Few Days Later~
I am dying...
My body feels both incredibly light and unbearably heavy at the same time.
Mala and Lila are fanning me while I lie shirtless on my bed, wearing nothing but shorts.
My tongue is practically hanging out.
These past few days, I have somehow survived Master Krishna's training.
One of the greatest feats of my life, honestly.
And now, I think this body of mine is about to ascend to the heavens.
[Pratik]: Hey, Grimori... I don't think I am going to survive. Write my will.
[Grimori]: Your will? What are you leaving behind? Your debts? No one wants those.
An arrow pierced straight through my heart.
Kel smirked.
[Kel]: In that case, I am willing to take your savings and your watch.
[Lila]: I'll take your organs.
[Mala]: I'll take your body if anything remains.
[Grimori]: I'll take your room and whatever assets you have left.
Their words pierced me with a thousand more arrows.
My eyes started watering.
What wonderful friends I have.
I'll never need an enemy if I have friends like these.
I sat up straight.
[Mala]: Seems like the training is really tough. I can see a few stretch marks, and you're bulking up a little.
She said that while trying to hide her smile.
[Pratik]: Maybe. Master Krishna said being physically powerful has its own advantages.
[Grimori]: Yeah. You need muscles after all.
Grimori added with a smile.
[Pratik]: Not muscles like yours. I don't think I could survive that.
Grimori looks almost inhuman with his height and muscular build.
He has clearly inherited it from his clan.
But me?
Not so much.
I wonder what lineage I belong to.
No one has ever answered that question for me.
Mala belongs to the Soortosh Clan.
Grimori belongs to the Manhath Clan.
Kel belongs to the Churuku Clan.
Lila belongs to the Bharal Clan.
And I am the only one without a clan.
I need to ask Master Krishna about this. Right away.
[Mala]: So, I was thinking that maybe we could talk ab—
I burst out through my window.
Maybe she was talking about something important, but I'm in a hurry.
I know Mala must be angry, and the others are probably laughing.
Even I smiled imagining it.
Today, I am going to learn about my origins no matter what.
I reached Master Krishna's office.
Damn it.
I'm still wearing shorts and no shirt.
Thankfully, it was only Master Krishna, Sir Arun, and Sir Tego in the offi—
Wait.
What is Sir Tego doing here?!
I nearly choked when I saw him.
[Tego]: Yo, the shorts boy. Long time no see.
Yeah.
He is one of the strongest members of our Society.
Physically, he surpasses Master Krishna and Sir Arun by a massive margin.
He is more than two metres tall, and muscles stretch across his body with every movement.
He is Grimori's elder brother and, deep down, a genuinely kind man.
His heart is somehow even bigger than his body.
[Pratik]: Good morning, Sir Tego.
[Arun]: It's evening, by the way.
Damn it.
My sense of time is completely messed up.
I've been sleeping randomly and waking up without realizing whether it's day or night.
[Krishna]: Why are you here again? Want more training today?
He said it with an obvious teasing tone.
[Pratik]: I want to know my last name.
Huh?
I mean, I've asked him this many times before, but he never answered.
So... he really doesn't know?
Sometimes I wonder if I am even human.
Could this be the result of those experiments performed on humans during the 1994 invasion?
[Pratik]: But as a fellow human, you should at least have kep—
[Krishna]: I ain't human.
He said it with a completely straight face.
[Krishna]: I'm a Terracoling.
I looked at Sir Arun.
I needed some explanation for this sudden plot twist.
Before I could even ask, he seemed to predict my question.
[Arun]: Sorry, but I'm not human either.
[Arun]: I'm from the Royal Terraco Bloodline.
I slowly turned towards Sir Tego with my ape-like confused expression.
I waited for the next twist.
[Tego]: Don't look at me like that, shorts boy. I'm completely human.
The one who doesn't look human is human, while the ones who look human aren't human?
My brain isn't braining.
What the hell is going on?!
*
Monster Realm
"Seems like the egg is ready to hatch, Lord Kae."
Said someone standing within the bright light.
It was Kara, one of Kae's knights.
Kae sat upon his throne with his usual smile.
[Kae]: "That is pleasing to hear. Cast it upon Earth, and let us witness how it hatches."
[Kara]: Is it really fine?
[Kae]: "One questions only when uncertainty dwells within his heart. Whatever I declare shall become certainty."
Hearing those words, Kara immediately cast his spell and departed alongside the egg.
Kae continued watching with his usual smile.
[Kae]: "Let us see if our little hero can protect himself. No... let us see whether he can save the world. That egg shall hatch after four years. Until then, all things shall wait."
And four years passed with little threat.
Then came the year 2009.
What began was a dark age.
The egg cracked.
Time remaining until the announcement of the Pikra War: 7 months.
To be continued...