Sequencee tried to understand the deeper reason behind her question. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't come up with any reason why she was behaving in this way.

“Yes, and what about that is concerning you?”

“You’re.. going to attempt the scholarship appraisal?”

In part of the movement to increase the number of ‘enforcers’ in the human nations, Riestallia Academy has opened up more scholarship posts for this year only.

For those commoners that don’t have the money to enroll into any academy, something like this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

However, just like honey, it’s likely that many ants would swarm towards it.

“So what about it?”

What about the scholarship appraisal was concerning her?

“I don’t know if.. I can.. I’m not as talented as you and.. it’s unlikely that I’ll win..”

“Leticia, are you blind?”

“H-Huh?”

“In this orphanage besides myself, who else has magic aptitude that could rival you?”

“But compared to you I..”

“I’m an anomaly. Don’t compare yourself to someone like me.”

“A-Ah?”

“I’m not going to piggy back you all the way to the top, that’s what you promised me, remember?”

Things clicked in Sequencees mind.

Just last week, Sequencee had told Leticia that he would be going to take the academy scholarship appraisal once they graduate in a month's time. It was from thenon that she began to distance himself from him.

“I don’t know how strong the people will be, and I don’t know if I have the necessary talents to earn a spot either. Either way, if you want to follow me to the academy, you have to buck up and try.”

Leticia looked up to Sequencee because of his strength. He had something she yearned for, and that was the reason she trained under him.

On the contrary, the reason why Sequencee didn’t mind taking Leticia’s under his tutelage was because she had something the other children in the orphanage didn’t–

Hunger.

“Really now. You have no idea how talented you are. I don’t think there’s anyone in our vicinity that can use three different elements simultaneously.”

“...”

Even so, the biggest problem she faced was her pitifully low self esteem.

Leticia’s gaze fell on the many lights dancing around Sequencee. They were each like individual little pixies taunting her.

‘Is this guy joking with me?’

“Ah,” noticing her gaze, Sequencee quickly masked a few dozen beads.

“...”

“...”

“And.. what if I don’t get in?”

“I don’t know.”

“...”

“Otherwise you can go join Dylan? I heard that he’s going to try and become a mercenary. I’m sure your strength could be off..”

“That guy? No way,” Leticia cut him off short. The three elemental beads around her dissipated at once.

“Then you only have one option.”

“You’re right. Sorry for being such a whiny person. I understand now.”

“Everyone doubts themselves once in a while.”

“Yeah. I’m glad to have a mentor like you,” she showed a brave smile. The doubts in her heart hadn’t been washed away, but it was clear she had to move on.

Leticia raised her hands. From the palm an unusual colour bead appeared. Unlike the previous elements, this was one compressed to the size of an actual bead. A strong verdant light pulsated from within.

Sequencee smiled slightly. However proficient he was in the various elements, it was this element alone that he couldn’t compete with her in.

Nature magic. It was quite a subjective element which some scholars even argue should not be classified as an element of magic.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Reassurance was futile. Even so, as her mentor, he thought that he should at least give up a nudge for her self-esteem.

===

The dormitories were divided by gender. A living room connected to 3 smaller rooms can house up to 8 sleeping people each. It was a rather cramped space to stay in.

It was normal for people at Sequencee’s age to stay up at night. Tonight however, it seemed that the people that would normally cause a ruckus had already gone to sleep.

He didn’t need to go out tonight.

Sequencee waited for everyone to fall into a deep slumber before sitting up.

He released the illusion magic, allowing the myriads of lights to appear around him.

‘Master the fundamentals.’

His mom’s words echoed. She was the person he looked up to, the hero he aspired to be.

“Why did you have to kill her..”

He raised his head to touch the severed horns on his head. He winced, feeling the searing pain course through the moment his fingers made contact.

It had been two years since the last trimming. And most of the time, the deed was done by his savage-of-a-mother to hide the fact that he was a half-demon. Fortunately he was a ‘half’ demon which meant that he only had one horn.

“I don’t know if I need to saw it,” he muttered with a grimace.

In fact, not only did he not know how to cut his horn himself, the process is excruciatingly painful at that.

It was beginning to protrude quite a bit, and he wasn’t sure to what extent he could continue to use illusion magic to hide it. Despite the fear, he knew that he had either his life or pain to choose from.

If people found out that he was a high demon, he’d be a goner.

“System.”

Saying that, a window appeared in front of him.

/

{ACQUIRED GIFTS:

1. [Illusion Magic: Universal Haze]; (1st UP: 40)

2. [Passive Trait: Growth Multiplier]^; (2nd UP: 180)

3. [Activated Trait: Focus]; (1st UP: 20)

}

/

It wasn’t that Sequencee couldn’t use illusion magic with the ‘gifts’. Rather, having illusion magic eases the activation of the magic.

Gifts are special abilities that people deem as supernatural powers. Unlike magic which could be said as a part of everyday life, system gifts are more enigmatic.

Each person is given a system at birth. Gifts are chosen from what is known from a gift catalog, which refreshes daily, weekly, or monthly depending on the individual’s system.

Each person’s system is unique. Like genetics, it can vary. The types of gift that one can find, the length of the gift catalog, the rate at which it refreshes, the price for each gift and the points used to exchange for said gift. Nevertheless, they follow similar rules in that one needs to acquire points to be exchanged for a gift.

Depending on a person’s system, one may acquire exchange point from number of monsters killed, hours of using a sword, number of items crafted, amount of rice planted, or in extreme cases, the number of people raped.

In Sequencee’s case, he would have to devour souls.

{SOULS AVAILABLE: 10.2}

Not just any soul. But from souls from sentient lifeforms.

/

{BOOKMARKED GIFTS:

1. [Passive Trait: Observative Elucidation]; (Acquisition: 5)

2. [Passive Trait: Skill Mastery Acceleration]; (Acquisition: 30)

3. [Unique Skill: Soul Nicking]; (Acquisition: 20)

}

/

For Sequencee, the gift catalog would be refreshed every week with approximately 5 gifts to choose from. From among those gifts, he can bookmark those that he thought would be useful for equistition.

However, there was an upper limit of 3 bookmarks at any one time. So for gifts in the catalog that weren’t bookmarked would be gone by the following week.

‘I need to kill 10 more people.’

The way which Sequencee had earned his soul point all the while was from killing bad people during his adventures with his mother. He was aware that it was selfish, not something he did necessarily for the sake of the people’s safety.

In the past, when Sequencee reached the age of 11, he began following his mother on her adventures. Being aware of his unique system, whenever they encountered bandits or assassin, his mother would offer him their souls for the sake of points.

Of course, now that she was gone, he had to hunt down these sorts of bastards himself. But with the restrictions of the home he was in, he could only do so much.

‘Let’s just train tonight. I’ll find some way to acquire points during the trip to Rika Nation.. if possible.’

As funny as the name sounds, Rika Nation is where Riestallia Academy is located. After the hero’s overwhelming triumph, she was granted the title duke and her own territory to manage. She turned it into a free nation and built one of history's first battle academies to nurture the future warriors.

In her own words: “Why not?”

Sequencee got out of bed and carefully exited the dorm, taking care not to arouse the snores of his roommates. The fresh chilly air of night brushed against his face. In the dark, he made his way over to the makeshift training field.

Dim lamp posts lit the barren ground far from the compound, chalk markings could be seen forming patterns on the earth.

Sequencee did some light stretches before beginning his training regime consisting of his physical fundamentals.

Pushups, situps, squats, and footwork practice.

So while masking the still floating beads of magic elements in the air, he did a thousand pushups, a thousand situps, a thousand squats, and hours of his mother’s signature footwork technique.

Sequencee’s mother was a spear user, once hailed as the Rending Wind, she was renowned for her unique fighting style which incorporated wind magic into her methods.

A footwork that was unpredictable, one moment the fluid waves of the gentle wind, the next a savage tornado that sweeps everything in its path.

It was a routine he did every night ever since he arrived at the home.

Sweat trickled down his forehead as he assumed various stances with an earth spear which he transmuted using magic.

He swung it in arcs, twisting his body, striking the eye, sweeping the ground. It was a method of fighting which incorporated the aspects of a polearm.

Fwoosh..

With his breathing unstead, he ended his practice.

He looked up to the sky, the barely visible streaks of pink and orange. Dawn was arriving.

As a demon lord, he didn’t need to sleep so much. That was the unfair advantage he had which he had been using ever since his mother’s death. Of course, his mother had always told him to sleep because he was still a growing child. But things have changed now. Sequencee couldn’t just stay laid back.

‘Better go wash up.’

He took a quick bath, changed his clothes and came back to the dorm. The people were still sound asleep.

He caught sight of Dylan sleeping with drool on his face. What an adorable creature.

‘No. No. The fuck am I thinking?’

Sequencee walked to the shelf and took out his journal.

Tick.

1002 marks. Everytime he completed a night training session, he would record it in the journal calendar. Interesting events that happened, and things that he was grateful for that day.

It had been three years since he began this, the dictionary-thick book had almost been filled to the very last page. It wasn’t long before he needed a new one. And he intends to buy it when he arrives at Riestallia Academy. Though he had missed training sessions due to unforeseen circumstances, he still tried to stick to his regime whenever he could.

‘Don’t forget why you’re doing this Sequencee.’

The pencil lead broke under the pressure.

‘You have to kill your father.’