Beyond the Codex of Gods

With his courage and resolve gathered, he lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

A few moments later.

"Enter." a stern and deep voice sounded from inside, as Wade slowly pushed open the doors to see a blonde man with blue eyes sitting in front of the desk stacked with papers.

His eyes were piercingly cold, devoid of any emotion, as if he were a blank slate. However, Wade felt shivers run up his spine whenever he met that gaze.

Not only because of his attitude toward him, but also because of his incredible cruelty, which was often directed at his family members.

Not many knew it, but Vlad Alexo held a special position even in the main family. He acted as a Punisher, policing the elites of the family and scrutinizing their every action. Interrogating or executing them as long as he saw fit.

It could be already understood the way he treated the servants from this fact alone.

Twelve years ago, when a midwife and her disciples failed to arrive in time to receive Wade and save his mother. On the same night that they failed to do anything, Vlad ordered for them to be stripped and their skins flayed. Then, he personally crucified them outside the city, pinning them hundreds of meters into the air, into the city walls.

However, this didn't arouse even a single wave in Alexo City, as the lives of these servants were viewed as expendable by every pureblood and branch member.

If they came to serve for ultimate benefits, they should be prepared to receive the highest punishment when wronged - death.

Moreover, the recordings from that day were saved and were shown to Wade when he was seven, as if to prove to him that the sinners were punished.

Little him after that had nightmares every day for a month, remembering every twitching muscle, spasming blood vessel and salty tears that probably stung like hell on top of all of the horrifying injuries. Especially the wind that acted like a ferocious whip to their exposed nerves.

The corpses of the servants stayed up there for a week. Decomposing piece by piece and falling to the ground.

However, the cruelties of his Uncle didn't end here. He had sentenced many people to damnation, as well as some of the core members of the family.

Because of that, Wade was targeted whenever he tried to step out of the manor. Even the adults wouldn't care to create trouble for him, intent on venting anger for their fallen family members on a little kid.

Perhaps because of this, his Uncle didn't send him to any balls or noble parties.

In fact, Wade wondered how was he even alive up to this point with so many family elites trying to avenge. He was even more flabbergasted that he hadn't died to a random assassin while spending time in the forest, training with the old hunter.

Everything was a mystery to him, as he wasn't qualified to know.

"Welcome back." Vlad spoke emotionlessly as he observed his nephew. Clearly, this welcome didn't extend to his eyes as he looked at Wade as if he were a stranger.

"Good day, Uncle." Wade stepped forward, placing his hand over his heart and bowing slightly. He did his best to remember his noble etiquette lessons.

"Sit." Vlad pointed at the couch and the table that were placed in front of the desk, as Wade quickly complied.

Vlad observed Wade in silence, as he supported his chin with his thumbs while interlocking his hands, his gaze thoughtful.

The silence ensued for a few minutes, but neither of them spoke. One of them didn't find the need, while the other didn't dare to.

Eventually, the silence was broken by Vlad, but his next words made Wade's chest tighten.

"Your training was a failure."

Wade's heart began to beat wildly, as a flustered expression appeared on his face, but he didn't speak up, instead lowering his head to avoid Vlad's gaze.

"You didn't reach the physical requirement necessary to awaken your bloodline."

"You failed to master the martial arts of the main family."

"You failed to awaken your Espher, even though you have already become twelve."

Each word was like a hammer hitting a rusty church bell, as Wade's mind rang in pain, shame and unwillingness.

"In short, you are a disappointment."

"Normally, if you achieved even one of these criteria, I would have been willing to accept you into the main family, nurture you and teach you all I know so you could accept my position in the future."

"However, you don't deserve any of this."

Wade's left hand started trembling, but he quickly suppressed it.

"There is only one way out that would allow you to remain alive while also not dooming you to the caged life in the House of Alexo."

"Identity change."

Wade's pupils shrunk into pinpricks, as he could no longer hide his intense shaking and it spread to the rest of his body.

"I have already prepared an identity for you. The son of a Baron whose family got recently wiped out, with the sole heir remaining - Wade Frostwalker."

"As the condolences for the loss, the friend of the family, the headmaster of Alkwood Ranker Academy, has given out a quota for the upcoming student selection."

"If you pass it, you get accepted. If not, you will spend the rest of your life in relative luxury since you will inherit the family. However, you will give up your noble status."

Wade couldn't believe what he was hearing, but it was the reality…

"Moreover, you will be moving away from Solheart Kingdom, to the faraway nation of Alkwood Kingdom."

"And for me to accomplish that…"

"You will die today."

At that moment, Vlad's blue eyes shone with a strange glow, instantly alerting Wade's honed senses.

Without hesitation, he jumped out from his seat, darting toward the door, desperately trying to escape.

However, what could a little mortal do against someone who had already transcended mortality?

Golden vines appeared from thin air, as they tightly bound Wade's legs, making him fall.

However, he didn't give up, as he front flipped and then started to roll toward the door with his legs bound.

But the vines didn't stay still as they grew to envelop him whole. The next moment, blue chrysanthemums sprouted all across his body, as despair filled his eyes.

One by one, cracking sounds could be heard coming from his body. Evidently, his bones were being broken. First were his feet, shins, knees, femurs and the process seemed to go further up his body.

The pain was unbearable, as he hollered with his entire nature-given lungs. Unfortunately, nobody could hear the agony-filled voice as golden vines tightly bound his mouth. Moreover, the blue chrysanthemums seemed to be releasing a glowing golden dust, preventing him from losing consciousness.

The world seemed to have become hell, as all he felt was pain and pain, as well as absolute despair, fear, betrayal and hatred, as his bloodshot eyes were pinned on the man who was calmly watching his torture, even though he was the one performing it.

Eventually, the breaking reached his skull, as Wade could feel his skull being ripped apart, together with his skin, as his brain was exposed to the world.

There, a special chrysanthemum seemed to sprout out, different from the rest. However, what it did was no good, as it started releasing more golden dust than even all the chrysanthemums combined. The pain was horrendous, as dust particles melted into his brain, keeping him awake through hell, as the devil himself seemed to be playing with him.

However, the process didn't end with his skull being cracked open for the world to see, as the hellish pain intensified and destruction of every single cell in his body began.

Similarly, it started from his feet. Shredding apart the delicate muscles, exploding the fine blood vessels and stretching the ligaments apart as if they were a chewing gum.

His shins imploded inside, creating small craters all across them. His knees started to rot and his thighs melted. All the horrible things seemed to be traveling up his body, destroying all the organs in the process and inflicting the pain that even the toughest would falter in front of.

Eventually, the process once again reached his brain, but this time…his brain exploded…painting the whole room in brain matter.

With that, Wade was no more.