“Here comes the question you all wonder about.”

 

“How do I become a Saint or Hero? Am I right? Of course, I am. I had the same thought when I was a kid wanting to be a Hero.”

 

“Dear readers, carefully ponder on the following words.”

 

“To be a Hero or a Saint, you have to start at the beginning like everybody else.”

 

“Once you have determined that being those is your Goal, it's time to start improving yourself. Oh, you're wondering why I am saying to focus on yourself and not others. That one, my dear readers, is easy to answer.”

 

“Only the Powerful have the capacity to profess the Moralities of something.”

 

“Even if you are the most Righteous Being in existence, if you're Weak when it comes to defending your Righteous Morals, you have no choice but to comply with those more powerful than you.”

 

“Therefore, Morality is a thing of the Strong and not the Weak.”

 

“Therefore, to be a Hero or Saint who improves Others, first improve Thyself.”

#5 Quote - Book of Life and Death - Chapter - Heroes and Villains

 

*

 

Central Continent - Southern Forest - Survival Tribe - Alexander

“Want, To, Be, Adult?” A familiar voice growled at Alexander when he nodded in affirmation.

 

“Then, You, Will, Dance, For, Tribe Spirit.” The familiar growl remarked.

 

Alexander looked at his Mother as she pointed at the black Totem of the Tribal Spirit that towered slightly over him. Then he looked at the other Badg’Er adults surrounding the Totem.

 

All of them had solemn expressions on their faces.

 

All of them had gathered for today's event, as today was the day that he, Alexander, became an Adult. 

 

Yet, as the moment of the Ritual came closer and closer, Alexander became more and more nervous. 

 

For reasons he did not understand, feelings of Shame manifested as well.

 

“GO!” His Mother demanded, and Alexander complied. 

 

Still, some hesitancy was to be expected when he had to dance in front of everybody. 

 

Only when he reached the small dedicated flat stone platform before the Totem did Alexander calm down somewhat. 

 

And once he did, a familiar sound reached his ears.

 

Boom-Clap-Clap-Boom-Clap-Boom-Clap-Clap-Clap-Boom

 

The rhythm of the Adults stomping and clapping their paws calmed Alexander even more as he began to stomp and clap. Moments after that, Alexander eased himself even more as his body started to wiggle at the hip, then the shoulder, and finally, his legs began actually dancing.

 

Wiggle, Wiggle Wiggle 

 

After that, Alexander lost himself in the dance, as the rhythm of his jiggling moves and the sounds the Adults produced did something to his body. He'd never felt it before when he practiced, but now it was clearly apparent to him when he danced on this small platform before the Tribal Spirit.

 

Maybe there was something special to the moves he was doing, but soon even that thought vanished as Alexander became the rhythmic movements. 

 

Nothing else mattered during this Dance of Adulthood.

 

As such, moments passed as the adults provided the sounds and rhythm. And Alexander, for the first time, ever participated in something larger than himself.

 

After the Adult Humanoid Honey Badgers slowed down and eventually ceased their stomping and clapping, Alexander came to himself. 

 

The first thing he noticed was his breathing. It was shallow as if he had been running for a long time. Then he recognized that his whole body was twitchy with leftover desires to dance some more. 

 

Alexander understood why. It was very satisfying to lose oneself like that because it never happened when he practiced it before. With that being the case, Alexander wanted to enjoy the afterglow a bit more, only for another familiar growl to interrupt him.

 

This one was heavier, and it carried authority.

 

“Adults of the Tribe, My Son, Danced the Ritual of Adulthood.” Alexander heard and looked at his Father preaching to the Tribe. “Do, You, Accept, Alexander, Into the Tribe?”

 

The query was sent forth, and silence occurred for a moment before Alexander heard his Mother and Father say, Accept. 

 

Only after every single Adult shared their opinion would the next part of the Ritual start. 

 

With that being the case, Alexander observed other Adults following his parents and accepting him into the Tribe.

 

However, the Adults may have accepted him into the Tribe, but the Tribal Spirit had yet to do so.

 

“Son, Tribe Accept, You… Now. Make. Plea. To, Tribal Spirit” Alexander heard his Father say.

 

Alexander nodded. He turned away from the Adults and faced the Black Totem with golden lines depicting his Mother and Father, alongside a small statue of a Bedg’Er. 

 

The small statue had the same form he once possessed, yet now he realized how superior his current shape was. Not only was he bigger, stronger, and more flexible. 

 

Now he could also speak and learn so much more. 

 

That being the case, Alexander went on his knees and prostrated himself before the Totem of the Tribal Spirit. 

 

His gaze centered on the Totem before him.

 

“I. Alexander, Wish, To, Join, Tribe Sur’Vi’Val.” 

 

The moment he said those words, the shiny lines upon the Totem flared to life, and for the second time on this day, Alexander understood what it meant to be part of something bigger. 

 

Only this time, these feelings trumped the Dance he had just undergone.

 

At the same time, another feeling rose inside Alexander and began to expand. 

 

He knew this one deeply as it had been with him for some seasons now. 

 

Two contrasting feelings emerged at this point. 

 

One feeling fed the connection to the Totem and the Tribal Spirit, which in turn provided his relation to the Adults in the Tribe. 

 

The other came from himself as his thoughts expanded. Not fully understanding what it meant, Alexander lifted his head slightly to see what was happening around him. When he did, he realized that everything his eyes saw felt more vivid than he remembered. 

 

It was that vividness that triggered something. 

 

Then something Vast placed its attention on little Alexander. 

 

That Vast something examined him from head to toe, but IT’s attention mainly stayed inside his head. Stuck in this trance of sorts, Alexander wondered what IT found, but after some moments passed, IT retreated.

 

Nevertheless, IT did not leave before leaving him a gift. A gift that began blossoming from his head. 

 

A gift expanding inside him. 

 

It grew downwards from his head, down his spine to his chest, and then ended on his tailbone. 

 

Then from his spine, it began to expand into the rest of his body. It spread and spread, and Alexander felt every single shred of the growth. 

 

After enough time passed, Alexander recognized nine Shining Lights flaring for a moment. It felt as if he separated himself into nine parts. Each of the nine Shining Lights had its properties and purposes. 

 

At the same time, each Shining Light impressed meaning into Alexander’s mind. Yet the next moment, eight of those shining lights subsided. And with their leave, the implication diminished as well, leaving only a phantom of something. 

 

A phantom to be sought after. However, the last Shining Light got separated into four parts. Each piece focused on one of his paws. Only after they too vanished and the bliss of whatever Alexander just underwent followed came the next part of his Ritual of Adulthood.

Moments later, a connection established itself between Alexander and the Tribal Spirit, and through that connection, information came to Alexander. Information regarding the Tribe, like territory, the number of Individuals living in it.

 

There was more to it, but it all went over Alexander’s head. Still, just because he was not ready for more did not mean that it would not be helpful in some way. 

 

However, none of that mattered when something else popped into Alexander's mind. 

 

Something he had seen before, only not with his physical eyes, Alexander was sure of that.

 

---

Personal Dream Successfully Achieved

 

Description;

 

Congratulations, Alexander. 

 

You have finally left behind your Past and embraced a new Future. I am thrilled you did. Because your past actions were leading you onto a Dark Path, but all that is over now.

 

Enjoy the newfound freedom of possibilities for the Future.

 

Milestone;

 

Growing Up - Achieved

 

Reward;

 

Award; Being an Adult - Achieved 

[Have fun, in all the fun ways, my best buddy. ;D]

 

Perk; Badg’Er System Interface - Granted 

[I've made it child friendly. Therefore it will be easy to use and understand. Just focus on the word STATUS, and it will pop up for you.]

 

Accolade; First Star - Node Opening - Granted 

[Now, this one is far more complicated. Therefore, it needs far more explaining. Hence, the next time you go to rest, expect something to happen in your Dreams.]

---

Lots of stuff passed through Alexander’s mind today. 

 

Every moment had its own wonder, from dancing for the first time in front of many Individuals to becoming a full-fledged member of his Tribe to something growing inside him.

 

Still, despite those being monumental things he'd achieved, somehow, they felt far less meaningful compared to the words that just came into his mind.

 

They spoke of his past, of his future, of what he'd done and what he would gain. But the most crucial part was the familiar feeling Alexander gained when the information reached his mind. 

 

The way everything came to him made him suddenly remember the presence that used to exist in his past life. 

 

A presence he had not felt at all in this Life, yet the information told him that it still existed, maybe in a different form, just like him, but it was there.

 

At the same time, it reminded him that he was never that lonely before, and neither would he be now.

 

Nevertheless, Alexander's mind focused on the word that was pointed out to him. 

 

He did not say it out or even think about it, but when his Intent gathered around the word STATUS, something else popped into his mind.

---

User Status; 

 

Name - Alexander

 

Gender - Male

 

Age - 5

 

Species; Badg’Er 

( Base - Humanoid Honey Badger)

 

Current Status - Healthy

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moral Alignment; 

 

???

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

Titles; 

 

Conqueror of Land and Females; 

 

Scourge of Lions;

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

Affiliation;

 

Tribe - Sur’Vi’Val

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ascension - Chakral System

 

Stage of Ascension - First Star - Root Access

 

Node - Extremities [Hands and Feet]

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

Resource Status;

 

Type - Aural

 

Capacity - None

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basic Status;

 

Body - 5 

 

Instinct - 7

 

Mind - 5

 

Will - 9 

 

Wisdom - 5

 

Luck - ???

 

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ascension Perks; First Star

 

Elemental Alignment - Earth [Kinetic Force Absorption]

 

Elemental Perk - Physical Toughness [Bone/Muscle/Skin]

 

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special Ability;

 

None

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

Skills;

 

None

 

---

It looked completely different from the first one. Yet, somehow, Alexander knew it was far more important. 

 

Yet, just because something is important, it does not mean you understand it. Luckily, Alexander understood parts of it, as every word he noticed carried an attached Intent and Meaning that explained what was what. 

 

They functioned as a translator for Alexander to learn and understand. Just as Alexander wanted to indulge in the wonders of the words in his head, a growl interrupted him. 

 

It made him open his eyes, which he didn't even realize he had shut in the first place. Tilting his head back, he saw his Father, Mother, and the rest of the Tribe watching him.

 

Alexander looked between them all for a moment when he remembered the last part of the Ritual. 

 

Standing up and facing them all, he spoke the words.

 

“Alexander, Join, Tribe… Bring, Offering.” 

 

Immediately, Alexander stepped off the small dancing platform in order to reach the Big Many Leggs he had slain, yet the moment his feet left the flat stone platform and touched the ground, he felt a tingling feeling pass through the pads on his feet, the skin, the muscle, the bones. 

 

Basically, it entered through his feet and spread to his whole body. 

 

Alexander’s eyes instantly gained a distant gaze before a growl returned him to the here and now. He tried his best to ignore the feelings he was receiving, but all Tribal Adults saw and noticed his gait twitching whenever one of his feet left the ground and then returned upon it.

 

Still, after enough steps Alexander acquiesced to the feeling slightly. Then moments later, he placed the dead body of the Big Many Legs, and it blazed into a magnificent. 

 

What followed was Adults feasting on the White Flame, yet unlike regular Tribal Gatherings, there were more dead bodies to be added. As such, every adult ate enough White Flame that the only thing missing was a round belly to signify their satisfaction.

 

Of course, the White Flame had no such effect, so the only visible results depended on the facial expression of each Individual.

Once everything vanished into the bellies, everybody made their way to their own individual Dens, and Alexander did the same by following his parents. 

Inside they sat down in the central part of the Den.

 

What followed was a small discussion of the things that appeared in Alexander's mind. 

 

Of course, there was no way for Alexander to share what was in his mind, but his parents had the same thing, so they were far more familiar with everything.

 

They explained things as best as they could, but even they did not know it all. 

 

The greatest discrepancy between him and his parents was the Ascension System. Neither of them had the same thing he possessed. And neither could explain the things he felt through his paws, no matter if they came through his legs or hands. 

 

Alexander did figure out that the strongest feeling came when all four of his extremities touched the ground. Still, that was also the number one reason his parents kept interrupting him, as he constantly went into a dazed trance, because of the wonder of everything it made him feel.

 

After a few interruptions, Alexander noticed that his parents gave up speaking to him. They just told him to go to take a nap, and that was what Alexander did.

 

He laid down and instantly noticed that a teeny tiny tingling arose from the thick skin touching the ground. It was eclipsed by what came through the hands and legs, but it was there.

 

After some experimentation, Alexander found the best pose for staying in contact with the ground. It was to sit on his butt. Then he just had to lean either back or forward. 

 

That way, it was comfortable, and all four of his extremities touched the ground.

 

Once he was ready, Alexander indulged himself in those feelings. 

Times passed slowly, and Alexander sunk deeper and deeper into it. 

 

It went on like that until he had no idea he even fell asleep. Not that it mattered, as the next place that emerged was both familiar and a welcome sight. 

 

A sight Alexander had not seen ever since he first opened his eyes in this Forest.

 

It brought forth nostalgia Alexander was unaware he even possessed in the first place.

 

Then another surprise appeared when he realized that he was in his old body. 

 

However, that was not the end of the surprises. 

 

A voice and a calming effect reached him. “Alexander, my buddy. How is life treating you?”