Book 1 Of The Seeker Of Knowledge: I Shall Find The Truth! 4 Arc 2 - Chapter 1: I'm Coming For You

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'Thoughts'

"Speech"

Time*

Noise*

(Location)

Arc 2 - Chapter 1: I'm Coming For You

4 years later*

(Continent: Solitas Kingdom: Atlas: Unknown Snow Forest: Hope Village: Borderline)

Looking back on these 4 years staying in this village, and finally found the name of this village after the first month staying here, hidden of course, where they decided to call this village Hope. Like they're hoping to make this village into a town.

Flashback*

1st month: 3 years and 11 months ago

For the entire first month while hiding from the villagers, including those [Huntsmen] and [Huntress]. I have been enjoying myself of 'sampling' the foods around the village to make sure none of them are poisonous, just in case of course.

Afterward, I resumed my training solely onto [Flames of the Sky] and only doing the training methods to use the [Exploding Gale Fist].

Since people can easily see whenever Grimm come here to attack, so to help out, I continue to use the [Flames of the Sky] only.

And I sighed in relief when no one here is familiar with the [Flames of the Sky], making it just easier for me to use.

But, using any of the standard [Glyphs] will likely blow my cover. So, leaving me with the [Flames of the Sky].

6th month: 3 years and 6 months ago

I develop to the point of doing triple overlays with the [Flames of the Sky], for the standard [Glyphs]. It has reached six overlays, doubling the amount of the former.

Furthermore, I managed to get a glimpse of how to use the [Real Illusion], but still far from it.

Nonetheless, out of the [Flames of the Sky]; only the [Storm Flame Glyph] and [Sky Flame Glyph] are the only that I haven't got to the point of using them while unconscious. And freely manipulate their forms with just a thought.

On the other note; I may have neglected another aspect of my [Semblance]. Instead of quality, where I overlay multiple [Glyphs] together. I remember how I can create multiple [Glyphs] at once.

This is another strength I need to work on against multiple enemies at once.

So with the training methods of the [Exploding Gale Fist]; I continue to work on my [Flames of the Sky] and standard [Glyphs] in quality and quant.i.ty until I find myself satisfied at the level I obtain.

2nd year: 2 years ago

During this year; I have successfully mastered the [Flames of the Sky] after accidentally trying to use it together with my [Alpha Stigma]. And by that, I mean creating the [Flames of the Sky] through the [Alpha Stigma], which I discovered giving me full mastery over the [Flames of the Sky] if I use them through the [Alpha Stigma].

However, there is a downside. Where even if the [Alpha Stigma] doesn't require any energy to keep it active. But, upon using it with my [Semblance], I started using some of my [Aura].

Yeah, that's the only downside in my opinion.

As there more benefits; like it cut the cost of using [Aura] in half when I use my [Semblance] with the [Alpha Stigma]. This also applies to how many overlays [Glyphs] and multiple [Glyphs] at once. Along with an instantaneous creation of [Glyphs], for single or multiple at once.

Sadly, without the [Alpha Stigma] active; I found out I didn't have full mastery over the [Flames of the Sky] and back before I was using the [Alpha Stigma].

After thinking about it for a while; I started using the [Alpha Stigma] to improve myself by comparing my control with and without it.

Until I reach the point it doesn't matter if I use my [Semblance] with the [Alpha Stigma] and only need that -50% usage cost of [Aura] instead.

So, this accident will be considered as my last resort, in case I'm in a situation that I need to get out quick.

3rd year: 1 year ago

During this year, I was finally found by someone.

Good news: Only a single person found me.

Bad news: It was baby Glynda who found me and is 6 years old at the time.

I got Glynda's age right after asking her when I had the chance.

Luckily, Glynda is smart for her age, kind of, and I manage to trick her to promise to never tell anyone about my presence without my permission.

This costed me of having to teach Glynda many things she wanted to learn, that her Uncle and Aunt wouldn't teach her. Like how to hunt, finally got the knowledge of this by the village's hunter, not [Huntsman], but hunter for the wild animal.

Another is how to tell what is poison and what not. Thanks, Lady Luck, I finally got the knowledge a few months ago! No more having to deal with eating every single poisonous thing to survive in the wildness.

Anyway, I taught her how to hunt a wild animal, along with skinning them, and how to tell what's edible to eat, along with anything could be used to cook something in this forest.

Yeah, I didn't work on hunting that much at the time, but more busy learning from the knowledge I got on telling apart what's poisonous and what's not. Happiest days of my life during those months of looking around the forest for edible things to eat.

Of course, I made sure to place some sort of anchor to return back to the village or end up lost again.

Which was easy by using both [Mist Flame Glyph] and [Cloud Flame Glyph] together, to place an invisible [Glyphs] onto one of the huts in the Hope Village, for me to follow back to the village.

I don't even need to see in the dark when I can just create a [Glyph] to light up a little in the dark, for me to see. So yeah, no more problem of getting lost.

I call this the [Save Point Marker]. Where I only need two overlays of [Mist/Cloud Flame Glyphs] to work. One act as an anchor and the other act as a compa.s.s, with an arrow made out of flames to point me the direction of where to go.

Yeah, it isn't the best, since it doesn't tell me how far I need to go and how long I need to reach the marked [Glyph]. But, on the bright side, it will only drain my [Aura] when I need to use it. And when not in use, it will stay where it is and only drain a small amount of my [Aura] to keep it active or just use [Dust].

Any would do, but I need to reapply it after some time. To keep the [Save Point Marker] from disappearing. So, I can just have someone resupplying the [Dust] to keep the [Save Point Marker] from disappearing. Otherwise, the [Glyphs] will continue to drain my [Aura] no matter where I am. Making this a double-edged [Glyph].

Either way, thanks to this new [Glyph] of mine. I can go further away to train, this includes starting my training in using the [Exploding Gale Fist] against the Grimm.

Sadly, I still lack the raw power of dealing ma.s.sive damage to the Grimm. So, I had to use the [Cloud Flame Glyph] as a support, multiplying the raw strength behind my blows.

Well, I got the result I wanted, but this would put me into short-term battles if I want to do this way.

Therefore, I restarted increasing my [Aura Reserve] once more as many times I can while I'm not doing anything else. Kind of forgot about this for a while, causing me to lose all those times when I could have expanded my [Aura Reserve] beyond what anyone could possess.

3rd year and 6th month: 6 months ago

It took me half a year, to finally reach the stage of the [Exploding Gale Fist], that I could react and move in a few seconds, faster if I use [Aura Enhance] or [Speed of Lightning].

Also, Glynda started looking up to me as an older brother figure. Wasn't thinking about it at the time, but it may have to do with the factor that Glynda saw me kill off all the dangerous Grimm that was about to head to the Hope Village.

I was just relief that Glynda didn't try to get too close or the Grimm may attack her, forcing me to have to protect her while fighting the Grimm at the same time.

Or, I think Glynda saw me healing the villagers with my [Sun Flame Glyph] without anyone noticing the small yellow [Glyph] attached to the back of their necks. But, I got the feeling Glynda doesn't know how I healed everyone, but just know I was the one doing it.

Anyway, thanks to me, the villagers started asking too many questions about who was starting to heal everyone and wanted someone to do it again.

This kind of made me realize that even if I wanted to be nice, others will try to take advantage of me. Seeing how I had to heal someone 15th times already, and this happens in a single week.

My next lesson to Glynda this year was how many people will often try to take advantage of you to the point, you've burned out or no longer useful. Then, those people will discard you like yesterday trash.

I think Glynda's Uncle and Aunt don't know much about how to raise children. Because I have seen them drop Glynda off to an elderly villager more than once to watch over Glynda.

And I pretty much help Glynda learn things that should have been taught to her the moment she could understand other people's words.

Like, now thinking about, it's no wonder Glynda would always search for me to ask me so many questions that should have been answered by an adult.

Remembering this, made me realize how happy to have Mother in my life and caused me to be depressed for an entire day just from remembering how my Mother is dead, along with Brise being forced to do things against her will by our Father. If she alive that is.

Flashback end*

"Merlin! Merlin! Merlin! Where are you?!" I heard Glynda's calling out to me as I just finished reminiscing; well, I didn't enjoy all the past events. Some were annoying in my honest opinion.

Letting out a tired sigh, then get off the snowy ground as I pact my b.u.t.t, to get the snow off my pants.

Using a bit of [Aura] to create a [Mist Flame Glyph] and a violet compa.s.s appears, with the arrow pointing to my right.

Walking in that direction and in a few seconds; a 7 years old Glynda is rus.h.i.+ng towards me with a frown on her face. Showing that she mad or frustrated with something.

"Something you need Glynda?" I ask Glynda, as she breathes heavily as she tries to catch her breath.

Once more, I'm surprised how easily Glynda could find me just by my presence alone. In fact, Glynda's inborn ability applies to everyone she deemed important. So in a way, Glynda can find anyone that's important to her no matter, all it takes is time and resource, mostly time than anything.

"Are you really going to leave?" Glynda ask me, with a sadness in her voice, wanting this to be just a big joke.

"Yeah, I have to. Remember how I talk about my little sister?" I ask Glynda, who pout at me, for reminding her that I have actual blood relative little sister waiting for me.

And me leaving for Brise, made Glynda look at me like I'm abandoning her for my real little sister while she is just my little sister in name only.

"How can I not?" Glynda looks at me with teary eyes now, ready to cry at any moment. "Can't you stay here a bit longer? I'm sure your little sister is fine. It has already been years now, can't you wait a little longer? Please?"

"Glynda." I kneel down to Glynda's height and place my forehead onto Glynda, causing her face to blush a little at the close contact.

"Remember how I told you how much my life has been before I escape?" I ask Glynda, as she nod her head at me. I've already told Glynda about my past since she can actually keep a secret compared to the people in the Hope Village.

No clue why almost everyone here wasn't that smart. Of course, they have common sense and all that, but the smarts weren't just there. And it only Glynda and a selected few are smart; well, a type of smart. Don't know which. But, almost everyone in the Hope Village can't keep a secret at all.

Which was proven by Glynda when I asked her to do a few experiments to see what the kind of people these villagers are.

Among the many good things about them. Is the lack of racism and everyone working together like one big family.

But, there are some things that just make my head hurt. Like trying to stop kids from training. I mean, really, there Grimm out here and this Hope Village is literally in the middle of the snow forest with almost zero contacts outside of it.

In fact, the Airs.h.i.+ps come here once a month. So, if the village was attacked by Grimm or Bandits, there were none, I checked, and it would take an entire day from the outside of the snow forest to arrive. By then, it would be too late.

"So, you should know that I need to go. Brise needs me." I remind Glynda that unlike her, who has a loving family, no matter how stupid they are sometimes, they are her family who actually loves her, unlike my own Father.

"Okay... Do you promise to come to visit?" Glynda knew there was no stopping her older brother from leaving her behind. She vows herself to train all she was taught by her brother and find him herself if he doesn't come visit her soon and will give her a piece of her mind.

"I promise, if not, then come to find me and hit me for not coming to visit at all." I raise my right pinky, where Glynda happily wraps her own little pinky, where we make a pinky promise.

"Now, you should go back. It's time for me to leave." I give one last hug, as I ignore the way Glynda's little body is shaking and the way she trying her best not to cry, but failing to.

Glynda didn't want her older brother to see her like this and quickly said her farewell, then quickly rush back to the Hope Village. Hoping her brother didn't see her crying.

I feel like I could have done more for Glynda, but Brise waited long enough.

However, with my current strength. I have no idea if I am able to rescue Brise by myself.

I shook my head, stopping myself from thinking about the bad side of things.

I'm going to, even if it meant risking my life.

Looking to the north, where Glynda is rus.h.i.+ng to the Hope Village.

It's a good thing the Village Elder/Chief had a map of this snow forest, including where the next villages/towns are and the Schnee's Mansion.

I've already left the Hope Village before, to experience what the other places are like. Not much different, but still different in some ways.

And I have already memorized the map and been to many places on it. Not all, but I would say I have experienced the land of the snow forest more than what kids at my age could have imagined.

A [Lightning Flame Glyph] and under it is a standard [Acceleration Glyph], then activate [Speed of Lightning]. Covering my entire body with blue lightning and blue flames.

The reason why the flame is blue when it should be green.

Well, it's thanks to my [Aura] being sole of the color blue and a hint of white, that influence the [Flames of the Sky], causing the colors to change and match my [Aura].

That's pretty much it, but I wasn't really bothered by it. In fact, this kind of help me as I could use different [Flames of the Sky] without giving the enemies the chance to figure out which one I used.

Taking my first step, then like a ghost, I disappear from the area as I start running at the maximum speed that I could handle without ending up smas.h.i.+ng through multiple trees for going too fast beyond my control.

20 minutes later*

(Continent: Solitas: Kingdom: Atlas: Schnee's Mansion: Outside)

It literally took me less than 20 minutes to return home, but sadly, this was never home to me and more of a prison for me.

Looking at the huge mansion, that's more of a castle after looking it again with my own eyes. After all these years.

I didn't want to waste too much [Aura].

So, I deactivate [Speed of Lightning], but kept the [Mist Flame Glyph] on me. Hiding in plain sight and maybe from the hidden security cameras.

After using the newly improved [Ground Scanner], where I can literally scan an entire building and include anything that touches the floors, the walls, and even the ceiling. This includes anything hidden.

Of course, this would have drained my [Aura Reserve] a hundred times if I still had the same [Aura Reserve] 4 years ago. But now, it only takes 20% of my [Aura Reserve], which is alright as my [Aura] regeneration should be counted as a [Semblance] itself, with the speed of my [Aura] recover.

So yeah, 20% is acceptable for a single use to get a big result in an exchange.

Once I got the mental outline of the entire mansion, this includes how many people in the mansion. Of course, I didn't keep [Ground Scanner] active as it takes lots of [Aura] in a matter of seconds when using on a large scale than the normal small range.

30 minutes later*

(Continent: Solitas: Kingdom: Atlas: Schnee's Mansion)

It took some time, but I went to the hidden pa.s.sage, that looks like it was built for people to come in and out secretly without letting anyone know.

I have no clue if Father was the one that builds this in while I was gone, or he already built it long ago or an older generation did.

Quietly, but quickly, I bypa.s.s all the securities and anything need a pa.s.sword or something to unlock a door/gate.

I just use [Mist Flame Glyph: Real Illusion: Temporary Door], which literally create a door over the existing one temporarily, for me to bypa.s.s all the restrictions and go through the door/gate.

It's a good thing I managed to learn how to do [Real Illusion] last year, and just getting the hang of it this year. Which is why I created many 'temporary' things to replace what already exists.

I literally created a technique meant for bypa.s.sing many restrictions, but only if I have enough [Aura] and knowledge to do so.

So far, I can't seem to find Brise anywhere and started sweating a little. Since I remember from the [Ground Scanner] detected a few children inside the mansion, which was weird; nonetheless, I just took this as the workers here bring in their children for the workday or a special gathering of important people.

I don't think it's the latter or the former either, because, upon checking, I found out horrified that the Schnee family are experimenting on children.

Some of them are Brise and Glynda's age, some are younger and a few years older. Like around 10, but still are kids.

I frown a little and activate the [Alpha Stigma] to see if there anything I can't see with the normal eyes. And much to my confusion, nothing out of the ordinary.

Quickly, I place an entire [Mist Flame Glyph] over the room, then use one of the computers to find out what are the kids here doing here for, and what kind of experiments they doing to these kids and wanted to know if they are kidnapped too.

Because after checking, there are more faunus than humans here.

15 minutes later*

I stare in disbelief that my own Father is the one created this project, where to find out if there a way to give others' the [Alpha Stigma]; however, no one knows the name of the [Alpha Stigma], as I never gave it, not even to my own Father.

Instead, they place the name for the [Alpha Stigma] as the [Eyes of Knowledge], where they learned about my cursed eyes up to now on how I perform during my years of helping Father.

In fact, I've just read about how all those a.s.sa.s.sins sent after my life, not Birse, but mine, all this time, to get my body and hope that by studying my corpse would allow others to find out how I gained the [Alpha Stigma].

And another section even mentions about if one could gain the [Alpha Stigma] by taking my eyes and implant them to another.

I mental curse at my Father, no, he's no longer a Father of mine and just a sperm donor!

Because I finished reading near the end, where Father actually wasn't a Schnee at all, but an outsider who married my Mother, who is the true Schnee. But, was born with different color hair.

Making me think that Mother was the outsider, but it was that b.a.s.t.a.r.d, who just looks like a Schnee.

I was close to the point of just destroying everything here, to throw this entire project into destruction that's beyond repairable.

I close down the files, then search for anything else, and found out they somehow gained my own blood and is using Brise's as well, to see if she contain the [Alpha Stigma] inside her, deep within her, so they draw blood from her daily, but made sure not to take too much or risk her dying.

A quick [Rain Flame Glyph] appear on my back, to force myself to calm down as I calmly a.n.a.lyze everything I could get from this computer before people start to notice someone looking through their files.

I skim over the files about the kids being used for this project and was a bit happy that no one gained the [Alpha Stigma], not that they could in the first place.

As over the years, where I gain more knowledge and more by the [Alpha Stigma] and learned it isn't something you are born with and can't be transferred to other and more like chosen randomly.

Plus, I've already realized I'm the only one and last one to possess the [Alpha Stigma] and upon my death. It will no longer exist from that point on.

And I still haven't gained the information on what would happen if all the [Four Curses] are gone in this world.

All I got was that something dangerous will occur if I die.

Therefore, my life will be more important than others, no matter how selfish it looks to others.

I will rather be selfish than risk whatever will happen upon my death.

Seeing how this project is doomed from the start. I left everything as it is, then searches for anything that may catch my interest and found out there another project, but this one made my blood boil with rage.

As it seems like the b.a.s.t.a.r.d of a father is trying to see if getting Brise to birth a child, would give them the [Alpha Stigma]. And what made it worse, is that other people are into this project and offer their own sons to engage with Brise, but in reality.

The one that marries to Brise will be the heir of the Schnee family. Making this difficult for me. Just to show that my status as the Schnee family's heir is just in name only before the real one show up.

I wanted to use [Ground Scanner] again to search for Brise, but stop myself before wasting any [Aura] when I will need all the [Aura] I have to escape this place. In case this entire mansion is a trap for my 'return'.

I stared at the time and realize I spent too much time here already, then quickly search for anything else and much to my frustration, Brise's current location is unknown. And only the b.a.s.t.a.r.d and a selected few know where she is.

Meaning that I'm too late and Brise could be anywhere in Remnant.

Not wanting this to be a worthless trip; I check for the Armory Room, because it's time for me to create my weapons and the Schnee's Mansion have all the materials and equipment for my need.

Closing down all the files, then delete anything that shows any sign of me being here, which wasn't that hard thanks to the knowledge I got from those scientists from the past and present, who is literally next to me and copying their computer knowledge to be added into mine.

With that done; I head to the Armory Room to create my weapon as now is a good time to do so, and if there anyone in there at the moment, then a [Mist Flame Glyph] will do the trick.

A few days later*

(Continent: Solitas: Kingdom: Atlas: Schnee's Mansion)

Okay, maybe having my weapon created in a place where people want to experiment me, with me being alive or not, wasn't the best idea.

But, I finally got my weapon to be crafted, which is literally a right arm gauntlet that store multiple [Dust], and I made a belt to go with it, that hold my [Dust] when I need to reload.

Sadly, even after watching over the people crafting weapons, to gain knowledge about how to craft; well, weapon crafts, but due to my lack of experience. I made too many mistakes and had to keep going until the point people started noticing how the Armor Room are missing parts.

Took some time, but I crafted a prototype of my gauntlet, which needs lots of improvements. Improvements that I will do later and not here, as it's time for me to leave.

So, with my prototype [Dust Gauntlet], for the name, I got nothing and leaving it as blank for now, and finally gain access to the [Dust Glyphs] my family created over the years while using [Dust] with our [Semblance].

I rush out of the Armor Room and continue to use [Mist Flame Glyph] to keep others from noticing my presence and use [Real Illusion] to create a [Temporary Door] to the outside, even if I'm on the fifth floor.

(Continent: Solitas: Kingdom: Atlas: Schnee's Mansion: Outside)

I quickly channel my [Aura] into the [Dust Gauntlet], where I've already inserted a vial of [Powdered Gravity Dust] and create the [Gravity Glyph] to manipulate my gravitational force, to allow myself to gain temporary flight as I use another [Gravity Glyph] to change the direction of gravity and send me back into the forest.

Where I start running away from the Schnee's Mansion, as my stay has pa.s.sed and I was planning later in the future to return back. Seeing how that mansion contains the Schnee's main library, thank goodness only a true Schnee, can enter it and no books can be taken out.

Along with the main library have been built over generations to make sure no enemies/outsiders can steal our knowledge we gather over the years.

It's no wonder I never have seen that b.a.s.t.a.r.d or anyone in the library up to this point.

On the hindsight; I should have headed to the main library instead of escaping. At least the hidden defensive would protect me while I go through all the books.

I'm pretty sure there a book on spear mastery I could use since I got the [Exploding Gale Fist] and [Flames of the Sky] from the same place.

So for now, I will return on another day. As I already left behind a [Save Point Marker] behind.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Current Age:

Merlin Schnee: 15

Brise Schnee: 7

Glynda Goodwitch: 7