Chapter 4

13/4/16

18:30

For dinner tonight, considering the extremely urgent situation and my limited time after assembling that belt, I've concluded there's only one meal I can make right now: fried rice with salmon slices. Fortunately, I had already prepared the sauce, a special one that would give this dinner a unique taste.

"We're currently in a highly tense situation, and that strange one, 391-100, deserves the most horrible punishment from the magic association," said the blonde figure angrily.

Oh no, not that person again. I suppose I'll prepare a body-dissolving substance to ensure he can't regenerate afterward.

For now, it's better to focus on cooking.

"My son, Deharm Milford, please be patient. He's just joking around for his TV show. He's not serious about punishing you," my mother's panicked voice could be heard.

I stirred the fried rice once more, releasing a delicious aroma from the pan, making me exhale a long breath and smile a little.

Then, I turned my gaze toward the entrance, where I could see a crowd of cameramen, some of them filming my mother and the blonde figure, who looked surprised as about ten kitchen knives floated around him.

"So that's how it is. Mom's holding him back," I said in a flat tone.

All the knives spun in the air before shooting off to my right and landing in their knife block as they were before.

I slowly turned off the stove and exhaled deeply, while my mother wore a serious expression. My father appeared from behind, and the blonde woman entered the room with a very serious face.

"Hoh, take a good look. Prince Deharm is busy cooking, when I thought he should be making the belt requested by the Astra dragons," said the woman, in a very serious tone.

"The eight belts were taken by the Astra dragons twenty minutes ago," I replied flatly.

"Eight? My servant informed me that there were nine sacred belts you made. How kind of you to leave one for the magic association," the woman replied very seriously.

"The Crossdriver? No, that's for me. That belt is extremely dangerous, as it contains the Darkseed embedded within my soul," I responded flatly.

Everyone looked serious, staring straight at me.

"Deharm, please don't be so racist toward us. Our relationship with black magic users is somewhat complicated, and please don't make it more difficult. That belt is too dangerous for you," my father said seriously.

"Black magic users just want to live in peace, but you always disturb us because of old customs. You should stop hurting us too," I replied in a very serious tone.

"Deharm Milford, my son. Your father acknowledges that this issue needs to be resolved, but your views are too extreme for yourself and harmful to inter-wizard relations. Who taught you this?" my father asked very seriously.

Before I could answer, a vortex of black energy appeared and slowly dimmed, revealing a small black dragon doll with blue eyes, glancing around.

"Wrong direction," the black dragon said, then turned its gaze toward my father and mother. "It's me, the black dragon ruler of space and time magic: Chronos."

Slowly, it turned its gaze toward me with a serious expression before staring at the frying pan.

"Dinner's ready, no wonder this aroma spread from my main lair. A delicious sacrifice indeed. By the way, I have bad news for you. You destroyed the Knightmare Sentinel earlier today, much faster than scheduled. You've angered the officials," said Chronos seriously.

"The Knightmare Sentinel? Wait, the sword I destroyed earlier today was the Knightmare Sentinel?" I replied flatly.

"You figured it out much faster than I expected. Yes, indeed. The magic association has lost the excuse of blaming their members' criminal acts on that cursed object, and now they're creating another cursed item. The government's dogs are cornered, thanks to you, but you were acting out of character earlier today," said the dragon seriously.

"Oh, mighty Chronos, although I am a soulder and a Progeion, I am still human, with a heart and feelings. Seeing children who can't do anything get hurt like that, of course, I'll do whatever it takes to ensure their safety. You know how unpleasant it feels to be weak and powerless, unable to do anything but surrender to your fate," I said flatly.

"Hohoho, your feelings. Humans are indeed unique, driven to save one another, even when they don't know each other. You, that kindness of yours is like a double-edged sword you need to be careful with. I experienced something similar in the past, giving the Holy Empire of Unitopia a new home, only for them to be so cunning that they made the fourth generation of Astra beasts disappear to absorb their great power," said Chronos very seriously.

"We humans learn from our mistakes to become better, just like I keep improving my cooking skills every time I make a dish. Don't compare me to the Progeion creations, who think they're perfect and don't need to grow," I replied seriously.

Then, a white vortex appeared, forming into a white dragon doll that stared forward.

"Chronos, I want to borrow Deharm for a moment because this is an important matter. Innocent children have become victims, and I must save their pure souls. Don't worry, I'll make sure your black reputation is recorded in history," said the white dragon very seriously.

"The children, I'll lend them to you because this isn't a trivial matter. The culprit used the power of my most dangerous member, Exceed Roach, who became a Knightmare Soulder under the magic association's influence. After the public loses faith in the magic association, its members will run out of energy and die from losing their followers," Chronos replied seriously.

"How cruel. Is there no other way to solve this?" asked Solnova seriously.

"There is no other way. The Order of Tempest, which maintains cultural integrity in Europe, passed down from the modern era, wants to preserve their identity, which has been forcibly displaced by the magic association's new idealism. But the magic association caused chaos because Australia didn't elect senators of their choice. Just because they lost an election, they spread fear among weak humans. Fortunately, Deharm Milford stopped them. But this still cost the innocence of a young person who wanted nothing more than a normal life. Since Gaia granted his wish for a normal life, we have no choice but to give him what he wants, even if we have to eliminate the wizards," Chronos said seriously.

The white dragon turned its gaze toward me with a look of curiosity.

"You met my creator, the one who holds the power of this world, the great Gaia?" the dragon asked seriously.

"Gaia? You mean that giant silver-scaled dragon with golden yellow eyes? I think I met him after fighting Prince Durandael. I thought I died then because I absorbed too much dark cloud energy around me," I replied flatly.

"You were merely on the brink of death, but your soul was cleansed by the great Gaia because of your brave sacrifice, using your body to hold back that darkness. So your power is Gaia's power, young one. That wasn't your wish earlier because they weren't obliterated in an instant. What do you wish for in exchange for your bravery?" the white dragon asked seriously.

"I want to find my own path, one not tied to the powers of my parents that flow through my blood. But after that, I was sent to the land of light and the celestial realm. I thought I was dead, but instead, I was trained as a soulder before being sent to the Progeion world. You, tell Gaia that I should have been allowed to die back then," I replied seriously.

"You, you've been given a chance to live again, and now you're complaining. So the black dragon Chronos only taught you decisiveness in action, which I admit you've shown, but you don't value your own life. If this continues, you'll become a serial killer targeting magic users," said the white dragon seriously.

"You don't need to worry about that because I've already considered my life as a magic user or someone with power to be over. Now I am just Deharm Milford, a cooking enthusiast aiming to create delicious dishes for everyone to enjoy," I replied flatly.

The dragon glanced at the frying pan with its blue eyes, which slowly turned red.

"Hey, if you don't like my cooking, don't force yourself to eat it. I heard the white faction always gives you jewelry as a sacrifice, so don't force yourself to eat my food," I murmured softly.

The dragon's eyes turned blue again, and it gave me a broad smile.

"Don't joke around, jewelry is beautiful, but food is also a new form of sacrifice that I enjoy. You know, even simple food, if made with all your heart, I'll eat it and grant the request of the person who made it. This is part of me adapting to this new era, and besides, no food is unappetizing unless they didn't bother to make it properly," the white dragon said very seriously.

"So, you're still willing to enjoy my food?" I asked seriously.

"Of course, that's absolutely right. Especially in situations like this, you've just completed an extremely difficult task," the white dragon replied very seriously.

I exhaled, reaching for a plate and spoon from the dish rack, and scooped the fried rice four times before seeing the three small dragons, each holding a small bowl, taking turns to fill their bowls with their dinner portions.

Finally, the white dragon nodded while glancing at us.

"Oh, I see. The three of them are manifestations of your power, separated by Gaia according to your wish. These three dragons inherited the power Gaia gave you to replace the energy taken from you. But you don't need to eat this meal because your lives are linked to Deharm Milford," the white dragon said flatly.

"This food is delicious; there's no way we'd refuse such delicious food," the small white dragon replied seriously.

"Well, I agree with that. Alright, dinner, here I come," the white dragon said very seriously.

He and the black dragon moved to the dish rack, while I walked from the kitchen area to my workspace on the other side of the room.

I glanced toward the entrance, where the cameramen were lowering their cameras, while my father and mother were approached by the blonde woman and the arrogant man, who seemed to be discussing something.

I ignored them, focusing on the screen, which showed a first-person video I had taken at that time. The footage showed a humanoid figure with black scales and an insect-like head, with a pair of black-brown eyes and long antennae.

The creature wore black armor, sharp on all sides, holding a golden spear pointed at me. White energy was absorbed into its mouth as its jaws opened vertically, drawing sparks.

"So, he's consuming my energy," I murmured very calmly.

As I took a bite of the fried rice, it tasted incredibly delicious. It seems my cooking skills have clearly improved.

But the video continued, showing a dagger being plunged into the creature's chest while it stabbed its spear into my left shoulder. I could see myself being flung backward in the video, and the creature's chest revealed a black crystal emitting a reddish glow.

The video paused, and I noticed a red glow flashing on the right side. I turned to the Crosstriker standing on its special stand.

"That black crystal, if you destroy it, you can free Exceed Roach. This fight could have been easily won. Is this how soulders work?" asked the deep voice, known as Big Boss, summoned by Nexus, very seriously.

"Apologies, but if it were that easy, I would've done it yesterday. Please continue the video so you can see what happened, because this is beyond my control," I replied flatly.

The video continued, showing myself in the video standing up before a blinding golden light slowly spread around. When the light faded, the insect-like creature had vanished.

I looked around, but the creature had disappeared.

"So that's how it is, this magic. I believe I know exactly who did it. This is magic that must involve three royal categories equal to mine. The power to change the world according to the user's will, magic that was used to maintain peace during the golden age of the Holy Empire of Unitopia for thousands of years," said the creature seriously.

"I know a lot of magic, and having experienced it, I call it a 'world reset.' Or that's what I remember," I replied flatly.

"Really, you call it a world reset? If so, how can an ordinary human like you remember it?" the creature asked seriously.

"There's an explanation for that. Soulders call me a 'singularity being.' A being that isn't affected by any alterations and can retain all knowledge from before an alteration in a world," I replied flatly.

"A power I can confirm because I have it too. But if you tell others, they won't believe it, especially humans like you," the creature said seriously.

"Don't worry, I've been documenting everything since the first reset. I even created my own calendar, which has been quite accurate so far," I replied calmly.

The screen switched to a dark blue calendar displaying the date April 14, 16, enlarged to show three significant events:

The recognition of the perfect Adam as the son of the Savior and Sky Princess Ruby.The death of Princess Hikari of the Regalia Kingdom of Japan, caused by losing control of her feral side after being insulted by a racist politician who hated impure blood. The leader of the Holy Party Senator, a figure who fully supports the magic association and upholds the ideals of the Holy Empire of Unitopia.The expansion of Templar influence with support from the Holy Party.

Seeing that, the computer clicked on the second option, revealing a video of a debate between a white-fox-eared woman and an official dressed in all-white. They were arguing over slavery, with the white-clad official pushing the woman onto the asphalt. His guards then drew their swords and swung them at the fox-eared girl.

"Hey, I know what that kind of rage looks like. This is nothing but murder because he couldn't handle losing an argument with a woman. Stop this right now!" the creature said seriously.

"There are two things you should know. First, I didn't take this footage. And second, this happened in another reset, so it's beyond my control," I replied flatly.

"Still, this is way too much. Where is the honor of the wizard he represents? Besides, he's a politician, a representative of the people of this world, right? He shouldn't be doing that," the creature replied seriously.

"The honor of a wizard? Forget about that because those words mean nothing in this age. Everything has been replaced by the holiness bestowed by the Holy Empire of Unitopia," I replied flatly.

"Unitopia, I see. That creature is something I gave life to, along with my siblings. Gather all of us, and with that, we can summon it and destroy it. Then I will return to my position of power, and in return, I will give you the soulders as friends," the creature said seriously.

"Even without asking, I'll help because the resets are disrupting the balance of the universe and bringing a bad reputation to the soulders," I replied flatly.

"So, this is related to humanity after all. I will let humans live in this world, and I promise not to harm them if you help me. Consider this an extension of our cooperation since the Celestial War," the dragon said very seriously.

"I think that's fine, because I have to deal with the Knightmares anyway, given my duty as a soulder. Any help that lightens my burden is welcome," I replied flatly.

The video finally stopped, and I finished the fried rice slowly. Then, I spun my chair around, seeing my father, mother, and the arrogant man standing in the center of the room with serious expressions.

"Deharm Milford, my son. How do you know about that?" my father asked very seriously.

"About the recognition of the perfect Adam as your son, Chronos?" I replied flatly.

My father and mother remained silent, staring at me, while the arrogant man smiled broadly at me.

"So, I will be recognized as the son of both heroes, you filthy blood. Watch as I torture you until I'm satisfied!" the figure said joyfully.

Just then, his body slowly turned into a golden light, and he vanished from my sight. The cameramen also disappeared.

Finally, my father and mother looked terrified as they approached me and touched me simultaneously.

"Deharm, my son. Please don't leave us. Mother promises to acknowledge you as our son, even in front of the media," my mother said very seriously.

"Father also promises, but please don't leave me," my father said seriously.

I sighed deeply, holding the plate.

"Relax, this is my real body. I've never received a sacred body because the Righter refused to give it to me when I was a child," I replied flatly.

My father and mother looked shocked as they stepped back, while the blonde woman looked at me seriously.

"That's impossible because he succeeded in creating a lowly human like you. Your words are unbelievable," said the woman, sounding unfriendly.

I extended my right hand, and one of the knives floated into my hand. I sliced the palm of my left hand, and red blood slowly oozed out, surprising her.

My father and mother looked shocked. My mother pulled out a white handkerchief from her gown pocket and immediately used it to cover my left palm.

Then, my mother approached the woman with my father, both wearing serious expressions.

"Your Majesty, ruler of the Elysium continent, please watch your words because he is our son. I won't forgive you if you hurt his feelings," my mother said seriously.

"He bleeds red. He really is human. I apologize for that, but your son seems to know something. I want to know everything," the woman replied seriously.

Both adults turned their gaze toward me.

"Deharm, my son. If you feel uncomfortable, your father can try negotiating this matter with Her Majesty," my father said seriously.

"No need. You should already know this since you were the ones who came up with this crazy idea. Perfegenitor, does that ring a bell?" I asked flatly.

The three of them looked serious, and the woman nodded once.

"That explains everything. I think this situation can still be handled because after sunrise, they will be revived at the magic association's facility. But your son seems to know things he shouldn't, and there's also a calendar showing future events. We need to bring him back into the magic association. Your rank will be equal to Sky Princess, so please follow my words," the woman said seriously.

"Sorry, I'm not interested because you don't pay me, and working under an incompetent boss like the Righter gave me trauma. Besides, I'm busy with this company," I replied flatly.

I got up from my seat and walked toward the sink. At the entrance, I noticed a formally dressed man with part of his face covered in a white layer.

He was escorted by several large men.

"Good evening, Prince Deharm. I heard you passed the sacred test and regained your human form without this disease. I'll give you dozens of luxury cars if you agree to help cure me," the man said as he entered the room.

"Good evening, I see. Please wait a moment. Astral Vision," I muttered softly.

My eyes turned black and white, and I saw dark spots on his back, where a large stone rested with a red bird perched on it.

"Have you had back pain lately?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, a little. But a week ago, this white layer appeared on my face. The doctors and surgeons I visited couldn't remove it. You know how troublesome it is to conduct business with this appearance," the man replied seriously.

"This isn't a job for me. Sorry to trouble you three, but if you're manifestations of my power, please help this man. I know you can see it too," I said flatly.

I blinked, and my vision returned to normal. The three small dragons flew around the man and breathed white beams, startling his bodyguards.

"Don't worry, I feel much better. These little dragons are my friends," the man said happily.

Slowly, a large reddish stone became visible on his back, with a long-beaked bird pecking at the visible area.

The stone fell off his back and hit the floor with a loud thud, causing a strong tremor. The man turned to look at the stone, staring down as the dragons stopped emitting energy.

"An energy stone. Based on its size, it's enough to cause an explosion in the district," I said very seriously.

"Even the magic association couldn't diagnose this issue and dismissed it as a mere complaint. I think you know something about this," the man said seriously.

"Yes, this is a very common method for blocking energy flow among the Progeion in their homeworld. If I wanted, I could target someone and turn them into a walking bomb. But to do that requires direct contact," I replied flatly.

The man nodded, glancing at me.

"In that case, this thing is extremely dangerous. Progeion, I'll remember that name. What should I do with this stone? As an elf-blooded person, I need to get rid of the symbol of my suffering," the man said seriously.

"I understand your feelings, but destroying it without a clear purpose will cause its energy to spread and trigger a massive explosion that will claim lives around us. Usually, this kind of object is used for performing a great spell or sealed in a safe place to be sold," I replied flatly.

"Sell it? Who would want to buy a blood crystal like this?" the man asked seriously.

"There's a market for everything, especially among the Progeion. They'll do anything to get it because this crystal gives them great power," I replied flatly.

From the front door, a long-haired woman with black hair and red eyes, wearing a sleeveless black gown with a long skirt, slowly entered the room.

She wore a serious expression directed at me.

"Crown Prince Deharm, let us handle this problem because we are the experts," the girl said very seriously.

"Emporas, I see. This must be because of my great-grandfather's visit earlier," I said calmly.