Concept of Death

Chapter 2. Meaning

Dive down into the unknown

Goodbye on everything you own

Now follow along

As we sing a song

Into a place

Beyond time and space

Consciousness

Brings

Emotions

Brings

Meaning

What is life? Is it inherently meaningless? Well, to answer your question; he let's go back. When consciousness first started and life started to have emotions, then life started to have meaning. Does life go as planned, or is it just endlessly floating away. But as long as you know your path, you and your will are strong; you will never waver. 

A quote made by the newest transcender. The founder of Master George’s Academy, George Dawn himself. When he created the academy, he had a vision for the empire being the strongest in the world, not by individual strength but by unity. Crystal empire is one of the top empires in the world. Inside its capital city of jade was a child sitting cross-legged inside Master George’s Academy’s dorm. Within the room, there was a circular pattern on the floor. The design gave a mysterious feeling. 

It was nighttime, and the academy students were in their room sleeping and or studying. Tomorrow was the first day of school for the newly enrolled. Most of the recently registered were either knight apprentices or mage apprentices.

The ranks for each were as follows: apprentices, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, mithril. 

There were ranks beyond mithril, but the best of the students after graduating was only a diamond. And only those who’ve achieved the legendary mithril rank and some high-ranked noble families know. As the everyday folks know, being mithril was a chance to be dignified with a count position if the achievements were high enough. So no one bothered learning the ranks above mithril and aimed for available classes. But the academy of Master George’s Academy taught those above the mithril rank at 20 years old. The majority of them have the chance to become mithril rank in their lifetime as those at ten to twelve years old who were apprentices are already geniuses of the empire. Those geniuses who are bronze knights and above have the chance to go beyond. When one has achieved the rank of gold, their lifespan will go to 100 and still be more potent than your average man. It does not increase their lifespan but instead makes their bodies strong enough to not be sickly. But their age limit was 120 no matter what. Unless they achieved above mithril. 

As the night passed, dawn had arrived, and the new students were lining up in the academy’s courtyard. There were five groups, each with 40 students. As the sun rose from the east.

The vice dean of the school made a speech to all the students using the quote of their founder.  Students were riled up except for a few. And one of them was Eugene Willow. He showed a dazed look as his body was there, but he talked with an old man inside his mindscape. The old man was bad-mouthing about how puny the vice dean was, and Eugene could only nod in agreement. It’s not that he looked down upon the dean, but instead, he knew how powerful the old man was; he couldn’t help but sigh in amazement. Can’t remember his name but was given a new name by the old man. He doesn’t know the old man’s name and when he asked the old man was too lazy to answer. As the vice dean finished his speech, Eugene went out of his mindscape.

Then each of the group followed a specific teacher each assigned to them. The class Eugene was assigned to was class two; they weren’t split up by talent; instead, they were split up randomly. As to give everyone an equal chance to learn. The class started, and the teacher wrote his name on the board, introducing himself to the class. The course typically started as each student was introduced. Saying their age, stating whether they were from a noble bloodline or not, and lastly, their attainment on knighthood or mages.

The ranks were separated from low, mid, high, and peak before the next level was achieved. Half the classes were apprentices of peak rank, while a third was of bronze varying from low to mid. And the six were bronze, all at the peak. It was finally Eugene’s turn, and he said.

“The name’s Eugene Willow, I’m currently eleven years old and a mage of silver rank,” continued saying, “a commoner,” everyone gasped. A commoner without any resources has achieved silver. Even if it's the lowest rank, it was more than just outstanding it was once every two centuries. A silver rank mage can cast a spell to make a hole in a stone wall with a five-meter thickness, with a casting time of two to three seconds.

The teacher then spoke after twenty seconds, saying. “Yes, one of the few silver ranks in this batch is him. Not only is he silver rank, but he’s also a dual element mage.” As the knowledge to use more was hard. Only those at platinum and above could use spells outside their main one. Still, it was only at silver level strength even though the casting time was faster than gold. It was still weak. As for every rank, the multiplier of power was ten times the previous one. But those with dual elements and more can have times ten the average grade, so a peak bronze can fight a silver of low level if he had double features. The strength gap between each level from low to the peak is two times. 

So Eugene willow can fight a silver peak and beat them if he was only low-level silver. Those who are commoners had pride with them as someone from a low status the same as they reached the strength of silver at eleven. While some of the nobility were jealous, and some were planning to recruit him to their family. Everyone wanted to sit next to Eugene to talk with him, but Eugene was at the farthest table of the class alone; no one was sitting right beside him nor in front of him. Some wanted to stand up and get close, but before they could move, the teacher said, “No one is allowed to move from their current setting; the class is starting now.” The students planning to get close to Eugene just sighed and stayed as teacher Fury Bloodeye started the class. As the golden rule of the academy, don’t disrupt the teachers as they teach unless you see a mistake in what they’re teaching. The course typically started with Fury teaching them the history of mages and knights. Hours past everyone was listening attentively. It was finally noon, lunchtime. The school cafeteria was an entire building built like a stadium with the middle part without cover. Within the central part was a fighting field. Students from all levels were sparring with one another, primarily knights. Unlike the mages that improve their mental strength to become more vigorous, knights temper their bodies. Those of the bronze rank can lift one ton using all their power, and silver were tens of tons. They have the strength and have speed above the standard bronze can run a hundred meters in just 10 seconds, silver at 5 and gold at 1, and so forth. Not only that but there are exceptional bloodlines that each knight can activate to enhance a particular aspect of their strength.

When class 2 arrived at the cafeteria, most of the people in the cafeteria were looking at them. Some looked beaten up. And in the center of the cafeteria those who were fighting suddenly stopped. In the center was a young man emitting the strength of low platinum. He shouted “HAHAHA finally the last class has arrived. It’s your turn to come to the fighting stage. If you don’t, then you’re breaking the tradition of the school”

The commoners of the first grade looked at class 2 with a hint of pity as they knew they were about to be taught a lesson by the nobles. As those geniuses that aren’t from a noble bloodline, we’re taught a lesson. And that lesson was even if you’re in the same school you’re still weaker than us. The older batch weren’t the one who were fighting instead the nobility in the same class. As those who were bronze and silver were almost all from a noble household.

As the nobility was grinning the commoners felt discomfort as they looked at the nobility.

But class two’s nobility was not feeling so well as they knew that there was a monster in their class that they can’t beat. They can only hope for the classes of other nobility to do the job.

Eugene was indifferent. He didn’t bother with the tradition as he knew the only way to move forward was to let go of the things that tie you down. He silently slipped out of the class and went to the service aisle to grab food. The gold rank in the center noticed and shouted again. “It seems we have someone who doesn’t care for tradition. Drag him here” the majority of the third graders surrounded Eugene. The weakest was emitting off low silver and the highest was peak gold.

Eugene didn’t bother with them as he knew he has to accept before they can do anything to him as the official rule of the school before sparring. He grabbed his food and sat down. He wasn’t intimidated by the people around him that were emitting peak gold. The aura emitted by gold levels were enough to make a normal apprentice-level kneel on one knee as they get closer they can’t help but lie on the floor. But for Eugene, it was like a gentle breeze. Seeing that their aura was doing nothing, they can only stare at Eugene. The man in the middle just shook his head. Then the sparring of class two between nobility and commoners started. The strongest of the commoners were only bronze of the low rank and they could do nothing but get beaten.

When the fighting was done they could only look at Eugene with a hateful look as they were irritated by the fact he had all this strength but he didn’t suppress those nobilities.

One of the class two commoners couldn’t take it anymore and shout. “YOU’RE A SILVER RANK YET YOU COWER IN FEAR IN FRONT OF NOBILITIES YOU DON’T DESERVE THAT TALENT” when the guy in the middle heard what the class two student shouted knew why they’re aura wasn’t working. Eugene was a silver level fighter. They were all surprised ‘cause a commoner has reached the height only nobility should have.they were even more eager to make him fight. But Eugene just showed an indifferent look and continued eating. The man who was emitting a low platinum aura smiled and said “so that’s why you’re so arrogant you don’t think those in the same class as you are worth your time. If so then I'll give you a chance to earn 10 gold coins. If you make everyone in your batch acknowledge your strength. How does that sound?”

Eugene still showed an indifferent look. The man then said “okay, since you’re like that I’ll give you a hundred gold coins” but Eugene still focused on his food. The man gritted his teeth and said “fine, I’ll give you ten thousand gold if you beat everyone that challenged you in this cafeteria.”

Eugene stood up and said. “Fine, if that is what will make you shut your loud mouth up.” the man sneered. He knew his plan worked and no one could resist the temptation of ten thousand gold coins. He didn’t say the entire batch but instead the entire cafeteria which made it so that even he can challenge him. It’s not blind confidence but instead, it was what the old man said it to him. The old man's challenge for him was to beat everyone in this cafeteria who was a student. Then the old man will teach him a movement technique. What he lacks now is the ability to escape when there’s an enemy above his strength.

He then walked up to the center stage. And waited for the challengers. None of the second graders nor the third wanted to start first when they were older than him. Then a challenger appears. He walked onto the stage and greeted Eugene with a sneer and said “The name’s Rav, You better remember it well.” Each stage is 200 meters in length and width. They stood 100 meters apart from each other. Then the match started. Rav was a mage of the silver rank; he was mid silver. He cast a wind blade to Eugene’s direction chanting “Air turn to wind, wind turn to blades.” but Eugene was one step ahead; he chanted “wall of earth appears, seismic wave emit.” made a stone wall appear with a thickness of 10 meters. Blocking the wind blade and the line of sight of Rav. Then Eugene using a spell that detects vibration of the earth he quickly found out where the opponent was at and summoned a dome of stone; chanting “earth create a dome” blocking the airflow of Rav making him incapacitated within seconds then Eugene lifted the spell. Leaving an incapacitated Rav on the floor. Rav was brought to the infirmary by his friends. 

Seeing how fast Eugene cast his spells they began to doubt that he was just a silver rank mage as silver level mages can only cast one spell at a time within 3 seconds. But then they remembered special bloodline talents that allow Mages to cast multiple spells or cast faster. They then began to plan a way to suppress Eugene. 

Every first grader is intimidated by Eugene’s show of strength; he defeated a silver mage in 5 seconds.

No one dared to challenge Eugene, looking at this scene the man emitting the platinum aura was annoyed. And said “you’re lucky to have a bloodline talent. But I didn’t say to defeat all of the first graders. I said to defeat everyone in the cafeteria.”

Eugene showed an indifferent look, annoying the man. A challenger from the second-grader walked onto the stage. He emitted a high silver aura he then proceeded to say “You don’t need to know my name now start” 

The match started, he drew his sword and then rushed to Eugene’s direction. He used a movement technique unique to his family called “slither step” an advanced technique that moves in a zigzag direction but the speed is faster than moving in a singular line within 3 seconds he was already 30 meters away from Eugene. But Eugene already cast a spell, and the stone wall appeared again but the length and height were 10 meters. The thickness was only 1 meter. The enemy saw this and jumped up the wall but to his surprise, Eugene was already gone before he could jump off his leg and was swallowed by the wall immobilizing him for 3 seconds before he destroyed it. He then proceeded to use his aura to emit 5 meters around him, sensing anything that goes near it. It was a sensing technique “praying slither” used by knights in his household to defend from the unknown. He sensed something going near him but it was too fast and was hit knocking him down. It was Eugene who dashed forward and punched him in the face. The cafeteria was at an uproar about how Eugene became that fast but one said aloud his thoughts saying “Enhancer magic spell? But those spells take so long to cast”. Enhancer magic spells are a type of spells used to buff allies, it had no element so anyone could use it but it was hard to use as the casting time took a long time and for knights, it was almost negligible as their bloodline powers already boost themselves more than the spell. Eugene used enhancer magic to boost his speed as he was in his earth armor which put magical properties into his attacks. Magical properties allow attacks to pierce through knights auras as regular physical attack does nothing to them unless it exceeds their strength and a silver knight strength at high is tens of tons.

Eugene didn’t give his opponent any chance to counter-attack he immediately cast a spell to bind his enemy then suckered punch him. Surprised by the attack, the second-grader was knocked out.

Everyone was silent outside the ring. The man who was emitting platinum aura was annoyed that even a second grader lost but he wasn’t worried there were a lot of people who were gold rank, not only that they had a platinum in the fourth graders which was him. He was confident in his fellow nobles to suppress Eugene. 

None of the silver tier knights nor mages wanted to challenge Eugene as they knew they’d only embarrass themselves. Beating a high tier silver knight in less than 12 seconds meant that Eugene has higher combat experience among his peers. Not even a peak silver tier knight could do it, only those gold and above can do it by overpowering their enemy. 

But those of the golden rank disdain to fight a silver rank. As it would ruin their image. But as they looked at the young man emitting a platinum aura they could only sigh and fight.

A young man around the age of 13 stood up and walked onto the stage. He looked at Eugene and sighed then helplessly said “I’ll be your opponent. Let’s get this over with” He emitted a low gold aura. He grabbed his spear behind his back then took a stance, he waited for Eugene to make a move.

Eugene on the other hand didn’t take his opponent too seriously. Instead, he smiled then created a stone spear instead of casting a spell he dashed forward in an instant he was already right next to his opponent. He jabbed with the spear waiting to see if his opponent reacted. But the opponent didn’t react at all; he was too surprised by Eugene summoning a stone spear his thoughts were jumbled up to the point that he didn’t manage to react to Eugene’s attack. He was knocked out with just one attack. The whole cafeteria was in an uproar about how fast Eugene was. Even though the gold knight didn’t release his bloodline talent yet they were shocked. For one to knock out a gold tier knight. One must have hundreds of tons of strength at minimum even then the chances are low as gold rank knights temper their body; to the point where it’s thousands of times more resilient than a regular adult.

The whole cafeteria was in an uproar about how fast Eugene was. He didn’t even cast a spell to buff himself but he was faster than some bloodline talent that correlates with speed.

Seeing the knocked out opponent. Eugene re-evaluated his strength; he was stronger than he imagined. Eugene looked at his opponent; he then proceeded to wait for the next challenger to appear.

The nobles were re-assessing Eugene’s strength to counter him. They evaluated that Eugene was a dual-class; Eugene was most likely a gold knight level at high or peak level. With his strength as a mage and knight; he was a dangerous opponent even for those at gold peak knights with strong bloodline talents.

Eugene waited for five minutes before a new challenger. Then a young man from the third grade approached. The third-grader entered the stage with confidence shown all over his face. He smiled at Eugene then said “most of the stories I’ve heard about monstrous geniuses like you that exist once in a millennium. I never expect that I'd meet one in my lifetime. The names Relious. Sadly we have to meet like this. No hard feelings.”

Relious emitted a peak gold aura. He then removed the sheath of his sword; it looked like it moved so slowly but in reality when it was fully released; a gust of wind with tons of pressure was cracking the stage beneath. He then activated his bloodline talent; his body swelled to the height of 8 feet and his hair from black turned golden; like an angel descending from the heavens above. Relious then took a stance then proceeded to rush forward Eugene.

Eugene with his spear made from earth magic he then rushed forward with the same momentum and jabbed at Relious in which Relious parried; which pushed him five steps back seeing this the crowd was ecstatic at Eugene’s strength but Relious wasn’t about to give up he then released his aura crashing the the earth beneath five meters around him; Aura Burst: simple but one of the hardest technique to master.  Eugene in the range of Aura Burst wasn’t affected one bit. He then proceeded to jab five times at Relious. Relious who're using Aura Burst had no time to parry. He was launched outside the stage knocked out.

The whole cafeteria was in an uproar. No one dared show disdain to Eugene even though he’s a commoner for he defeated the strongest third-grader in just 5 seconds; not with spells but with pure strength.

Eugene looked at the time and saw that it was nearly 12:15 in the afternoon. Annoyed by this fact he then shouted "who's the strongest among you here. I've wasted enough of my time here already.  Either you fight now or you all surrender." The nobles were annoyed but could do nothing as their strength wasn't enough to fight Eugene except for one. The strongest of the fourth graders was at the age of 18 the one previously that emitted a low platinum aura. 

The young man was annoyed and said "fine,  I'll challenge you then. The name's Cristopher T. Lake. I hope you don't disappoint me" Cristopher entered the stage then unsheathed his saber. He took a stance but he didn't release his bloodline talent.

Meanwhile Eugene still with the spear he conjured; still assessing his strength he readies himself for the fight.  For a platinum knight has thousands of tons of strength. 

The match started, Cristopher started the battle using a movement technique; raindrops: lake family's most powerful movement technique. The peak of it was said to be able to move in the rain without being hit once. He then rushed towards Eugene, then stabbed at him.  But Eugene parried the attack. Eugene jabbed his spear at Cristopher. In which Cristopher parried the attack. But he was pushed back by a step which annoyed him: how can someone who just joined the academy possibly out-power him not only that he was also a commoner.  He released his bloodline talent, his body enlarged up to 10 feet, his hair turned crimson red. He was like a war god bath in the blood of his enemies. He then cleaved his saber at Eugene’s direction. Eugene easily parried; seeing that Eugene was easily blocking him he switched his tactic to counterattack. His aura suddenly envelopes the surroundings like a calm lake; anything that touches it will make a ripple: detecting his opponents. His reaction time was multiplied; hearing and sight.

Eugene looked at his opponent then he dashed so fast that it neared the speed of sound jabbing his spear at his opponent who barely blocked it. Launching his opponent 100 meters away before his opponent used his saber to hit the ground to stick him in place to stop his momentum from bringing him outside the stage. Eugene looked at his opponent with curious eyes; what would happen if he used his full strength to attack will his opponent survive? With that Eugene released pressure far exceeding that of Aura Burst emitted by platinum knights he took a single step launching him right next to Cristopher. He threw a punch aimed at Cristopher; within Cristopher a deep sense of fear arises. Christopher’s life flashing before eyes; thinking to himself, was it worth it? In that split second he imagined, what was the point of it? He tried to find meaning in the last few milliseconds; Closing his eyes to accept his fate. But after a few seconds he opened his eyes again, shocking him.

The scene was shocking for the students to say the least, as the vice dean was the one that blocked the punch saying “kid, it seems that you’re too excited” the vice dean shook his head. Eugene realized his strength from the 3 feet deep pit covering the whole stage. He apologized to the vice dean then went back to his table.