Chapter 17: Awakening Ceremony (1)
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The morning mist had not yet cleared from the training courtyard, and dew clung stubbornly to the blades of grass. The sun had just begun to rise, casting light that reflected off the dew-drenched fields.
The air was cool, heavy with the damp silence of dawn, broken only by the dull, rhythmic sound of fists striking bark.
*KICK!*
*PUNCH!*
*PUNCH!*
Hitting the tree was none other than Percy, now much older.
His body snapped into each strike with unnatural precision. The blows weren't the flailing swipes of a child—they were sharp, deliberate, and honed by years of trained reflex older than this body. His muscles, though not yet developed enough beneath his loose white and blue robes, were beginning to show signs of visible growth.
He leapt, twisting his waist, and hitting it with his leg high into the trunk. "Hyah!"
*KICK!*
The tree groaned beneath the impact. He landed lightly, taking controlled breaths to steady himself, then leaned against the bark, sweat trickling down his temple. He had been keeping this up nonstop for the last two hours since the crack of dawn.
"Phew… still not good enough. I got to keep up with the tempo I set." He muttered as he relaxed on the wet grass. Although he'd lost his divine powers, he still enjoyed being around water regardless.
Six years. It's been six years since he'd been reborn. Over these few years he's managed to learn a lot about this place. For one, everyone spoke Mandarin and only Mandarin. And two, there was no other ethnicity aside from Asian, which was very surprising but not as surprising as the fact that he was not only reincarnated but another world at that.
The moment he turned two and stopped needing to be carried around everywhere, he began doing constant exercise in the guise of playing. This served to both get a head start to reach his full potential and quickly get accustomed to this new body.
Each day, he'd spend his morning doing simple stamina and endurance exercises that wouldn't overburden and stagnate his body's growth for a year and a half. When those preparations were complete, he went into the much more difficult stuff. Training in the courtyard before the servants or his mother woke up, sneaking out day in and day out for the past three years and lifting heavy gardening equipment and heavy rocks. It wasn't much, and it wasn't like he could ask for weights out of the blue, but he made it work.
It was not easy in the beginning. Even thinking about doing the same maneuvers he had done in his past life was next to impossible. He'd been stuck in the Dimensional Gap without a body for so long, and now that he had a new body, things weren't the same for him as before. His bones and flesh were new, but it was like riding a bike, and soon enough he became accustomed to his body as if it had never changed.
Of course, his vessel was still weak, but the former demigod was a master of martial arts, so his techniques can still get him far.
"Thank goodness I didn't go into the intensive training Grandfather imparted onto me sooner." He exhaled, resetting his balance. "I'd have killed myself a dozen times by now if I did. Hmph, sadistic old bastard."
He pulled his fist back to deliver another set of consecutive blows.
*PUNCH!*
*PUNCH!*
*PUNCH!*
He then followed it up with a spinning heel kick that sliced through the early morning fog. Sweat beaded on his brow.
*KICK!*
The world he'd been reborn in was called Duoluo Dalu, or as it is spoken in English, Soul Land. It was surprising, but he quickly got over it and instead went full in on learning and exploring all he could about this new land, its history, people, and even his own background in it. It was all so fascinating, and it piqued his curiosity. It served as a wonderful distraction from his inner turmoil.
He had no issues with the culture, at least not that much. He'd become accustomed to this world. Things were very different for him here, but he quickly learned that things were also still very much the same.
For one, he has never met his father in this world, the White Tiger Duke. Apparently, the man worked very far away from the estate in a battleground and rarely visited. From what his mother told him, the man left to defend their homeland against an enemy country before he was born.
His mother, Huo Yun'er, was the White Tiger Duke's best friend since childhood. She worked as his maid, and they fell in love, and that's how he was born, despite the fact that the guy was already arranged to someone else.
Moving on, thanks to his birth, his mother was elevated to the status of a noble through him, so they were allowed to live in their own part of the mansion. It's because of that that they were living a pretty comfortable life.
When first hearing of the story between his parents, he was a bit suspicious at first. Because of his analytical nature and teachings from Kronos, Perseus was naturally distrustful and quick to scheme. He thought she was using him as a pawn to live the easy life, but from all his observations over the years, he knew full well that was untrue. The woman didn't care about status, power, or fancy luxuries. She genuinely loved and cared for him.
His second life was so wonderful. He'd wake up to start the day, and after his morning drills, he'd eat wonderful food prepared by talented chefs together with his mom. She'd spend all day with him, playing with him and reading him stories. Sometimes they'd just have a picnic in the garden or fish in the nearby lake. That was his favorite thing to do. So, despite the annoyance of being in the middle of some noble drama again, life was not so bad. Not at all.
Percy stared at the clouds, thinking about his life so far. It's been so good it almost feels like it's a dream. He and his mom were together, and she was safe.
Ever since Zeus and the rest ruined his life, he's been on a warpath trying to get his revenge. His hands were stained in golden blood, and every waking moment was spent fighting to survive. Intense hatred and going berserk were his pastimes. Releasing his power like an erupting volcano was his way of raging against them and giving them a taste of their own medicine.
Percy raised and looked up at his hand and couldn't but still see the blood. Fight after fight. Scheme after scheme. Blood and cries were constant, and that was only barely scratching the surface of the hell that forged him.
Kronos was right. He'd be ok, and yet something still nagged at him. Deep inside, Perseus didn't believe he belonged here...with his mom. He didn't believe he should be happy here. No matter how much he wanted to deny it.
"AHH!" A sharp pain spread across his head as a searing pain spread across his eyes. Percy seethed as he clutched his head.
This was something that happened often before back in his old world. He would get random headaches that would vary from annoying to downright painful, and his eyes would burn. It started ever since he first transformed into Silba in his fight with Dionysus, and he's since never been able to get rid of it.
His grandfather explained that it was due to his refusal of his godly identity and his stubbornness to let go of his mortal side. Among demigods he was a rare breed, like the likes of Gilgamesh. The only way to remedy that was to become a god, but that would never happen. Perseus would sooner die than stoop to their level. Because of that, his godly side and mortal side were always in conflict, especially when his emotions got in the way.
"Ughg... Stop it!" He smashed his head against his hand.
*THUMP!*
The pain suddenly stopped, leaving him to gasp for breath. "Hagh...Hagh. You've got to be kidding... even with my powers gone... It's still there." Percy gritted his teeth angrily.
At first, he thought this was a sign that his powers were coming back, but that was quickly disproven. His powers were dead and gone, and all he was left with was a head-splitting headache.
*PUNCH!*
He struck the tree much harder than previously. "That life is dead and buried now. Get over it already." He admonished himself as he continued striking the tree.
His grandfather was right. He would be ok in the end. Unfortunately, that meant the Elder Titan, his mentor, was no longer part of his life.
Kronos must've disappeared long before he woke up in the Void, and because the Titan was already a fragment of divine consciousness, there was no surviving the Dimensional Gap's influence.
While this news saddened him, he was slowly coming to terms with the fact that Kronos and everyone who ever mattered to him were gone. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but it's one he'd have to accept.
To make sure his headaches wouldn't come back with a vengeance, Percy directed his thoughts to something he had been hearing constantly from the servants, especially lately. "Martial Souls…" He muttered, resting his hand on his waist. "Spirit Rings… Soul Beasts… My understanding of these topics is all still surface level. I only know what Mom has told me so far."
From what she explained to him, Soul Beasts were strong monsters found in the wilderness and are extremely aggressive to humans, and only a Soul Master has the power to slay them, depending on how many Soul Rings they have attained and the age of the Soul Beasts. There were more details, but that's the gist of it.
Aside from keeping an ear out for any source of information, most of his knowledge about this new world came from his story time with his mom. She wasn't a powerful soul master. She wasn't one at all, but the information she had provided alongside the loving care was more than enough.
The same could not be said about his stupid "stepmother," the Duke's official wife, Zhu something. The Duchess was a member of the Zhu clan, which had extremely close ties to the Dai, which he belonged to. The lady made no effort to hide her hatred for him and his mother. She, alongside many other servants from her side, constantly looked down on them, despite the fact that his mother never looked down or thought she was better than them.
It wasn't just them either. The Duchess had close ties with many nobles from prestigious clans who often visited, and they shared their disdain for them. He'd made sure to keep a close eye on all of them, especially his stepmother.
Percy looked down at his calloused hands. Today was a special day. He was turning six years old, and in this world, when a child reaches that age, they can undergo a Martial Soul awakening ceremony to bring out their abilities that made this world so unique, and it just so happened that his was scheduled for today.
"Just what will my martial soul be...hmm." He thought deeply as a gentle breeze blew past the training grounds, swaying his hair.
He heard martial arts can be inherited from the parents, but not always. Some can be entirely different or become a mutated version. Whether it was advantageous or disadvantageous depended on the roll of the dice.
If his luck was good, he'd end up with a top-tier Martial Soul, like White Tiger, which the White Tiger clan was renowned for. If not, he could end up with something else entirely, which always made him curious.
Truthfully, he didn't care what he'd get. Whatever happened, he'd make it work for him. However deep in his heart, something still gnawed at him. What would happen to his mom if he got a Martial Soul that wasn't like his father's? Just what would the Duchess do?
Waking him up from his thoughts, he heard Mother call out to him. "Yuhao!" Huo Yuner's voice rang in his head, causing him to turn back to face her. "Come back inside, honey." She told him, holding a towel in her hand.
Percy sighed softly and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a cloth tucked into his sash. He turned and jogged lightly toward the stone path leading back to the manor.
Behind him the tree that was hit had a visible mark one would not think was caused by a six-year-old who didn't even awaken their Martial Soul.
Huo Yuner stood waiting at the edge of the walkway, dressed in a flowing sky-blue robe. Her long, brown hair was braided over one shoulder, and her face lit up with the smile that always managed to make him do the same.
He was really loving this new world despite the con of losing his power. It was worth it.
"Look at you, you're drenched?" She said as she took the cloth and began dabbing at his face like a fussing mama bear. "Didn't I tell you not to play too hard?"
"Mother..." He whined but didn't pull away.
Huo Yun'er smiled fondly before reaching up to ruffle his already messy hair. "It's almost time for your Martial Soul awakening. I thought I told you to rest." She pinched his nose playfully. They still had time before the ceremony, so she wasn't at all mad.
"I couldn't sleep." He shrugged, receiving a snort.
"Maybe I should start hiding your training clothes." She replied with a playful smirk.
"Wha— Please don't do that! I like running in the courtyard. It's fun." He replied, getting a giggle from her.
Ever since he'd learned to talk again and began his training, he'd asked her for small things like the training clothes or light training equipment, and as she found his hard-working attitude adorable, she didn't have the heart to say no.
'My little Yuhao is barely six, and he already works himself too hard just like his father.' She thought with an exasperated sigh, but deep down she was happy with his diligence.
She took his hand, and the two walked together to the manor. The estate grounds belonging to his mother were lavish, filled with ponds, trimmed gardens, and decorative tiger statues carved from stone. He and his mother lived in a further part of the White Tiger Mansion with its own courtyard, library, etc., so they had a very large living space.
Most servants stepped aside uncomfortably as they passed, but few bowed. Percy, of course, noticed this, but he ignored them like his mother did. Because of the duchess, everyone behaved neutrally with them so as to not get on her bad side by being too friendly or respectful to them. In actuality they respected his mother very much because despite her new status she treated them very kindly and fairly. It was only because of their fear of the Duchess that they had to walk on eggshells whenever they interacted with either him or his mom.
...
..
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(Looks like Percy still has trauma that his god side can't heal. He needs more hugs.)