Chapter 2: Hope

"In approximately five days."

"I won't be able to attend your funeral." Josh said, feeling even more grief.

Josh would not be able to attend Danny's funeral, as he would be going to compulsory military training, which could not be ignored, even by children of the elite.

"It doesn't matter, just make sure when you come visiting you're with a girl, maybe with a few kids too and you bring flowers along." Danny chuckled.

Josh didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his old mas attitude. What normal person would joke about their death?

"How come you never got together with a woman old man?" Josh asked a question that bothered him. In all his years of knowing Danny, they had never discussed about Danny's love life.

Danny sighed deeply, "What happens when two people of opposite come together?"

"They hug?" Josh shrugged with a mischievous smile on his face.

"It's no wonder that even with your frightening intellect, you never got a perfect score in Biology."

"Well, every hero has their flaw don't they?"

"They do..."

"So what are you trying to say, old man?"

"If I ever did let myself fall in love with a woman and we got together, we'll have a child whose father will die a few years after he, or she is born." Danny sighed.

How could he not want to have children? It was the dream to have a family, but having a family was not all there was to life. One could still be happy and fulfilled even if he didn't have any kids to carry on his legacy.

Getting into a relationship that would probably end in marriage would be a cruel thing to do. He would die in a few years and leave his wife in grief, and his children fatherless. Danny did not want this, so he did his best to not fall in love.

Vowing to not fall in love for an entire lifetime was easier said than done. Over the years Danny met beautiful and wonderful women he would've been happy to spend the rest of his life with. But he chose not to engage women too much so he wouldn't make a mistake he would regret. This was his cruel fate.

"I understand." Josh nodded, if he was in Danny's shoes, perhaps he too would make the same decision.

Danny walked to his bag and brought out an ancient-looking book with runic inscriptions on it.

"Here is something to remember me by." Danny gave Josh the book.

Josh looked at the runic inscriptions with raised eyebrows, he had never studied runes so there was no way he could translate them.

"Thanks, where did you get this by the way?" Josh asked.

"My dad gave it to me, seeing that you're the closest thing I have to a son, I thought you should have it." Danny replied.

Josh was really touched by Danny's reply, "thanks, old man."

"Anytime," Danny nodded, "it's never opened before though. Maybe it could open up for you who knows."

"Is it some kind of legendary book?" Josh asked.

"How should I know," Danny shrugged, "why don't you try opening it."

"What if it doesn't open?" Josh asked, no one in his family line had been able to open it, how was he, a kid just like any other going to achieve that feat and pry into the secrets the book held?

"Then you'll pass it down to your kids." Danny replied.

Josh took a deep breath, he held the edge of the front cover and tried pushing it upwards.

"You actually managed to open it, you little scoundrel!" Danny screamed at the top of his voice.

This book was no simple book, it had been in circulation for more than a thousand years and no one had been able to open it. It was then assumed that the book was searching for someone 'worthy'.

Josh could not hear his old man's scream or see the look of surprise on his face, as he too was in shock, his heart stopped as he read the contents of the screen that suddenly appeared before him.

[Host: Joshua Zhane]

[Race: Half-Vampire]

[Level 0/100]

[Reach level 100 to reveal the clue to the first Mystic piece]

[HP: 40]

[Stat points: 0]

[Strength: 7]

[Agility: 9]

[Stamina: 10]

[Mana: 25]

[Magic affinities: Fire & Blood]

Josh pinched his skin to be sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Can you see the screen in front of me old man?" Josh asked Danny, to be sure that he was the only one that could see it.

"What screen?" Danny looked around to see the said scene.

Josh thought hard about how to explain the system and how it worked to Danny, and he suddenly got a stroke of inspiration. Danny had read some light novels,  he would understand when he told him about the system.

"You remember those novels I usually read?" Josh asked Danny.

"Light novels?" Danny remembered reading some novels.

"Yes," Josh nodded "you read a few of them didn't you?"

Danny nodded.

"You know about systems right?" Josh asked.

"Yes," Danny looked at Josh with wide eyes, "Don't tell me!"

"Alright, I won't." Josh made the gesture of zipping his mouth shut.

"You got a system when you opened that thing!" Danny yelled in excitement. The feeling parents felt whenever their child made progress was the same as Danny was feeling at the moment.

"Looks like the book was really a valuable treasure after all." Josh grinned in happiness.

Danny looked at the book and noticed there was something written on it, "Looks like something is written on it." Danny drew Josh's attention.

"Oh, I was too excited to notice." Josh said, noticing the writing.

"Happiness clouds the mind, it's like a drug." Danny remarked.

"Sometimes you sound like a wise old sage you know." Josh chuckled.

Danny flipped his hair, "I am awesome after all."

Josh shook his head at his old man's antics and focused on what was written in the book.

A long time ago, the demons came together and decided that they were a race superior to all, and should have total control of the planet Earth.

Wars were waged, and millions died all because of the demons' thirst for power. The leaders of; the Humans of both continents, Vampires, Elves, Werewolves, Giants and a demon traitor, all used the last of their powers to seal the demons to their continent.

When the demons had been sealed to their continent, rumours emerged that a treasure in the form book had been born from the sheer power of the seven leaders.

I am the book.

Josh and Danny looked at each other at the same time.

They continued with their reading.

When the demons were sealed, and the seven leaders 'disappeared', fragments of their souls were attached to their various continents. These fragments are called, 'The seven mystic pieces'.

You have been chosen to unite the seven mystic pieces and gain their power. You will face challenges, suffer grief and face life-threatening situations to gain this power.

Complete the quest given to you by the system and I will give you the location of the first mystic piece.

Josh shut the book.

"You've got a lot of work to do kid." Danny pat Josh on the back.

"Why me though?" Josh asked.

Apart from his above-average memory retention capacity, and amazing physique, there was nothing special about him. So why did the book choose him?

"Let's just assume that you have a pure heart." Danny shrugged.

"Pure heart? What if I decide to use the power of the mystic pieces to rule the world?" Josh scoffed.

He was not what you would consider 'righteous', he had his fair share of flaws, just like everyone else. Although he lived by a strict moral code. Even if he somehow gained this power, all he would do is explore the world, seek new adventures and grind! He would not have time for conquering kingdoms or anything of that sort. He was a simple man.

"Maybe you have something others don't." Danny shrugged.

"Two per cent body fat?" Josh chuckled.

Danny shook his head smiling, "I strongly believe the book would not choose a serial killer."

"You may be right on that." Josh agreed with Danny's line of reasoning. If a serial killer got hold of this book, in a few years the world would be in utter chaos.

"Now that you have the potential to become one of the strongest men in the I want you to remember something." Danny looked into Josh's eyes, like a father would do when talking to his son.

"No matter what you do in your quest for power, never lose your good heart."

Josh nodded in understanding. He would never turn into a psycho-power-intoxicated freak.

"I'll keep on making my bed, don't you worry about that." Josh grinned.

Danny smiled, "A good heart is golden."

"So this is it? I'm never going to see you again." Josh's eyes watered.

"Whenever you get stronger you'll remember me." Danny wiped a teardrop from Josh's eye.

"Thank you for this gift." Josh traced the runes on the book.

He now had a chance to become an awakened. His life had changed for the better, and it was all because of one man.

"Don't cry too much kid, it'll be sickening to watch you cry yourself to sleep every night." Tears dropped from Danny's eyes.

Josh looked into Danny's eyes and embraced him tightly. The teacher and student pair hugged for several minutes, soaking each other's shirts in tears.

"Don't come to the other side too quickly will you?" Danny held Josh's shoulders.

"I won't keep you waiting for too long." Josh chuckled, and grabbed his stuff, preparing to take his leave.

Josh took one last look at his old man, "Goodbye dad."

"Goodbye, son."

Josh left without taking another look at Danny.