Chapter 8: The Lion Cub anization

  Ray

  I had imagined a grand, teologically advanced city, ohat surpassed even the achievements of my previous life. With abilities ied into its design, I envisioned breathtaking structures and innovation. But when we emerged from the portal, we found ourselves in a crude jail. They separated me and the young man from the rest, log everyone else inside.

  Guarding the prisoners was a man with an uling power. His bloodshot, tired eyes didn’t leave the captives for a sed. Anyoared at lost access to their abilitties. On a battlefield, he would be nearly uable. “What a waste of potential,” I thought. “They’re using him to babysit prisoners. This anization’s ma is truly pathetibsp;

  Without looking at us, the man spoke in a hoarse voice, “What happehis time? You look worse than usual.”

  The young man responded, “They had some annoying blessings.”

  We left the building and stepped into the city. It wasn’t the bustliropolis I’d imagined. It was small, with uniform buildings that looked hastily structed, likely by ah user. There was no sign of advaeology, only a t castle in the ter.

  The young maed another portal, this time leading us directly into the castle. As we stepped inside, he gave me a suspicious gnce. “You’re ag strange,” he said.

  “I don’t feel well,” I lied, feigning disfort. “I got hit on the head.”

  “Then why didn’t you go to the medical department like you always do?”

  His suspiade me pause. ‘Am I busted? Should I try to expin or make a run for it?’

  A guard’s voiterrupted the tense moment. “Hey, you two! What are you doing? The king is waiting.”

  “We’ll talk ter,” the young man muttered, leading me forward.

  We were ushered into the throne room. Sitting ohrone was Marshall Elthias, the so-called king of the Lion Cub anization. He was a fat, young man surrounded by women who fed him as he lounged. My panion reted our mission, omitting aion of survivors. He spuory to make it seem like we had everything under trol.

  As we left the castle, I noticed an uling pattern. The sves w there were all women and girls, dressed in revealing clothing with a tattoo of a dog on their arms.

  “Don’t you want to go home now?” the young man asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp, watg me closely.

  “Yeah,” I replied with a forced smile, avoiding eye tabsp;

  “I’ll make you a portal,” he said.

  Wheepped through, somethi off immediately. The location was abandoned, desote. I gnced around, my enhanced vision sing the distao firm it wasn’t my home. Turning to face him, I asked, “Is this a joke?”

  He didn’t flinch, feigning an apology. “Sorry, I guess I’m tired too,” he said smoothly. His eyes lingered on me, as if gauging my rea. The way he had stepped into the portal with me and waited for my response firmed my suspi—he was testing me.

  He created another portal, this time stepping aside. “Here, this one will take you home,” he said, making no move to follow.

  Before stepping through, I paused and looked back at him. “Meet me in front of my house before su. I want to test a new bo,” I said.

  “Sure. Just don’t be te again,” he replied, watg me closely as I disappeared through the portal.

  The portal took me to a house that seemed to be mine. Inside, I heard the voice of a little girl humming softly. The sound tugged at something deep within me, but I decided against going inside. Instead, I wandered until I found a library. The librarian, a bck-haired teenage girl with round gsses, greeted me with a polite smile. I nodded curtly, avoiding further iion.

  I spent hours p over an encyclopedia, learning about this world and the Lion Cub anization. One key discovery was the terminology they used—what we called 'powers' in my old life, they referred to here as 'blessings.' It was a subtle yet signifit difference, hinting at how deeply ingrained abilities were in this world’s culture. The geography was vastly different from my previous world, and blessings pyed an integral role in shaping it. This world was enormous, infused with “Bck Matter”—a potent type of mana that allowed nature to proted regee itself. This made the world nearly iructible by human hands.

  Newborns chose their abilities at the age of sixteen. Politically, the world was ruled by four pilrs, the stro beings ience. Below them were nine royal families. Marshall Elthias, our so-called king, was merely a prince who had deserted his kingdom to form the Lion Cub anization.

  I skimmed through the final pages, which tained cryptic, handwritten notes about the winter season. They were difficult to decipher, and I didn’t have time to linger. I gnced outside and saw it was nearly su. Closing the book, I left.

  On my way back, I passed an old man selling fruit. “Hey, soldier!” he called.

  ‘Do I look like a soldier?’ I wondered.

  “These apples are fresh. They’ll refill your mana,” he said.

  “No, thanks.”

  “They’re free. Take them,” he insisted, handiwo. “One for you and one for little Lily.”

  Taking them, I left, my thoughts turning to the little girl I’d heard earlier.

  In front of the muscur man’s house, the young man was talking to a little girl. As I approached, she noticed me and ran toward me with open arms. “Where have you been, brother?” she asked, her voice a mixture of relief and scolding.

  “I just needed some fresh air,” I replied awkwardly, handihe apples. “Take this and go inside. I still have important things to do.”

  Her brows furrowed in . “Are you fighting bad guys again?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon,” I said, f a smile. But as she went inside, my emotiorayed me, and tears welled up in my eyes. It wasn’t me, nor was it my curse. The body was rejeg me. ‘My time is running out,’ I thought. ‘I o hurry.’

  Turning to my panion, I said, “We need somewhere quiet outside the city.”

  “Yes, sir,” he replied, opening a portal.

  eared on a hill overlooking the city. The view was vast, the castle at its ter like a throne of trol over the surrounding uniform houses. Without hesitation, I said, “Give me HumanX.”

  “What’s the rush?” he asked, his tone cautious.

  “My sister is waiting,” I lied.

  “What are you pnning?”

  “You’ll see. You’ll be impressed.”

  Relutly, he closed his eyes, activating his blessing. I grew a huimes rger using the muscur man’s power. With HumanX c through me, I prepared to obliterate the city. Raising my colossal hand, I saw fshes of faces. I people, workers, sves, and then—Lily. Her smiling face stopped me cold. Tears streamed down my face as I whispered “Don’t be sad. It ainless.",

  The young man, still blindfolded by his curse, stumbled. “What happened? What did you do?”

  I shrank bay normal size and wiped my tears. “Why don’t you open your eyes and see for yourself?”

  When he opened his eyes, he stared at me in shock. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.