“Ha, ha, ha, ha,” a man can be seen running from a pack of goblins inside Bora Forest. The man is the current herb harvester for Bora Village. ‘If I knew being a harvester comes with danger like this, I wouldn’t accept it.”

“Kiiiiiii,” the goblins sound excited as goblins enjoy torturing their prey. The six goblins chase the man until one of them laugh menacingly and trips the man by throwing a rock at his feet. The man fell down, horrified. He glared at the goblins trying to murder him hatefully. The goblins surrounded the man, laughing and dancing. The man becomes more terrified. He closed his eyes, waiting for his impending doom, but after a while, nothing happens.

The man opened his eyes and saw a handsome young man with raven black hair killed the last of the goblins with his sword. “Are you alright?” I extend my hand to the fallen man. He grabbed my hand, patting his clothes, before angrily kicked a dead goblin. “Thanks,” he gratefully said.

“Don’t mention it. The village head paid after all.”

“Nah, man, I’m about to die because of these chumps. Thanks, I mean it. Are you the Raven people in the village talks about?”

“Nope, that’s my father. I’m what you may call Raven Jr” I crackle a joke, giving him guts pose

“…” the herbalist awkwardly stared at me before blatantly saying, “Right….”

I cough. “Right. ANYWAY, why don’t I escort you to the village.”

===

Back home, I slouch down the couch in the living room. “Sigh, another day of work.” A towel was chucked at me, landing softly at my head. “Don’t be like an old man,” my mother said. “Clean yourself. Then go finds your father. He asked for you.”

“Sure” I grab the towel then took a quick shower before looking at a mirror in my room. Damn, I look good. I observed my own body: the well-toned muscle, the six-pack, and those fair skin. Sixteen years old, and I look this good, damn. The more I see it, the more I like the current me.

Back on Earth, I’m just your ordinary salary man whose hobby was watching anime and reading manga. I had no redeeming factor, with pot belly decorating my stomach and wrinkles everywhere on my face. Not like I’m against exercise or anything but come on, what do you expect from a thirty-odd-year-old man?

There’s one thing I missed, from my old self, my beard. I had a fantastic beard. I groomed it with love and care, and the result? I had the best beard compared to my co-worker. I stroke my now-smooth chin; I had a better-looking face now. I guess the trade-off was worth it.

“Mom, where did you say dad was?”

“Oh, silly me, I haven’t told you. He’s waiting at the training ground.”

“Okay, I’m off,” I say goodbye to my mom before meeting my dad in the training ground.

“Ah, Eru, you’re here,” My dad greeted me in his battle-ready outfit.

“Yeah, Dad, what’s up?” I entered the unusually modern training ground

“How’s your body?”

“Fine, why?”

“I need you to be in your optimal state. Today, I’m going to try awakening your Aura.”

===

I sat in a lotus position wearing nothing but my pants. My dad said that I needed to be bare-chested for this part. My dad draws a complex rune on my back before drenching me with a strange liquid. “Hey” I shout in protest

“Sorry, sorry. I know it’s cold, but bear with it.” My dad smirks while sitting cross-legged behind me. “Hmm….” He checked my body condition before clapping, “As expected of my son.”

“Hmm?”

“You have built a body strong enough to shame most 1st Grade Aura Master” He smiled at me. “And I didn’t even tell you to do that. Great job!” He proudly said before patting me in the head.

Embarrassed, I hang my head low, not used to being praised, even by my own parents. “T-that’s because I had no talent in magic.”

“Be that as it may, you manage to do what others in your age group cannot. I’m so proud of you.” My dad’s expression turned serious. “This next part will be dangerous. Unlike Mana, who need to be sensed naturally without outside help, to be able to feel ones’ Aura, most people needed a little push.” He casually explains.

“I don’t get it.”

“Aura is something every living being has. But it will stay dormant without something triggering it. Back then, the first Aura user awakens his Aura by being in a really tight spot and was about to die. Today, we know a gentler method of awakening Aura, but it is still dangerous.” My dad explained while putting his right palm on my back. “That is by using ones’ own Aura to awaken others’ Aura.”

“How is it dangerous?”

“Well, having another person, Aura, inside of you is dangerous enough. If that person lost their concentration just for a second, their Aura will go wild in your body and makes your body explode.”

“Wha-“

“Get ready”

Before I had any chance to speak, foreign energy forcefully enters my body. I couldn’t help but cursed internally. ‘Fuck, can you at least let me prepare myself, dad’

“Focus, use my Aura to awaken your own Aura. Feel my Aura properly and tried to find your Aura.” He commanded

I tried to do what he said, slowly but surely; I tried to guide my dad’s Aura all over my body before feeling a similar type of energy emerging within me.

“Good. Now, use your own Aura to assimilate my Aura.”

How? Let’s slowly move my own Aura around my body. I let it meet my dad’s Aura, then my Aura turned hostile all of a sudden, making ruckus inside my own body.

“Control it. Make it submit to you, and use it to assimilate my Aura.”

I tried to subdue my Aura, but the more I try, the wilder it is. Fuck this shit. I’m not easily angered, but if it goes on like this, I will die.

YOU WILL OBEY ME, OR ELSE

I commanded my Aura with anger and rage, and it finally listens. Phew, a little later, and I would’ve died. I gently led it to assimilate my dad’s Aura, making my own Aura denser and thicker than before.

“Good, good,” my dad heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m going to let go now. Guide it to your Aura Pool. You should find it near the are of your stomach.” He let go of his hand before standing up and watching me. A smile formed on his lips, and his eyes shine with pride.