Chapter 16

It has been a week since they started their journey. They had finally reached their first stopping point. In front of them was a pristine and clean airship.

It looked brand new despite it being in an abandoned clearing. Lisa and Miko looked nonchalantly at the vehicle in front of them but the same thing couldn't be said about Reid.

'When she said ship, I thought she meant a really large boat.' He thought with wide eyes as he stared at it.

"We're using that? How long has it been here? How hasn't anyone noticed yet? How do you even have that!?" He fired question after question as they walked towards it.

His mother simply chuckled at his curiosity while placing her hand on a panel on the entrance of the ship.

"I got it a few years back as a…gift. For why anyone hasn't noticed it, I think it's better if you see by yourself." She said mysteriously as the bay door rolled up.

He curiosity quickly turned to wariness as something small but fast rushed out of the door. He narrowed his eyes and tensed his body for what rushed in their direction.

Front the corner of his eyes, he noticed that neither his mother nor Lisa we bothered by the speeding figure. Even with that, he didn't know what to think so he wasn't relaxed. Before he could react, the figure was already behind him.

"Sup!" Without a second thought, he threw a high kick behind him. He felt it connect with a forearm and then jumped, using it as a foothold, he kicked downwards on the arm, pushing himself into the air.

He landed gracefully and finally decided to take a good look at who the figure was. It was a boy a bit older than him. He was lean with messy white hair and tan skin. His dark green eyes shone with mischief.

"You're good!" He exclaimed as he sped towards Reid only to be caught by his collar by Miko. Reid was about to attack when she spoke.

"Both of you, that's enough!" She said firmly, looking more specifically at Reid. Knowing how petty he was and how he hated losing, she could already see Reid disliking the young boy in her hand.

"Ashton, where is your father?" She asked, now looking at the boy whose name was now known as Ashton.

"He's…around." He answered nervously.

"Ashton!!!" A shout came from the inside of the ship making him even more nervous.

"How many times have I told you not to run off like that?" A middle aged man asked rhetorically as he exited the ship. A white haired and slightly skinny man on a wheelchair rolled out of the ship, looking pointedly at the now identified Ashton with all serious.

"Haha…Sorry about that?" Ashton responded, still nervous. The man shook his head as he let out a sigh.

"What am I going to do with you?" He asked himself in exasperation before noticing the other individual around his son. His eyes widened a bit as he recognized two of the figures.

"Miko! Lisa! Is that you? I haven't seen you guys in ages. What brings you here?" He asked as he recollected himself.

"Silva, It's us alright. I haven't seen that mug of yours since you got this little runt." She replied, gesturing to Ashton who had begun arguing with Reid who paid him no attention. It was more of a one sided rant than an argument.

"Lisa…as silent as usual. I could say the same about you with the mini you over there." He chuckled, looking at Reid.

"Shut up, idiot." Reid said bluntly, now looking at Ashton who took offense.

"Hey, I'm talking here and you're not even listening!" He screamed in Reid's ears.

"Tch…What an annoyance." He muttered under his breath but Ashton heard it and didn't spare his eardrums.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN ANNOYANCE! I'M…" The three adults tuned out the children's chatter.

"Sorry about him. He's a bit…irrepressible so to speak. So what brings you here?" He asked, moving to more important matters.

"We need a ride to Menagerie." She answered bluntly causing him to raise a brow.

"What for? Humans aren't exactly allowed there, you're aware of that." He said, concerned.

"I'm going to see an old friend. You should remember her." She explained as a flash of remembrance flashed through the man's eyes.

"And for the no humans allowed part…I have that covered." She finished with a sly smirk. Seeing that smirk, Silva didn't even bother asking further and simply sighed.

"You're going to get us all killed eventually." He spoke tiredly with no anger or surprise behind it, only tiredness.

"What's that look for? It's going to be like old times." She said cheerfully. He gave her a dry look and responded.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of. It's a wonder how Lisa is still sane around you." He was getting a migraine already.

"Miko has been surprisingly calm these few years." The ever quiet Lisa spoke for the first time in the conversation.

"Yes and I think we all know why. He's a spitting image of you in your younger days…" He spoke the last part softly as they looked towards Reid who looked at Ashton with minor annoyance shown by his twitching face.

"Alright that's enough reminiscing! Boys, get in! We're leaving for menagerie immediately!" Silva called out to them. With great joy, Reid walked towards them leaving a pouting Ashton trailing behind him.

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He wanted to level up [Aura] some more but it seemed it would have to wait. After the first time when he didn't come back to the campsite on time, Miko made it a point to have either herself or Lisa go with him each time so he wasn't able to level it up efficiently.

It was sitting at level 22. Two levels away from his goal. He has been circulating [Aura] around his body to level up [Aura Manipulation] and hopefully also level [Aura]. It worked but it was slow as hell.

Reid looked towards unconscious Ashton who was sitting opposite him in this airborne vehicle in confusion. He had fallen asleep the moment they left the ground. If he wasn't wrong, the boy in front of him was at most 2 years older than yet…

'I couldn't see him at all. He's not as unimpressive as he seems. Also…he blocked my attack with no problem at all so it's safe to assume that he's stronger and faster than me.'

As he came to that conclusion, his eyes widened as much as possible. His mind couldn't accept what was happening. While he wasn't that confident in his physical strength, his pride laid in his speed. His speed that someone around the same age range as him had surpassed with no such cheats as a system.

'Was it a semblance?' He asked himself, looking for every possible explanation to this and more importantly…how to take him down should the need ever arise.

He mentally pulled up the skill screen and looked at all his aura related skills. With determination, he dismissed them and closed his eyes in concentration as his [Aura] moved madly in his system. The sharingan is one of the key to overcoming this blockade and he wanted to waste no more time in unlocking it.

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Miko and Silva looked on as Reid looked calculating at Ashton as if trying to solve a mystery. A normal person would call this childish curiosity but Miko and Silva knew that lion in his eyes.

"He's more like you than you think…" He stated in worry. Nobody said anything for a few moments, not even Lisa who was piloting the airship.

"I know. Sometimes I wish he wasn't." She said softly as her eyes turned misty as she looked on sadly.