Dominic 5 years ago

"Dominic, Dominic, there's a city nearby" my brother began to annoy me as the sun rose.

Your Intelligence has fallen greatly! 5>5

I swiped aside the annoying system screen.

"Oh yeah?" I replied half-heartedly, not really caring about what he had to say. It has been a year or two since we began to live here. I say that as I looked around the cave we called home. Actually, instead of calling it a cave, it's more of a hole we dug into the hill. Well, specifics aside, the place was holding up pretty well. I said, as I got off the mattress we made from the skin of nearby monsters, straw we got from passing merchants, springs, and frames made out of phantasm metal that I acquired from the beast that destroyed our village. In fact, it's not a lie that most of the materials were produced and developed by me! Uncountable years of surviving alone really did do its job after all.

"Yes! The merchant that just passed by asked if we would like to follow him to the city!" I gave a warm-look to my unreasonably handsome and unreasonably naive brother. "Mhmm" I got out of the mattress and walked out of the door that hung the sign "Our Home" drawn with the courtesy of my younger sister. I liked it, it was cute.

"Oh really? You have a second brother little one?" the merchant was busy teasing my younger sister. She was blatantly pouting and looked ready to hit him with rocks floating nearby. Of course, she had already learned how to levitate them at her young age.

"YES I HAVE" she steamed, as the rocks nearby made dangerous movements. Despite this, the merchant remained unnaturally calm. "How about this" the merchant made a devious smile.

"If you can show me your brother, I will pass you. This much" he said as he showed 3 fingers.

"3 million?" my similarly devious sister pretended to ask innocently. She was rather cunning for her age.

"Of course not little one. How about all the money I have at 300,000? In exchange, if I'm right and you're wrong, let's go to the city together, shall we? Of course, bringing your brother along." the man teased once more.

"It's brothers with an "S!" she complained once again.

"DOMMIE!" I watched as my little sister started to scream for me. Naturally, I decided to tease her as well, not showing myself until my brother approached me from the back.

"Hey, she's going to cry, why aren't you going to her?" he spoke.

"Alright, I'm going" I laughed as I headed towards her.

The merchant was also a curious one. What kind of nutcase goes around betting 300,000 to see if someone actually has a second brother? At this point, I could have never guessed that the nutcase was going to be a friend of mine for some time to come.

"Yes, you called?" I said while approaching my younger sister who was near tears.

"SEE! I TOLD YOU!" my younger sister spat out at him while the man in question appeared to be shocked by my appearance. "How... how could this be?" his lips trembled for a brief moment before maintaining his facade. "Who are you?" he asked.

"That's my question!" I couldn't help but made a comeback. Oh no, I think I might somehow get along with him.

"Give me my 300,000 !" my adorable but needy little sister cut in.

"lalala~" my happy sister who has now become the richest one in the household skipped along playing with slimes. "Blob blob!" she called out as the slime, named "Bob" for short, appeared and was fed our leftovers from dinner from last night. It was pretty convenient for me to get rid of the monster scraps that appear at night as well. I thank the slimes for their service deep in my heart.

"So I'm guessing you have a lot more than 300,000?" I asked the merchant who sat in front of me.

"Just enough to get by" he replied.

"Alright, so why were you so insistent on bringing my siblings along with you? Are you intending to sell us as slaves or something?" I questioned the man before me.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'd just attack you all instead of going through all that trouble!" he stated matter-of-factly. I couldn't help but agree.

"What I'm proposing isn't something that benefits me you see. It's something that I have to do a promise I made to a friend that will only bring benefits to you all" he looked straight into my eyes as he spoke, and my gut was telling me that he wasn't lying.

"So your friend's our ancestor I assume" his eyes flickered when I said that. I mean clearly, who else would want something that benefits us?

"Look whose a smart one" he smiled as he said that.

"Clearly not me and my 5 INT" I replied.

"That's a nice joke" he chuckled as he looked me in the eyes.

"Wait you weren't lying!? You actually have 5 INT?" then he began to feel worried.

"Keep it down, " I told him as I glanced at my brother who peeked over.

"Anyways, who are you? Or you can't answer that?" I asked him and he merely smiled.

"It's not important who I am, what's important is who your siblings are going to be" he pointed at my brother who was now helping out my sister with the farm.

"Heroes" we spoke in unison.

His eyes grew wide with surprise as it met mine.

"Hahahaha" he chuckled and said nothing further.

"Your brother seems interested in the city as well. It's going to be the best for their future development" he continued.

"You don't have to convince me you know? I won't be around them forever" I replied to the man that misunderstood me. We met eyes and he nodded his head. It was strange, I didn't say a single word and yet he seemed to have understood what I was saying.

"You sure don't speak like a man with 5 INT" he laughed as he stood up to shake my hands.

"Who knows? Eventually, I might" I replied as I shook his hand.

"Alright boys and you devious little girl" he announced to my siblings as he stood up.

"It's time to move to the big city!" with a grin, he told us to start packing up and following him towards the city. It was called the "academic city" a place where people learn and develop themselves. The journey went extremely smoothly as not once have we encountered a monster or slept in the open when it rained. If you asked me, it was as if the man could tell the future.

In the journey, he would stop to give recommendations to my sibling's training. My younger sister would also love to fight with him as he teased her over different things.

"Look look! It's crazy! It's amazing!" my little sister announced as we arrived near the city. She was riding on my brother's shoulder as she shouted the moment she saw it. For a little girl that could fly, she sure is lazy.

Ahead, I could see a large area filled with huge metallic boxes that rose to the skies. Buildings, skyscrapers, and people flying around could be seen even in this distance. I couldn't help but marvel at what appeared to be the ingenuity of sentient beings. There were vibrant colors coming out of signs as the hustle and bustle of life could be felt radiating through the transparent dome and walls surrounding it.

Machines stood guard alongside people as they scanned and approved each and every different person they meet.

"Once I get you all in those walls, that's where we have to part my young ones," the merchant told us with what appeared to be a sad look in his eyes. It was as if this was going to be the last time he was seeing us.

"I don't want to see Mr. Stupid either" my sister declared with tears visible in her eyes. My brother gave him a questioning look, but it was requesting him to stay.

"I don't want to part either, but there are people that need me" he tried to explain to my siblings, who were already tearing up. My brother was doing his best to hold in his tears, while my sister was obviously crying into my brother's neck when we arrived at the gates.

"Ah, Mr. Spec! Good to see you" the guard greeted him. The guard wore a black uniform accompanied by what appeared to be a sword at his waist. The difference being the sword was glowing in a dangerous light and it didn't look sharp at all.

"That's a laser-powered sword" Mr. Spec whispered to my brother that was clearly mesmerized by it.

"I would like to recommend these people for the entrance test" I could hear Mr.Spec discussing with the guards as my siblings took a look around. They were shocked and at the same time spellbound by the things around them.

"Hey, do you think we will be able to attend school as well?" my brother asked me as he looked at the students in the city. With his naturally gifted looks, I could see some females around our age taking glances at my soon-to-be popular brother. "I'm sure we will, and you will thrive in it" I replied.

"What do you mean?" he asked me.

"You're smart remember?" I replied to him with the obvious.

I watched as the guard headed over in our direction. At the same time, I noticed Mr. Spec walking into the city gates. He noticed me watching him sneak away as he gave a wry smile. I guessed that this was where we parted ways.

"Alright, little ones, just a simple blood test, and you guys will be able to enter the city!" the guard guided us towards a room that was hidden behind the walls. It was an illusion that we simply walked through, bringing us to a white room with a chair situated next to a machine with a needle attached to it.

"Come here, this might hurt a little but endure it okay?" the guard gently spoke to us. He seemed to be nice, at least to young children.

I watched as the machine quickly stuck the needle accurately into my brother's veins and out in a matter of seconds. He didn't even flinch as it happened. My younger sister required a little more coaxing from my brother, telling her to close her eyes and hold his hands.

When the two of them were done, the guard widened his eyes when a piece of paper was printed from another machine nearby. He watched as I headed over to the needle machine before quickly dashing out of the room. I watched as the needle failed to penetrate my skin, and secretly shoved it in as it came to ensure that it could.

"Follow me" the guard beckoned us once more. In his hands were 3 cards that he explained were study permits. As long as we enrolled in a school, we would be allowed to stay here.

"It's been a while since I had the honor, but welcome to the academic city" the guard declared as he brought us in. My siblings looked around at the brand new sight. Streets buzzing with people, signboards, and moving videos all over the place. Magic spells were cast all around with cars moving along the busy streets.

"Mr. Spec has entrusted me to offer you guys an apartment for you to live in" the guard brought out a set of keys and a contract.

"Just sign here and pay the 300,000" he continued.

My siblings looked at each other before both I and my brother had our eyes on our little sister.

"Mr. STUPID!" my little sister shouted as she signed the contract. Despite what she was saying, there was a happy smile plastered all over her face.

"I wish all of you the best" the guard saluted us with a wide smile on his face.

I guess this is where a new chapter of our lives would begin.