Training - Part 3

Solomon used a technique to teleport Leezy back through the door as the attack was heading their way…

When it finally struck, the spheres exploded in a large dome of black energy that crackled and devastated the chamber.

A massive crater was left in it's wake, and in the center of it stood Solomon. Pink aura protected him like a shield of armor, so not even a scratch was on him. Still though, he was shocked by the amount of power he was just hit with.

At this point, he needed to take things seriously. He quickly summoned a sword to his hand and released a crushing pressure from his body.

The sword was an ancient Dao that had chinese lettering carved into it that spelled 'Master'. The edge of the blade was golden, with the rest of the blade being made up of a steel that had a bluish metallic tinge to it. It was so beautiful, it looked as if it belonged in a god's hands.

Reyes was above the crater, so enveloped by his aura not even a sliver of his tan skin was visible. Four clawed hands had now developed and were floating behind him.

Solomon launched himself from the crater, teleporting back and forth through the air as he approached. It only took Solomon a few seconds to reach Reyes. When he was close enough, he swung hard.

Ding!

His sword struck Reyes, but it did absolutely nothing at all. In fact, the sword even chipped a little on Reyes's savage aura. Looking at the sword with cold glowing eyes, one of the aura claws that floated behind him grabbed the sword, tore it from Solomon's hands and cast it aside.

Simultaneously, the other 3 hands delivered swift punches to Solomon, which sent him hurtling back into the crater, making it even deeper than before.

'What is with this power? He almost broke through my aura! He was only silver rank when we sparred, but now he is fighting like he is diamond level. I'll have to knock some sense back into this young man, it is clear to see that he's lost all sense of himself.'

Solomon thought to himself.

Standing up inside the crater, the floor shuddered as an immense power began gathering above him.

Turning his head upward toward the sky, he saw Reyes gathering dense energy into the palms of the four clawed hands made from his aura.

Dark energy balls began to form again, which caused a thick layer of black mist to roll along the floor.

With no hesitation, Solomon teleported directly behind Reyes, enveloped his entire hand with ki and jammed his fingers into the base of Reyes's spinal cord.

Reyes roared in pain as his aura completely shattered and he lost consciousness. As he fell from the air, Solomon caught him and gently laid him down on the floor next to the huge crater.

He couldn't help but smile as he looked around at all the rubble that was caused by their brief fight. The crater that was there began to slowly repair itself as time itself reversed, all the while Solomon summoned his sword to his hand and sat down next to Reyes, staring at him intently.

....

In his unconscious state, memories began flooding through Reyes's mind. His mother and father, playing with him alongside his brother in their grand palace.

His father, Alistair Meraki…

To many, his father was a legend and hero, but to some his name filled them with jealousy and envy. His father always told him to be wary of many and trust few.

He remembered his father attempting to keep the meteorite from striking the earth. He watched as they struggled with it…he saw the beam of energy struck his father's body and exploded. How could he not? The explosion was so grand that everyone on earth bore witness and when the dust settled, his father was nowhere to be seen.

Years after, his mother had managed to keep them protected within the palace walls due to the powerful protective old magic that was placed over it. He vividly remembered how hard his mother cried over the loss of her beloved. Eventually she pulled herself together and stood strong until the day of her death, the day of his 15th birthday.

That day, the palace was attacked by a group of powerful men who sought to destroy what was left of his father's memory. He could never wipe the expression of his mother's face from his mind when she told them to run away.

He remembered watching alongside his brother, as their mother got cut down, just a few minutes after she gave them the equipment that they wore till this very day. She had forced them to take the secret escape route underneath the palace, leaving her behind. Even though they managed escape, his mother decided to stay behind to prevent the intruders from pursing them, and after a long struggle she was eventually cut down.

He remembered how they hid in a giant tree, a distance away from the palace, but still within enough distance that they witnessed everything.

They both swore to themselves as tears rolled, that no matter what, they would gain more power than their father and destroy everyone that had played a part in killing her.

Memories of the hardships he and his brother went through were now playing like a movie through his mind.

All the people they had to kill, just to protect themselves. All the times he and his brother were on the brink of death. All the time they had spent together, trying to figure out who killed his mother so they could exact revenge or die trying. Now at the age of 18, things felt like they all happened in a blur.

All of this went through his mind seemingly at once, stirring him back into consciousness.

...

"How long have i been out for?"

Reyes asked, rubbing his neck as he looked at Solomon.

"You have been out for quite a while. A few hours now, actually. Do you remember anything that happened at all?"

"No, i could just feel a very dark and powerful energy coming from my body after you put your hand to my forehead, but after that everything is blank."

"Hmmm, okay then…By chance, are you related in any way to Alistair Meraki?"

Solomon decided to ask after a brief pause.

Silence greeted him as Reyes looked at him, unable to be sure if he should answer him or not.

Holding his hands out as if reading Reyes's thoughts, Solomon grabbed him by the shoulders while gazing at him softly.

"I knew your father, lad. Before i died and was resurrected here by the king of this realm, we used to travel together seeking ways to ascend to godhood. Boy were those the days…"

Hanging his head with a tear in his eye, Solomon had a new light in his eye as he looked at Reyes.

"Hunting monsters to use their material to create powerful weapons, going on grand adventures to different realms, of course all this was before he met your mother. When he met her, everything changed. It was as if at that moment, love itself had caused him to ascend to a level no mortal could hope to reach. Her beauty was a thing to behold for sure, even for an old man like me, but it was her personality that was the most beautiful of all."

"Many were jealous of your father back then, heck, even a demon king decided to steal her from him by force. Heh, to think that your old man really fought that thing speaks volumes about the blood that courses through your veins, my boy!"

Shocked, Reyes looked at Solomon with newfound respect.

"So you really knew my father? How can i be so sure?"

"Back in his prime, he dove into hell itself to save your mother Illana, battling a Primordial Demon King for her life. He slew legions of lesser demons before reaching him, and in a grand battle that resulted in a stalemate between the two, he managed to rescue her."

While pointing at his chest, he smiled at Reyes.

"That necklace around your neck, the one you had tucked under your shirt? That right there is actually the blood of the demon king your father battled. It crystalized due to how cold the inner circle was when they fought. As proof of his battle, your father decided to make a necklace out of it once he had enough of it's evil purified. It's a good thing you keep it tucked away because if anyone else saw it, they would most likely try to kill you for it."

Solomon explained to him, sitting down to sharpen his blade as he spoke.

"My mother never had the chance to tell me what it was before she was killed. I was just a child when she gave me these clothes and this amulet."

Nodding at that, Solomon pointed at Reyes's clothes.

"If memory serves me correctly, those clothes of yours were weaved by the fates. They serve as a form of armor made of enchanted threads that change in size and appearance to suit its wearer. Now that you have learned Ki control, your clothes should be able to change in appearance. When you grow in power, try channeling your Ki into the cloth and see what happens. As for that amulet though, I'm sure you will find a use for it sooner or later."

Nodding at Solomon, Reyes stood up and grabbed his sword.

"I should go check and see if Odin is back yet, I'm eager to see what treasure he has awaiting us. I have one question i'd like to ask though before i leave. You said you were resurrected right? Do you know if there is any way my parents can be resurrected as well?"

Rubbing his chin, Solomon thought to himself for a moment before answering.

"We should probably wait to talk about that once you ascend to godhood. The situation with me being resurrected here is a unique one. I died within the same realm as this time chamber. Luckily, I was acquainted with the king here. He decided to resurrect me in exchange for me becoming a mentor to his son. Our agreement confined me to this chamber of time and gave me this appearance. I will be stuck here until the king's sons come here to train. After that, i will revert back to my original form and have the freedom to do as i please. Hopefully by that point, you will have already ascended."

Nodding, Reyes turned around and walked back through the door.

'It seems that maybe all the evil could be purged from that demon king's blood. Had I not seen his necklace while he was unconscious, I wouldn't have known he was even related to Alistair. Hopefully he finds a way to control the darkness that now has become attached to his spirit.'

Solomon thought quietly to himself while he watched the door close behind Reyes…