Chapter 2: Memories

An apparently endless burst of memories flooded his thought.

He was in a state of confusion as the memories flow through his mind. Memories he doesn't know of but subconsciously accepted by both his mind and heart.

It was his memories from his first life.

*** *** ***

The world of Exortia, a world where the strong men conquer the weak ones, and the usage of magic is freely acknowledged and is allowed to be practice even by the commoners, that is if they are able to learn the art of magic or find texts pertaining to magic.

'I was born in a very chaotic era where death is hanging around in my country, the country of Ro. Beasts and brigands occasionally ravage our land. The government officials of our country are decided on the rankings of mages and swordsman, the higher your power, the higher your place in the government. It supposedly does not contain any serious damage to the people but the mages and swordsman that are in the government are full of malice and are corrupt to the bone and will use their authority to disrupt the country. They abuse and harass its citizens to the point where it can even lead to their deaths.'

'I lived and endured my life in the deepest and darkest part of the slums, in which you need to do everything, even if it includes killing others and to try your hardest in order to survive for only a day, and will continue to fight for survival. I didn't realize in my wildest imagination that there will come a day that I, a nameless nobody in the slums, will get out of that place, a place I especially considered personally as the abyss, a place where I endured all kinds of torment and it was all thanks to my master, Master Gam, who randomly met me when he was traveling around the Ro country and in the slums.'

"You have a lot of talent, 'You are a dragon hiding amongst men,' as they say to people like you. I would like you to be my single apprentice, I have wandered in the world of Exortia solely finding ancient swordsman techniques and an apprentice, you"

"I accept to be your student. I respect thou master, and ask thou, my master, to give this humble apprentice a name so I can show to the world how awesome you are, master, with your teachings that you will impart to me in the future"

"Your words hold a lot of flattery, not only do you have a talent for fighting, but you also have a talent for flattery, my dear apprentice, you made me laugh despite my current age hahaha~ You really are a very interesting child since the time I first saw you." the words of Master Gam as he replied to his newfound apprentice.

"Now...I give you the name 'Bilsmark' with the surname 'Gam' that came from my own name, I wish you don't disappoint me, my dear disciple"

'I became the apprentice of Master Gam, a nameless nobody like me, was named Bilsmark Gam which partially holds the name of my master, and went out into a seemingly endless journey.'

The mentor-apprentice pair, Bilsmark and Gam, ventured into the wilderness, the wilderness that Bilsmark who was caged into the darkness didn't know existed. Lands ravage by a sea of fire, lands that contain a vast scorching yellow snow, a mountain of cold snow that plunges into the sky which was all bested by the monsters around them.

The world of Exortia is a world governed by the Earth spirits, the Ifrits, and was divided into different races according to their elements. The Ifrits are the ones who maintain the balance in the world and are responsible for the different ecosystems in the world, if they vanished the universe will cease to exist come to an end like a plant that has withered away because of lack of nutrition.

Monsters that roamed the entire world of Exortia are just Ifrits, Ifrits that are born with pure malice, malice that came from human emotions. At the end of it all, humanity is just fighting itself, It was all just a pointless internal battle.

"We are inside the jungle of Ephysia at the border of Ro, here reside a very powerful waterfall that has enough power to wreck a three-story building alongside 5 elephants."

"I still don't get what we're going to do in this waterfall thingy you're talking about deep inside this jungle, master."

"I am your master...child, and as your master, I should train you with the best of my ability and make you the strongest, just like what I wanted too long ago."

"I understand the part where you wanted me to become the strongest because of your dream but I still don't get and understand how will this be a form of training and how it will suppose to help me instead of killing me..."

"Before I plunged you in the waterfall, I'll teach you the most powerful breathing technique that I acquired during my travel in Exortia, the technique I'm going to teach you is the result of the experiences and knowledge of many masters throughout the time that I collected and put all together, It is the foundation that made me form this one single technique: the Don Breathing Form"

"After mastering the complete technique of the Don Breathing Form, You are gonna stay in the waterfall until you can jump up until the top of it," Master Gam said with an excited and smug look on his face.

"No, Wait-"

And there goes the hellish training of Bilsmark, It was a nonstop battle against his own limits for 5 years, 3 years of training for the Don Breathing Form, and 2 years trying not to be crushed by the waterfall and aiming to jump to the top of it. Bilsmark was not allowed to go outside the boundaries his master made around the waterfall and interact with other people during his 5-year training.

'It has been 5 years since I went through that freakish training, and I seem to have grown stronger many times as before, my body is built as heck. My master went out last 3 weeks to go to the town downhill and not yet come back, maybe something happened...Nah that's my master we're talking about, he's the strongest guy I know so there shouldn't be any problems, let's just go back and eat, I'm seriously hungry right now.'

~Grrr

It was the start of the upcoming doom.

One week has passed since he finished training in the waterfall and during his wait for his master to arrive, he practiced the immortal Sword Technique, a sword technique that is known to everyone and a technique his master acquired through many battles and knowledge from texts, his master left for him before he left. He continued to practice the sword technique for another 3 weeks until his master finally came back.

"So this is his apprentice, hmmm..." Master Gam mumbled

'What is my master saying?'

"Hello boy, have you missed me all this time I went downhill?"

"You wish!" with a smug on his face Bilsmark replied.

"Since you have mastered the sole technique I gave you, the Immortal Sword Technique, I will now teach you now the art of 'Magic' that I acquired as I look around downtown"

'Something is not right here but I can't pinpoint it out...'

A suspicion arose in the heart and mind of Bilsmark. His master, the one who even calls out his apprentices respectfully and treat him as his own 'child' is now calling him, his only disciple 'boy.' The one who devotes his life to the art of swordsman, even to the point of traveling the whole world to find out techniques, began to take interest in magic and spent 7 weeks finding its art.

The one that really arose his suspicions is his master doesn't remember teaching Bilsmark the Don Breathing Form and so with still a suspicion Bilsmark calmly accepted his mentor's word that he only taught one technique.

The master-disciple pair continued to travel in search of greater heights and as they journey for 4 months, Bilsmark continued to practice and hone his capabilities as a mage not just as a swordsman. They reached their next stop as Bilsmark came halfway into perfecting the art of magic.

"Master, where is the best inn we can stay?"

"I-I don't know, let us ask the townsmen," the master said with a pissed face

The response of his master further amplified his doubt.

'My master, who has traveled the whole world, doesn't know anything about this place? This is really fishy'

They entered the nicest looking place they could find in the area since they couldn't ask where is the best inn in this town.

"Boy, this isn't an Inn, it's a restaurant...well since we're here let us just go in and eat, my treat"

"Excuse me brother can we sit here? The other places are full so we don't know where to sit," asked Bilsmark as they get permission from a stranger.

"Well there's no problem since I'm alone, My name is Jay Taz, what're yours?"

"I'm Bilsmark Gam and this is my master, Master Gam"

"O-Oh y-yes yes, Nice to meet you too" Master Gam answered with a rather discomforted tone.

The short encounter has made Bilsmark have his first friend ever in his life, a feat that he has never dreamed of achieving, After a long chat and lunch they partially walked different paths as they go to their inn.

Bilsmark had found a nice inn, not too grand and not too shabby, they both rented a room different from one another.

"I finally had a breakthrough and two times at that, I'm 2 steps away at the pinnacle of magic, let me tell it to my master, He's gonna be super proud of me after this hahaha~"

" I can't believe I tricked that little brat of his, sorry to tell you Gam, his mine now, be sure to grant us good luck from there in the afterlife hahaha~"

'He really is not my master! Uhh, I'm gonna kill him I swear, I swear I'm gonna kill him tonight to avenge master'

*Knock*Knock*Knock

"Master? are you awake?"

'It's the brat, did he hear me?'

"I want to show you something cool in the backyard, just follow me downstairs, I'll be waiting master"

'So he didn't hear it...thanks, so I don't have to kill him'

"Coming boy!"

They both gathered in the backyard but they have different thoughts in their head. The fake master Gam thought it was just like any other master-disciple moment, but for Bilsmark it was the time for the fake to die to appease his master in the afterlife.

"You're not my real master aren't you right?"

"How did you found out?" the fake replied with a surprised look and uneasiness

"You are feeling uneasiness, right? hahaha, right from the start I already have a suspicion about you but today I finally am sure, You killed master right?!"

"You are very correct!" a psychopathic look emerges from the fake's face.

"If you could've just seen him, his back pierced by my mana sword in the back, Oh~ What a beautiful sight it is!"

"But the way you are now, only half the total stages of a mage, I am one stage above you, how can you defeat me-"

A streaking light flashed before the fake's eyes, Bilsmark had already stabbed the fake in the back, like what the fake did to Bilsmark's master, in an astonishing speed, a speed that was faster than an eye could see, it was only seen a streak of light.

"How? I'm supposed to be stronger than you" said as the fake was coughing up blood.

"Didn't I say, I wanted to show you something cool? Here it is! I breakthrough two times today, only 2 stages before the peak. I'll kill you the way you killed master"

"I, Tiej Rav, swear to haunt you for all eternity you trash of a disciple of his!"

The enforcement team arrived a short while after and conducted an investigation. Jay Taz was the head of the enforcement team and by the request of Bilsmark, it was put under classified information.

...Or so it seemed...

2 weeks had passed since the incident in the backyard. The town was currently at peace and so does Bilsmark after finish grieving for his master. He made use of time, meditating, and hoping to have a breakthrough.

after a few days, he was finally breakthrough, only one step through peak but suddenly...

"Bilsmark where are you?! You're under arrest for murdering a nobleman and will hereby be executed in this very day!" shouted Jay Taz as he broke the door to Bilsmark's door.

It was like the day he learned that his master had died, his world crumbled before his very eyes. The very first friend he acquired and trusted has backstabbed him and is now after his life.

"I have brought here a master, master that is one stage above you, he will be the one who will execute you today"

"Stop struggling and you'll die a very swift death hahaha~" A maniac smile within his face, Jay Taz that is.

A battle starts with the move of the master to the front of Bilsmark following a killing blow to a person who is in grief towards his so-called friend. The outcome is inevitable, in the part of Jay that is.

Without anyone ever knowing, Bilsmark had already breakthrough, a stage similar to his opponent but the primary factor that will change his so-called fate is his tenacity and talent, a talent that comes from within, and the techniques that he mastered passed onto him.

Bilsmark draws his blade faster than his opponents strike, and faster too. The diagonal slash through the body of the master that Jay invited made Jay shake in fear, fall to the ground, and pissed his pants, and without further ado, Bilsmark came with a finishing blow to the head of jay just like how he was supposed to die at the hands of the master.

A few days have passed since he killed Jay, he continued traveling but since his master is gone now, he just roamed aimlessly without any specific destination.

He dare not try to talk to anyone except for lodgings and food, he knows appearance and hospitality is not the true definition of one's kindness, he was living proof of that.

He continued to move forward and forward only thinking about getting stronger to appease the wish of his late master, and so he did it for months to pass and successfully entered the peak, the peak where only one can truly achieve.

His strength will thus lead him to his doom.

It was this time, he finally opened his heart to other people and slowly began to talk to them normally without any hesitation that came from his past experiences, that was the time where he met Xia.

'Xia Phunling is a girl I randomly met as I was walking on the road when the horse she was riding suddenly went crazy and fall her off, landing into me so...'

'I was contented to it but then her true side emerged'

An army of hundred-thousand troops surrounded the villa that Bilsmark bought and at the center of the army was Xia and the strongest person alive Russel Goldluck.

"Oh hello there Bilsmark, Did you miss me after I went out a bit? Don't worry I'm here with my fiance, the strongest man in Exortia, to pay you a visit"

"How could you do this Xia?"

"No words can stop this right Xia? Let us just use our hands!"

There goes the battle that lasted for 7 days, one man versus an army of a hundred thousand, it was a very heated battle. The battlefield became a very wide puddle, a puddle that can get as red as it can be, it was a battle that no one expected that will last for one week and will turn into a bloodbath, even for Russel himself.

Sadly all things must come to an end and the final event was the confrontation of Bilsmark Gam and Russel Goldluck.

"Here I am Russel, let's decide who's the strongest right here right now!"

It was a very legendary battle, a battle that no one has seen coming, it lasted for three days, both of them evenly matched. Bilsmark was supposedly stronger but with the battle with the army, he's clearly overly exhausted and there goes an opportunity.

~Gahh

"X..i...a"

A sword plunges through the back of Bilsmark and at its end was Xia.

"I really loved this scene Bilsmark, it was like the time where your master died hahaha~"

"Wh..at did yo...u say?!"

"Oh...you still don't get it huh? I was the one who orchestrated your master's day you see so...hahaha~"

"Xia Phunling!!" A shout echoed into the skies and with it, the sky responded.

With all the hatred and negative emotions that were stored inside Bilsmark, the sky responded, All pure ifrits became filled with malice, and that caused the universe to slowly decay.

Bilsmark killed both Russel and XIa with just the stroke of his hand, it was the combined power of malice and made Bilsmark into the pit of Depravity.

Bismark's emotion has given birth to all the malice-willed Ifrits and is the cause of the end of Exortia.

It was all stopped by the lingering soul of Master Gam, he helped Bilsmark to get out of depravity and so stopped the world's end and only shrank it, but it also was the reason that he died.

With the last of Master Gam's Spirit, He made a door with a special technique he learned and transported the soul of Bismark into it to resurrect.

The door will not close until the death of Bilsmark, that was the rule set by Master Gam but it was also an error he made. He didn't realize that the Ifrits can also go through and thus started the 'Revelation'