Eric Pov…
"Arrrr!" Eric roared in anger.
The plan had begun a few months ago. After restraining his anger for a brief moment, Eric stormed out of the premises of the Awakening Secret Realm.
He knew he had to kill Kranos. He couldn't allow that little boy to interfere with his grand plans. Even though Kranos appeared to be a mere mortal, Eric always felt that there was something hidden beneath the facade of that little boy. It felt as if Kranos would be the one to put all his plans to naught!
I have to kill him! This was the decision Eric, Raphael's second elder brother, made. Scheming came naturally to him, so orchestrating the death of a child wasn't difficult. He just needed to calm himself and devise the perfect plan.
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.
Initially, Eric believed there would be no opportunity. He had already hired an assassin to eliminate Kranos, yet every report that came back told the same story—the mission had been interfered with.
Frustrated, Eric investigated the cause and discovered the truth: because of Kranos' new teacher, the assassin didn't dare make a move.
Eric flew into a rage, destroying everything around him as he gritted his teeth.
"Why? Why does his teacher have to be that monster? How did my little brother earn the help of someone like him?"
It seemed he would have to wait.
It seems I will have to keep waiting. At that point, a full month had passed since the Awakening Ceremony. Eric ordered the assassin to remain patient. The perfect moment will definitely come, and there can be no mistake
And so the waiting began.
The assassin had been trained in the art of patience. If it took years to complete a kill, he would wait without complaint. And then, one fateful day, the opportunity presented itself.
After almost seven months, the perfect assassination time had come. The assassin couldn't help but mutter inwardly. He observed calmly. The boy was meditating; faint, strange fluctuations surrounded his body. He could tell that the boy was deeply engrossed in his meditation.
At this moment his body should be on full alert; just a few minutes after finishing his cultivation, when his guard is lowered, that would be the precise moment to strike. The assassin decided and continued to watch the little boy, Kranos, like a prowler.
Finally, the moment arrived. Without hesitation, the assassin struck, landing the killing blow. He lingered for a moment, carefully observing the body. He had been trained to expect tricks—secret techniques and arcane life-saving methods. Even though all reports said Kranos was just a normal mortal, there was no room for error.
Even though the information about the boy said that the boy was just a mere mortal he couldn't make any errors about his mission.
Once he confirmed the death, he took Kranos' head as proof, ready to present it to the one who had hired him—Eric.
…
I was happy, extremely happy, with my new life, even though I was an old man in my previous life. I had done everything I could to play the part of a child. I couldn't let anyone suspect the truth—that I was a reincarnator.
I felt I had acted perfectly. I did my best to not enjoy my childhood just to have much more advanced knowledge of this world. I strained myself greatly just to make sure I didn't fall behind in this magical new world.
I believed I had done my best, so I decided to do better. I started training to increase my strength, and although it was stressful and exhausting, I persisted. I didn't want to give up because of how caring my new parents were. Also, I knew how dangerous this world was.
Unfortunately, it seems it wasn't enough; I am still weak! I am still not in control! No! I can't die! There is still so much I haven't done.
It was at this moment that Kranos noticed something strange. What? What is that? Light? How can there be light in the void? It looks silvery, like mercury. Why does it seem as though it is coming close to me? It also feels as though I am moving closer to it. That light… what is it exactly?
…
Meanwhile, in a chaotic river that seemed to encompass the whole of heaven and earth, space and time, and even the Dao, a creature could be seen swimming as though it was moving against the tidal wave.
Even though the creature seemed to be moving with great difficulty, it was slowly advancing… after what seemed like eternity the creature seemed to have reached it's destination…
…
"Kra…"
"Krasis"
What is that voice? I followed the light, but I can't seem to understand what I am hearing. Kranos leaned in to hear more clearly.
"Kranos!" I heard it clearly this time! He heard his name; someone was shouting his name. He was stunned. He turned to the side and was shocked; he couldn't hide his astonishment.
"Teach… teacher?"
"I've been calling you. Why are you standing in a daze?" Donald looked at Kranos in puzzlement. "I said, let's head to the field; the basic sword training will begin today." With that, he turned around and walked off, gesturing for Kranos to follow.
What's going on? Didn't I get killed? Was that a dream? At first Kranos thought it was a dream, a fleeting one, but when he glanced around, he noticed that everything looked exactly as it did in his 'dream.' Could this be a time-related ability? System, come out. What is going on?
As soon as Kranos called up the familiar panel, he saw that a different information was displayed on it.
[Congratulations on your first use of the Time Primordial Skill that comes with the system - Rebirth!]
[Rebirth - Upon death, you can travel 12 hours into the past, gaining the opportunity to correct your mistake and avoid death.]
What?! Kranos was stunned. He couldn't believe it, to think there was such a skill. So that means I have twelve hours to plan and outwit death?
Realizing this, Kranos couldn't contain his excitement.
"Hahahahahaha!"
This was it!
This was what it meant to control time!
This was what he had always dreamt of!
With the power of time, even death would have to succumb!