Chapter 556: I Am The Sixth Member of Aurora—Vifi’Yok!

“As punishment for attacking a sin heir of lust, Lady Jumi’Yal, under the law of retaliation, the right of punishment goes to the victim in this case. Per her words, Major Sergeant of the Vanguard, Vifi, will be sent into the Twin-Elemental Lake monster-infested area. You may serve your penance by surviving in this wasteland and reaching level 100; otherwise, you may not escape the area unless due to death. If you are seen in violation of this punishment, you will be executed on the spot for defying an order. With the authority given to the military court by the Demonkin King, the sentence has been given. Executors, proceed with the punishment.”

Handcuffed with fairnite shackles that suppressed my control over my mana, I wasn’t able to retaliate against my wardens even if I wanted to. On the back of a gargoyle, I was thrown on the edge of the Twin-Elemental Lake, where I was told that this would be my exile until I had fulfilled my penance. Penance, I say, but this punishment was simply a way for the demonkin army to see if I had any potential or not.

Whether you were a criminal or not, as long as you could serve your ruler and country, a criminal was simply somebody who didn’t adhere to the rules as much. Just like my former gang boss, it didn’t matter to the country if I had actually attacked Jumi’Yal or not, as long as I got strong enough to become valued and remained loyal to them.

Though unlike the many others who received this punishment, I was probably one of the first, or the first in recent years, who willingly came here.

“The Twin-Elemental Lake,” the memory version of Jumi said while I was in prison after what happened at the guard house. “If you want to become strong, the only way is to dive right into the depths of danger. We sin heirs could only become ones because we got strong enough to endure the sin crystal process. If your body isn’t durable enough, the crystal would reject your blood and you would die.”

“Wait, yer dove right into a monster-infested area?” my younger self replied, although meekly, as I was in a state of L.E.P. After going berserk for the first time in my life, I felt like I had abandoned every single lesson I had ingrained in my mind.

“Correct, but not this one. There are plenty of dangerous areas throughout the continent, and this isn’t even including the ones you can find on our side. Vifi, you’ve been either an urchin or a soldier your entire life, and even when you went to your training camp, you’ve only trained in the nearby forest. You’ve gotten stronger, but you’ve always stayed in relative safety. That is why you are so weak,” she explained. “No matter how much you train, your skills cannot advance fast enough without the help of the Job system. You cannot level fast enough as a soldier or guard without much action, and even as a soldier, most of the time, you are dropped into a situation where you are treated as fodder against enemy soldiers.”

“But yer said ya were a soldier as well.”

“Correct, and I quickly understood that it was all rubbish. All the training and education I got as a noble was useless. If I wanted safety, then following the army is normal, but chances were high that I would die eventually, like your friends,” she stated, causing me to groan as the pain of losing them was still fresh. “However, when I asked my relative, the current Prince of Lust, how she got so strong. She told me it was to act as an adventurer.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s the term the northerners use to describe fortune seekers.”

“That’s crazy then, ‘cause both of us know the average lifespan of them fortune seekers is downer than a rat’s blood.”

“Correct, because the majority of them are like highwaymen—desperate people who had nothing else to choose from. Either they joined the army, or they could join you rats. However, unlike you, fortune seekers do not have guards protecting them, walls to keep them safe, or gang leaders working to keep them alive. They must rely on their own strength, and in our lands, the fortunes are low. It’s different for a noble like me with all my resources, but soon, you won’t be any better than the normal fortune seeker.”

“But I got through the wringer.”

“It doesn’t matter. You were trained to kill and subdue humanoids, not monsters. You don’t have the expertise to fight them, and you’ve been stuck inside safe places for all your life, so you probably don’t know how to survive in a weird environment. Yes, you have training, but so do many fortune seekers. Yet, many of them die just like the soldiers I reap with my blood,” she said so casually that even my past self felt scared of her. I was in total L.E.P. due to a mental breakdown, and even then, this crazy woman managed to pull me out of it. “However, I have a nose for young upstarts. Many of my current personal guards were once my adventuring companions, and I picked them out myself. You, Vifi; I got a good feeling about you, too.”

“… I’m just a rat.”

“Correct, which is why I am cheating the process a bit. Fortune seekers do not have the resources to survive, but I do. If I were to send you into that place without even a weapon, which is normal for this sort of punishment, you will die. No matter how special you actually are, you don’t stand a chance,” she asserted, and I believed her. “That’s why I arranged things for you. Your stuff is ready, plus the normal army rations. You got enough for one week, nothing more. Use this time in the cell to absorb the contents of these survival tablets and get ready. Though the question is, are you still willing to go through this?”

My past self stared right into her eyes. “… Not livin’ one damn moment longer as a damn rat!”

With that battle cry, I sealed my fate. I was… eleven? Twelve? Probably twelve at that time, when I chose the most suicidal option possible. The thing was, I didn’t even have to do any of this, as Jumi was willing to forget that slight to reduce my sentencing. As I said, being a criminal on Bole’Taria didn’t matter as long as you served the country, and I could have continued to do so as a guard in Eins’Kown. Jumi’s words were enough to overturn anything, as she was a sin heir, and also the heir apparent for the Prince of Lust.

Yet, instead of choosing the easy way out, I chose my one wish to get stronger. Ironic, though, as I realized in the future that I couldn’t outrun my past. I would always be a rat. I wasn’t proud of myself, but it didn’t matter, as the world wasn’t so nice enough to forgive me for everything. After all, as my adoptive father would say, “Because the future is more valuable to you children.”

“… This looks normaler within than outside,” I thought out loud as I freed myself from my shackles using the key tugged in the backpack I was given. I then turned around to see the gargoyle with my warden escaping the area, noticing the mist-like barrier surrounding everything.

That barrier was the boundary line the Twin-Elemental area created as a pseudo-dungeon, due to how Plesia wanted to remind both Bole’Tarians and Folschreckians what would happen if we broke another divine taboo. The mana she used to destroy the area after the massive dungeon explosion mixed with what lingered from the mana fallout, creating this place I always thought was so creepy from looking from the outside.

However, from within, it seemed almost like… a normal place. Well, if you ignored the weird, twisting lakes that looked like a rainbow, the giant monsters that looked like mutated alchemical golems, and the occasional elemental storms. Yes, elemental storms, as in, fire raining onto the ground as inferno twisters start scorching everything, or blizzards a tier lower than Frozen Nest freezing everything over into an ice age. Yet, even with all that, everything would just return to the same scenery on the first day I came here.

The Twin-Elemental lake was a chaotic maelstrom of two types of mana—the lingering dungeon mana of a destroyed core and that of Plesia’s. The latter was mostly there to isolate this place from the rest of the world as a pseudo-dungeon, but it was also the main reason why everything was so chaotic. After all, Plesia was an Edjurl god, and that meant her mana had hints of demonic energy. That energy was being used to twist the rest of the mana.

We couldn’t harvest or absorb Plesia’s mana, but the non-divine mana twisted by hers was perfectly harvestable as long as it wasn’t in its raw mana form. Therefore, items and monsters could leave this place with ease. Frankly, I was not smart enough to understand why Plesia’s mana couldn’t leave this place, but anything it twisted and influenced could. It was just mana, right? Well, I guess the gods were gods for a reason, as even their mana worked on different rules.

Pretty sure you’re starting to understand that as well, elemental.

Though, that luxury of being confused was only for future me to experience. For now, my past self had to understand that the moment the twin lakes that gave this place its name was a warning for any incoming natural catastrophe. The moment it started to twist as if it were a living slime was the moment I had to seek refuge.

“Shit! Fuck!” I cursed when I realized it was too late, and my stupid ass even read that part in the tablets Jumi gave me.

Wooohoo, don’t give up! You can do it, yaaaaaaay!

“Arrrghhhhh, not even a bell yet, and I’m about to fucking die!” my past self screamed as I activated my demonic powers and used my giant gauntlet to dig a hole for me to stay safe in for the first night. I dug pretty deeply, as that was one of the tips.

“When the sky starts to turn red, that means it’s a fire rain. Flame twisters and monsters aligned with fire will start to appear from their hibernations. Dig a hole near any body of water and simply wait it out. Areas with water are like zones of protection, but only against fire, lightning, and lava. Once any elemental storm happens, Plesia’s mana resets the entire area back to how it was before,” was what I had read.

As Jumi said, surviving in this place alone without any supplies or information was impossible. It did get easier, but it sure was still a nightmare. After all, there weren’t just two elemental storms; there was one for every single normal element, which included the non-empty vessel compound elements. Sooo, yeah, lightning was included. Pretty clear where this was heading, right?

Though, how exactly did my lightning turn red, of all colors?

“… Will you stop interrupting everything with these meaningless monologues of yours?” the elemental said from the sky. Truly impatient, but I did understand what he meant by this.

He was only interested in inspecting this place, while for me, this was just a training year that I wished I could just forget. Yet, at the same time, I was also the only person in this place, so it wasn’t like there was much drama for me to experience outside of the usual predator-prey relationship.

Though, I guess that was the main challenge of this place. I was living with danger throughout days and nights, to the point sleeping was a luxury I only gained after I finally reached level 80. Before that, I was constantly getting harassed by the most random monster, and with the storm came monsters that were adapted to that elemental storm.

Flying flame manticores during the firestorms, eldritch-like poison slimes during sandstorms, and floating sea serpents when the downpour happens were just a few examples. As such, the place was great if you wanted to gather a ton of materials to create elementally-resistant gear, but due

In my case, I didn’t bother dismantling any monster unless it was to eat. I never remained in a single location for too long and tried to keep up with the rhythm of the storms despite how random they were. With every day that passed, the information I gained from Jumi was imprinting into my mind as if they were the lessons I grew up with. They became like the rules I learned as a wrathie and soldier.

My weapons and armor eventually broke down from use, and I was forced to use my elemental weapons for everything. I was constantly on edge, as such, unable to properly calm down, and this did lead to me going berserk three times during my stay here. Though, it was a blessing in disguise, unlike how I thought of my berserk state as a curse outside of the Twin-Elemental Lake.

With my stats boosted like crazy from having all my emotions at 100%, killing monsters one rank above mine was doable, and it made killing anything around my level a cinch, to the point I could go on a mass killing. It was liberating, for sure, as I didn’t have to worry about anybody here. I could freely wield the gifts and curse of my bloodline as this perilous area demanded I use everything in my arsenal. No societal taboo could stop me from surviving.

Eventually, five months had passed, and things started to get comfortable with me being level 80. Though, I also realized all this time, I’ve only been wandering on the edge of the area, never daring to go deeper into the core. As the area was adjacent to the ocean, the true trials were on the sandy beach of the Twin-Elemental Lake, as Plesia’s imprisoning mana also spread into the sea. This was one of the reasons why sailing north from Eins’Kown’s shores was a guaranteed death for any sailor. Unless we wanted a long sea voyage, the only way north was to enter Altrust at its southernmost part.

“… It’s time,” I decided after five months, looking at my Profile with bated breath. My skills were exploding in growth from being constantly used, and I could feel my own body adapting to everything.

I felt confident, and woe to me for every feeling this. Jumi’s notes told me it was okay for me to move towards the center once I felt ready, as the monster quality rose the closer you got to the center. If I wanted to break into level 100 in a timely fashion, I had to go forward. Naturally, patience would have rewarded me as well, but after five months inside this area, I wanted to return to my small apartment. I wanted to feel warmth and comfort again. Ah, even a rat could miss luxury once she tasted it.

Also, most of the easy-to-get food sources were fish. Fish, fish, fish; fish was everywhere, and my already waning love for seafood only got worse. I needed a change for my mental health.

Unfortunately, my first venture towards the center quickly ended in defeat for me. A torrential downpour happened with the twin lakes overflowing, thrashing the land with vicious waves that defied my sense of physics. It felt like the raindrops were levitating as the merfiends enjoyed this mystifying event, and this was before I even got to the ocean. It felt like some water Territory was established, and I was sucked into the maelstrom before I could react in time.

As I was mostly immune to electricity at this point, I was using my wrath powers liberally to survive against the onslaught of merfiends, but I still almost drowned in the end if the storm hadn’t ended just in time. I was washed into an unknown area with most of my rations gone, and while I had thought I had to repeat what I experienced on the edge of the monster-infested area again, it just wasn’t meant to be.

The next elemental storm was lightning, and it thundered so much that it would even put Donut’s thunderous concerts and battles to shame. While I was trying to find a refuge, I was immediately attacked by thunder griffons and hippogryphs to the point I couldn’t find a way to escape the storm. I was struck by lightning multiple times, paralyzing me as the birds kept harassing me. I had to flee, unable to fight with everything going on, and when I finally found a safe spot as the storm ended, I realized I had [Arcane Fever]. I used up too much mana to survive.

Considering I had no corruption-reducing items, I honestly thought I would die here. I accidentally swallowed too much of the elementally-aligned water, and I was struck too often by the lightning that it felt like my brain was shutting down. I was exposed to so much of this chaotic mana that it finally changed my body for good.

As Sanzaphon, that holy dragon who removed some of my blocked demonic mana, had said, I was exposed so much that my already elementally-aligned body was brought to an even higher plateau. Just like the mana in this area, it was also influenced by Plesia’s lingering mana to the point my liver and heart mutated from the overexposure into what my fellow demonkin called “blood lightning.” My voltaic lightning.

Are you witnessing this elemental? This is what a true god’s mana can do to the environment! Even if I do not worship the Edjurl Gods, witness what Goddess Plesia’s lingering presence has done!

“… I don’t think this was what Jumi intended. What the heck is wrong with me, and, urgh, this fucking heartburn. My stomach’s hurting so much,” I complained after I managed to recover from everything, testing my red lightning as I noticed a new, unique skill in my Profile. Every time I used my red lightning, it felt like my body was ready to explode. “My body ain’t strong enough to endure this and… dammit, feels so wobbly on my feet.”

Due to my heart and liver being responsible for the discoloration of my lightning, as they affected my mana, my entire body had lightning coursing through them now. Mana magnetism was a consequence of this new “physique.” Getting used to it at first was awkward at first, as it felt like somebody had covered my body in magnets that repelled everything.

Unless I focused on my mana control, it would cause me to levitate in the air or have trouble grabbing things. In fact, it was especially annoying when I had to go hunt things, as I could accidentally repel or attract monsters at the worst time possible. I could miss killing blows and take unnecessary damage. I was going through my items like healing blood from holy-elemental monsters too fast, with all these mistakes.

Thoug, eventually, I managed to master it and I was able to develop the basis for my future voltaic lightning usage. My magnetic jump, for example, was the first of many ideas. It was just too obvious, and with it, getting to level 100 was only a matter of time.

When I finally reached that level, I picked up as many materials as possible and escaped the Twin-Elemental Lake to return to Eins’Kown. Naturally, my former companions had noted how I had changed, surprised to see that I even survived in the first place, but I didn’t really care for their comments. The first thing I did was to rush to a blacksmith.

“Armor. Lightning-resistant armor! Put the tab on the sin heir, Lady Jumi’Yal!” I shouted like a feral woman. I had completely lost my sense of reasoning at this point, and it caused a rather annoying problem with my guard captain as I was single-mindedly focused on acquiring armor to go back to training.

Yup, I was drunk on leveling after I received and mostly mastered [Voltaic Electromagnetism]. I didn’t even properly realize that my penance had already been settled. Technically, I was a soldier again and had to return to my post, but I didn’t really give a rat’s ass when the guard captain told me this was the case and that I had been away for ten months now.

This story originates from NovelBin. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I don’t care, captain. I want that armor, I need to go back!” I demanded, causing my captain to finally give in.

“… Lady Jumi’Yal did say that if you came back in this stupor that I should just listen to you, but you seem… out of it, Vifi. Fine. I’ll pay for your damn armor, so—”

“Good, goodbye then. Deliver it on the edge. Sound the horn so I can know,” I said before I rushed out of the office and used my red lightning to dash out of the guard building’s window, dashing back to my training grounds before my captain could say anything else.

A week later, my armor and some tools had arrived for me, and I continued on training as I did before. Another month had passed by the,n and I managed to reach level 112 with plans to go even deeper, but plans were just plans as something that wasn’t a monster dropped from the sky. A man. A demonkin. A wrathie.

A Warbringer.

“Oooh, little Jumi did say that you would be in such a state, but you look worse from up close. I’ve watched you for over a week, but you haven’t even bathed once! Even when the water storm appeared. Young lady, we might be savages to the humans, but that doesn’t mean we should act as such.”

A father.

“Time’s up. Your punishment is done, and you have to return to your post, soldier,” the man with a wide smile said. He was clothed in robes fitting for a noble, though I could see from his scarred hands and face that he was a veteran in battle.

Yet, I only snorted. “Get out of the way, Gramps. This ain’t a place for your bones. I need to get stronger.”

“And you will, young lady. Maybe you will return here, but not now. The paperwork has been settled already, and I need you back in the army. However, I already asked for you to have some time for yourself after what happened. That weird red lightning of yours has gotten the interest of our sloth scientists, and they requested a meeting with you. I told them it had to wait before you take a shower and learn how to properly talk to your elders. Don’t you think so, as well, young lady?”

“The fuck you talkin’ about, Gramps? I’m no ‘young lady’ to ya ass, I’m a rat… always been and always will be, but I’m not lettin’ that stop me anymore. I’m gonna get stronger. So strong that nothin’ bad will happen again. That I can live without regrets and fear. So… get the fuck away here. I ain’t protecting a civilian this far away from the city!”

“… Tsk, ahhh. Young lady, I was trying to be polite. Though, even as your adoptive father, I have my limit even for my youngest daughter.”

“‘Father?’ Ya flat in the head?”

“Ha… we’ll see each other tomorrow. Emotion Surge!”

With that activation, my senses activated as I felt hostility from him. I tried to react but—

“I noticed when you fought those golems. Your speed stops entirely the moment spells or concentrated mana are activated close to you. Your magnetism has a weakness, sadly.”

Casting a spell without even saying a word, lava exploded below me, stopping my voltaic lightning as the demonkin quickly landed two hits to my head and stomach. I was sturdy enough to endure them, even if it felt like he had smacked me with hammers. He was holding back quite a bit.

“Woo, you have gotten far stronger. How much your stats must have gone up. You’re perfect as an adoptive daughter to a noble, Vifi!” he roared in laughter before he materialized a warhammer out of lava before knocking the lights out of me.

When I finally regained consciousness, I realized I was no longer sleeping under the stars or in some random dirt house, but inside an opulent mansion. I was cleaned in my sleep and prettied up as I was sleeping in a feminine gown that made me feel like I was under an illusion. I wouldn’t even dream about these things. I didn’t even know that a sleeping attire could be this silky smooth, even if I tried to imagine it. Everything that I’ve worn up until now has scratched on my skin as I slept, keeping me warm and my hide thick.

As I tried to get out of bed, I quickly noticed that my legs had lost some strength, meaning I was unconscious for a while. Still, my abilities still worked, and I activated [Emotion Surge], regaining some temporary strength as I escaped my room. I wandered through the mansion, heaving a deep, worried sigh as I noticed this was the home of a noble demonkin. Someone with quite a bit of mone,y as I noticed various manatech and fineries around. Though, compared to the home of a human noble, this mansion had this creepy feeling to it that made it feel like the occupant was just trying to look important and influential.

“Young mistress!”

I snapped around as I heard two women and a man call for me, causing me to react to them as if this were still the Twin-Elemental Lake. A lightning polearm formed in my hands as I glared at them. I could feel my lightning zapping everything around me without any control, though before I could do anything, somebody suddenly tapped my shoulder.

I jerked around and stabbed at the person who managed to overcome my [Detection Sensor]. Yet, that halberd of red lightning that had slain so many rank B monsters was hopelessly dissipated as my opponent grabbed the lightning weapon and broke it as if itweres nothing.

“Good morning, daughter!” The man greeted me cheerfully, as if I had done nothing wrong. No, as if he just forgave his child after they had made a grave mistake, playing it off as if nothing had ever happened. “I apologize. I had informed my servants of your circumstances, but it seemed like your appearance still shocked them. I guess you do look like a little demon with all that blood lightning, muahahah!”

“Y-you’re that man who—”

“Who defeated you as if all your training meant nothing? Yes, that I am. Do you know me?”

I shook my head, still wary of things.

“Oshul’Yok. Sin heir of wrath.”

“You’re a Warbringer!” My face turned pale as I realized I was talking to one of my race’s most important people. One of my generals.

I tried to kneel to show respect and ask for forgiveness, but his unnatural speed allowed him to catch my body before it could do so.

“Easy, soldier. If we’re in public, I would demand that you act with some respect, but we are at home. Private space. Even if I have to act strictly, a daughter shouldn’t need to stand in ceremony every time she meets her father.”

I frowned as he helped fix my posture. “… Daughter?”

“Mhrm. Vifi… Yok. Vifi’Yok. That is now your name. As I told you when we met, I have finished the paperwork to adopt you as one of my children. Of my four children, you are my youngest and also the only one who isn’t biological. Though I care very little for that distinction now that you carry my house’s name, Vifi. Wear it with pride, yes?”

I was stunned, unable to speak back as he clapped his hands. The maids and butler who were around pushed me forward rather easily due to my befuddlement. I was led to a dining hall where I also met my adoptive mother, Rana’Yok. I was served breakfast, but I had gotten too nervous to eat anything as I was still confused about why I was even here in the first place.

Noticing this, the older demonkin woman said, “Eat, child. For someone with enough strength to become a Warbringer apprentice, you look malnourished, small, and more like a young noble daughter than a soldier.”

“Quite right, Vifi. Our alchemist had checked on your state, and she had managed to write up a nutrition plan to allow you to salvage what little time you still have as a growing adolescent. Even if you are strong, you need to look imposing enough to garner some authority from our more aggressive subordinates. Respect is earned, after all.”

Seeing the two demonkin stare at me—my adoptive father wore a warm smile while my adoptive mother looked cold, aloof—the questions kept floating in my head. “Why?”

“Hmm, why what?” My adoptive mother squinted. “If you ask a question, you speak the entire sentence. Rushing is not efficient; it risks misunderstandings and wrong orders. Repeat your question, but in full.”

I groaned, already knowing that I wouldn’t like this woman. “Why was I adopted?”

“That I can answer,” my adopted father replied with a friendly demeanor, contrasting with his wife. “Your friend, Jumi’Yal, had told me about you after you showed that blood lightning of yours. Lord Wrath became interested in you and had sent me, the third, and his second-in-command, the first, to analyze the news of a potential Warbringer apprentice. It was decided in the end that you had the potential if you received proper training, so I suggested that I adopt you. A noble’s training and resources sounded perfect for you, and since my three children are adults and away from home, I thought I would be the perfect candidate to adopt you.”

He then turned to his wife. “Not to mention, I know my dear love here has been feeling lonely at home, and with her only daughter away, I thought adding a second would make everything less lonesome when I must rejoin the army.”

“You thought wrongly, husband. I rather enjoy the quiet without our rambunctious children. It allows me to fix up our mansion’s appearance and manage the fiefdom better. Another daughter will only take away more of my attention.” She sipped her tea, still speaking in this matter-of-fact tone. “However, I did give him my consent. Vifi’Yok. That is now your name, and as long as you wear the name of ‘Yok,’ you will act with the honor our name is expected to have. You will learn how to speak and hold yourself as a noble child, and you will learn the lessons of warfare from a Warbringer family. Do you understand?”

“… No, I do not,” I admitted. “My lady. My lord. I’m a rat. A street urchin born with nothin’ and given nothin’. This? These clothes? They don’t suit me. I’m just a soldier that gotta get stronger. Sorry, but—”

“The paperwork is done, daughter,” Father asserted. “Even if you do not wish for it, you are now a member of our family. Not to mention, why do you suddenly believe that living here won’t make you stronger? I will send you back to the Twin-Elemental Lake if you wish to, but in due time. You need more tools if you wish to charge deeper into the place, and you certainly won’t find it with no money or with proper control of your [Elemental Meisterweapon].”

“I got a handle on it.”

“You’re just a little runt. Nothing more.”

I ground my teeth as I heard this, snarling at the Warbringer as he smiled. He stood up, looking down at me with such confidence that it seemed like he was shining.

“Then I present a proposition. You wish to return? Defeat me then. Win against me in single-combat ,and I shall let you return to the Twin-Elemental Lake with a full set of equipment. However, before we begin, you must eat. You saw how it ended last time. You were starving, so try to think like a soldier and survive for a moment. Eat before you argue.” He then turned to his wife. “Dear, will you ensure the child finishes her meal?”

“Naturally,” she answered as her husband left the room. The moment the door was shut, she snapped her fingers, causing my body to jerk up as if I was a puppet with strings attached to my limbs. “I am a sloth demonkin. You should know what I can do. I might be weaker than you, adopted daughter, but when it comes to magic, I am superior. You only know how to control two elemental weapons, but as a member of the Yok family, you will learn six, like your siblings did. Think wisely as you eat.”

Unable to control my body, I was force-fed a delicious meal I had never eaten in my life before. The spices ruined my taste buds, making me yearn for more with every bite, though, ironically, this would be my only chance to eat something as good as the thing. Once the training began, I was once again served rations that the army would eat. Certainly better than one as I was being trained as a Warbringer apprentice, but it still was nothing compared to this meal I had on my first day as a Yok.

After I was done with my meal, I went to the training field where the duel started, though it was obvious I had no chance. Six weapons under Father’s control meant my two—my halberd and sword—were quickly overwhelmed. Quality and quantity weren’t enough.

I tried to challenge him two more times, but each time, I was defeated. Even with my red lightning, it was nothing against this imposing man. He might be shorter and have fewer muscles compared to the other Warbringers, but the way he carried himself was awe-inspiring as I lay on the ground, eating dirt.

“Then I shall see you later at dinner. Hee! She will be your future junior, so make sure you train her into somebody that you can trust your back to.”

“Yes, my lord,” Hee’Rlak, my future apprentice, stated. At this time, he was Father’s subordinate, but we’ve gotten to know each other well over the next two years.

I didn’t want to bore the elemental with my daily life in the mansio,n as the first month was pretty dull. I kept to myself like I did as an orphan, simply absorbing whatever I could from the Yok family. Speech, war theory, and techniques; the mansion’s library was a treasure trove of knowledge for me to become stronger.

“No, when your forces are stronger, do not just blindly charge into the enemy! No matter if they are weaker or not, as long as the soldiers show a hint of morale, this sort of action will only lead to casualties!”

During the afternoon after lunch, Mother would teach me tactics and strategy, while my tutor handled my writing and speech.

“Good work, daughter! That’s it! It might seem weird to conjure a staff as an elemental weapon, but inside a battlefield, it is more likely that you would lose access to your catalyst with how you fight. A staff is the perfect catalyst in those cases, as you can never lose them and they will serve you well.”

Before dinner, Father and Hee would train my body and skills, while imprinting into me different fighting techniques so I could create my “voltaic red” Abilities. Here was also when I decided to forgo the simple longsword as one of my elemental weapons to take up the rapier—my Father’s preferred bladed weapon.

“Why a rapier, you ask? Simple, it’s for the times when you have to battle with grace. A halberd, gauntlet, and warhammer are powerful, but sometimes you require a weapon that allows you to precisely attack somewhere. That is why I chose the rapier,” he explained.

Once the first month had passed, my older siblings returned to the mansion with Jumi following after them. Jumi, naturally, was jubilant about my return, and we managed to form our friendship from thenon as she joined my training with Hee and Father, although my relationship with my siblings didn’t go anywhere. None of them were happy to have me, to the point that the eldest even complained about it to Father after the first day.

Honestly, I never understood why they were like this when it was clear that I didn’t have a chance for their inheritance at all. Yet, despite that terrible attitude of theirs, Father forced them to help me train, only worsening their opinion of me as I was stronger than them. At that point, I thought I had understood them, as even I would feel weird if my guard captain brought in some soldier from another garrison who was stronger than me. It would feel like I was being replaced.

Yet, in our case, it just wouldn’t happen.

“Why are you spending so much time with me? Your children are about to leave, but in these two months, you just kept your eyes on me,” I asked the day before my siblings would have to return to their posts in the army.

“Hrm, do you think it would make sense for a parent to intrude in the lives of his adult children as much? I think I should use my time to nurture you, no? The youngest,” he answered, but it felt too unsatisfying.

“You know what I’m talkin’—Ah, ahem. You understand what I am implying, Father. Hee’Rlak is enough to serve as my trainer, even if he is weaker in stat;, he has experience under his belt. You children act like spoiled brats, on the other hand. Considering how Mother always acts, I thought you should be stricter with them.”

“That might be true, but I am no fool. You might believe they need me more, but I personally believe you are the one in need of my attention.”

“Me?”

He nodded. “A young urchin who had lost it all. I read your file after young Jumi compiled everything for me. I know you from those tablets, but I also understand that as a general that to truly understand my soldiers, I have to speak with them. A report never truly represents the person. As such, I have concluded that you need to learn the value of familial love, even as an urchin and soldier. Vifi, your wrath keeps seeping out, turning impatient as you want to grow stronger. You don’t have anything to anchor yourself to, so you can remain calm.”

“I’m a rat, I—”

“I told you to stop calling yourself that,” he chastised me. “To me, why does it matter? Vifi, does stealing from others truly define you as a person? You, as a child, were forced into an unfair situation where you had to fend for yourself when it was the duty of the adults to take care of you. That is not your fault. You needed to survive. To blame a child for doing what they need to live is childish from the adults. Your past does not matter to me now that you are my daughter, because the future is more valuable to you children.”

“… More valuable? What does that mean?”

“It means how you live your life now as an adolescent and a future adult will determine your true worth as a person. As a father, I can forgive my children when they behave wrongly as children, but the moment they become adults, that changes. I have to act stricter and show them that the consequences cannot be swept away now,” he explained, making me understand his relationship with his biological children. “Yet, as their father, I will not shame them. They will receive most of my inheritance, with you only gaining a little if I were to die. That is my duty as a father.”

“I don’t deserve any inheritance, though. I am not your actual daughter.”

“You are wrong again, daughter!” he cackled, causing me to turn red as it felt like he was just making fun of me today. “No, you are already inheriting my belongings, Vifi. In these last three months, you inherited your Father’s and Mother's knowledge.”

My eyes widened as I stared at him, causing him to roar in laughter once again. “Your mother might act like she doesn’t like you, but I’ve been nagged far too often about how I am not training you enough. About how you aren’t eating enough. About how little you take care of your body and weapons. She might not think of you as her true child, but as your guardian, she is investing her time in you. To a sloth demonkin, dedicating her resting time to somebody else means she acknowledges you. You might not gain many material possessions, but spiritually and intellectually? You are receiving just as much as our biological children are.”

“That just makes me understand you even less, Father.”

“You will one day, Vifi.” He smiled as he stared at the blue sky. “I… care for us wrathies.”

“Wrath demonkin, Father. Mother would smack you in the head if she heard you call us that.”

“Haha, yes, she would! She is trying to get rid of your street accent, after all, so I might not be the best role model, right now.” Yet, he didn’t feel any guilt. He smiled as he kept looking at the horizon. “Do you want to know my dream?”

“A demonkin who can dream… a rarity.”

“It is, but all of us sin heirs and princes of sin do that. We dream of a better future for our race, which is why we plot and fight. My father was just a normal noble, but instead of dedicating myself to politics like he did, I chose to become a sin heir.” He leaned forward on the railing of our balcony. “My dream is to bring freedom to our race’s blood ‘curse,’ Vifi. I want all wrath demonkin to be able to live outside of those segregation zones. I want young children like you to enjoy a normal childhood. I want you to be like my children—spoiled and bratty. That is your right to do so! I wish Bole’Taria were that type of place, but I see little hope of it ever coming true unless I fight. One day. I wish to see such a future.”

So do I, Father. Your dreams might not be my dream, but I will carry them on. For I dream of a world where street urchins like me can enjoy a piece of warm, soft bread, instead of crackers with stinking fish.

I opened my eyes, finding myself in the place of my memory self. I stared at my Father before shoving him off the balcony, right in front of our mansion’s entrance. He landed gracefully, as I remembered him to be able to do. I jumped off and landed right next to him.

“Wooah, Vifi, did you really have to do so?” he said in shock, but didn’t seem to hold it against me. As he always did.

“Father…” I walked closer, imprinting his appearance into my mind. “I have conceived a most brilliant idea.”

“Ho? Did you know? Pray, tell. It is a rarity for me to hear you speak in such a tone.”

I nodded like an obedient daughter. I turned around and created some distance from him before turning around. “I hereby suggest we spar, so that I may show you if your dream can become a reality or not. For I, Vifi of the family of Yok, declare upon my noble name: I shall betray our kingdom of Bole’Taria so that I may free it from the chains of hatred.”

“Betray?” Father tilted his head. “I know you aren’t the most patriotic person, Vifi, but speaking such words even makes me nervous.”

“I know, and that is why you must understand that you are only a memory. The real you is dead.”

Father’s smile waned as he looked down to see a hole in his chest. Although I wasn’t able to see his actual corpse, this was my depiction of his death. He sighed, shaking his head before he looked to the sky.

“She would not listen, God. You may try, but she will not listen. Not even now, after the memories are flowing so vividly. I cannot change her mind,” he said.

“… Then kill her already. I have had enough of this play-believe. I shall dedicate more time to analyzing this Twin-Elemental Lake, so finish her off.”

Heh, you sound so different now, dear elemental god. Are you still a fae?

Father and I locked eyes as he sighed. Lava flowed from his arms as a black-red rapier formed. “I, Oshul of the family of Yok, reciprocate your declaration with the honor of my noble name: I will be the one to end this fetid dream of yours.”

Lightning crackled along my right arm as it started to distort, turning mechanical to resemble my manatech prosthesis. A rapier made from red lightning materialized, warming my hands as I pointed it at my opponent. “And I shall break through your challenge to show you that your dream will come true with my decision. For I am the sixth member of Aurora, Vifi’Yok!”

“… Show me it, indeed, Daughter.”