Episode 2: The Heir of Omnipotence

The head of Arson’s orphanage had been in his principal’s office for hours now. Arson’s partial core formation had caused quite a stir for multiple reasons.

The first was that he’d managed to do it so young. Only the most honor-born families within the nation had children manifest cores before the age of 13, and only 11 known families had managed to achieve the same feat before the age of 11. The 10 noble houses, and the royal family itself.

Secondly, was the issue of Arson’s crown. Internal cores, had external manifestations. A creation of matter that was both the embodiment of a Cultivator’s will, formed through matter manipulation into reality.

The problem was that Arson’s was a crown. Many had crowns as a symbol of their power, but normally only one individual per family line received a crown. It was the System’s way of designating a family’s true heir.

Arson hadn’t even known his own last name until the prompt when he partially formed his core informed him that he’d finally joined the world of Univers, or mana. He was the son of a queen, and nothing could change that.

“So you throw the boy out!” His Orphan Mother’s voice could be heard through the walls and Arson winced. There was no way the school would let him stay now. The size of the scandal that would most likely erupt if and when this information became public knowledge, would shake the very foundation of the society they lived in.

The royal family had six children already, which maxed out their family size at eight. The problem was that none of those six children had received a crown as their core symbol, and now Arson had, after being disowned by law.

He had no tie to the family, excluding blood, nor would he be allowed to lead his family into the next generation by law, even though the crown pretty much declared that he was the one fated to do so.

Arson didn’t care about royal families, ruling nations, nor what he was expected to do. He wanted to do one thing, and one thing alone. Cultivate.

He wiped tears from his eyes, closed them and concentrated a moment. When he opened his eyes again his System overlay appeared and words filled his vision. He finished the rest of the prompt aloud to tune out the yelling in the next room.

“As a Cultivator, you will have many choices to make. First, you must complete your core construction process. Your bloodline has granted you the trinity core—a core for each piece of yourself, mind, body and soul.” When Arson finished that box, another popped up, and he read.

“Core completion process 66%, complete. Soul core 100%, Body core, 50%, Mind core, 50%. Follow the lines of power to complete the construction of your trinity core.”

Not knowing what else to do, and still plagued by the nearby argument, he decided to meditate.

His ability to clear his mind was unrivaled for someone his age but not seen as a particularly unachievable skill to gain for a Cultivator, at any age.

He once more entered his Soul Realm and looked around. The sun and frozen particle storm around it still remained. Three orbs of frozen lightning orbited the structure in a triangle formation.

Arson smiled and felt the energy wash over his entire being. It was just as he began to look around that he noticed a solid string of light that shot from the apex of the sun directly into the void above. Before he could begin to explore further, two things happened simultaneously.

The void all around his soul core filled with stars. His stars, the stars that symbolized his every memory, thought, and even every grain of information that his brain stored; a split second before a hand landed on his shoulder.

“Woah there, bud, it’s just me.” Arson opened his eyes to see Almarine, his Orphan Mother.

“Are we leaving now?” asked Arson. Tears rolled free of his eyes as he tried to smile back up at the woman. She nodded and looked away as her eyes watered.

The walk back to the orphanage was slow and silent, but Arson was able to look over more of the overlay’s option windows and menus. He currently had empty core, skills, and craft tabs. As well as a status screen that showed him everything about himself.

His height, age, name, both first and last, which was hard for him to get used to, and his stats.

Arson found what he saw on that screen to be odd and not at all what he expected. Instead of the renowned stats, such as strength, vitality, dexterity, agility, wisdom, intelligence, and spirit, there was only three options.

Weapon: 1, Armor: 1, and System: 1. These were the only three options Arson had to choose from, and a section that showed his available stats, which read +3. Arson knew for a fact that a Cultivator was also supposed to only start out with 0 in every category, where Arson had 1. He didn’t know what that meant and wished he could ask his teacher tomorrow in school. A chance he would never get.

The large, yet dilapidated building came into view and Arson felt good to be home at last. His first day at school was long, and also his last day at school. He was more than ready to get into bed after all the crying had exhausted him.

“Where are we going?” asked Arson when Almarine headed passed the main entrance and toward the large manor behind the orphanage.

“You can’t stay with the non-Cultivator children anymore Arson. We have to get a key to the manor for you, and find a work duty to pay for your housing fees. You’re considered an adult by law now.” Arson’s stomach dropped, and he stumbled slightly. Almarine didn’t dare look at the boy as his tears started once more. She felt a true pain in the silence of his crying, and wanted to be able to find sleep that night, so she joined him in that moment.

“Might as well get it out now,” mumbled Almarine. Arson wiped away his tears as he looked at the woman.

“Get what out?”

“Nothing, boy. Now, think about the jobs you’ve heard the others talk about and tell me what you want to do,” responded Almarine with a sniffle, as if she needed to clear her throat.

“Are you ok Ms. Mary? You don’t sound good. You haven’t been smoking again, have you?”

“No, I have not, child. Now mind your own, and tell me what you want to do with your time, within reason.”

“You know me Ms. Mary, I’d love to work in the library or gym, but know that the spaces are already taken, makes me feel like I should go work at the junkyard dump. At least I know it’s available and I won’t be bored to death while I try and get into another school,” declared Arson. He spoke as he thought and the words felt right to him, and he felt a buzz of energy fill his chest. As if his soul wasn’t enough of a sign, Almarine’s nod confirmed his decision for him.

They entered the manor and Arson was shocked at how nice the inside of the home was. The orphanage had accustomed him to a life without space, or any kind of amenities. While this place held so much room for him to grow.

Almarine gave him a key after they’d entered her home office, and a sheet of paper with the name of the person to report to for his new work duties.

“There is only one room left, and you have to share it with a girl named Troy. She is in her final year before she leaves to find a home of her own, so respect her orders. It’s been her space alone for four years, so respect her space and privacy.” Arson nodded in response and climbed up one side of the twin arching staircases that led to the upper floors.

He then had to take an elevator to the seventh floor and another few hallways before he found room 1107 and used his keycard to enter.

“Hello, Troy, my name is Arson and I—” Arson stopped talking when he made eye contact with the girl he’d caught in the middle of climbing out of a window.

“Am your new roommate?” finished Arson as his voice cracked and the door shut behind him.

“Hm. Ok. You coming with?”