5. Five Years Later

Five years later...

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains covering the windows. The rays of light fell onto the sleeping figure on the bed, touching his face and rousing him from his slumber. There was a slight groan before the boy's eyes blinked open revealing beautiful blue irises.

Unfocused and drowsy, the boy rubbed his eyes and stretched out his tiny limbs before glancing over to look at the digital clock that sat on the nightstand.

5:59 A.M.

As always, the boy woke up exactly one minute before his alarm went off. The moment the digits on the clock changed to 6:00 A.M., a beeping sound penetrated the room and on instinct, the boy quickly reached out from under the covers to turn it off before slowly sitting up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. A tired yawn escaped his lips and the boy rubbed the back of his neck.

Not a second later, the door to his bedroom swung open and in walked Sarah, the boy's personal babysitter-slash-bodyguard-slash-caretaker.

"You are awake Young Master," she stated happily. "Always on time, as usual."

"Good morning Sarah," came the mumbled reply.

The lady smiled as she headed over to the wardrobe to prepare his outfit for the day. After she chose suitable attire, she hung it on the hook attached to the wall next to the wardrobe and walked over to escort the boy off the bed and to the bathroom.

"You know I can get ready by myself right? I'm five, not an invalid," the boy said feigning annoyance.

Sarah nodded, playing along, "Oh I'm sure, Young Master Dylan. However, it is my job to look after you and I greatly enjoy it."

Inside the bathroom, she helped out of his pyjamas and prepared the bath water ready.

"What are you going to do if I turn out spoiled?" Dylan asked jokingly.

Sarah rolled her eyes, still somewhat amused and marvelled at the child's maturity, before answering, "I highly doubt that would happen. You are too lovely to turn out spoiled."

"Yeah but still, you can't keep coddling me like this."

"I'll stop coddling you once you become an adult," replied Sarah with a grin. "And by the way, Happy Birthday, Young Master Dylan."

The boy snorted, his lips falling into a small grin, and said, "Thank you."

Indeed.

It has been precisely five years since Dylan, formerly known as Ronald, woke up in this new world. Five whole years passed by in the blink of an eye and Dylan was now fully adapted to this parallel universe. Naturally, he found it strange living in a world where people with superpowers existed and where portals to other dimensions containing monsters thrived. The humans of this world worshipped the strong. While technology was greatly advanced compared to his former world, society itself had continued to follow a dog-eat-dog notion. If you were strong, if you were lucky enough to awaken a powerful mana core, your status would immediately rise.

It was a world where the strong would dominate and the weak were stepped on.

In other words, the only difference that this world had from Dylan's previous one was the fact that 'mana' existed.

The humans here, disregarding their abilities, were still human.

Looking at it from one perspective, if there was one good thing about this world, it would be the fact that people's fates can be changed depending on the rank of the mana core they awaken. An orphan with no background could awaken an A-rank mana core and instantly be treated as a priority by the Awakened People's Association (A.P.A). A beggar on the street could become a millionaire by defeating monsters in a dimensional portal and selling the loot.

At the same time, linking mana core ranks to one's own worth has a downside.

Those that are unable to awaken mana cores at the age of five are often abandoned. They are automatically treated as the trash of society and are deemed worthless individuals. Those that awaken mana cores at F-rank or E-rank levels aren't treated any better. They become slaves to the government and to the A.P.A. who would exploit them without remorse.

The sad part about it all is that the life-changing event of awakening one's mana core happens at the young age of five when children have only just begun living their life.

And now, Dylan was about to have his own life-changing event.

After twelve o'clock midnight, Dylan's life will never be the same.

-

Elsewhere...

Strutting down the hallway with a dignified gait, the nation's hero (Dylan's father), Javier Vale, adjusted his tie and conversed with his assistant. The workers that were in the hallway, parted like the sea for Moses, and many of them hurriedly averted their eyes. The mere presence of the manor's Master was terrifying to them and the aura he naturally released was enough to make a normal man curl up in fear.

Ignoring or unnoticing the feelings and thoughts of the manor's staff, Lock Nolan, Javier's assistant and A-rank awakened, relayed the schedule for today.

"...a meeting with the board at eleven to discuss the recent acquisition of weapons from the Middle East. At one, there is another meeting scheduled with the team leaders of the guild regarding the guild's portal ownerships and at three, an afternoon date with Miss Park at Eléve."

"Hn."

"And one more thing..."

Assistant Nolan glanced at his boss with a serious expression on his face.

"Young Master Dylan has turned five today."

"Oh?"

Javier paused in his footsteps and raised an eyebrow.

"So the child has finally reached the age..."

For a moment, Assistant Nolan thought his boss would say something else but instead, the man just continued walking. His face relayed no outward emotion but Assistant Nolan knew what it meant.

'Unless he awakens a suitable rank, it is of no importance,' went unsaid.

'How cold,' thought the man. 'He puts on a bright and chivalrous facade out in public but only his family and those close to him know what he, the nation's hero, is truly like.'

A man obsessed with power and strength that only cares about those of his level.

A man whose own children aren't spared from his high and unreachable expectations.

'Though...none of his children have awakened a mana core below B-rank and are all powerful in their own right. I'm sure that his youngest child won't be any different.'

That was the collective thought of the workers in the manor. Unbeknownst to them at the time, things would be greatly different from their expectations.

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