Chapter 4: Reliving the Past
Hearing the inquiry, Brigan had already prepared to give the information away. If he were too worried about being deceived, his search for the Old Man's teammates would prolong, extending to a case where it would hinder his goal of finding a government stronghold and returning to earth.
After all, each planet ought to have high tech teleporting devices and controlled by the government. It was only a matter of time before Brigan found one.
"The weapon is a loan from an old man's dying request. Since I feel his death was partially my fault, I want to honor his last will." Elber nodded to the answer as he took his thumb out of his mouth.
"I see... No need to explain further, if there is anything you need my help with don't be hesitant to ask. I will try to help in the best way I can." After the reply, Elber's actions once again disturbed Brigan.
Having a serious conversation, regardless of how numerously he saw a grown man insert a thumb into his mouth, he could never get suited to the sight. "Mr. Elber, what is a God Candidate? The Old Man had mumbled something about it, but I couldn't catch it all during his passing."
"God Candidate? You don't know? Well..., it's no secret so anyone can provide you with the knowledge. There are three kinds of God Candidates. There is the God Child, the Blessed Creation, and the False Demi. Every candidate type has different strengths that set them apart from each other." Brigan watched Elber stop his hand from reaching his mouth as he explained further.
"False Demis are born with 0% god genes and said to be the weakest of the three. They are only able to use God Weapons. Blessed Creations are born with 1% to 10% god genes and the second strongest, using multiple Geno Arts or Demi Arts as some calls it now. Last, are God Children. They can use both at half of its potential, but don't be fooled. Even if the art and weapon are ordinary, a God Child can combine them and use God Arts which many acknowledges as superior techniques."
"How many god genes do they possess?" Elber shook his head in helplessness at the question asked. "I'm told that their genes are 50% at birth. But to be honest, that type of number is hard to believe. Just meeting a Blessed Creation with 1% is talked about only in rumors."
With Elber's knowledge, Brigan also understood he was a Blessed Creation. When arriving, he received a Geno Art, and he couldn't draw any power from the Old Man's God Weapon. Still, there was more he wanted to learn. "What are they? Is it something to be proud of?"
"The details aren't crystal clear, but the myth says they are the chosen ones to be the next Ruler of Mortals. It also says that the current ruler left behind numerous God Trials to augment a candidate's god gene ratio. However, these trials are insanely difficult and hard to find. Even if you manage to find one, the trial won't necessarily give out god genes as rewards."
At this point, Elber asked Brigan to wait a moment before placing down two trays of dinner. Of the two plates, Brigan's tray held the bigger portion. "Here eat up while I finish answering your questions. Hmm, where was I? Ah yes, the trials and god genes. The god gene ratio may increase but never has a False Demi became a Blessed Creation, or a Blessed Creation became a God Child. It's determined at birth is my guess."
Gulp! Swallow! "Are there any here in the village?"
"You asked earlier, is there a reason for being proud. In this village, even just being a False Demi could make you the leader. The reason why the village hasn't succumb to monster intrusions is that the village leader is a False Demi with 1% god genes."
"So I can be the leader or vice leader depending on my strength?" Although being a polite and kind man, Elber burst out in fits of laughter that was hard to contain. "Young Brigan is very ambitious. If you can gain a 1% god gene ratio, anyone can become a False Demi. It's just that it's easier said than done."
The two then continued to enjoy their meal as they asked each other many questions. By the time the dinner and discussion were over, the sun had just begun to change the sky's color. "Since its getting early, Young Brigan should rest for the night."
Once mentioned, Brigan felt the exhaustion from days of starvation and worry inundate him. In fact, during the entire time, he had neglected to rest truly. In consensus, Elber directed him to an extra room and withdrew himself.
Throughout the day, Brigan tossed and turned in his slumber. It was something that had been occurring more frequently as of late. He would relive the time right before the incident of his kidnap.
In the dream, he was going about his daily life. There were chats with the few friends he had, school life, and the solitude of fending for himself. The thing solely left to him by his departed parents were the money expenses that would go to his schooling.
With an era all about knowledge, being uneducated was the same as a death sentence. Because of this, the money expenses was also the thing he was most grateful for from his parents.
As he went further in the dream's motion, the day became night, and then the hours almost too late for his school's curfew. Living inside the housing faculties on campus, he made to use an external porter pad that could teleport a short distance of one kilometer to any given residence in range, all for meeting the goal of his curfew.
However, right before he could make it, he was intercepted by a group of twenty boys and two girls. In the middle acting as leader was the younger brother of Drick, Alix Wildspark. Everyone wore the school uniform of white and royal blue.
Standing with his arms around the waist of two girls, Alix gave Brigan a look of contempt. "I don't understand how a failure in life could gain Enha's affections but if you promise to quit the school and never show your face again, I'll let you off the hook."
"Brother Alix sure is generous. If it were me, I'd break both of his legs for trying to steal my girl." One mentioned.
Another sent a few chuckles on the side. "Just that? I would feed this little prick to my dogs. Man, I fill the rush coming just by the thought. Brother Alix, how about we rough him up anyways?"
The entire lot of youths were performing in a depraved demeanor to intimidate Brigan. And sure enough, being the average young man he was, Brigan experienced a dread creep unconsciously.
In his fright, thoughts of causing the most severe damage as possible to his would-be assailants assailed his mind unrelentingly. It was a predicament of 'get them first before they get you' kind of sensation.
With the feeling, he determined if he could hurt some and their leader Alix enough, the rest wouldn't attack. But still, with a thin layer of rationale remaining, he attempted to diffuse the situation.
"I can't leave the school. This learning center is one of the best schools offered in the entire country and my parents wrote in their will to have me attend here."
"That is your problem, not mines! You either do what I told you, or I'll take both of your eyes." The two girls held looked frightened how things were occurring.
Noticing the mood change, Alix reassured his group. "Relax, the Wildspark Family can cover up this incident easily, so don't think I'm bluffing." He said, addressing the last part to Brigan.
"Haha! That's our rich Brother Alix! Let me be the first to get dips!" Growing impatience, one of the school members took a step forward — his intent baring malice.
Consumed in terror, the response Brigan exerted first left the bragging youth entering a coma. Because of the sudden and rapid change in his actions, Alix's entourage was at a loss on how to proceed.
Furthermore, in their flustered state, Brigan incapacitated two more before invading Alix's personal space. The two girls backed away as he then proceeded to blind and beat him until he also visited the lands of dreams.
For the surrounding entourage, the courage of fighting disappeared. Instead, the majority left to call the authorities and the Wildspark Family.
However, since it got discovered of being an attempted lynch and maybe murder cover-up, the charges of assault were dismissed. The Wildspark Family also dropped the issue for image sake, wanting to conceal the news as much as possible.
It might also have been because the youngest son's blindness was curable with the current era's means.
But this dream reality didn't occur.
Instead, after the group ran, Brigan reached the dorm room that he shared with two others. Unlike most dorms, it divided in a way where a large room had four smaller sections, and the rest was the living quarters.
To a dorm room were a chaperone and three students. All rooms would co-exist between genders since it got abolished in the past for gender equality.
Entering, he laid down on his twin size mattress and closed his eyes. The moment he did, he heard sounds outside the room but couldn't move or wake.
"Where is he Enha?!! If you hide him from me, you will join him."
"Stop Drick! Ah! You're hurting me!" Struggling more, he tried waking up. He knew what was about to happen next. And yet, his body stayed still.
"I DON'T CARE!!! Here, take the money to shut your mouth. In the future, you better leave the school. Cheap goods like you aren't good enough for my little brother."
With that last exchange, the conversation quieted. Seconds later, Brigan's door was kick opened, and then he was tied with a bag covering his head.
Unexpectedly with a start, his body came alive in the dream. But his body restrains, and the bag fastened around his neck grew tighter than before.
"DIE FAILURE!!!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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Reading0Books If any reader was wondering, the use of Demi means Inferior for the skills and Halfing for the candidate name type. So ex. Inferior Arts and False Halfing.
Chapter 5: Strange Meetings
Once day hours left the skies, the youth sleeping in a soft and warm bed, bolted in an upright position wheezing a heavy breath. Shifting left and right to comprehend his location, he spotted the bright light stationed near.
Outside the room, the sound of footsteps rapidly approached the room's door. If listening well, one could tell the person was also short of oxygen as pants stopped adjacent to the entrance.
Knock! Knock! "Young Brigan?" The speaker paused to wait for a response before calling another time. "Are you awake Young Brigan? I heard noises, did something happen?"
As a person who possessed some sense of dignity, he was declined to mention the cause was from a nightmare. "Yeah, everything is fine." He calmly spoke, hoping the answer would suffice and cease the questioning.
Sadly, the response didn't seem to bring any reassurance to the speaker. "Is there really no problem inside? In this village, people rarely make a sound like that for no reason." From the disbelief heard in the tone of voice, uttering no for a retort would lead to further suspicion.
Brigan glared at the entry that faced the left side of his bed before sighing how easily he was going to shatter the small pride he treasured just to rid himself of Elber's disturbance.
"I just remembered the past, nothing major," he said firmly — this time with the belief that it was expressed strongly enough, really ending the doubt.
"Yes, Yes... I see I see..." Elber said, admitting to being the party in the wrong. "In any case, the village sights are well lit at this time. Now would be an excellent chance to explore our village. It should get you more familiar to how we live." The patriotism vibe emitting from his mouth signified how heartfelt the village genuinely meant to him.
"You really are kind Mr. Elber. I can tell you love this village greatly. Give me a minute, and we can go tour it!" Brigan excitedly replied. To him, Elber's mood was contagious. It had thoroughly washed away his previous ordeal.
"It is troubling to say, but I will have to displease you." Although Elber said the words with amusement, Brigan felt Elber should also be disappointed. If the door that was separating them opened, he could further decipher whether his thoughts were correct.
"Isn't it nighttime? I didn't think you worked at these hours," he asked in confusion. Now mentioned, he became curious whether the jobs done here would differ much in differences from earth.
"Well...," as Elber begun to talk, Brigan sled from the bed's comfort to don his clothes. "...I can't elaborate on my work, but it is something only I can do that will help the village immensely," he said evasively.
In Brigan's mind, an image formed. Of its figure, it was the first time he compared Elber resembling a turtle recoiling into its shell, even when counting their original meeting. Was the information classified? He failed to understand why there was a cause for secrecy unless the job was shady.
Striding across the small space, he made sure to place the chair back in place near the desk supporting the lamp before going to grab the door handle. To get to the heart of a controversy, one needed to address each either face to face for a better discussion.
Click, click! Both, unlocking and opening the door, produced deafening tingles to ring along the inner eardrums as the atmosphere was now quiet. Greeting him on the opposite of its frame was the same slouched middle-age man in his standard black wear.
The messy reddish hair lobed to one side emphasized his image, portraying the idea of an easy-going slacker. It didn't mesh well with his up and tidy personality at all. Nor did it show the kindness he was known to possess.
"Since you are ready, I also need to leave. I'll barely make it if I delay anymore," Elber said neutrally with his head shifting to an angle that avoided eye contact. This response could only mean that he was aware of his own evasive actions, and probably creating a guiltier conscious also.
Brigan let out a tired sigh. The enthusiasm was gone, and he had yet to depart from the house. Provided that the two of them were still strangers and Elber had been sympathy enough to render a dwelling place and free food, making him awkward in return was just terrible etiquette.
"Alright, I'll trust your word about the good sights and spend the night outside. I also need to pay that loan off." This was the other reason he accepted the invitation at night seeing.
Usually preferring daylight, if the circumstances were normal, he would choose to earn money during those hours. However, in life, not everything would go the way it was wanted. "Make sure to return before daybreak. This village still has its fair share of troublesome affairs."
Promising to comply, the two separated for the night as Brigan went the route that centered toward shopping. In his step, taking relaxed strides, Brigan had a clear objective in mind for his outing.
One was to familiarize himself with the layout, and the other was to pay the loan off before his ownership expired. When he had a discussion the first night, Elber had explained there was an ownership time before the item then became the money for payment.
Surprisingly with Elber's kind nature, he didn't offer to pay the entrance fee and wait to be paid later. Brigan also didn't mention these queries since he had been helpful beyond what others would do in contrast.
As the buildings changed, he could see the different kinds of structures the village fancied. Regarding the housings, most favored the silvery color that resembled mercury metal while casing off a rainbowish tint. Even the few that had sprinkles of moisture, the liquid was the same shades.
The minorities leftover was copper but still with its metal-like shimmer. For the spectacles ahead, it was more similar to the Information Age than his Space Age. And given the night hour plus its brilliant lights hovering over the village, an Asian style festival seemed underway.
"Such a carefree village in the middle of nowhere is amazing." He mumbled.
"Ho..."
"Now where should I start searching first?" Pondering deeply, the noise in the surrounding became unintelligible.
"Hon...!"
"That looks like a good area!" He exclaimed, seeing a shop with the name The Works & Exotic Goods in grand display.
"Oh Honey!!! It really is you! You look the same as the day we married. Have you come back to me from the other side?" Screamed a short senior woman that appeared older than eighty.
Feeling the pull on his sleeve and the shout coursing through his ears, Brigan redirected his head, placing his attention on the rude distraction. However, the old woman's mood had already shifted.
Her gaze was now facing the direction his eyes were at moments prior. "You haven't changed at all Honey. You're still interested in those fake items. I brought a lot of money with me to properly honor your death so let's use it here," she declared eagerly.
The old woman had total control of their pace as she then dragged him inside despite lacking the strength to do so normally. 'This woman's strength is insane,' thought Brigan, helplessly following.
The inside was purple, dark purple. It was so dark that it was creepy. The shelves lining was like a regular grocery store. However, most of the products displayed glass jars or glass tubes housing liquids of unknown origins.
"Welcome! Surprise me again I say. If it isn't Madam Melody. How goes your singing? It's been years since we last communicated." The store owner spoke stunned.
"Can I buy another one of your God Gene Formulas? Honey would like one of those fake things."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
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I changed my writing style a little so tell me what you all think. Should I go back to before?
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