Kapitel 1: Six years later
Six years later, and Shylock Menelaus was now fifteen. He carried a basket of grapes as he strolled down the lanes of his family's spirit wine plantation. Their spirit wine wasn't the best, but it had been good enough to secure the Menelaus family for six generations. Their quality was steadily improving.
Liam was a distant cousin who had arrived just a week ago. He snuck up behind Shylock and pulled his long blond hair. When Liam heard a male shout, he jumped back exaggeratedly. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you were a girl!" He snickered meanly.
Shylock dropped the basket covered his mouth in a feminine manner. "Oh! Boys like teasing the girls they like, this must mean you like me!" He lowered head and toed the ground. "But... are you sure you want a big-boned girl like me? I'm also taller than you."
Cousin Liam felt his face flush. The unmistakeably male baritone made Shylock's actions all the more disgusting to him. "You're gross! Weirdo!"
Shylock dropped the act and smirked. "But even though we're the same age, I still get more girls than you do."
Liam snarled and swung a fist. Shylock neatly skipped out of the way. "Let's face it, you'll never defeat me. You've barely reached the rank of a Spirit Master, whereas I'm ranked 28."
Liam stomped his foot and summoned his tool spirit. A large, heavy spade appeared in his hand. Two glowing rings appeared under his feet, one ring white and other yellow.
"Okay, I'll get mine too." Shylock reached for the place where he had dropped his basket, only to find it was gone. "Oh, so that's what your little brother was doing. He stole it." He sighed. "You two are really stupid."
Shylock closed his eyes, mentally recalling his spirit. Half a second later, he summoned it again.
His right hand closed around his basket. The appearance was different than before, a little bit cute, with a pink ribbon. Two rings rose up under his shoes, one white with a yellow tinge and the other yellow. One from a Silvercane spirit beast that was 99 years old, and one from a 100-year Carnivorous Strawberry.
First spirit ring ability, Silvercane Armour.
Second spirit ring ability, Strawberry Clones.
Mutated innate ability, Mimic.
Shylock immediately used his innate ability, while simultaneously activating his first ring. His basket changed to a shallow one with no handle, and the material changed into incredibly tough silver cane.
Liam growled and planted the spade into the ground. His second spirit ring lit up, and a long trench was created, heading towards his cousin. Shylock dodged the trench, which continued on to uproot the grape vines. He ran straight towards Liam.
Liam hastily lifted up his spade for another attack, but was simply too slow. The speed difference between six ranks was too big for his inexperience to cover. His opponent slapped the basket upside-down onto his head, and jumped back.
The basket changed into a large one, falling onto Liam's shoulders. Then it shrank into a flagon basket, fitting his head perfectly.
Liam tried to remove the basket, but it had narrowed around his neck so he couldn't get it off. Shylock fell over laughing. Enraged, Liam swung his spade blindly but hit nothing but grapes.
A few seconds later, a young boy came running. "I'm sorry, I lost it-" he saw Liam fighting the air with a basket on his head. "Brother!"
Shylock saw the look on the boy's face, and decided to quit while he was ahead. He sprinted away towards the family house. Only after he was out of sight did he recall his tool spirit and release his cousin.
"Ah, what a fun day."
At the distant terrace, a blonde woman fished a grape out of her drink. "Dear, at this rate the children will destroy the plantation." She placed the grape on the table. "Perhaps we should consider sending them back to school."
"No." A burly man covered her hand with his. "The Spirit Hall lost the war and we are on their property. The Heaven Dou and Star Luo empires are still fighting over the division of the land. Where could we send them that's safe? Especially the younger ones. There are no schools for them in the area, unless we join someone's clan."
"Then what about Shy? He's old enough to go to a school in one of the kingdoms. There are some who aren't involved in the current political conflict. He has a high rank for his age and can take care of himself." In the distance, dirt erupted. A leaf, borne by the wind, floated over. "It would also make things much quieter around here."
The husband sighed. "If only he would cut his hair. Then he wouldn't get teased so much."
The woman laughed. "All boys like to fight. His hair is just an excuse."
"All right." He stood. "I'll organise it."
"Already done."
He looked at her suspiciously. She covered her mouth coquettishly. "I've enrolled him at an Academy in the Heaven Dou Empire. They start next month." She smirked. "You agreed a day earlier than I thought you would. I'm getting better."
Her husband leaned forward. "I am not a man you can toy with like this."
"Oh, but you are." She backed away slowly, heartbeat accelerating and a flush rising up her cheeks. "I'm sorry, do you not like that?"
He approached her until she was up against the wall, a smile still toying around her lips.
"AHH! Look out dad, you'll get cooties!"
The father slipped and fell into the wall. "SHYLOCK!"
The boy laughed as he ran past them into the house. Shylock's mother smothered a laugh. "So energetic."
"Too energetic." The man sighed and kissed her on the forehead. "Let's continue this tonight."
The woman chuckled and kissed him on the lips in agreement.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein