~January 13th, midnight~

  Jet looked around, and he couldn't help but to roll his eyes.

  “Ahh great! Life was just starting to get good, and I had to dream about this?! Come on brain, do better.”

  Jet was finally happy again. He had his mother and father again. Perhaps not in name, but in bond. That's even better. They even decided to spend the night. Loina and Aelius even came to tuck him to bed. Everything was going great.

  And his brain decided to remind him about Ursina Peak again.

  Ursina Peak. Where every year, on New Year's eve, all twelve year old Brandrs would go up and sat crosslegged around the mouth of the volcano. Where the huge amount of pure energy would awaken their cores.

  Except for Jet, there hadn't been a single Brandr that didn't manage to form their cores.

  The scene went as he remembered it. One by one, the Brandr children awakened their cores. And come sunrise, everybody would be shocked. Hiding the joy in their hearts.

  The only son of the Head of Brandr, failed to awaken his core.

  Although he cursed his brain for having this dream, he was secretly glad. Apart from his parents and Aunt Nerine, everybody else was hiding their sneers. They were elated. The race for the next family head just got easier. And there would be one less opponent to think about.

  As Aunt Nerine came to check on him, Jet studied his parents’ face thoroughly this time. Before, he thought they were ashamed of him. And since they did kicked him out immediately, he thought he was right.

  Only now he realized, that faces his parents showed, were expressions of worry. They fear for his future.

  Jet was happy. His parents really did love him. If his brain was standing in front of him, he would hug his brain.

  The scene changed to that night he was kidnapped. Only, the difference is, his kidnappers’ mission was successful.

  “W-what the hell? They're not working for Alba Stella?”

  Jet was very thankful for the stranger. Had he not bestowed the core, Jet's fate is no worse than a dog. And he would be thankful for the master that tricked him into submission.

  The new scene played out. There, the two kidnappers were attacked by Doleon’s man. Jet, feeling ever so grateful, swore his loyalty to Doleon.

  The scene changed to a scary one. Jet was strapped on an operating table. He was still conscious, when Yurena opened his chest, and forcefully stuffed a core inside.

  “Kid! Do you want power?” A voice suddenly whispered in Jet's ear.

  Too weak to reply, Jet only nodded.

  Purple smoke filled the room, and entered the dead energy core newly placed in his body.

  The core began to emit purple light. The unbearable pain caused the nearly unconscious Jet to sober up. He felt immense strength coursing through his veins.

  “Hahaha! I have my own core!” Jet yelled out.

  Indeed he finally had his own core.

  A Chaos core.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  What followed were atrocities after atrocities. In order for Apep to grow stronger, it needed to devour more souls. More flesh. More blood. And Doleon and Yurena used it to clear the way to the throne.

  In the end, Doleon became the Crown Prince. Prief and Mal were already dead. To make things worse, Doleon pointed the finger at Jet. Blaming him for being the main perpetrator.

  The scene changed to war. Jet was almost totally possessed by Apep. Or rather, by Chaos. He led the Furvur army to war against Ottilia.

  “H-hey. It's the stranger. Th-the stranger is…me?!”

  The scene changed again. This time, the war was over. Dead bodies were everywhere. But the fight continued. This time, Jet was fighting against Aelius and Loina.

  Jet was winning. The power of chaos was too strong. He lift his sword and was about to chop off his parents’ head. All of a sudden, he fell down to the ground. Convulsing in pain.

  “Shit! Apep is taking over his body!” Jet heard his mother spoke.

  Aelius also held Jet. “We need to begin the spell. Or his soul will be eaten by Apep!”

  Loina nodded. They began the ritual. They sat on each side of Jet. Aelius on the right. Loina on the left. Both were holding Jet's hand.

  They began to channel their magic. Red and blue energy surged from their body into Jet's. Jet saw that the older him had stopped trembling.

  Soon, a purple smoke arose from Jet's body.

  “NOOOO! I've waited too long for this! You will not ruin my plan!”

  Aelius sneered. “Heh. You think we're just gonna let you take our son's body.”

  “Yeah, fuck you, you fat purple snake! This is my son. My child. Nobody else had the right to take him!” Loina added.

  “Puny humans! Dare to go against god?! I'll swallow you along with the kid!!!”

  With that, a new battle began in Jet's body. Three souls fight with each other.

  Suddenly, Jet opened his eyes. He saw his mother and father were gritting their teeth. That's when Jet felt the uncomfort inside of him. He checked, and was shocked to find his parents soul defending his.

  At this point, Aelius and Loina were almost beaten.

  “Hahaha! See boy! Here's your revenge. I told you I would fulfill your vengeance as long as you bow down to me.”

  “Jet, don't believe him. He's trying to take your body. You will die.”

  Surprisingly, Apep did not deny it. “So what?! I've given you what you want. Now, it's your turn to repay the favor.”

  Jet shook his head, watching this. If his past self did not come and save him, he would turn out the same.

  Although, with the way things are happening right now, Jet wondered how his past self managed to save himself.

  The older Jet walked slowly to his parents. “I'm sorry for being stupid mother. Father.”

  Loina and Aelius smiled. “It's our fault son.” Aelius said. “We should've told you everything.”

  “Well, we still had a bit of time left. Wanna kill this snake together?” Jet said casually.

  “You can kill the snake? How?”

  “By using its devouring power against itself. But it needsd the power of the three of us.”

  Loina and Aelius looked at each other and smiled. Soon, the three of them were hugging each other. They also turned into purple smoke. This time, it's two purple clouds trying to bite against one another.

  “Hahaha, stupid humans! You think you could wield my power against myself! Ridiculous!”

  But the Chaos Lord spoke too soon. The power of three cores was too much for it to handle.

  “NOOOO!!!”

  Apep had died. Unfortunately, so were the three Brandrs. The scenes suddenly disappeared. Leaving an empty white void.

  The only thing left, was a confused Jet. Scratching his head as he was lost in thought.

  “I wonder where did my past self get the Deathwish core. If he just realized his mistake as he was about to die, how did he have time to search for Kamiryuu's core?”

  “He didn't!” A voice spoke.

  Jet was startled. But he didn't have time for that. The white void transformed again. This time, to a scene he was familiar with. A scene he dreamt about a couple of weeks ago.

  Jet was standing in front of the Kronos Vine, yet again.

  This time, instead of his past self, a lady in green armor was waiting beside the huge tree.

  “Urm…hello?” Jet hesitantly greeted the lady.

  Thankfully, the lady seems friendly. “Hi! You must be Jet.”

  “Huh? Oh y-yeah. Urm, do you know me?”

  The lady chuckled. “Well, my core is inside of you. So, you could say I know you inside out. Hahahaha…”

  Etiquette dictates for Jet to give a polite chuckle to acknowledge the attempt at humor. Jet had no time for that however. He was too shocked to even respond.

  Standing in front of him, was the protector of human beings. The Great Dragon, Beast Lord Kamiryuu.

  “G-greetings Lady Kamiryuu.”

  Kamiryuu waved him off. “Oh relax. I don't care about that. Come over here. Let me check on your condition.”

  Jet stepped towards Kamiryuu. Kamiryuu put her hand on his chest, and gently let her energy flow into him. Throughout all this, Jet felt very comfortable. Like plunging in cold water on hot days.

  “Looks like you have successfully integrated the core to your body. That's great. Using the blood vessels as energy veins. Such a genius idea. Perhaps even those born without an energy vein could use this kind of system.”

  Jet's eyes opened wide. He knew a bunch of those people. Maybe he could help them. “R-really? Can those people without energy veins use energy in their blood vessels like me?”

  Kamiryuu stopped to think. “Should be possible. Although I think you could only use aura skills. Whatever core you possess.”

  “Ehh? Why's that?”

  Kamiryuu shrugged. “Why else? Because of the lack of energy veins of course. Human's blood vessels cannot withstand the flexibility of magic. Imagine channeling a fireball. Your blood vessels would explode.”

  Jet nodded. Yet it raised another question. “But I can.” Suddenly, Jet realized the horror behind Kamiryuu's statement. “Wait, will my blood vessels burst?!”

  “Hahahaha! You're too cute, kid.” Kamiryuu wiped the tears from her eyes. “Two reasons why you're safe. One, your core is your heart. They have perfectly fused together now. Our Deathwish core, is both arma and mana core.”

  Jet nodded. “And the second one?”

  “Well…the core you're using is essentially a magic beast's core. A Divine Beast, yes, but a beast nonetheless. So your blood vessels must have been strengthened. You are basically a halfling between a beast and a human.” Kamiryuu scratched her head in embarrassment.

  “WHAT?!” Jet was enraged. But moments later, the rage subsided. What would he even complain about? That he is as strong as a magic beast? That he now has the same constitution as a dragon? That's a lot of positives.

  “Are you angry at me, child?”Kamiryuu asked hesitantly.

  Jet's smile appeases her worry. “Don't worry, Beast Lord. I should've been grateful to you instead. Thanks to you, I now have the power to protect myself.”

  Kamiryuu was relieved. “Fuh, that's good. It makes the next bit easier.”

  “Huh? What do you mean? What next bit?”

  Kamiryuu then turned serious. Regal. She now looked divine. The image of a god.

  “Jet Brandr, heed my call. Fulfill the oath. Save the world. Slay the Chaos Lord Apep…”