Bang!
Aditya was sent flying in the direction of the east. He was sent flying so fast that everything around him became a blur. He could feel his entire body in pain. Even for him, everything happened too fast. For a moment he felt as if he was moving at the speed of light with zero control over where he was headed to.
Bang!!!!!!
Aditya was crushed on a rocky mountain. From his impact, the rocky mountain itself cracked and then collapsed.
Ahh!!!!
The dragon Monarch coughed out a mouthful of blood. His consciousness was on the verge of fading. His mind couldn't process any information due to the intense pain coursing throughout his body.
Before Aditya could understand what was happening, the mystical forest around him, the fireflies, and the unique trees which had never been seen before, all began to disappear. Even the night sky and the wet atmosphere began to change. Everything began to fade and turn white. Within a few seconds, Aditya found himself lying in a huge crater that was formed on a rocky mountain.
Everything around him had changed to white. There were no signs of greenery or trees around him. There were no signs of life or animals. As far as one's eye could see, it was all white. Everything around him was white.
Aditya had no idea where he was or what had happened to him. Around 10 seconds later, he was able to process some information. Without needing to open his eyes, he found to feel that he was lying on thousand small pieces of stone. It seems these stones were part of the rocky mountain but from his crushing impact, the rocky mountain itself broke into pieces.
Another 10 seconds later, he finally was able to open his eyes and scan the surroundings. Opening his eyes, the first thing that fell that he saw was the sky. The clear starry sky now had been covered with black clouds.
The beautiful forest around him was long gone. There wasn't even a single trace of the forest. There wasn't even a sign of greenery as far as he could see. There wasn't even a single piece of wood. Regardless of which direction he looked, all he saw was endless white sand and a few rocky mountains in the distance.
For a moment, Aditya couldn't help but think that he has been teleported to a different place. He even thought that when he was attacked, he was sent flying so fast that he traveled to a different region. But this did not explain the sudden change in the atmosphere.
'Compared to the fresh air, the air of this place is heavy and polluted.' Aditya didn't waste any time. He quickly took out a 5-star recovery pill and ate it without wasting a single second as he knew there was an enemy that he needed to defeat before he could relax here.
As the pill passed down his throat, a green Aura surrounded him. The green Aura rapidly began to heal his body. His torn muscles, organs, damaged tissues, and his shattered or broken bones all rapidly began to heal. He also noticed a decrease in pain throughout his body.
While Aditya was recovering, a being approached him with a white sword.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Aditya was able to hear the sound of footsteps. He quickly stood up while taking out his black sword. As his eyes fell on his enemy, his entire body for a second trembled. His eyes widened in deep shock. His heart nearly stopped beating. All the memories of the past briefly flashed before his eyes.
"Fa....Father....." Aditya's voice trembled as he looked at the figure whom he respected and loved from the bottom of his heart.
The person standing 20 meters away from Aditya was his adoptive father. When Aditya was exiled from his royal family and his title as the prince was taken away, he was sent to the Eastern region of the Dying Isle continent. The Eastern region of that time was considered to be one of the most underdeveloped places on this planet. The order of this region was in chaos. The power structure would change every decade or so. Even a 3rd-order cultivator was considered a huge powerhouse in this region. But after the Istarin empire came all these changes.
Flashback__
The current Aditya looked very different from the Aditya of the future. The current Aditya was only 16 years old. He was a young naïve man who knew next to nothing about the cruel world around him. Being the son of the strongest Dragon Empire on the planet and as its future crown prince, Aditya had grown slightly arrogant as well.
Aditya lived a life that would make even some Emperors die out of envy and jealousy. The amount of wealth that he had in his pocket alone was more than the combined wealth of the entire Eastern region of the Dying Isle continent. However, the wealth in his pocket wasn't even a fraction of the enormous amount of wealth that his father, the Emperor possessed.
Aditya lived his life like a king. When his married the seven goddesses was announced, there was no doubt Aditya became a person that stood at the very top of this world. Everyone was sure that with the support of the seven goddesses and as the Emperor of the Strongest Dragon Empire on the planet, no one can get away with offending Aditya. Aditya was truly the future. As a result, one had to think ten times before saying anything to Aditya. Growing up Aditya never had any real friends, except for Riya. All of his friends were the children of rich nobles or Emperors. The Emperors and the nobles sent their children to get close to Aditya so that they can become Aditya's friend and gain benefits.
Aditya at that time was too naïve to understand this. He never was able to see who were his true friends and who were his fake friends. Regardless, the Naïve Aditya had created this illusion that he was the center focus of this world. He lived in his fantasies and his illusion while being unaware of the snakes that were ready to backstab him at any given opportunity.
And finally, that day, when Aditya failed to awaken his dragon bloodline. As the news spread like wildfire throughout the entire world, he became the center of all the mockery. The friends of the past began to distance themselves from him. Even his biological father and his mother refused to stand with him. For the first time, he truly felt alone in this world. Within a single week, Aditya went from being called the future to being called the trash.
This happened when Aditya was really young. At that time he was only 11 years old. No one stood beside him when he was at his lowest point. His only source of support was Riya but soon she was banned from meeting him. And then Riya left the main continent with her parents. But now Aditya feels that his parents had something to do with Riya moving away from the main continent with her mother.
Days passed, and with each passing day, Aditya's life started becoming a living hell. He was disrespected in every single way possible. Even the maids openly started to ignore his orders. When he reached the age of 15, one day, Aditya was called to the throne hall for an audience with his father who was the Emperor. His mother was standing behind his father and was looking at him with a disappointed look.
That day, Aditya lost everything. His parents, his status, his wealth, his identity, his future, his determination, his will, everything about Aditya was lost. He became lifeless from the inside. He lost the will to continue living. Aditya didn't resist when two guards held his arms and dragged him to the teleportation array. From there he was sent to the Eastern region of the Dying Isle continent.
Aditya was teleported somewhere in Azure city. At that time, he didn't know which continent he has been sent to. He didn't know where he was. He didn't even know the name of this city. At this point, Aditya had given up. His deep eyes had become lifeless.
On the streets of Azure city, there was a young man who was lifelessly walking without any aim. He was wearing some cheap dirty brown clothes which were torn from various places. He had long messy blue hair covering his eyes. He stood at the height of 5 feet 7 inches. He was skinny and malnourished.
It has been 2 days since Aditya found himself in this city. Aditya spent the cold night in some dirty alley. He covered himself with a dirty old torn blanket.
No one would believe that this man used to have so much wealth that he can literally buy the whole eastern region. How cruel fate was? Now he was nothing. Even the clothes that he used to wear as the prince was taken away from him before he was sent here.
Growl! Growl!
Aditya held his stomach in pain. As a prince, he felt hungry for his whole life. But after that day, all this changed. Now Aditya was used to it.
'I haven't eaten anything for the last two days.' Aditya thought while sitting on the ground with his back leaned against the wall of a 2-story house.
'I want to die.' That was the only thought going on in his mind. Aditya was too tired of this life. He had lost his will to continue living. What's the point of even living? He knew that for the rest of his life, he would have to live in the streets like a beggar. He lost everything that he loved and care about. He didn't dare to take his own life. So he was just waiting for his life to end.
Over the years of not seeing Riya, Aditya even forgot how she looked. Whenever he imagined her face, he would only see a blurry image. A body without a face, a voice without a source, a playful giggle without a body. All these would make him even more depressed.
'Riya deserves someone better than me. She is the future queen of the Celestial Terrain while I am just a nobody waiting for his death. I hope she would have a good life.' The current Aditya didn't feel that he was worthy of Riya. Why she would marry someone like him who had nothing? When thinking about his parents and his former life as the prince, Aditya felt no anger. The situation around him had forced him to think that everything was his fault. If only he hadn't taken things for granted and actually had put some effort into trying to become a worthy man.
The current him was a depressed man who wanted nothing but to escape this broken reality. He had given up on his life. He didn't even care about anything. The current him was broken beyond repair.
While Aditya was sitting next to an alley where he was thinking of taking his final breath, a royal carriage stopped before him. Aditya did not raise his head as he didn't think that someone this rich and powerful would approach him. Even if they did approach him, what did Aditya have to offer them in exchange....the answer is nothing. He just kept his eyes closed and slowly breathed as he waited for his death.
But contrary to his expectations, a handsome old man slowly got out of the carriage and then stood in front of Aditya. The man blocked the sunlight that was falling on Aditya. Feeling a shadow on him, he opened his eyes and stared at the man's brown pupil.
The man in front of him had short grey hair. He had a grey beard on his face. His face was wrinkled but he still looked very handsome. The man was wearing white gloves, a black shirt, and black a pant. The man stood at the height of 6 feet 4 inches tall. The man was a Beginner 2nd-order cultivator. The most striking and memorable thing about him was his cheerful smile and his bright personality. Those eyes of his were too bright for someone who was broken beyond repair.
Aditya continued to stare at the old man's face in silence. The old man also did the same. After 10 seconds, the old man crouched down in front of Aditya and then asked.
"What is your name, kid?" Those were the first words that King Ahmed, Aditya's adoptive father had said to him. Aditya would never forget this moment.
Aditya remained quiet for an entire minute before replying in a very low tone. But because King Ahmed was a cultivator, with his heightened senses he was able to hear what Aditya said. "Aditya." Aditya did not tell him his last name as he saw no point in adding his last name. His last name had lost its meaning. So right now he was only Aditya.
"That's a good name you have. Do you want to know my name?" The man asked with a kind smile that was filled with warmth.
'Why would I want to know your name?' Aditya inwardly wanted. He wanted this old man to leave him alone so that he can die in peace at least.
The old man can see that Aditya was very uninterested in knowing his name. But he still decided to answer. "My name is Ahmed Akbar. I am the King of this small Kingdom named the Istarin Dynasty."
Aditya still didn't look the least bit interested. Even in front of the King of this dynasty, he showed no enthusiasm or excitement.
"What do you want, old man?" Aditya asked in a low tone.
"Since you have asked, let's not waste any more time. You see I am reaching my end. I will probably die within a few more years. At most I have a decade to live. I don't have an heir to my Kingdom. I wanted to adopt you and let you become the King of the Istarin Kingdom. What do you think of my offer, Kid?" The old man asked with a smile.
Hearing his words, for the first time the old man saw Aditya's expression change. Aditya looked shocked and also surprised. But his expression quickly returned to normal.
"I am not interested. Leave me alone. Find someone more worthy." Aditya then closed his eyes.
The old man looked at Aditya's face for an entire minute before nodding at his servant. Aditya felt someone lifting him up. When he opened his eyes, he found that he was being carried to the carriage. "What are you doing?"
"I wasn't looking for a worthy heir. I just needed to find someone to pass my kingdom to. You're the right person for that. From now on, you're my adoptive child and also the future king of this Kingdom." That day, this old man changed Aditya's fate forever. The old man loved Aditya like his own son. Because of the old man, Aditya was able to get out of his depression to a certain extent till another unfortunate event took place and changed everything.
The man whom Aditya had slowly come to love over time had passed away. This once again left Aditya completely shattered. Depression took over him. In the end, he chooses alcohol to escape reality. He started consuming alcohol without caring about the Kingdom that his father had passed to him.
This started the downfall of the Istarin Kingdom. The corruption level increased within the Kingdom. More and more crimes began to take place. The income of the Kingdom decreased by a huge margin. All of this happened because of Aditya. The death of King Ahmed not only shattered him from the inside out but also affected his mental health very badly.
If not for Watson, Julia, Alicia, and Riya for supporting the Istarin Kingdom from the shadows, the Kingdom long would have been taken over by either the Nepoca Kingdom or the Zulux Dynasty.
End of Flashback____
"Father...." Aditya couldn't believe it. Even though the previous Aditya had died, after taking over his body, he had inherited all of his memories and also his emotions. Both of their characters, personalities, and feelings merged together to become the current Aditya.
Aditya's eyes became red as he stared at the man whom he loved so dearly. The Dragon Monarch's eyes were filled with tears. The current Aditya regretted everything that he did after his father's death. Instead of living up to his father's expectations, he became the cause of the Istarin Kingdom's downfall.
However, unlike Aditya, Ahmed's face didn't have any expressions. Aditya's adoptive father didn't look sad or happy. It was as if Ahmed had no feelings for him. As if the man in front of Aditya was a robot.
『Ding! In this world, all of the host's passive skills have been restricted. You cannot use any one of your passive skills being remaining in this world.』
『Ding! The laws of this world have temporarily reduced your cultivator powers to beginner second-order rank. Rune Monarch class and the Storm Marshal Class skills have been restricted. You cannot use any skills that you have gained from having Rune Monarch and Storm Marshal classes. Your second and third classes have temporarily been deactivated.』
『Ding! The world laws have reduced your Base stats to match the stats of your opponent.』
'What???' Aditya couldn't believe it. For the first time, he was doubting the system's words. Aditya tried to use the lightning Manipulation skill which was an innate skill that he had received after obtaining Storm Marshal class. But to his shock, he found that he couldn't activate his skills. It was as if something was blocking him from accessing his storm Marshal class skills and also his passive skills.
『 _Strength: - 411 → 82
_Speed: - 753 + [100] → 82 + [100]
_Stamina: - 386 → 82
_Health: - 386 → 82
_Mana: - 4,052 → 82
_Free stats: - 0』
Aditya felt he had become weaker. 'What is happening?' Unfortunately for Aditya, no one answers his questions. Before he could re-read the messages of the system, his father already had started attacking him.
Aditya widened his eyes seeing Ahmed charging at him at full speed. Since Aditya's base stats have been lowered to match the current stats of Ahmed, Ahmed's current speed was very fast for Aditya.
Aditya reacted in time and managed to block the sword strike of his father. He could have attacked back but he couldn't harden his heart to attack the man who was his father.
Clang!
Ahmed kept attacking Aditya with his white sword. Aditya easily blocked all of Ahmed's attacks. He was able to easily block his father's move because of the Bracelet of Wind Fairy which still gave him [100+] agility. Aditya was two times faster than his father.
Clang! Clang!
"Father...Can you hear me?" While blocking Ahmed's attacks, Aditya called him several times. But Ahmed never responded to any of his calls. Ahmed attacked Aditya almost as if he was a puppet that was being controlled by someone.
"Father"
Clang!
With a kick, Aditya was pushed back. But the kick barely harmed Aditya in any way.
After a while, Aditya finally calmed to calm his emotions and think of the entire situation with logic. 'This person is not my father.' Even though this fake looked like Ahmed and even had the same powers as Ahmed, this Ahmed was a fake. Aditya was sure of it. Ahmed was a person who had a very bright and cheerful personality. No matter what kind of bad situation he faced, he would always smile and say that things could have been worse.
After confirming that this person is not his adoptive father, Aditya became aggressive. How dare someone try to copy his father? Aditya was furious. Seeing his father had brought back some painful memories that Aditya always wished to forget.
"Die." Aditya grabbed the white sword that Fake Ahmed used to attack him. With his other hand, he used his full power to diagonally swing his black sword.
'Fortunately, I had added runes that can decrease Adamantite Doomblade weight.' Otherwise with his decreased base stats, he can never wield the Adamantite Doomblade which weighted 3 tons and fight. Aditya thought as he went all out to kill this Fake version of his father.
Swoosh!
The Adamantite Doomblade easily left a deep diagonal cut mark on Ahmed's chest. After the strike, Ahmed's stopped moving. When Aditya had expected to see blood coming out of his wound, instead of blood, what he saw was a white mist forming around the wound. The next second the deep diagonally cut mark rapidly began to heal.
Seeing this Aditya was shocked. While the wound across Ahmed's chest rapidly healed, he kicked Aditya in the gut and then created a distance between them. When Aditya recovered from his shock, he found Ahmed once again attacking him. Ahmed's movement did not slow down. Instead, he was perfectly fine as before. It seems Aditya's attack hadn't harmed him.
In the next minute, Aditya attacked the Fake Ahmed in different ways. He even severed his head from his body. But to his shock, another head just regrew while the severed one just faded into nothing.
Clang! Clang!
While blocking Ahmed's attacks, Aditya began to think what everything that has happened ever since he came to the world. 'Something strange is going on here.' It didn't take him long to understand what was happening. Realizing this, he started to laugh loudly.
"Hahahaha! To think this entire time I hadn't thought of that."
"This is the world of illusion." Just as Aditya said those words, the world around him began to crack. Fake Ahmed froze in one place. Along with everything else in this world, his body also began to crack. The only thing that didn't crack was Aditya.
Bang!!!!!
Eventually, everything shattered like glass. The world around him shattered like a glass orb. However, Aditya wasn't affected by it. As soon as the glass orb shattered, he felt his power returning to normal.
"So this is an advanced level of illusion. The illusion is so strong that it can affect my senses." This is why Aditya felt wet, and cold in the forest while hot in the white sand desert.
After everything shattered, Aditya found himself floating in an empty dark space. For a second he felt he had come to the space. But there was no light in this vast seemingly endless void.
"How do I get out of this place?" Aditya didn't have to wait too long as a door opened in front of him. What lay beyond the door was a mystery as he couldn't see anything beyond the door. It was better to see what lay beyond the door rather than wait in this void for who knows how long.
The door lead him to a place where he saw some faces. He found himself in a dark square-shaped room. The room was huge. There were many adventurers and rogue cultivators sitting in the room. At the center of the room, there was a large almost 7 meters big gold star. Aditya found himself standing at the center of the golden star.
Aditya sensed the Aura of Adam in the room. Turning to his right he saw Adam approaching him with a serious look. 'It seems I am not the only one who has experienced the illusion world.' From Adam's face, it was clear that he also had met someone who was very dear to him.
"Father did you also...." The rest wasn't needed to be said. Adam just nodded his head with a serious look.
"It seems this ruin is more like a labyrinth."
(Note - Before awakening his Dragon bloodline, his eyes color was deep blue)
Really Thank you very much to all those who sends support with valuable golden tickets. I hope we can keep it up!!!
This is a bonus chapter! I had planned on writing two 2000+ words chapters. But then I decided to just write a 4000+ words chapters and upload it. I hope you all like the chapter.
In the future, I am planning on writing another chapter on Aditya's past. How he lived in earth and what kind of life he had before the story started? Maybe I will also write side story chapters on various characters like Julia, Alicia, and Riya. I want my readers to know what female characters does in their spare times.
