ENDLESS MYTH : Surpassing the Gods.

CH 6: UNDER THE MOON

[CONNECTION TO THE CONSTELLATIONS SUCCESSFUL] 

[HERCULES] 

[LUPUS] 

'Finally.'

[Hercules] gave him a physical body out of this world. Be it strength, speed, reflex, and endurance. 

[Lupus] was a little weaker, but it bestowed him a great boost to his stamina and gave him all the senses of a wolf, something that would really help him during the test.

------

 He wasn't worried about destroying his room. There is no way a ship full of power users wouldn't be protected by powerful runes. 

As he moved, it was like he was slow dancing. He didn't use wild movements. Such a thing would serve nothing more than satisfying his ego and give him a false impression of power. 

The most important in using aether or any form of energy wasn't brute force, but control. 

Even though with his reserves he didn't have to worry about lack of energy, in theory, the test wouldn't be one-fight but survival over many days. 

You could never know what would happen, so having more control in how to use his strength was a necessary skill.

After moving like that for about an hour, he couldn't help but be frustrated. His control was too lacking. Sure, seeing the energy wave around him was cool, but that was just a waste of energy. 

True Master could move at extreme speed and do devastating punches while barely moving the air around them. Sadly, he was still far from this level. 

'I really became pathetic.'

He didn't pay attention to it in the past. But now, he could see how much his years of lazing around hurt him. 

'Thinking about it is useless.'

-----

After deciding to stop his training for the time being. He decided to take a walk outside. 

Currently, he was alone on the deck. It was very late in the night, so the others were most likely training or resting in their cabins. 

As he looked up, at the stars shining high in the sky he smiled a little, 

'The starry sky is truly beautiful.' 

Before coming here he was really scared. He was a genius in the past, no calling him a genius would have been an insult.

Now though? He wasn't so sure. 

He, of course, knew that him not training for ten years was the cause. 

After the accident, any time he tried to train, he would feel so much pain that he thought he would become crazy. It was only two years ago that he was once again somewhat able to train. 

But even then, he never truly did it.  He had lost the drive. He had fled from the adversity. 

'Now I need to make a decision.'

He still had no real resolve. 

When training, people should have a goal. It wasn't for some cheesy reason. Simply that training continually wasn't something that could be done without a certain drive. 

'Talent alone isn't enough.'

The first outbreak wasn't a problem. But now that they were entering the second outbreak the difference in power would become larger every day. 

During those ten years, he still managed to keep ahead of his peers simply because of his talent. But after a while, it wouldn't be enough. 

The world didn't revolve around him. No one would wait for him. 

While he was struggling to move, others were already beginning to run. 

Right now, thanks to him awakening so soon in the past, he still had a chance to run with them. But, if he waited too long, he would no longer have such qualifications, perhaps he may even lose it very soon. 

It was then that he heard a gentle but firm voice. 

"Good evening Mister Heracles...I hope we are not disturbing you?" 

Sol felt a shiver run down his spine. Even though he was deep in thought, the fact that someone could come so close without him noticing means that they simply weren't on the same level. 

Thankfully he recognized the voice, otherwise, he would have punched the one behind him. He turned to face the one who spoke and was even more surprised. 

Rather than one, it was two pairs of eyes that met his, one grey filled with a gentle light, and one red filled with indifference. He let out a silent sigh of exasperation, as he thought, it wasn't one but two people who sneaked up to him. 

"Hello sir Edward, principal Eleanor."

He began to think of how he could go back to his cabin without being rude. He didn't really like this situation. 

Edward looked at the boy in front of him. He remembered the report that he read before boarding the ship. Sol Heracles, 18-year-old. 

This name was a subject of great discussion between the teachers. 

Many wondered if taking him was worth it. He was without a doubt a genius but he had faced a great setback. 

The thing with a setback was, either you stay down, or you rise once again. 

'From the information I have. It seems like he decided to stay down.'

After crossing eyes with his lady, he decided to talk to him a little more

"The sky is beautiful isn't it?" He said with a smile as he looked at the face of the boy in front of him. It was clear that the boy wanted to be anywhere than here, still, he didn't take long before answering with a small voice "Yes, truly beautiful". 

Edward was satisfied, he then continued "Tell me, Sol, do you have a dream?",

The boy was clearly taken aback.  Edward decided to continue,

"You know, many people see dreams as childish things that should die as you age, but a true powerhouse knows that it's a misconception. I'm of those who think that one cannot advance without a dream, it doesn't have to be something extraordinary, but having a dream, even the most basic one, can help us break the worst wave".

Sol cringed a little at the cheesy line. He would never have thought that such an old man would speak like that. Still, even though it was cringe-worthy, it was without a doubt the truth.

Edward, seeing that his words had some effect decided to continue.

"People without a dream are people without life. People who mock dreams are people who gave up. They think that dreaming is a waste of time. What they don't know is that a true dream doesn't consist of hoping to obtain something. No! A true dream is something you must strive for with all your heart, a true dream is something you have to bleed for and may even die to accomplish. I will ask again, Sol Heracles, did you ever had a dream?"

Sol thought about his life, sadly, his number of experiences were so few that an answer was rapidly apparent.

"No... No, I have never really had a dream."

"Hey. Boy... Why the f**k are you looking so gloomy? " Eleanor intervened with a low voice 

"I... "

"Why worry?  True dreams are born out of nothing. They are the result of our heart's desire. How can you dream when your heart is dead? How can you dream, when you have no desire?"

Sol was surprised. From what he saw this morning, Eleanor wasn't this kind of woman. 

Eleanor on the other hand, acting as if she wasn't talking to him summoned a lick of fire between her fingers.

As she gave different shapes to the fire she continued, "The uses of our abilities a

Isn't just a question of using the right amount of aether in the right way. A conviction, belief, will, no matter how you call it, is necessary. You need to believe that what you'll do will work".

Sol was mesmerized by her use of power. She manipulated the fire so easily that comparing his control to her would have been an insult.

"Tell me, boy, why do you think people train?" The fire in her hand took the form of a question mark as she suddenly asked another question.

"Isn't it to become stronger?"

Frankly, he didn't think that there was more to this. The fire in her hand took the form of a No and with a teasing smile she snuffed it out. Sol was a little breathless. 

Her smile under the shine of the moon and the stars nearly made him think that he was in front of a goddess. Edward explained why Eleanor didn't accept his answer. 

"You're not exactly wrong but your answer is incomplete. People train in order to be able to protect what is dear to them. For some it's their pride, for some, it's their life, for others it's their families. All in all, people grow, fight, and train in order to protect something or someone."

Eleanor raised her head to look at the moon. Her eyes were looking far away in the past,

"Desires, dreams, and something to protect. Those three all point in the same direction. Power. I desire money since I like money, I dream of having all the riches of this world. But how can I obtain so much money?  The answer is power. And even if I get the money, how do I protect it? With even more power...An endless pursuit of power in order to gain what we want and keep what we gain, ahahahah don't you think that we humans are really f*****g stupid?"

If her previous smile was one of a goddess, her current laugh was one of a devil, an angry devil full of resentment.

"But so what if we are stupid? Those bastard gods above see us as scurrying and greedy ants, but it's this greed that makes us humans and allowed us to go from slaves to equal." 

Sol was a little dumbfounded. He began to wonder if the woman in front of him was bipolar. How could someone switch personality so fast? Why did it seem like she hated the gods? 

"Why are you telling me all that? what do you want?"

He knew that he sounded rude, even more so since they were simply giving him advice. 

'Still, I  had to ask'

He wasn't stupid. In the real world, people didn't help each other without a good reason. 

Eleanor let out a large grin. So as she pointed her finger toward him, she said extremely shocking words, 

"What do I want, you ask? What I want is you."

His answer was instantaneous, 

"I am not interested in Loli."