The Anomaly [2]
The three of them widened their eyes in bewilderment.
Out of all 50 million awakened people, only 50 individuals had ever been able to manipulate three Fused Elements. Now, with Lumian revealed to be one of them, everything began to make sense to them—especially since he had been in a comatose state for three days.
'I have two cores?!' I screamed inside my head, utterly confused.
In the continent of Nirathis—and even in my previous world, Solthara—not a single person had ever been recorded as having two Soul Cores. Yet somehow, in some way, the person I had transmigrated into possessed two of them.
'Just who the hell is this guy?!'
***
As we walked under the warm sun, our house came into view, just a few meters away.
"Let's have a feast to celebrate Lumian's awakening and his mastery over three Fused Elements!" Donrel exclaimed, his excitement infectious.
"Indeed! I'll do my best to cook the most delicious meal ever made in the entire Brail Kingdom. Owen, come with me to get the ingredients," Eleanor said softly, her voice as angelic as always.
"Sure," Owen replied. The two began walking toward a different path, but suddenly, Owen turned around and called out to me.
"You know what this means, right, Lumian? This moment marks the beginning of our competition to see who will become the strongest Pillar. From now on, we're rivals. And don't think you're already at the top just because you can manipulate three Fused Elements."
He took a step forward, his tone turning serious. "I, Owen Greyheart, will become the greatest Pillar—and your greatest rival."
As if he were making a grand proclamation to the world, he raised his right hand, forming a fist, and held it out for a fist bump.
Breaking the dramatic atmosphere, I said dryly, "You know we can both be the strongest, right? Why are you acting so childish all of a sudden?"
He frowned, visibly irritated. "Don't ruin my dramatic moment! Just accept it already!"
"Alright, alright," I said with a shrug. Raising my hand, I bumped his fist with mine. Returning his serious demeanor, I added, "I, Lumian Greyheart, accept your challenge. But don't think I'll let arrogance consume me just because I'm a so called Hidden Gem."
"So it's official," Owen declared with a grin. "You and I are now rivals."
"Yeah," I replied, smirking. "I won't lose to you, Owen."
"Try me," he said, his confidence unshaken.
***
Me and Donrel continued walking until we stood in front of our house. From a distance, a voice called out:
"Hey! Donrel!"
Instinctively, we whipped our heads in the direction of the voice. It was our neighbor, approaching us slowly. As he drew nearer, he asked,
"I heard the news that Lumian finally awakened, and I also heard that he's a TriFusion."
[Author's Note: SingleFusion, DualFusion, TriFusion, and QuadFusion refer to the number of Fused Elements a person can control. This way, I don't have to type "Fused Elements" every time.]
Donrel proudly exclaimed, "Yeah! It's hard to believe, but Lumian is a TriFusion Awakened. In just one day, he's already taken a huge step toward his dream."
Our neighbor sighed. "Too bad my son didn't awaken. But even if he's just a regular human, I still love him."
Suddenly, he frowned and exclaimed, "I wonder who Lumian's real family is. They're probably talented Awakened individuals. Considering Lumian is a TriFusion, his family must be made up of two- or three-Fused Element users. Why would they throw him away in a random alley? That's just horrible!"
[Author's Note: If a TriFusion and another TriFusion individual were to have an offspring, there is a high chance that the child will also be a TriFusion. In other words, the number of Fused Elements a person can control is largely influenced by their parents.]
My chest tightened as a wave of sadness swept through me.
These emotions aren't mine, I realized. They're Lumian's feelings. Hearing the words 'thrown away' was enough to put a frown on his face.
Noticing my faint expression, Donrel wrapped his arm around my neck with a bright smile and said,
"They're just a bunch of idiots! Throwing Lumian away is like throwing away their entire future! Even if we're poor and not from a famous family, I can see the light in him. He'll be a well-known figure in the future. And not just him—there's also Owen and the friends they'll make along the way."
He paused, his tone turning resolute. "I can't explain how, but one day, the two of them will lead this kingdom and oppose any threat to our people. I believe in them."
Turning his head toward me, he asked, "Isn't that right, Lumian?"
The gripping sadness vanished instantly, replaced by a warm happiness etched in my heart. One that I haven't felt in a while. A faint blush spread across my cheeks from embarrassment as I answered with a gentle smile,
"Yes, I will."
As if speaking to myself, I thought.
'You're a lucky one, Lumian.'
***
After a long supper, I sat on the edge of my bed, contemplating the day's events. Taking a deep breath, I summoned my System.
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Awakened Name: Lumian
Race: Human
Title: Transmigrator, Incarnation of the Shadow, The Anomaly, Otherworlder
Soul Core Type: Blessed
Soul Core Name: Shadow Bound
Soul Core Description: You are bound to the shadows. The shadows are your most trustworthy ally and your strongest weapon.
[See More...]
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Back to when I left off, I thought:
'Why do I already have four Titles?'
Titles could only be earned through achieving impossible feats, like defeating powerful monsters or overcoming legendary trials. The fact that I had received four Titles from a single Trial was unbelievable.
Curious, I pressed the Titles to view their descriptions. Another interface appeared in front of me:
Title: Transmigrator
Description: You were once known as Kane Malrik of the continent of Solthara. Due to death, you have transmigrated and now inhabit the body of Lumian of the Nirathis continent in a different world.
Title: Otherworlder
Description: You are not from this world. A world far beyond this one is where you truly belong.
Title: The Anomaly
Description: You possess two Soul Cores, a one-in-a-billion phenomenon that defies the basic understanding of this world.
Title: Incarnation of the Shadow
Description: You are the incarnation of #&$@#&&%$#@:!!##@@!!#&$@#&&%$#@:!!##@@!! #&$@#_&&%$#@:!!##@@!!
[WARNING: THIS INFORMATION CANNOT BE ACCESSED. ONLY A #@:!!#$ ARE ALLOWED!!]
A frantic female voice echoed in my mind, loud and trembling, as if it was afraid of something unseen.
Suddenly, the blue interface turned crimson, a large triangular warning symbol flashing violently before me. The entire System began glitching, the display flickering and distorting. A loud, grating noise reverberated inside my head, sending chills down my spine.
'What the hell is going on?!'
Without wasting a second, I dismantled the System, forcing it to shut down before it could consume me entirely.
***
Everything was calm and quiet, broken only by the rapid pounding of my heart and the sound of my deep inhales and exhales. Sweat trickled down my face, fear coursing through me as I grappled with the weight of the secret information I had just uncovered.
"What... the hell?" I managed to gasp, my breath uneven and words barely audible.
'What was that?'
The urge to summon the System again gnawed at me, but the fear of reliving that horrifying experience made me hesitate.
After some time, I finally mustered the courage to face whatever might come. Bracing myself, I whispered, "System."
The blue screen reappeared, calm and normal, as if nothing had happened.
"Thank god."
Everything seemed as it had before—until my eyes drifted downward.
[See More...]
'Was this here before? I didn't see it earlier because I was too focused on the Titles.'
I pressed the option with a trembling finger. To my surprise, an entirely new interface appeared before me, different from the one I had grown familiar with.
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Awakened Name: Kane Malrik
Race: Human
Soul Core Type: Regular
Elemental Fusion in possession: three fused elements: Lightning, Ice, Metal.
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'So this is the system for my other Core,' I thought.
Unlike the main System, it lacked Titles or a Soul Core description, which made sense since this Core was overshadowed by the Blessed Core, it stood to reason that it had no distinct Title section.
My gaze shifted back to the name at the top of the screen—Kane Malrik.
'That's me…'
I stared at the name for what felt like an eternity before realization struck.
'Wait...'
'...This is it!'
'A Soul Core only forms when the heart and the soul fuse together. And I'm a transmigrator.'
With this, a simple yet chilling conclusion began to take shape.
'Ever since I came to this world, I've known that Lumian and I share this body. I knew because sometimes he could express his emotions, even if I was the one in control.'
This was the answer. This body had two souls—mine and Lumian's.
And during the awakening stage, when the heart fused with the soul to form a Soul Core, it had fused with both souls, creating two separate Cores.
This explained why I was the only person in existence with two Soul Cores. It wasn't due to some divine intervention. It was because I was a transmigrator.
While I don't have definitive proof, the logic fits.
'This has to be it. A theory, yes—but a strong one.'
A knock interrupted my deep thoughts.
The door creaked open, revealing Owen.
"Yoo, checking out your System?" he asked casually.
"Yeah, just checking things out," I replied. "What brings you here?"
"Father wants to talk to us about something."
***
The four of us sat around the wooden table in the dimly lit room. Owen and I stared at Donrel, while he and Eleanor stared back at us.
Finally, Donrel broke the silence.
"Me and Eleanor have given this a lot of thought and reached our final decision. Owen, Lumian, the two of you are going to enroll in Aster Academy."
Both of us froze, our eyes widening in disbelief.
Aster Academy.
The most prestigious academy in the Brail Kingdom—a place where only the most talented Awakened individuals, often from renowned families, were admitted. It was designed to cultivate the brightest stars of the kingdom, preparing them to shape the future of Nirathis.
As kids, Lumian and Owen had dreamed of attending this academy.
Owen shot up from his chair, his voice filled with shock. "Are you serious?"
Eleanor smiled gently, her soft, angelic voice soothing the air. "Yes, honey." But her smile faltered, replaced by a frown. "However, there's one problem."
Our excitement dimmed as our expressions mirrored hers.
Donrel continued, his tone heavy. "The problem is that we don't have enough money to cover the tuition for both of you. That leaves us with only one option—the hard way."
Confused, I asked, "What do you mean?"
Donrel turned to Eleanor, his gaze firm. Her expression darkened, though she gave a small nod.
He turned back to us, his face stern. "Since you've both reached legal age of seventeen…"
He took a deep breath before delivering the final words:
"Lumian, Owen, the two of you are going to become Conquerors."
End of Volume 1: Transmigrator