In the courtyard of Ahmed Zabana High School, part of the Zahana district, at 7:34 AM, three people of varying heights were chatting amongst themselves, as usual, in their usual spot near the chemistry lab. The lab was on the ground floor, close to the stairs leading to the first floor where they studied, except for the tallest among them, Noureddine, who was in classroom number 1 on the ground floor.
Noureddine turned his gaze to a young man with black hair and dark brown eyes, wearing a blue apron and a light blue satchel with printed writing and some scribbles on it.
A slight smile appeared on Noureddine's face as he looked at the young man, who seemed tired and exhausted, as if he hadn't slept all night.
As soon as he turned his gaze to Noureddine and Abdel Rahman Ishaq, he pointed his middle finger at them while smiling.
Despite this, no signs of annoyance appeared on their faces; they simply laughed, as they were used to... These were matters between them, so he walked towards them with light, almost quick steps, placing his wallet against something near the wall, making a soft thud.
The expressions of the young man playing Free Fire on a Samsung phone and Abdul Rahman, who was nearby on a Redmi phone, shifted to surprise and a hint of mockery.
"Boutaleb, take it easy on your wallet and back. It has all the materials we'll be studying today. It's too heavy. Just bring the books we use." Boutaleb laughed awkwardly as he looked at them.
"I'm used to it, and I also know my luck. The day I forget a book for a subject we don't use, the teacher will ask for it. So I always take precautions. I'm sure that the day I forget a book, he'll ask for it."
Ishaq and Nour Eddine remained silent, but Abdul Rahman's gaze held a hint of mockery before he spoke.
"Yes...yes, you're a dangerous person."
Boutaleb's expression turned to annoyance. Fake, he aimed his leg at Abdel Rahman and tapped him on the forehead before Boutaleb could say anything. Abdel Rahman, who had already kicked him, looked slightly annoyed, as he disliked this kind of joke, especially given his frail physique and Boutaleb's hand being so large it was almost the size of his face. Despite this, he dodged the kick, smiling mockingly, which turned another face from annoyance to laughter.
"Why are you hitting poor Abdel Rahman? He's so fragile!" Noureddine's tone carried a hint of sarcasm, which made Abdel Rahman's face irritate.
"How much do you pay Abdel Rahman?"
A sly smile spread across both Boutaleb's and Abdel Rahman's faces as they looked at Noureddine, whose expression had shifted to that of someone who had been wronged.
"500 dinars, and sometimes for free." "Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha"
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha"
A look of feigned annoyance crossed his face as he looked at them. "Do you really think I'm that kind of person?"
Boutaleb placed his hand on Noureddine's shoulder, his calm expression still bearing traces of sarcasm and a hint of laughter.
"Noureddine, you're a noble and dignified man..."
After pausing, a slight smile appeared on his face as he looked at Boutaleb, who then placed his hand on his shoulder in return.
"You're truly my friend. Thank you."
A smile full of sarcasm spread across Boutaleb's face as he looked at him.
"But you're the biggest jerk I've ever seen."
Noureddine's expression turned to shock as he looked at Boutaleb without saying anything.
"......."
"......."
After a few seconds, laughter erupted from both Abdelrahman and Noureddine Boutaleb. "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha"
Isaac's expression turned to surprise as he watched them laughing, because he had been focused on playing Free Fire.
Abdelrahman looked at Isaac, surprised, but still laughing.
"As they say, 'If you hear well, don't repeat yourself.'"
Isaac's expression turned to annoyance as he realized no one was telling him what had happened between them.
"Isaac, what are you doing? It's been 10 minutes since I arrived. It's 7:44 and you're still playing this game. Talk to us!"
"Talk to us. We're a group."
A slight look of annoyance crossed Isaac's face, but he decided to explain.
"I'm not playing. I'm just checking on him."
"Okay, Isaac," Boutaleb's voice was filled with disbelief, and he quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, we have two hours of math. We'll..." "I really hate my life. One hour."
"Ugh, the first hour is so boring math, especially with a lesson that has so much explanation. It'll be two hours longer."
A sigh escaped both Isaac and Boutaleb.
Boutaleb placed his hand on Isaac's shoulder with an unfamiliar expression.
"Gowther... Gowther... Come on, wake up from your laziness."
Isaac's expression turned to surprise.
At 5:00 AM in Gowther's apartment, he woke up, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.
"Those dreams again... After seven years, those dreams have returned." Gowther wiped the sweat that was pouring down his forehead. He tried to recall the characters he saw in the dream and what happened.
"Status," Gowther muttered softly. A transparent blue system screen appeared.
[Name: Gowther
Nickname: McTair
Age: 16]
Gender: Male
Race: Pure Human
Main Wing: Assassination Concept
Wing Type: Main Wing
Level: 1 - Early
Sync Rate: 15%
Sub-Wing: The Pool
Sync Rate: 60%
Talent: ??????
Occupation: Assassin
Rank: Near Boundless
Marginal Points: ?????? [ ]
A look of astonishment crossed Gowther's face as he glanced towards his status window, particularly at the synchronization percentage for the main wing, the Assassination Concept, which stood at 15%.
"It's gone up so fast! Yesterday it was only 6%, and now it's 15%, a 9% increase!"
A deep sigh escaped Gowther's lips as he headed for a shower, his body reeking of sweat.
Inside the bathroom, a torrent of thoughts flooded his mind like water cascading over his head as he leaned against the wall. "Strange, why don't I feel alienated? Why haven't I thought of returning to my world?"
"What puzzles me even more is how you knew you were in a novel. Wait a minute, I haven't read a novel at all. What I've read is the first five lines. How did you know you were in it?"
There was doubt andConfusion crept into Gowther's heart little by little.
Things were becoming stranger day by day.
Even after six years in this world, things seemed easy. He was like a character in a fantasy story, a hero, a reincarnation. But things began to change after that incident when Gowther fought Uta and encountered that entity called Assassination Concept, and after he received his own wing for the first time.
His perception of the world had changed drastically. He no longer saw it as he had when he first entered this world and during the years he had spent in it.
"Today is a long-awaited day, a breakthrough to the Boundless rank at last."
"I have a feeling I'll get some answers from my comrades today."
A few minutes later, Gowther emerged from the bathroom, dressed simply but elegantly.
He glanced at a clock with a calm expression and saw it was 5:30 AM.
His gaze then shifted to two black daggers with dark red handles, lying on a nearby table. A powerful aura emanated from them, impossible to ignore.
After several minutes, as he stared at that swarm, a flood of memories began to enter his mind like a swarm of swarms.
Three years prior, when Gowther was 13, he had returned from an assassination mission. He had intended to assassinate the original protagonist, Son Goku, but suffered a humiliating defeat, leaving him in a foul mood.
Gowther headed to his apartment, changing his tattered clothes while gritting his teeth in anger at himself for his weakness, which had made Son Goku pity him.
Flashback
As Gowther approached Son Goku, his face remained calm and expressionless, as if Goku were merely a child to him.
Son Goku was a reincarnation who had fought for over 600 years against entities stronger than himself, facing death multiple times.
This gave him the gift of being the son of the Demon King and angelic strength due to the curse that had befallen the body he incarnated in. The Saiyan genes he inherited, along with his ability to level up, gave him an advantage over Gowther. Gowther's system hadn't granted him anything since his reincarnation, and the last power he received was Infinite Evolution. Beyond that, he gained nothing.
Further lacked experience, making him no match for Son Goku, who delivered a powerful punch that sent Gowther flying several kilometers before he crashed into a mountain.
Every bone in Gowther's body was completely broken. He was helpless, and even Infinite Evolution was ineffective because it evolved after repair or while the body was damaged. A body as badly damaged as Gowther's was useless.
Gowther's vision blurred as he looked towards Son Goku, who approached with steady steps and a slight smile.
Punch...punch...punch...punch...
Son Goku delivered several punches to Gowther's face, causing him to spurt a large amount of blood and shattering several teeth, a jawbone, and facial bones. "Son Goku, the second son of the Demon King, Milader, hahaha, how pathetic! I'm truly going to die at your hands."
"Even so, I'm not afraid of death. Adversity only strengthens resolve. I am Gowther McAteer, not Hashmi Isaac. I fear no death in pursuit of my goals." Gowther's voice was weak, his teeth shattered and his jaw broken, but Son Goku understood him perfectly, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
"Very well, very well, Mr. Gowther McAteer. I'll let you live, but remember my words well: when we meet again, I will kill you if you lose."
Gowther's vision blurred, and he lost consciousness. After Gowther regained consciousness, Son Goku's hand fell to the ground, and warm red blood gushed from his shoulder. Yet, his expression remained unchanged.
He tended to his arm, allowing it to regenerate, and turned his gaze.
"Interesting that you have such a good friend, Gowther McAteer." Goku's voice held a hint of mockery as he disappeared after healing Gowther's injuries.
End of Flashback
After changing into elegant, dark black robes with red patterns, Gowther headed to his father, Duke Yukimarus McTeer's, office, who had summoned him.
After several minutes, Gowther knocked three times, muttering under his breath as he waited for permission to enter.
"What does my father want from me? Does he have something to do with Goku's assassination attempt?"
"You may come in, Gowther McTeer."
Yukimarus's calm voice snapped Gowther out of his reverie. He entered Yukimarus's office to find him studying some books. Yukimarus closed the door as soon as Gowther entered.
"You may sit," Yukimarus said calmly, removing his reading glasses and setting aside the book he was studying.
He turned his gaze to Gowther, who remained silent.
"You failed to complete your mission, but you survived. After fighting a stronger opponent, victory is the ultimate triumph. Survival is the end of the fight."
"I believe your pride has been wounded by your defeat. Therefore, according to the McTeer family code, which stipulates punishment for mission failure, you will feed the McTeer Guardian for a full year. If you don't die, 98% of those who fed him have perished. This applies to all members of the family."
The McTeer Guardian was a giant polar wolf, three times the size of a continent in its natural form, but the size of a continent in its own dimension. The McTeer Guardian was at the same level as a Beast God Warrior, equivalent to a regular Master God Warrior. He was a savage beast who would kill anyone he was in a bad mood or disliked.
"And you will also be whipped 1436 times as punishment."
A sigh escaped Gowther's lips involuntarily, but he was surprised that he already knew this. Why was he telling him? This made him realize there was something else. He had summoned him for this purpose.
"Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"
A faint smile appeared on Yukimarus's face as he looked towards Gowther. He then produced a black box, 90 centimeters long and 45 centimeters wide, and held it up to Gowther.
"This is a dagger known as the Shadow Lord, the highest weapon of the Ruler Lord rank. It was brought from the Earth Dungeon, Shadows of rank XXX++. This is a gift for your previous birthday, and also because you are the only one capable of using it due to your ability to manipulate Shadows."
Gowther placed the box in his dimensional space without opening it, and a deep sigh escaped Yukimarus's lips.
"You may leave, Gowther. Visiting hours are over."
Three years later
A faint smile appeared onGowther's face fell as he gazed at the Shadow Lord's Supreme Weapon dagger.
"Who would have thought I'd use you? I've had three years since I acquired you, and I've only used you once, just to test you out."
Gowther McTair preferred swords in combat, but he knew in his heart that the best weapon for an assassin was a dagger, not a sword. Not because it was small—the Shadow Lord's Supreme Weapon dagger was 80 centimeters long and 40 centimeters wide—but because it was lightweight and made a clicking sound when wielded, unlike swords, which made a noise. Secondly, it was easier to throw at enemies because of its wide, short design compared to swords that were over a meter long.
Gowther placed the Shadow Lord's Supreme Weapon dagger in the dimensional space before leaving the rooms, a slight smile on his face. He knew that YM was about to evolve into a Bondless-level entity and be able to use the abilities of his wing, known for its assassination concept.