Poltergeist (Part 1)

Chapter 9

Poltergeist (Part 1)

Aizawa Town (Day 15)

An old woman sat reading her Dagmara, the holy book of the Temple of Life. Humming a sweet tune, she flipped her page to read the very, same pages she had read a hundred times. Her rocking chair creaked, she relaxed. Half an hour passed, she still read. She was alone and happy. The silence was calming. Sweet aroma of flowers by the door, filled the air, but this peacefulness came to an end, by the constant muffled screams next door

"What's that boy up to now?", she picked up her cane, painfully straightened her back, and opened her apartment door. As she left her apartment so did her neighbor. The tall, thin, well-groomed man walked past her

"Bill, keep the noise down. You know I'm an elderly", she complained, "especially when you bring those girls over. I know you are young and active, but buy a new mattress or something"

The man turned around, with a creepy grin, he said, "Sorry Mrs. Rosita, I'll try to be mindful". His hair, shiny blonde, and buzzed

"Good", the old woman went back in

---Elsewhere in Aizawa Town---

"You've improved drastically. I'm proud of you", Ella and AJ walked down to street, with ice creams cones in hand. Ella held chocolate, while AJ enjoyed his butterscotch scone. Looking at her child, Ella whined in a child-like voice, "but we would've reached my village faster, if it wasn't for your constant begging to hunt monsters"

The night sky was filled with stars and the purple moon was crescent shaped. Aizawa Town had tall apartment complexes, groceries stores, and bars that stayed opened well into the night. This town was frequently visited by dungeon hunters, as a whopping thirteen dungeons were in close proximity. The sparse foot traffic made for a pleasant walk, if not for the stares and catcalls AJ's mother would frequently receive. They both had skillfully tuned it all out

"Sorry, mom. During the test, I lost all the monsters to the Riders gang. Honestly, I grew cocky and thought the mission was going to be a breeze"

Seeing him drop his head in shame, Ella asked, "You're better than most D-rankers. Also, most children your age are still E-rankers, so what's the matter?"

When she didn't receive a response, Ella lightly elbowed him, "if a son doesn't nag to his mother, who will he nag to? His girlfriend?"

She loudly gasped, "DO YOU LIKE SARAH LIKE THAT?"

"NOOO", AJ finally replied, "Mom, its just that, facing the giant Crane brothers I realized my strength isn't enough to physically fight strong foes"

Enjoying her ice cream, Ella answered, "Well, I've seen you fight. Yes, your strength is that of a D+ ranker, but sweetie its natural. It's supposed to be that way. Instead, why not build on your what you're good at. Your speed and agility, is comparable to C+ rankers. That's something unforeseen. An entire rank above"

"Increase my speed? How do I do that"

Thinking for an entire minute, she suggested, "Well, first train your senses to exhaustion. Taking turns, train them one by one. For a few hours a day, shut off all your senses, except one", pausing for a second to look around before crossing the street, she continued, "take vision for example. Shutting off your other senses, train your vision to see more of the world around you. Count the number of windows on a building, number of bricks, number of birds in the sky, gradually increasing it to the more difficult tasks like number of hairs on someone's head"

AJ was baffled, 'is this even possible?'

Seeing his reaction, she justified herself, "it's crazy and untested advice, AJ. It might work. It may not. Once your senses are at a peak, refine your movements till all the unnecessary ones are out of the equation. But remember at any point you feel damaging consequences, stop doing what I just said"

Thinking for a while, AJ smiled wide, "honestly mom, it sounds like a great idea. I'll try it, and tell you about the results"

"This wouldn't be possible for others. All D-rankers move at a speed comparable to a rank D, you're truly an exception"

"So how do some D-rankers win fights against C-rankers?", AJ had read scenes where B-rankers would at times beat A-rankers, so how was this justifiable

"Umm… you see… ranks are given by comparing the purity of the mana core one possesses. Without mana you could possibly beat people in ranks above, but when mana comes into play, victory for the higher rank becomes the greatest possibility. Factors such as battle experience, nature of divinity, remaining stamina, and even luck can sometimes help low ranks win battles", she bit into the cone

"Mom you're done with your ice cream already?", he was shocked. He was still licking the tip of the swirl

Blushing she argued, "I enjoyed it at a normal pace. Look yours melting already"

They both laughed

Looking up into the night, Ella took in a deep breath, "I love travelling. Your dad and I, would visit all these nations and places, try amazing cuisines. I really miss it all"

"Why tho? Doesn't Vratis have it all?"

"Far from it. Natural beauty is most abundant in Green Havens. A set of islands under elven rule. Technology is most advanced in Kingdom of Hozart. Their Alchemy Tower has greatly contributed to the well-being of its citizens and the newly erect Tower of Science and Technology, has already made waves with the introduction of radios, trains and a military device called Sonar", she stood in place as she said, "the only reason this Kingdom still holds on to its position is because of Duke William. He's the uncontested, strongest human ever, and Vratis' greatest asset"

Ella held her child's hand as they entered a grocery, "once you leave for Titan Academy, you'll realize how big the world really is"

The workers and customers at the mart stopped moving, but the Maxwells were unbothered

'She's definitely a noble'

'She's hot'

'Even her child's beautiful'

'Lucky bitch'

Gathering his courage, AJ informed, "Mom, I'm planning to not enroll at Titan Academy. I was thinking of adventuring using a fake name for a few years"

Ella was taken aback. Titan Academy had cemented its legacy as the birthplace of innovators, leaders and winners. It was the dream of every child, to attend this prestigious place. An important institution to facilitate their growth

"You'll miss out on the opportunity to make friends, experience a school life. You do know that six S-rankers are professors at Titan Academy? A graduate from Titan Academy is recognized as a great individual everywhere", however contrary to AJ expectations, she smiled and ruffled his hair, like she always did, "I know you're a smart boy, and you've still got two years to decide. Whatever decision you do come to, I'll support it. I know your father will too"

She picked a few ripe tomatoes as she reminisced, "I first met your father at Titan Academy. Crazy how things turned out. Never once did I imagine, I would fall in love with Abel Maxwell"

"Why's that?"

She sighed, "Your dad and I were from two different worlds. I was a village orphan, deemed to have enough potential to study at Titan Academy. Your father was a Duke's son. Rich, famous, and with enough political power to rival future world leaders"

"But weren't you the most beautiful girl at the academy", the reactions of the people around supported his argument

"That I was", she laughed, "but that's not always a good thing though. In a world where the 'one who has the bigger fist', wins. People tend to become arrogant, narcissistic, creepy and sometimes downright evil to get what they want. To satisfy their desires, they commit atrocious actions, and justify them by saying, it's what the world granted them. A God Complex", she looked back at AJ, "you're a handsome boy. You'll realize beauty is a desirable but dangerous quality. I had to fight a lot of jealous women and nasty men to keep myself safe"

"Abel loved me for who I was. He respected my interests and put in the effort to learn about them. We were equals, and we still are. He's brought so much joy in my life, hasn't he?", she entered the bread isle, "carving pasta?"

AJ excitedly jumped, "Yes"

Changing the conversation, Ella asked, "Do you know why I like the Elven race"

"Why?"

"They believe themselves to be part of everything and everyone around them. Not greater, not lesser. Fair. Every individual is respected, no matter the age, race or rank. They do believe that some have greater strength than others, but practice humbleness"

"How do the powerful remain humble?", AJ picked up a loaf of sweet bread, and looked at his mom with puppy-dog eyes

"Alright, I'll buy it", she grabbed the loaf, "The being elves worship is the Goddess of Karma. A belief system which dictates their actions pave their destinies, promotes individualism and peace. This is especially true for elves who live for over three thousand years. AJ, spaghetti or pappardelle?"

"Pappardelle"

"History has portrayed humans to be greedy and cruel. A mockery of eleven morals. That's why elves detest humans. Sure, we can be egotistical, but we adapt fast too. Maybe like the elves, the principle of equality will spread among our nations too"

Seriously thinking, AJ reasoned, "mom, I don't know if that's possible. With powers that bend laws of reality, discrimination will always remain"

"AJ, before Duke William came into power, commoners were treated like cattle. Exploited. He changed the course our world moved on. Did you know many powerful families tried to kill Duke William? The current Emperor too"

The novel never detailed its readers about such a shocking fact, "WHAT? Why does he support the crown then?"

"Staying by His Majesty's side, he's a double-edged sword. Neither does he have all the power nor the Emperor and the noble families. It also keeps the Emperor safe from his own people. By letting a man of common birth stand next to him, he is favored by his citizens. That was another reason why The Order, the organization your father is a part of, was established. It is where your status doesn't matter, only your usefulness to their cause"

"What is their cause?", he had always been curious

"An equitable and sustainable world", they paid the cashier, and made their way out, "I wholeheartedly believe in The Order's cause. Hopefully a wave of change will come soon"

AJ already knew the fate of this world, thus his mother's optimistic outlook saddened him

Seeing the frown, Ella cheered him up, "Why don't you dream of happier future with me, son? I would love it"

'Dream? I'd love that too', AJ brightened up at her words

With conviction he proclaimed, "Mom, I dream of a future where the people I love, feel safe and free"

Handing him the bags, and kissing his forehead, Ella said, "That's a lovely dream. AJ, take action towards the fulfilment of your wishes. I wanna see my children do exactly that"