Since I'm free now, it's best to start training. With how fast things had escalated unexpectedly, even having my past selves' memories would be useless.

  'That hurts...' Deed felt like he was being hit where it hurts.

  Training at the manor's training ground would attract a lot of attention. Based on Deed's memories, there was a dense forest not too far from the manor, perfect for hunting or slacking off for him.

  "Where are we going, honorable one?" Aasiah asked me, as I was not going back in the direction where the meeting room was.

  "Time to go training." I said excitedly. With Aasiah as my SoulCraft teacher, I'll be able to awaken all those cool and amazing superpowers.

  "Hehehehe..." I couldn't help but imagine it.

  'Null, you look like a pervert with that expression.' Zeroze couldn't help but point it out.

  I quickly calmed myself.

  [The honorable one really doesn't slack around. Aasiah thought highly of Null. I too must do my best to help him!]

  As we got out of the manor, Aasiah seemed to notice something.

  "Someone's watching us." She alarmed me. "But they don't have any ill intentions. Should I do something about it?" Aasiah asked politely, not wanting to make a rushed decision.

  'On your left, look at the highest point of the clock tower.' Zeronoz pointed.

  "That's..." All I could see was a figure with full armor on, their cape flowing in the wind. Good thing I don't have near-sightedness with this body, or I would have thought that was a bird or something.

  Comparing this with my original body, not having to wear glasses seems nice.

  'Aura, The Sealed Calamity.' Deed said, knowing the figure's identity. 'The future strongest knight.'

  'You not being the strongest is way more shocking to me.' I said, roasting my other selves.

  'That's just what talent is.' Deed shrugged it off, knowing his limits full well.

  [Meanwhile, at the highest point of the clock tower. Hoh, he noticed me. Interesting. The mysterious figure thought.]

  'So as usual, they wanted to kill you too?' I asked Deed, as I continued walking towards the forest, leaving the manor.

  '...' Deed had no comment, because most likely it was true.

  'I see... I won't be shocked anymore...' I said. 'In the end, fighting will still be unavoidable. Be sure to pass all your skills to me.'

  'So what's the story?' I asked curiously.

  'She is so powerful that her armor isn't for her protection, but to protect the world from her raw power.' Deed explained.

  'She?' Zeronoz smiled like a maniac.

  'Another overpowered character, huh?' I commented.

  'To think they'd even call her here. Currently, she's the strongest knight of the west.' Deed said. 'Despite having her power mostly sealed.'

  I feel like the more people I meet here, the more my death flags will raise...

  Aren't I just a coughing baby in this situation? I haven't even been able to properly use Deed's body at this point.

  Why does all this gathering of strong people feel like an awakening for disaster?

  Will I even be able to survive at this point? Despite housing four seemingly overpowered versions of myself, it's not like they can do much right now.

  All of my other selves seemed to just stay silent in the mental void, as if agreeing with me.

  'Sigh... no choice but to get stronger.' I complained.

  As I arrived at a good spot in the forest, Zeroze told me to tell Aasiah if she could create a private space to train, so it wouldn't attract any attention.

  She told me it was possible to create a space where any SoulCraft used wouldn't harm the surroundings. Even the sound wouldn't be heard, though it would still be visible.

  But for Zeroze, that was good enough.

  ...

  ...

  For Zeroze...

  NOT ME!!!!

  Multiple rocks were thrown towards me with rapid speed.

  "You can do this, honorable one!" Aasiah said, cheering me up while trying to kill me.

  If you are wondering why I'm in this situation? Even I don't know...

  Let's rewind a little bit.

  "Teacher Aasiah, can you help me to awaken my SoulCraft?" I asked excitedly.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "Are you sure?" Aasiah asked hesitantly.

  "Yes!" I said enthusiastically.

  "Alright, don't hate me for this, honorable one." Aasiah said, as her mini doll version started floating in the air as if gathering her energy.

  'Null, dodge!' Zeroze shouted as if seeing my life was in danger.

  With how loud he shouted in my mind, I instinctively dodged as he told me.

  A rock... was sent flying towards me, yet it missed and destroyed the ground, leaving a crater in it.

  If I got hit by that... I would definitely die!

  'Hahahahaah!' Zeronoz laughed at my situation.

  'Hey! What's so funny.' I struck back.

  'Deed might've been a better teacher than her...' Zeroze said. 'Null! Duck!' He suddenly warned as another rock projectile rushed towards me.

  I dodged just in time following Zeroze's instructions. Time felt like it slowed down. Another projectile would fly towards me.

  'Don't think too much! Behind you!' Zeroze warned again.

  However, I could not react in time... The rock hit my side abdomen.

  I could feel it... blood... flowing...

  Suddenly, it reminded me of that moment where my heart was ripped out of my chest as if it were nothing.

  "Aghhhh it hurts!" I held the wound and tried to stop the bleeding with my hand.

  However, the multiple rocks didn't stop being shot towards me.

  'Shit, I'm dead...' I said. 'Why won't she stop?!'

  'Stop complaining! The speed is now way slower than before. You can avoid it. Side-step to the left, and roll on the ground!' Zeroze further instructed.

  "Sorry, honorable one, but this is the only way." Aasiah said as she shot more rocks towards me.

  'Turn your Nerve Switch Off! Just focus on avoiding the attacks.' Zeroze instructed.

  Meanwhile, at the round table, ROH asked Deed. "Is this really the only way to awaken SoulCraft?"

  "No! I've never heard anything like this before." Deed was just speechless and shocked. "To awaken faster, normally we'd just enter rigorous training while praising God, but it's never this extreme."

  "Since Aasiah came from an ancient era, this must've been the old and reliable way." Zeronoz said with an excited grin.

  "You can still smile when seeing our other self is dying, huh?" Deed said.

  "If he dies, then he dies. It just shows his limit." Zeronoz shrugged it off.

  "But we'll die too!" Deed said.

  "Have you forgotten? Our story ended long before." Zeronoz said seriously.

  Deed couldn't refute that. But Deed couldn't just accept it.

  'Null! Let me borrow your body.' Deed said as our body was currently a bloody mess.

  Despite turning off my Nerve Switch, I only mentally shut down my pain receptors. By this time, I was still losing more and more blood... I might die for real.

  'I heard your conversation loud and clear...' I said, remembering what Zeronoz said. I understood what he meant by that. Yet I didn't feel anger towards him at all.

  Aasiah's attacks were merciless and insanely fast, but I could tell she adjusted them to my current situation. I could avoid it.

  'It's fine, Deed...' I said.

  A lot more rocks were rushing towards me from all directions. If I got hit by all of them, I might've died.

  Oh God Almighty, help me survive this.

  And so I prayed.

  I could feel it.

  In my heart...

  'Nu... avoi... it...' Zeroze shouted. But I couldn't hear it fully.

  As if something was changing...

  Is this an awakening?

  'Not yet.' A voice said as all the rocks hit me. It was Zeronoz's.

  Everything blacked out.

  Am I dead?

  Where is everyone?

  No one's here huh... in the end I'm alone...

  What a failure I am...

  To think that I'd die just like that.

  In the darkness, I laid myself on the ground.

  Pathetic...

  Pathetic...

  Just like when my heart was ripped out without me even realizing...

  I'm so weak... what's the point of even returning to my past lives...

  I missed my old life...

  Everything here seems so rushed...

  Compared to my own world...

  But what's over there anyway?

  I didn't realize it before... but this world looks way better than my original world...

  It would be great if I had my camera with me. Maybe take some pictures here and there.

  And then show it to...

  Wait...

  Who am I even showing it to?

  Wait...

  Who am I even?

  Null...

  Am I slowly losing myself?

  My identity...

  My existence?

  'No!' A voice said. Whose voice was it?

  'This is your story.'

  'The one only you could reach the ending of.'

  That sounds just about right.

  Once again I stood up.

  My eyes finally opened again, and the darkness had gone.

  My whole body was a mess. Clothes torn and ripped. Wounds all over it.

  My mind, however, was as clear as day.

  I couldn't help but smile.

  "Is awakening SoulCraft really this hard... hehe." I said to the mini doll floating.

  "I'm truly sorry, honorable one." Aasiah said. "I'll teleport Wrath here to heal you."

  "Hmm? Why the head butler?" I asked weakly, but Aasiah already poofed away.

  'He's the best healer here.' Deed was the one who answered me.

  [A doll that uses SoulCraft... a boy that withstands all the attacks yet is still standing... Aura thought to herself as she'd observed the scene from start to end.]

  'It seems like I didn't awaken any SoulCraft yet, huh...' I said, inspecting the changes that happened to my body.

  I received no reply from my other selves. Silence itself was an answer.

  Not long after, both Aasiah and the head butler arrived.

  "You stupid doll! Don't you know that method is so old and has killed a lot of people already?!" Fuhrer the Wrath severely criticized Aasiah for her methods.

  However, Aasiah looked very apologetic, like she wanted to cry.

  "I'm really sorry, honorable one." She cried as the head butler checked my wounds.

  "It seems like none of it is a fatal wound, but you have lost a lot of blood, boy." The head butler said, giving side eyes to Aasiah. Light... no, a white and harmless flame was burning my wounds. As if the wounds had never existed.

  "You can return your Nerve Switch to neutral now, no need to turn it off any longer." The head butler said.

  "Thank you... head butler." I was grateful to him. All of the pain indeed had gone. But the fatigue really caught up a lot to me.

  "Young lady Erica was looking for you. Everyone thought you'd slacked off somewhere, but here you are diligently training. But with an ancient, torturous method." The head butler said, as if giving a warning towards Aasiah.

  "Ughh..." Aasiah couldn't refute.

  'Ancient torturous methods?! Bah, as if your training was better.' Deed critiqued the head butler's methods as well.

  "Training to awaken is good, boy, but you need to have a better teacher." The head butler said as he placed his hand on my shoulder. Also to criticize Aasiah.

  'Don't take his training ever, Null! Reject that old monster, reject him!' Deed was quite angry and seemed traumatized by him.

  'He's a sadist who will heal you every time you are on your last breath and doesn't even let you rest! I'm telling you, it's for your own good.' Deed complained.

  'No wonder you became strong in a short amount of time.' Zeroze took notes.

  "It's fine, the Librarian is still my teacher. I'll follow through until the end." I said towards the head butler. Aasiah, however, seemed proud and touched by my words.

  "Y-you heard him? I'll do better next time!" Aasiah said.

  Do better what? In trying to kill me... here I thought you were just some cute and harmless mascot character...

  "Hmph!" The old butler couldn't seem to see eye to eye with Aasiah.

  "Boy, just come to me whenever you need healing." The head butler said. "Think of it as one of your privileges as the young lady's most loyal retainer."

  Since when am I her loyal retainer...

  "The young lady is waiting for you at the manor. It's regarding your rewards for saving her." The head butler said.

  "Also you!" The head butler pointed towards the floating mini doll, Aasiah. "Fix his clothes that you messed up."

  "I know, I know..." Aasiah still looked dejected for hurting me with her teaching method.

  A mystical aura twirled all around me, and instantly my clothes were renewed.

  'Reality manipulation...' ROH muttered.