The Birth of Heroes
Despite the tension, the baby smiled and giggled as the symbol appeared, then swiftly entered the baby's body.
Fiora, the baby's mother, snapped out of her daze and screamed, "NOOO, stay away from my baby!" She attempted to crawl out of bed despite her exhaustion and pain, but it was too late. The lightning had already fully entered the baby's body, bathing the child in bright blue light.
Then, the lightning gently lowered the baby to the ground before disappearing. Fiora managed to scoop up her child, checking for any signs of harm. Aside from the strange symbol on its forehead, the baby seemed unharmed. Seeing this, the stress and exhaustion quickly caught up to her, and she rolled her eyes back, fainting.
As the lightning disappeared, the midwife and her assistants lost the oppression from the symbol and managed to move freely once again. They quickly went to help Fiora onto the bed and took care of the baby.
Outside, the dark clouds dissipated as quickly as they had appeared. News of the peculiar incident with the baby soon reached Duke Moonson, who hurried to visit.
"H-how could this be!?" Duke Moonson was shocked and exhilarated hearing the diagnosis from the territory's wizard.
His newly born son, Aldric, had the mana capacity 100 times that of an ordinary apprentice, and his mana was already pure lightning attributed, with an even purer mana compared to apprentices from the lightning tower. When Aldric was asleep, he unconsciously absorbed lightning-attributed mana from his surroundings, effectively meditating even in slumber. He was like a born lightning wizard or knight.
From that moment, Duke Moonson knew that his child was destined for greatness. Yet, he couldn't shake the restlessness in his heart, a feeling that the fragile peace attained after the historic battle five years ago was on the brink of unraveling.
As the guardian of the northern gate of the Fulminar Empire, Duke Moonson sensed his son would play a pivotal role in the looming chaos. Determined to prepare him for the challenges ahead, he resolved to train Aldric to protect their territory.
Similar extraordinary occurrences unfolded across the continent.
On the western border of the Fulminar Empire, a baby entered the world amidst a profound spectacle. The entire region surrounding the village, including the village itself, seemed to undulate like ripples on the surface of a vast, breathing earth. Even the mighty mountains encircling the village bowed slightly, as if acknowledging the significance of the newborn's arrival.
In the northwest region of the Empire, another child was born, heralded by a breathtaking display of flames that engulfed the entire house. Despite the awe-inspiring size of the inferno, its heat was strangely gentle, akin to the warmth of a mother's embrace. For two hours, the city was illuminated by the gentle radiance of the flame, leaving its inhabitants unharmed and captivated by its beauty.
On the eastern coast of the Empire, amidst a looming tsunami, a baby came into the world. Strangely, the colossal wave halted just before reaching the shore, as if bowing in reverence to a pillar of water enveloping the house where the child was born. Two hours later, the tsunami retreated with a gentleness that seemed to preserve the tranquility of the village.
In the northeast, beyond the Empire's borders, a child was born amidst a snowstorm that blanketed the northern mountains. Yet, for one hour, the storm ceased its fury, granting a serene calm to the area surrounding the cabin where the newborn lay, untouched by the chaos of the outside world.
On the southern prairie near the Holy Empire's southern border, a massive tornado swept over one of the prairie tribes, its ethereal green hue distinguishing it from any ordinary storm. Strangely, despite its ferocity, not a single item or person was carried away by the wind. Within the tribal settlement, every tent was enveloped by the swirling green vortex, except for one—a tent where a newborn baby entered the world, untouched by the tempest raging outside.
In another corner of the southern prairie, a peculiar event unfolded as beasts of all kinds, both ordinary and magical, bowed down in unison toward a single direction. Even the fiercest tribal warriors felt compelled to kneel. Following the direction of this reverent display, people discovered the dwelling of the Serpentfang tribe, specifically the tent of the chief's 6th wife, who had just given birth to a son.
In a remote village of the Holy Empire, twins were born, their appearance strikingly unique with glimmering silver hair and radiant golden eyes reminiscent of the sun. As they entered the world, the surroundings dimmed, leaving only a solitary ray of light illuminating the house where they were born. The air resonated with the hymns of holy books and divine music, though no mortal hands played.
Despite the differing circumstances of their births, all these babies shared a common characteristic—an extraordinary phenomenon surrounding their arrival, accompanied by the emergence of an ancient symbol upon their brows.
***
Amidst these tumultuous events, a massive shift rippled across the continent, intertwining with the extraordinary occurrences surrounding the births of the chosen infants.
As the population and strength of magical beasts surged, so did the frequency of their attacks. Merchants fell victim to their assaults, disrupting trade routes, while villages producing vital grains faced relentless raids, crippling the continent's food supply.
Farm animals underwent drastic transformations, becoming more powerful and aggressive, catching farmers off guard and leading to widespread agricultural setbacks. Meat producers suffered as their livestock became uncontrollable, further straining food availability.
Horses, typically reliable companions in trade and transportation, turned feral, resisting all attempts at taming and grinding commerce to a halt.
These sudden upheavals caught the continent's inhabitants unprepared. While some may have noticed subtle signs, many ignored the warnings until it was too late. The consequences were dire: food prices soared, pushing countless into starvation. Desperation bred lawlessness, with people resorting to theft and violence to feed themselves and their families.
Cities, once bastions of order, succumbed to chaos as overwhelmed guards struggled to maintain control. Pillaged by hunger and driven by desperation, society plunged into darkness, revealing humanity's most depraved instincts in their rawest, ugliest forms.
Amidst the despair and chaos, many sought solace in various ideologies and cults that emerged in the wake of the crisis. Some turned to the Sun religion of the Holy Empire, finding comfort in its teachings. Others embraced cults proclaiming the arrival of apocalypse, or worshiped dark entities, their desperation driving them to commit further atrocities in their pursuit of converts.
Meanwhile, the magic towers and Empires attempted to restore order by imposing strict regulations within their domains. Yet, their efforts were hindered by inadequate manpower and resources. They struggled to feed their populations and lacked the wizards needed to defend against magical beast attacks on farms, leaving chaos to persist across the continent.
However, amidst the turmoil, news of the miraculous phenomena surrounding the births of certain infants offered a glimmer of hope. In these extraordinary events, people saw a potential beacon of salvation amid the darkness that engulfed their world.
In a city within the Holy Empire:
"Have you heard? Over on the western border, twin angels descended to earth, manifesting as two babies."
"Yes, I heard about that! They say as the angels descended, the sun dimmed its light, shining only upon the babies."
In a city within the Fulminar Empire:
"Hey, did you hear the news? Duke Moonson's newborn son arrived amidst a thunderous storm that engulfed the entire city. But miraculously, no harm came to anyone."
"Nonsense! The lightning struck across Duke Moonson's entire territory! I heard it firsthand from a trusted source!"
"Come on, now. Let's calm down. Did you hear about the reports from the western border?"
"Yeah, I heard about that one. Wasn't it about a massive yet harmless flame that engulfed the entire city where a baby was born?"
...
Despite the differing accounts, all share the same belief: these children were born into a world in turmoil, destined to become its protectors, its heroes, bringing peace to the common people in an era of chaos.
***
"Ugh, why does a meeting have to happen right before I leave?" Zack grumbled as he strolled down the corridor towards the meeting room on the 90th floor. But this wasn't just any meeting of the level 2 wizards in the lightning magic tower; it was a gathering of the magic tower masters.
Stepping into the familiar hi-tech room, Zack couldn't help but marvel inwardly, "Man, this room always surprises me with its cutting-edge wizardry tech." Last time he was here, he could feel the pressure from the formations, but now, it was like nothing to him.
As he closed the sleeping pod, he shot an okay sign to the sweating wizard outside, thinking, "Poor guy probably wants outta here ASAP." Closing his eyes, he felt his consciousness being pulled by the machine. This time, though, he sensed something else being tugged: the content inside the sigil in his mana heart. Must be his consciousness, he figured, since it was integrated into his sigil.
Opening his eyes, he found himself back on his throne. Sir Cedric and Sir Archibald were on his right, and Zack gave them a nod, which they returned. Glancing behind him, he noticed Lady Evangeline hadn't shown up yet.
On Lady Evangeline's right and left, there were two more thrones, and Zack already knew who they were reserved for. As he turned his head forward again, he sensed three consciousnesses descending into the space behind him.
The instant the three consciousnesses arrived, the entire hall was engulfed in intense pressure. Zack, Sir Cedric, and Sir Archibald weren't exempt; they were sweating bullets and their faces had gone pale. Glancing around the room, Zack saw it wasn't just them; everyone was feeling it. From the burly guy from the earth tower to the cheeky kid from the fire tower, they were all sweating buckets.
Zack couldn't blame them, considering the pressure emanated from two wizards, each rivaling level 3 powerhouses. Of course, Zack had to pat his own back for nailing the performance of a wizard sweating under the pressure of a higher tier wizard. It turns out he still got that skill in him. Zack grinned inwardly.
Lady Evangeline broke the silence, her voice cutting through the tension in the room. "Good day, fellow wizards," she began, performing a respectful salute among her peers. "I'll address the foremost question on your minds. These gentlemen here," she gestured towards the two figures beside her, "are not level 3 wizards." She paused, observing the disbelief flicker across the faces of the other tower masters. Surely, they had assumed the immense pressure belonged to wizards of that caliber. "They are only level 2 wizards, but each possesses the strength to rival a level 3." Lady Evangeline concluded.
As if awaiting her cue, the other tower masters rose to their feet, bowing deeply in reverence. Though confined by the tables before them, their gestures conveyed utmost respect. "Greetings, Esteemed One!" they chorused in unison.
Zack, Sir Cedric, and Sir Archibald followed suit with the other tower masters, bowing to the two robed individuals flanking Lady Evangeline. Only Lady Evangeline remained standing, not bowing to them.
Suddenly, Zack felt mana pushing his upper body to straighten up. He could have resisted, but he let it guide him. The other tower masters were pushed into the same posture.
With a synchronized movement, the robed individuals withdrew their hoods, revealing ordinary faces with brown eyes and hair—one with short hair, the other with longer locks.
"Be at ease, wizard. I am Gandril," said one.
"And I am Mystara," added the other.
Despite their soft smiles, their voices were devoid of emotion. Yep, they were Zack's clones, loaned to Lady Evangeline. She had asked for his permission to reveal them, to which he had replied, "Sure thing!"
He'd been briefed by Lady Evangeline about what might happen when she introduced them and asked for his cooperation. Hearing the responses from the mysterious wizards, the other tower masters bowed once again.
"Greetings, Lord Gandril!"
"Greetings, Lord Mystara!"
Zack let out a sigh.'Lady Evangeline was right,' he thought. 'I thought she was joking, but this is indeed the etiquette for greeting level 3 wizards. Damn, that's so troublesome! Thank goodness I stopped her, Sir Cedric, and Sir Archibald from doing it for me.'
As they settled back into their seats after the tedious formalities, Lady Evangeline dropped a bombshell. "I know you might be wondering," she began, "but these two esteemed ones are not responsible for the defeat of the grand paladin and the pope. They were his disciples. He sent them to us to provide assistance. However, rest assured, they were indeed the ones responsible for the defeat of the saintess. You can be confident that they are capable of contending against level 3 powerhouses."
The other tower masters sat in stunned silence, their jaws practically hitting the floor.