THE FADED MEMORIES

[Lucas's sea of consciousness]

Lucas and Emilia's reunion was something neither of them expected. They were happy. "I never expected us to be together once again," Lucas spoke while patting Emilia's head resting on his shoulder.

"Yes, me neither not like this," Emilia smiled.

"Arrgh," suddenly Emilia screamed in pain, holding her head.

Lucas was surprised to see that, "What's wrong?"

"Ha, nothing looks like I need time to get accustomed to this new place," Emilia stood up, "So, let us begin your training." She gave a bleak smile.

Lucas stood up and said, "Yeah, it's about time... Just don't push yourself too much."

"This place, The Sea of Consciousness, I never knew about this in my previous life but, I knew what this place called, isn't it weird?" Lucas inquired while looking at his surroundings.

"Even I don't have that knowledge, but I think that The Book of Knowledge is synchronizing with your brain and that information is acting as your memories," Emilia flew towards the golden book showing Lucas the thickness of the book reducing slowly.

"Look through the memories that might help you in your training," Emilia spoke while flying around Lucas.

Lucas sat down to meditate and focus his thoughts. But this time, the information he was searching for was already in his memories.

He found out that only a weapon master can access this place. Weapon masters are the weakest of all classes because there are hundreds and thousands of weapons and, it is impossible to master all of them in a single lifetime. So, after struggling for hundreds of years, they managed to create a sub-space called The Sea of Consciousness.

Inside this sub-space, time passes differently. One year inside the sub-space looks like one day in the real world. But, only a strong mind can enter this place. By training inside this place, the Weapon Master gained more and more weapon mastery but, when they tried to use that mastery in real life, their body failed to keep up with it. In the end, they waited for their body to grow up to exert that strength.

"So, that's what it is," Emilia said while touching Lucas's head.

"You can see my memories?" Lucas thought while looking through his memories. "Yes, our life is connected so, I can," Emilia kept her hand on Lucas's head, looking at the pieces of information together.

"So, even if I train, it will be useless until I get older," Lucas thought.

Once again, new information began to pour into Lucas's brain. He found out that the mysterious green lightning can help him overcome the shortcoming of the sub-space by evolving his physical body. But, to do so, Lucas needs to understand the true power of a Weapon Master class.

Inside the sub-space, Lucas spent two years meditating and arranging his newly formed memories. By this time, The Book of Knowledge merged with his memories. Then, he began his training, trying to master the abilities of his class.

Slowly time passed inside the sub-space. Lucas and Emilia spend their time training and enjoying each other's company. After 40 years of training, Lucas finally gained the power he had in his previous life. His progress began to decline after that. Lucas's body didn't age beyond that of a 19 years old boy, but no matter how hard he trained, he failed to go beyond his limits.

"Is this my limit?" Lucas fell to his knees in exhaustion, breathing heavily.

"Don't ever give up... Stand up. The man I know never gives up..." Emilia tried to bring back Lucas's confidence, "The man I fell in love with never gave up even in the face of death, stood tall with pride, never giving up," Emilia pulled back Lucas on his feet.

Lucas's hands were trembling. In front of him was a big mountain and he must cross it at any cost to fulfill his promise.

"Is this the end of your resolve," Emilia said while looking into Lucas's eyes.

"Not the end... Thank you... I needed that," Lucas smiled a little and sat down, "I will try to think of some other ways... So, don't worry, I won't give up..."

Lucas spends a few more years trying to find a way to break through his limits.

He made various weapons using the essence in the sub-space and continued his training.

One day, Lucas kept on swinging his sword without any rest. He didn't use any essence. Sweat began to drip from his body and, his heart began to pound louder.

The sword he was swinging slipped from his hand in excessive tiredness and sweat. As he was in momentum, he continued to do so with his empty hand.

[Wooosh] A wave of wind began to form around Lucas's hand while he was swinging his empty hand.

"This wind?" Lucas stopped and looked at his hand.

"Barehand, no sword, no essence," Lucas thought.

"Human body, a weapon?" [Hahahaha] Lucas began to laugh as if he finally found a ray of hope.

"You finally found it," Emilia said as she stood in the place where the mirror was.

"Yes, finally I understand," Lucas answered as he fell on the ground laughing.

Lucas understood that any weapon in the hand of a master Weapon Master could become a hundred times more deadly than others. However, that was just a single ability of the Weapon Master class [WEAPON MASTERY], a passive skill that improves over time. The real weapon is their own body. They never needed to master weapons but their bodies.

"Hahaha, I almost made the same mistake again," Lucas laughed.

"Weapon Master class's real strength is mastering their own body and forging it as a weapon," tears began to fall from Lucas,s eyes as he thought that if they knew about this in the past, then the demons would have lost before destroying so many lives.

"If only we knew," Lucas sighed and stood up.

He looked at his surroundings which were once dark, now shining with vibrant violet and green essences. But Emilia was missing. He looked all over the sub-space. But there was no trace of her. Then he looked towards the place where the mirror was standing.

Lucas saw a note on the ground written with raw essence, [I was the memories of Emilia. Before her death, she embedded her memories in your soul. The Book of Knowledge gave Emilia's memories new knowledge to guide you. She was happy to see you once again. I was glad to see you again. Fell in love with you once again. But, I am at my limit. I am fading away. Be strong, my Lucas. I will always be with you. Live your life happily and keep moving forward. Goodbye, my love.]

"I knew it, I knew it, damn it," tears began to fall from Lucas's eyes.

Lucas knew that she was the memory of Emilia but, he didn't want to believe it. He hoped to be wrong. Every moment he spent with Emilia, he prayed to last forever but, no one listened to his prayers.

Lucas got up, wiping his tears, "I will kill each one of you bastards of Heavenly Palace."

"We would have lived happily if you Heavenly cowards didn't abandon us," Lucas screamed.

"You will pay," Lucas clenched his fists and resumed his training once again.

Years passed. Lucas lost track of time. He focused all his sorrow and anger on his training to become the strongest Hero.

Lucas's physical body evolved rapidly. His quality of essence became so pure that a Legendary class hero couldn't sense it. 

[Rosewarth Castle, Lucas's Room]

Lucas wakes up. The first thing he noticed was his mother opening the windows of his room. Instead of getting up, he closed his eyes and tried to listen to the conversation outside the room.

In the sub-space, Lucas trained for nearly 365 years. His abilities evolved beyond anyone's imagination. And with the help of green lightning, he managed to mask his age. To others, Lucas looked like a ten-year-old boy.

While pretending to sleep, Lucas heard the conversation of his parents. He extended his senses and listened to the elders of the Rosewarth family mocking his father.

"How long are you going to pretend. I know you are awake," Lady Evylin spoke in a calm voice.

"They are laughing at father," Lucas opened his eyes.

"How did you know I was awake," Lucas asked his mother.

"A mother's intuition... You can't hide from my eyes," Lady Evylin laughs.

After a pause, Lucas spoke in confidence, "I wonder, how many of them will laugh after the awakening ceremony... I promise... I will take back the throne of the Rosewarth Family."