Alex, clad in his imposing armor with the blue plume that fell down from the top of his helmet dancing about behind him, walked into the hall with a small 10-year-old on his shoulder.
Alex walked to the middle of the hall, brought the child down, and went on one knee.
“I have returned, Your Lordship.”
His voice was deep and solemn.
Asher noticed that Alec and Eritrea also entered the hall but stayed behind the civilians.
Suddenly, Nero also kneeled and bowed his head.
“I can still be a knight, Your Lordship.”
Asher raised an eyebrow.
“The blind can not be amongst the lord’s personal troop or any troop at all.” Kelvin replied rigidly.
Alex looked at him and lowered his head.
“The criteria is… did you awaken?”
Asher leaned forward, itching to check the boy’s panel, but hesitated to keep things interesting for a little while.
It was impossible for Nero to be normal, despite the circumstances.
According to the game storyline, Nero joined the academy in the sacred flame academy and became a knight so powerful that only top players could be tutored by him.
Asher never knew that the famed Nero was the son of Alex. Who would have known that the boy’s sword talent came from his father, a man whose name was never heard because he had died a bronze-ranked captain in the little ash town?
But what Asher didn’t know was Nero’s talent.
Was it the same talent?
A talent that could make Nero, a boy from the wasteland, one of the strongest knights in the continent of Tenaria would not be a casual one for sure.
“I did.”
Alex looked at his son. Nero’s eyes had lost their original black iris, for they were now dull gray! He knew Nero awakened something, but why did it have to be at the cost of his sight?
Upon hearing that, Asher stood up and walked down to Nero. He stretched his arm while looking at the boy.
Without the need to even instruct Nero on what to do, Nero grabbed his palm and got to his feet.
That action shocked everyone in the hall, including his father, Alec, Eritrea, and Kelvin.
Asher looked into Nero’s eyes.
[Name: Nero Alex
Age: 10
Rank: None
Talent: Dreath Sight (S)
Job: None
Loyalty: 100]
[Talent description: ‘Dreath Sight’ is a passive talent that grants the individual 360 vision and heightened pulse readings of living and non-living but comes with a curse of seeing only in a world of Dreath, a place that lacks the emotions of pigments. The talent grade has been reduced because of the curse]
Asher raised an eyebrow.
‘A passive S-grade talent!’
“Let’s go to the training platform. I will only accept one child, and anyone who defeats Nero can take the spot. I believe your children can beat up a blind child.”
…….
Under the clear sky and the watch of the guards on the castle walls, ten 10-year-olds faced off against each other. None of them had their eyes on Nero. He was the weakest in their eyes.
Normally, all this wasn’t needed as Asher was the lord and his word was law, but he too wanted to see the outcome of this.
To him, all of those that were here gathered to make sure he saw Nero’s talent in action.
“Ha!”
The boy with the claw talent yelled as he brandished his claws and lunged toward another boy. That one’s talent was also an E-grade talent that would switch his eyes for an eagle’s anytime he wanted.
“What are you doing? Take out the blind one!”
The boy dodged the attack and yelled out in fury.
The one with the claw talent ignored him and clawed at the bow’s clothes, ripping it apart. Frightened, the boy with the ripped clothing turned tail and fled the platform.
The fight continued until the one whose right hand could form claws and the other whose feet could transform into stone remained. Both of them looked at Nero, who stood close to the edge of the platform with crossed arms.
“Get down or you’ll get injured!” Ben, the one with claws, threatened.
“There’s no need to pity the weak. Only the strong are able to become Lord Asher’s knights!” Torah, the one with stone legs, dashed toward Nero.
Unbeknownst to him, in Nero’s vision, the entire world was white. As Torah ran, there were ripples produced from his feet as it hit the ground, and Nero could both see and hear them.
Everything around him, both the castle guards that were on the walls, were clearly depicted in his vision. There were ripples that left their mouths and translated into words that fell into his ears.
One had to know that silver-ranked warriors had to focus on their senses to hear those soldiers at the top of the wall, but because Nero’s talent heightened his senses passively, he could both hear and see everything in a better quality.
He easily leaned to the side, narrowly but intentionally evading Torah’s kick at that precise moment. He could see the connection of Torah’s other feet to the ground, and he located the weak point.
And this was without even looking at Torah at all.
His eyes were locked on Asher and his father.
“I am not blind.”
He whispered before launching a swift kick toward the leg that supported Torah’s body.
Bam!
Before Torah could fall, Nero held his collar and let him drop gently. There was a smile on the young lad’s face as he could see the expression on everyone’s faces all at once!
Immediately after Torah’s fall, Ben closed the gap, delivering a ruthless swipe that Nero dodged by lowering his body and springing back up as fast as his body could move.
Bam!
His fist slammed Ben’s chest, and he saw the ripples.
Bam! Bam!!
He launched three more blows and watched Ben fall to his knees with a red face.
Turning back toward Asher, he smiled and kneeled.
“Does my talent interest you, Your Lordship?”
