Return to Earth

"At least you won't die now."

A voice entered his ears as he smiled bitterly at the person who had said those words, Akash.

Having heard about his death too many times already, he wasn't amused anymore.

Thus, he channeled his aether to form eight spears, which were the maximum amount he could form without messing up the details.

Watching the spears appear on Ace's back, Akash hid behind Larry, who smiled bitterly.

"Alright, guys. Stop playing around."

"Akash, doesn't it seem weird that the youngest-looking kid is reprimanding us?"

"To be fair, I am the strongest."

"Fair. Anyway, could I have money, Akash? You're allied with Earth, aren't you?"

"Sure, here."

He created a brand new phone using mana, clearly showing the perks of being the Fragment of a Primordial.

Then, he passed it to Ace. Opening up the phone, he was utterly stunned by what he saw.

[Ace Ambrosia - C100,000,000,000]

"A 100 Billion!?"

"Pocket change."

"Damn."

Although Akash and Larry could fly in outer space on their own, since they had Ace with them, that was going to be a problem.

Thus, they rented a spaceship, which was extremely difficult to find in a place where spirits can't leave the Spirit Realm.

Only Spirits of the Royalty Class are permitted to leave the Spirit Realm.

"Where will you guys be going?"

"Well, for now, we're going back to our domains. We'll meet again someday… I hope."

Nodding his head slightly with a bitter expression on his face, Ace headed towards the spaceship, entering it without turning around.

All three of them could sense the tense atmosphere, and didn't want to ruin it by talking.

Whoosh!

As the spaceship began moving, Akash spotted Ace waving through a window.

Smiling faintly, he waved back.

Once the spaceship had left, he put his hand on Larry's shoulder, and whispered…

"We should go, Larry."

"Yeah."

Sighing, they both began flying, heading to their own domains.

*

*

*

As Ace's spaceship neared Earth, he was stunned by the change it had gone through, which was visible from Outer Space.

There were buildings that rose almost all the way above the atmosphere, many spaceships were flying around the planet, and there were bridges larger than countries.

Since the continents had all come together to form the Pangea 500 years ago, that left room on the ocean for artificial continents created using metal that either float on the water, or are connected to the seabed.

This wasn't unexpected, however. The variable that shocked Ace was that all of this had happened in only a year and a half.

He wasn't even sure if the aliens Akash was talking about had settled down on the Earth yet, or if the Factions had changed.

He was completely clueless about life on Earth, even though he had lived on the planet for 23 years.

-{We are entering the atmosphere of planet Earth}

A robotic voice resounded throughout the spaceship as the pilot, which was an artificial human, prepared for landing.

Despite the commotion, no one on Earth raised a fuss as they calmly let the spaceship land.

'Had Akash or Larry booked my landing beforehand?'

He wondered as he exited the spaceship elegantly, heading towards the exit.

He didn't bother with any checks as Akash and Larry would have taken care of it, and instantly entered Bryxton City.

What he was unbeknownst to, however, was that Bryxton had enlarged, and that the fact that it was now the size of two cities.

"First, I need to go to the Academy. Second, home."

He quickly reviewed his next destinations and activated [Blitz Step].

Immediately, ripples formed in the atmosphere as he blasted through the streets at inhumane speeds.

In only three minutes, he neared the entrance of Academy 07.

Entering the campus, he headed towards the principal's office, and only stopped when he arrived at the door, ignoring all documentation needed to enter the school without being a student.

Since he had power, he was going to use it.

Although, he regretted not doing the paperwork because it might get him kicked out soon.

Knock Knock!

He knocked on the door, expecting a response.

Sure enough, two seconds later, he received one.

"Come in, Ace."

A gruff voice came from the inside, as he opened the door, he spotted Felix Edwards smoking a cigar while sitting on his office chair.

Beside him was Phantom, his butler and bodyguard.

"Ah, I see you have Phantom with you."

Ace teased, letting him know that he had information that he shouldn't know.

This would make Felix vigilant against Ace.

As expected, an icy glare was immediately directed towards him.

"Calm down, Phantom. I'm not going to tell anyone about Anatropi."

Immediately, the eyes of the two figures widened as they drew their weapons.

Mana surged around the two as the atmosphere immediately stiffened around the two.

"Now that I've done that, can we talk?"

He asked, forming a chair using mana, which surprised the two figures.

They could never expect a first year student who died a year and a half ago to suddenly appear with such high mana control.

Phantom suspected the boy to be at least C+ Rank by the mana he used, and A- Rank by the strength and control he displayed.

However, Felix had guessed the exact rank of the boy, B-.

"Fine. We can talk."

Enraged by this decision, Phantom tried to reason with Felix.

"But, we can't ta–"

"He knows about you and Anatropi. And by the looks of it, he knows about OTF as well."

Nodding with a bright smile on his face, Ace lightly tapped his fingers on the chair he had created using pure mana, which glowed white.

"I can't waste too much time, so I'll summarize it. I know about Anatropi, OTF, Jackson, Irene, and Bhargav. My request is for you guys to let me join Academy 07. In return, I'll assist you in your endeavor."

"What do you mean you can assist us?"

"Knowledge? Or maybe…"

Immediately, the room turned dead silent.

The lights suddenly turned off as everything flipped over, causing a big mess.

However, this wasn't what was in the spotlight.

Eight detailed flowing spears of aether, thirty-two fireballs, sixteen arrows made using dark magic, and finally…

A fully charged 'Diagonal Devastation'.

Ace felt excruciating pain at this moment, but he had to show his skills off in order to be able to join the Academy, and go along with his plan.

Watching this, the eyes of the two figures almost bulged out of their sockets as they never expected a third year student to be capable of… this.

Of course, both of them could easily overpower Ace.

However, his growth surpassed all bounds of what humans have been able to do until now.

"Just what did you go through during the past year and a half?"

Phantom voiced out, earning a disdainful glare from Felix for losing his dignity.

He instantly shrunk back down at his master's words.

"So, you want to join the Academy, huh?"

"Indeed. I believe the Academy can be a great learning oppurt–"

"Cut the crap, Ace. Fine, attend the Academy. However, in two years, when your Academy days end, you will help the OTF. Deal?"

Already having thought of this, he said…

"Deal."

"I'll do all your paperwork. Academy already started, but you can join tomorrow, on the second day."

"All right."

Ace nodded as he extended his arm for a handshake.

Looking at his hand, which was filled with calluses, Felix accepted the handshake.

However, he couldn't help but wonder…

'Just what has he been through during the past year and a half.'

He didn't bother asking Ace about how he survived, because he knew it would be useless to get information from someone you just made a risky deal with.

However, he would definitely dig into this.

"I'll take my leave now, Felix, Alexandros."

Phantom's eyes narrowed to slits as he heard his real name, which he had stopped using years ago, being mentioned so casually by a random boy.

However, now that the random boy had made a deal with his master, he naturally couldn't shred him to pieces like he planned to do before.

Smiling ever so slightly, Ace left the room, carrying his blade with him.

At the last moment, he let his blade slide down from his scabbard, enabling Felix to get a quick view of the blade.

Then, he closed the door.

As soon as he did, however, Felix fell to his knees, staring at the door which had just been closed shut.

"W–What's going on, master?"

"T–That blade. A God has forsaken us…"

Perplexed by his indecipherable words, he didn't know how to react.

*

*

*

After leaving the academy, he headed towards his home.

Having left for a year and a half, he noticed severe changes in life on Earth.

Several species that he didn't recognize were walking on Earth as if it were casual.

Well, it was casual for those who had been living on Earth since other species settled on the planet, but for Ace, it was weird.

Not paying mind at all, however, he increased his speed, reaching his home in under two minutes.

Night had already fallen, but his home was still lit up, indicating that his family wasn't asleep yet.

He thought he was going to have a normal visit, but soon realized they thought he had died.

Feeling his heart sink, he approached the door.

Could he open it and say it was all a joke?

No, of course not!

Idiot!

Could he say he survived by the help of a mighty figure?

Of course, it really happened, but his family wouldn't believe him.

There was no point telling them about his regression, since it would only cause more problems that it would solve.

Thus, he didn't know what to do.

Knock Knock!

As Amanda heard the knock on their door, she told Alice to open it for her.

Alice, who had turned 13.5 years old during her brother's absence trotted down to the door and slowly opened it.

Before her was someone she would've never expected.

Silence.

"Brother!"

She screamed as loud as possible as she jumped into his embrace, almost knocking him over.

As her tears fell upon Ace's chest, he realized he had been neglecting them again…

He had made the same mistake that he had in his previous life.

Now, he could make excuses such as "Akash and Larry abducted me" but it wasn't going to change anything.

He had to accept that fact and improve.

He wrapped his sister inside her arms and held her, unmoving.

She shed several tears, but he stayed dead silent.

Soon, Amanda and Adam came outside to check what was going on, and when they did, they fell on their knees.

"Ace…"

His mother said in a soothing tone as she held his face gently.

She stared into his eyes and then embraced him once again.

After the reunion was complete, they entered the living room to start dinner.

All three of them were still shaken up by the sudden arrival of their family member who they thought was dead.

As they ate their food, no one said a word. It was clear that they still felt awkward since they had no information of where they had gone.

Adam was the first one to address the point.

"Ace, what happened to you in the dungeon."

Ace pondered whether he should tell them about Akash and Larry.

Since he couldn't contact the two, he couldn't prove his story to his parents, resulting in more troubles.

Sighing, he told them an imaginary story.

"Well, Sun Wukong appeared and saved me. The Bull Demon King was there too. They said they were heading to see the Jade Emperor and kick his butt. Unfortunately, they met Buddha, who kicked them out of the Heavenly Realm."

With raised eyebrows and awkward faces, his parents lowered their heads, thinking their son was still going through trauma.

However, having training at home, Alice could sense mana to a certain extent.

"Brother, you've gotten stronger again, haven't you?"

Not intending to hide it from them, he revealed his true rank.

"Well, I'm at the B- Rank."

The eyes of all three of them immediately widened as they stood up, resulting in many dishes falling to the floor.

The atmosphere had become tense, causing the room to become dead silent.

There were three figures who stared at the fourth figure like he was some kind of monster.

If compared to mortals, he was. However, his parents didn't need to know that. Nor did his sister.

Suddenly, Adam sat back down in a casual manner, disregarding the tense atmosphere around him.

"You're just joking, right?"

He asked a rhetorical question before sprinkling a little salt over his food.

"Yeah."

He chuckled bitterly as he motioned for his mother and sister to sit back down.

Frowning at him in disgust for lying, they eventually did.

"So, what rank are you?"

"I guess you'll find out in the Inter-Academy Tournament that's beginning in a couple of weeks."

"You've joined the academy again? Principal Felix let you do that?"

"Of course."

Shrugging, he pierced his chicken using the fork as he put it in his mouth, savoring the juicy flavors.

"Brother, I've been doing all the exercises you told me about, and I can sense mana clearly now."

Alice said in a calm tone.

Ace smiled as he extended his hand, motioning for Alice to grab it.

It was finally time.

Having taken her to Mount Othrys a year and a half ago, he had nourished her soul enough for her to be an above-average mana-awakener.

Paired with her dedication towards strength and her brother's love towards her, she could easily become one of the top fifty Conscientious Rankers in eight or nine years.

As Alice grabbed his hand, he finally began the process.

However, he needed to warn his parents of something.

"I'm starting the awakening procedure. She will suffer through some pain, but the more pain she feels, the better the awakening will go."

Nodding their heads grimly, the two watched as Ace poured his mana into his sister.

Alice screamed in pain as she wiggled her hand, trying to escape her brother's grip.

However, he held tight, since letting go would most likely result in a fatal injury.

To test something, he poured a little aether too, but receiving no reaction, he gave up.

Since Akash had mentioned that aether was a substance limited to Ace only, there was no chance Alice could obtain it.

However, he poured more, trying to nourish her soul after remembering Akash's extended monologue.

Her pain was alleviated a little due to the excess aether in her body, which nourished her soul.

However, even though the pain nulled, her soul expanded, causing her consciousness to clear up.

That in itself caused her to feel more pain.

"Almost complete."

The mana had almost formed an equilibrium inside Alice's body by what he sensed.

Since that was the case, the mana would soon enter each part of her body, become a part itself.

The aether would go towards nourishing her soul, and would increase her potential for the use of mana in the future.

Her screams seemed to dull for a moment as soon, they were nothing more than whimpers.

Her entire body had turned red and there was a lot of sweat piled up.

However, despite her condition, a bright smile popped up on her face when her brother told her to wash up while he wrote a manual for the [Mana Manipulation] technique.

Their parents were still sitting there with their eyes widened, not realizing that their daughter had awakened mana as a F- Rank.

Ace immediately opened up his phone before purchasing the [Holy Demonic Ginseng].

It was an item similar to the [Heaven and Earth Ginseng], except for the fact that it offered a better boost in forming your foundation.

After writing the manual for [Mana Manipulation], [Mana Cultivation], [Aura Manifestation], and [Body Augmentation] since they were low rank skills, he waited for Alice to exit the bathroom.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait as the door soon opened, revealing a black-haired beauty that could topple nations, despite only being 13.5.

"I'm done."

He informed her as he handed her the manuals.

"I'll be going to school tomorrow, so I can't do much today. We'll probably see each other after the conclusion of the Inter-Academy Tournament."

Teary-eyed and still visibly shaken from her brother appearing out of nowhere, she embraced him.

After a long hug, he extended his hand, motioning for Alice to grab it.

"For now, this might be helpful for you."

He said as he transferred [Flurry Steps - B], a skill he had created himself to his sister using the method, Bestowal.

Although he had lost the skill, Alice had received it, giving her a movement skill to use until she reaches D to C Rank.

"Mother, father, should I awaken mana in you two?"

Although Ace and Alice had awakened mana, their parents had never done so.

Since it needed a catalyst, they couldn't afford one for themselves. Instead, they hired someone to do it on Ace since he was turning 14.

"Will it bring any trouble to you?"

"No, not really. However, you will feel excruciating pain."

Although Amanda was a little hesitant, Adam's pushy behavior got to her as he soon agreed.

The two of them then awakened their mana through the help of Ace, and were given the basic skills.

He also provided them with a little bit of aether, hoping for their potential to be above-average.

"When's the Inter-Academy Tournament, Ace?"

"Uhh, I think it's in a couple weeks. Let me check."

Opening up his phone, he checked the dates of the Inter-Academy Tournament, and as expected, it was exactly a week from today.

"Yup, one week."

"We'll be there, Ace."

Amanda confirmed as she hugged Ace once again, unable to get over the fact that her son wasn't dead.

Ace spotted some tears, but stayed silent throughout.

In his mind, he was thinking…

'The Tournament, huh?'