Age 0: Born with Memory
Ray Moss's first cry pierced Zyra's delivery room, but his mind carried the ghosts of William Hatcher's life—London's rain, the sting of rejection, and the bitter thought of Why am I always punished this way? Lila and Torin Moss, his new parents, held him, unaware their newborn bore the cynical memories of a man who died in another world. Beyond Zyra's glowing wards, which blocked spatial magic and required passage through a demon scanner, the massive spaceport ferried food and goods through portals to Earth-orbit stations and 16 space colonies. Earth's seas, ruled by alien sea monsters (the colossal Kraken, the serpentine Hydra, the whirlpool-creating Charybdis, and the many-headed Scylla), were no-go zones. Traditional weapons were useless against them, and while the Earth Defence Force (EDF) occasionally hired Siren squads, their services for underwater missions cost a prohibitive 1,000 daalers per squad.
A blue screen flickered into Ray's infant mind.
[Yomi Protocol: Online, kid. Born again, huh? Don't screw it up this time, or I'll trade you for a smarter model.]
The sardonic voice cut through his newborn haze. "Level 0, EXP 0/100. Stats: Strength, Endurance, Speed, Agility—all 0. HP and Mana: 50 each. Magic—all eight schools at Level 0, no spells unlocked. Skills: Hacking, Engineering, Swordplay, Marksmanship, Forging, Stealth, Alchemy at Level 1."
Ray, trapped in an infant's body, vowed: I'll be a mercenary. I'll fight them all. He tried to conjure a spark, a tiny flicker of magic—nothing. Level 0 locked his magic tight.
[Yomi Protocol: Babies don't cast, kid. You have to crawl before you can run. Or are you aiming for 'world's youngest fireball fail'?]
Age 5: First Steps
Ray, Level 1 (60/200 EXP from 6 minor tasks at Lila's market stall), stood in Zyra's chaotic market near the spaceport, where ESF shuttles delivered precious colony imports under the city's jamming satellite grid. Within Zyra's wards, the only beasts were mutated rats—cat-sized with glowing eyes—drawn unpredictably by portal scar remnants. Lila haggled with customers, Torin worked on a broken ward generator, but Ray's memories of William's failures drove him relentlessly. No dead ends this time. His stats were all 1, his HP and Mana were 60/1000, and his magic was at Level 1, allowing him basic spells like Flames, Drip, and Short Blink.
He swung a stick, mimicking the guild warriors he'd seen on posters (Swordplay: 3/3 uses, Level 2, +10 EXP).
[EXP: 70/200. Swordplay Level 2 Unlocked.]
He used Inspection on a merchant's blade: Iron Short Sword, No Core, Basic Weapon. His Dimension Pocket, a new and wondrous ability, held his few essentials—rat pelts and a metal pipe. Ray knew that the guilds' core-forged weapons grew in power with their wielder, unlike the static guns used by civilians and bandits, which were far less effective in close combat.
"Mercenaries don't play with sticks, kid," the AI's voice was a dry rasp in his mind. "Zyra's crawling with mutated rats popping up near those old portal scars. The EDF drones sweep the seas, but those sea monsters still own the waves—and sirens will cost you more than your mom's entire stall."
Ray cast Short Blink, shifting a single step to his left (Mana: 50/60). I'll be better than all of them.
Age 10: First Kill and Prodigy
Ray, Level 3 (155/400 EXP, Mana: 70/1000, all magic at Level 3), snuck into Zyra's slums near a sealed portal scar—a faint, glowing remnant of old demon portals. A standard mutated rat charged from a pack led by unseen alphas. Ray cast Gust, slashing with wind blades (Mana: 60/70), then smashed it with his pipe (Swordplay: 4/4 uses, Level 3, +10 EXP, 5 EXP for kill). Auto-loot stored the rat's blood and fur.
[Yomi Protocol: Not bad, kid. You're learning to fight smart. EXP: 155/400. Don't start thinking you're a hero—heroes get eaten first.]
At home, Ray assembled a motor from Torin's ward tech scraps (Engineering: 3/3 uses, Level 2, +10 EXP). Torin watched, stunned. "Ten years old, rebuilding engines? You're a prodigy, Ray—rare in Zyra." Ray simply shrugged, William's ingrained cynicism tempering any pride. Using a scavenged portable alchemy set with canisters and meshes, he brewed a health potion from rat blood and herbs (+10 HP, temporary; Alchemy: 3/3 uses, Level 2, +10 EXP).
Later, as Ray tried to sneak back into the house, Torin caught him. His face was pale, his hands shaking with barely contained fury. "You went near the slums, didn't you? You know how dangerous it is out there! The mercenaries are one thing, but you're just a kid. This isn't some game." He grabbed Ray's arm, his grip tight with fear. "We almost lost you when you were just a baby. I won't lose you now for some fantasy of being a hero."
Ray pulled away, a flash of William's old desperation in his eyes. "I'm not a kid," he snapped, his voice tight with defiance. "And I won't stay nothing." He had seen guild posters by the spaceport—warriors with core-forged blades that scaled with their power. He would not be another one of life's victims.
Age 12: Hidden Training
Ray, now Level 5 (260/600 EXP, Mana: 90/1000, all magic at Level 5), huddled in his shack, hacking Torin's computer to bypass a data lock (Hacking: 3/3 uses, Level 2, +10 EXP). He'd earned 260 EXP from 30 standard rats, 50 from 5 skill level-ups, and 60 from minor tasks. His stats were a symmetrical 5 in everything. He shadowed merchants at night to practice Stealth (Stealth: 1/4 uses toward Level 3) and practiced Marksmanship with a slingshot (Marksmanship: 1/4 uses), knowing static guns were a poor choice for close-quarters monster fights. He'd saved enough daalers to buy a portable alchemy set, canisters, and meshes from a market trader, storing them in his Dimension Pocket for crafting potions and bombs.
[Yomi Protocol: Sneaky, kid. EXP: 260/600. Level 5 Unlocked. Don't get cocky—you're not dodging a Leviathan with that slingshot.]
Lila worried constantly, a knot of fear always in her stomach. "Ray, what are you doing out there at night? You're so secretive now." But Ray's guild dream burned too brightly to be contained. "I'll be a mercenary," he told her, the sheer resolve in his voice making her sigh with a mix of fear and weary resignation. William failed. I won't.
Training Montage: Ages 12-15
Ray, determined to learn Forging, visited the dwarf smith Grunthar in Zyra's forge district. He'd saved enough daalers to buy a low-tier short sword from Grunthar, its goblin core giving a 0.05 attack boost that would scale with his level. "Teach me to forge a blade," Ray said.
"No supplies, kid," Grunthar grumbled. "Bandits hit multiple shops last night—mine included. The chamber of commerce offered a 200 daaler bounty to the guilds, but there were no takers."
"I'll do it," Ray said.
Grunthar scoffed. "Mercenary work ain't for kids, boy. Run along."
Ray ignored him, already moving. He questioned market witnesses, using his new Stealth to avoid drawing attention. A trader whispered, "Bandits—humans, orcs, lizardmen, dark elves—headed to an old military depot outside the wards, using a scavenged truck. Fought off beasts on the way—mutant blood on the tires."
Ray used his unique Inspection ability on the trail inside Zyra: Orc-Sized Footprints, Tire Tracks, Recent Disembarkment. He hacked an EDF drone for intel on the depot (Hacking: 1/3 uses). Inspection revealed: 8 Bandits: Orc Leader, 3 Humans, 2 Lizardmen, 2 Dark Elves, Armed with Blades, Bows, and Guns, Traveling by Old Military Truck, Signs of Recent Mutant Fight (Outside Wards). Planning wins wars. Ray noted the bandits' guns—static, non-scaling, and less effective in close combat than his core-forged blade. The skirmish traces were a clear sign: they were outside the wards.
Ray prepared to follow the trail through a ward gate, cleared by a demon scanner. His guild dream burned brighter than ever, his portable alchemy set ready in his Dimension Pocket.
[Yomi Protocol: Getting cocky, kid. EXP: 260/600. Those bandits have guns, but your blade's got the edge. Plan or die, or you'll be a bullet sponge.]