The training then became harder, we began developing my skill with plants and wind and soon enough I even broke into the dark red stage! I enjoy my time living in the Crestless estate and spending time with my Uncle.

One day a strange boy who looked a bit older than me was sitting in the living room with my uncle, they saw me enter the room and my Uncle turned to me and began to speak, "Oh Tessia, come here. Meet Kai, He is my nephew and I guess since I adopted you that makes him your cousin."

Looking at him I couldn't help but be slightly scared of him, he looked rather frail but he was very tall. His hair was light gray and his eyes were narrow slits. From the looks of it, he was around 3 years older than me. He looked at me with a mocking smile. "Hello there Tessia," he says.

"Um, hello. It's nice to meet you" I responded nervously.

My Uncle says, "Kai is here visiting for special training, so he will be here for a few days."

"Special training?" I am curious about what kind of training it could be.

"Yup, you will also undergo similar training when you're ready." my Uncle says getting my hopes up.

"Really when? How can I be ready?" I ask excitedly.

"Soon" he simply states, "For now you will continue your plant and wind magic."

"Oh wow plant magic, you must be pretty talented to be using that at your age," Kai says in what feels like he is mocking me.

"Um, yeah thanks," I replied.

"Tessia, I'm sorry to ask this but I was in a private conversation with Kai, do you mind going to the other room?" my Uncle asks in a calm voice.

"Mhmm, I'll be training out back," I say before I leave.

I leave to the training grounds in the backyard and begin practicing my plant magic. I spend the next hour trying to perfect a spell, emptying my mana core. I get exhausted from mana depletion and sit down to take a break and recoup my energy. I hear clapping and I look to see who it is, I see my Uncle clapping while walking towards me. He puts his hands in his pockets like he normally has them and begins to speak, "You did well, you're making very good progress I am proud of you." I smile hearing his words.

"Because of your hard work, I am giving you a special gift." His words caught my full attention, what could it be? He activates his dimension ring and out comes a small metallic-looking box. He hands it to me then states. "Inside that box is what will help you get ready for your special training."

Excited, I open the box and what's inside confuses me. A small black orb, no, It's a beast core. Picking it up feels heavy, it's like I'm holding a ball of very dense metal. There was no pattern or mixture of colors like other beast cores, this was just a very, very dark purple orb.

"That beast core will help you be ready for your special training, I need you to absorb the mana in that beast core. It will take quite some time for you to fully absorb it but I believe you can do it.

Confident in myself I place down the box next to me and begin trying to absorb the mana inside the core. Only, it won't come out, it was like trying to drink a frozen drink through a straw. I keep trying but all my attempts prove in vain.

"I'll leave you with that, have fun." My Uncle starts walking away waving back at me.

I continue trying to absorb it. For about twenty minutes before deciding to give up. I put the beast core down next to me and grab the box so I can put it away. I open the box and reach to grab the beast core but it's not there. I look around to see if it rolled away but I hear footsteps walking towards me.

I see Kai walking towards me while tossing the beast core in the air and catching it in his hand, he then holds it up between his pointer finger and middle finger. "Looking for this?" he says in an unpleasant tone.

"Yes, give it back." I retorted.

He ignores my demand and he clasps the east core covering it with his entire hand, "Hmm, It looks like you made no progress with this, maybe I should take this off of you, you clearly can't use it."

"No, give me the beast core back, it's mine. I need that to get stronger." I say slightly annoyed.

"Why don't you make me?" He mockingly retorts.

I quickly get up and run at him, I take out my wand and say a chant that then summons lots of vines to extend towards him. I secretly send some vines underground to go behind him. (Yes I gave her the ability to use vines even though she doesn't have the elderwood guardians beast will, they still fall into the category of plant magic and they suit her character well. If one of you finds somewhere in the novel where she uses a different kind of plant then please comment on it.)

He swiftly evades all the vines coming at him not even using magic to enhance himself, I begin muttering a chant while I bombarded him with vines. I launch the spell Great Wind at him sending a strong gust of wind pushing him back quite a bit.

'YES!' he was pushed back directly into my trap, the vines underground sprout up and wrap themselves around his ankles. I chant one last spell to finish him, tons of vines are extended to attack and bind him.

But suddenly. *swish swish swish* (cringe), all my vines are cut up and stopped. He is freed from my trap and begins walking towards me. Fearful I begin taking a few steps back, but then my ankles and wrists are grabbed and wrapped up with some kind of metal string.

"You are rather strong, but not strong enough, I commend your effort though, so that's why I'll give this back." he smiles twistedly and releases me from the strings, he lays out his hand, and in it is the black beast core, "Take it. You'll need it," he says mockingly.

I snatch it out of his hand and turn away heading back to my room.

"What, no thank you?" he laughs.

I enter my room and slam the door in frustration, 'How did he do that, how can he be so strong?'

I lay down on my bed angry and I look at the beast core in my hand. 'I'll show him I'm not just a push-over.' I decide to have another attempt at absorbing the mysterious beast core. Somehow the mana begins to flow into my body and slowly into my core, the mana flowing through my body feels cold and heavy almost weighing my body down. I begin to use it to purify my mana core and the progress I make with it is astonishing.

After some time I get used to the feeling of the mana a bit, It feels refreshing in my mana veins into my core. It's like I was feeling true power, I will definitely be strong enough to do the special training and beat that stupid Kai. 'Just you wait Kai, I'm going to wipe that disgusting smirk off your face.'

Kai Crestless P.O.V.

Walking into the mansion I look around for a specific bookshelf, I find what I'm looking for and place my hand on a specific book, 'The Encyclopedia of Dicathen' I begin inserting mana into it and suddenly the entire bookshelf moves to the side. Past the bookshelf is stairs heading down to a secret basement. I walk down and am brought to a long hallway with dim lighting, 'This decor is tacky, it's almost like he wants people to know this is an evil lair.'

Walking down the dim hallway, the sound of my footsteps bounced off the sides of the walls. I eventually reach the part of the hallway with doors to different rooms, I walk to the room at the end of the hallway and enter. Inside I find Zanshu standing over a screen, on the screen I see Tessia meditating with the beast core.

He turns to me and asks, "What did you do?" in an angry tone.

"Calm down, I just simply gave her some 'motivation'," I reply

"Motivation? She shouldn't be able to absorb the mana in the beast core yet! You can't harm her, she is just a young girl!"

"Says the man that kidnapped her and wiped her memory." I retorted.

"I didn't kidnap her I simply found her in that auction, It was those dumb Dicathens who decided to kidnap her." He rubs his forehead in frustration, "Those fools kidnapping members of their continent for such a thing like slavery, they are as much of idiots the sovereigns claim they are."

"Why do you even bother with them like this?" I ask.

"Because, while they may be mindless brutes, the sovereigns overlook their potential. They can serve as powerful soldiers of war or even ascenders to find relics."

Sure what he says sounds believable, but something in his voice gives me some doubt. He shows way too much concern over Tessia. Don't say he actually grew attached to her. I know he never had any real family after being sent here as a spy for the sovereigns, but did he allow himself to look at her as his own child?

"You may be as much of a fool as the Dicathens." I chuckle.

"You may be right, but I know I'm not wrong," he says.

"I'll be off now, I originally came down here to tell you I was leaving back to Xyrus," I say while walking out the door.

I leave the mansion and take a carriage to the nearest teleportation gate. I am then teleported back to Xyrus City, 'I'll have to admit it's cool that Dicathen does have their own floating island." I look up to the clouds.

A transmission scroll appears in front of me, I open it to read the following.

'Orders from the higher-ups, the plans have been set into motion. You will join Xyrus Academy.' -Dranvee

I smile at this news, 'looks like I can have some fun while I'm here after all.'

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