Crimes of transmigration

Waking up at the break of dawn I started to check how my body felt, being asleep for an entire week was sure to have some negative effects on me, but I was pleasantly surprised to notice everything was in a better shape then ever. I wasn't even hungry.

"Odysseus, what happened exactly?"

"Since you fell unconscious? Merlin and I have been taking care of you. You absorbed 7 of those dangerous flowers, but Merlin wouldn't explain me why you are able to touch them. On the first day, that girl Hali, arrived demanding to see you… of course we didn't let her, ever since, she's been training with our men, but the bitch is extremely rude and refuses sparrings saying their touch is disgusting or something."

"Ok, anything else I should be aware of?"

"Yes, we are en route to that bitch's island. Her father is securing the route for her lil girlie."

"Of course he is, why would he endanger her daughter while trying to kill us all."

"Anyway, where are you going?"

"Work out, breakfast, greenhouse etcetera, I've been resting for too much. See you later."

"Of course you are."

Making my way to the training ground, I met up with a lot of my men who reported what had been happening since I fell unconscious and even proposed to follow me to workout, I just reminded them of the sparring after breakfast and went on alone. I did need to check the changes in my body after all.

To think Mother would make me a Demi-god.

Upon arriving on the training ground I found it completely deserted.

Where is Eurylochus and co.? Do they think my absence is an excuse for not working out?

A promise to beat them up was made, but I continued with what I had come here for.

"Status."

[Congratulations on awakening your divine blood, displaying status now.

•Name: Dimitris Damocles

•Affiliation: Itaca, Avalon

•Constellation: -

•Trait: Babel tower, Demi-god

•Stigma: Will of Nature, Crest of Damocles

•variable stats:

Strength -> 15.1

Constitution -> 14.7

Agility -> 16.3

Dexterity -> 16

Intelligence -> 19.5

Mana -> 18.2

Aura -> 1

•Invariable stats:

Luck -> 5

Willpower -> 9.5

•Divine blood: The Lightning Bringer

•Magic circles:

1st circle - circle of nature, the Dryad

2nd circle - circle of nature, the Salamander]

[!attention! Form your aura core before cultivation.]

Oh right, demi-gods can use both, finally my spear art will have better results.

Finishing my check-up, it was time to test the effects of Father's ichor and my training begun.

Thorny path.

First was poison resistance, then I'd proceed with my exercises while poisoned.

I stretched a little and after getting myself poisoned I begun running at full speed. Doing it half heartedly would bring no results whatsoever.

The body of a Damocles is to be destroyed and rebuilt.

I trained as usual, challenging my limits, but something was wrong. My body was not getting destroyed, it was rebuilding bit by bit.

Wait a second.

Lowering my chiton to the waist line there it appeared. The crest of Damocles. The crest of my family was a sign that our bodies were ready for the next step of training, but it was too soon for me. Nevertheless, the crest only appears when we are ready, so it must be true.

Seeing how my body was asking for it, I made new thorns, long and thin. Plucking them up I then punctured all over my body. Blocking my nerves and rendering my body useless.

That was the second stage of my training. In a state of inability, move.

Move your body even if your brain cannot give the commands.

Engrave in your muscles the ability to move without the electric message from the brain.

And so I did.

Crawling from the ground, I made every possible effort to move my body and only after an hour I was able to walk. I was extremely grateful to my past experience. When I went through this training the first time when I was 10, it took me 5 days to move. Now within an hour I was able to reproduce what took me weeks.

The strain was enormous, my breathing heavy, but the smile on my face never faltering.

What face would father make knowing my results? Never in the House of Damocles has something like this happened.

"Why are you smiling like that for just being able to walk?"

My workout routine was interrupted by an irritated woman, but I needed to finish my walk or my body would collapse.

"You ignoring me now? What have I even done to you!"

She approached and was about to touch me when she finally noticed the thorns punctured all over my body and stopped her tracks.

"What are these?"

Unable to talk I just willed fire through my mana to manifest and write a message for her.

"Can't talk, 1 hour"

She then proceeded to take care of her own work out while I continued mine.

My walk was finished, but I wanted to push myself more and decided to try and do some pushups. Useless to say I failed miserably. I might have been able to do basic actions, but it was still too early for a proper workout.

On the ground, unable to move anymore, Hali approached me once again.

"You need me to remove those spikes?"

I nodded weakly and she got to work freeing my body for the self imparted paralysis. When the last thorn was removed I felt a rush of energy explode throughout my body, something foreign, something I wasn't used too.

Is this aura? Does it circulate through the points of pressure?

"Why did you lock your aura? Is it uncomfortable after awakening it for the first time?"

"I didn't really want to lock it, I was just paralysing my body."

"What are you talking about, you were moving just fine."

I thought for a second, first I understood immediately how aura circulated and then the unhealthy idea of paralysing Hali rampaged in me.

She was rude to my men, or so I'm said.

"Wanna try? Or you prefer to not have your aura locked?"

"With you here? I'm pretty sure I'm safe with you, let's try it!"

A smile bloomed on Hali's face, but I was confused.

Since when does she trust me so much? We literally have known each other for less then 2 days… whatever.

"Ok, just don't come later on complaining to me."

I created new thorns and started piercing her points of pressure. As soon as I was done the paralysis took effect. Unblinking, barely breathing, Hali stood there frozen.

"Well, try moving! I'm going to train with my spear now… if you want me to free you tell your father to tell me something."

Moving further away to not disturb her I started my dance, blinking, casting spells and attacking with my spear. I tried to will my aura to coat the weapon, but nothing happened so I just used mana. I felt the proficiency of my art raising and it was time to try the second form of my Spear Art.

If the first form Jeté was a throwing form, the second form was a sequence of feints with a powerful stab in between to deceive my enemy: Allégro.

I steadied my footwork and jumped into action, mana circulating through my body to accompany my weapon creating an air of delusion masking my intention.

The footwork was perfect, the art was perfect, everything seemed to fit me to perfection and the familiarity of the style filled me with pride.

This was the spear art created by the first patriarch. How could I not feel pride in using it.

Then Merlin entered the training room with a tray of food and concoctions.

"I knew you'd be here as soon as you woke up."

"Master, why are you up so early?"

"Because your dumb ass thought it was a good idea to drink Ichor as water without thinking of the consequences!"

"How am I to blame you fucking half bastard!"

A tear was flowing from Hali's eye, bewildered by my actions against a constellation even her father respected. She wanted to be free, but she couldn't even talk to ask for it. Then Merlin approached her and started removing her thorns.

"What are you doing? She didn't ask to be freed."

"She can't you fucker! You paralysed everything!"

"So what?! I was able to walk perfectly fine! Also don't demigods have a connection with their divine parents?"

"THEY DO, BUT THAT BASTARD FISHERMAN DIDNT WANT HIS DAUGHTER TO LOSE TO A SON OF ZEUS."

"Oh, didn't think their rivalry would effect her."

With a snap of my finger all the thorns disappeared and Hali fell face first to the ground.

"FUCK! HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO WALK?!"

I knew how she felt, I was her in a past life, but now, since she was daughter of allegedly my father's rival I felt the need to boast a little.

"It's just natural. You do rely on aura quite a lot."

Red with embarrassment, Hali got up and looking my way she spat out her thoughts.

"Your men were right, you are a complete psychopath, even if you are this weak very few can hold a candle to you."

"Why thank you. Wanna sparr?"

"No. Your men will kill me if I steal their priority."

Oh she grew more aware!

"Merlin! Did you guys abuse her in some way?"

"Why the fuck would I need to abuse her? We just showed her how things work here and how there are rules to work with you."

"I didn't know there were rules…"

"Forget it, let's go eat with the others."

Hali and I followed Merlin to the dispensary where our breakfast would be served.

Upon arrival I sensed there was something wrong, too many people were inside. Yet there seemed to be only silence awaiting us.

"Merlin…"

"Shut up Dimitris, just fake shock, they did put a lot of effort."

Nodding, I entered the eatery only to be assaulted with a cacophony of voices shouting with all their might.

"CONGRATULATIONS SECOND COMMANDER ON AWAKENING YOUR DIVINE BLOOD!"

I smiled wildly, these foolish bastard had too much free time, but they still were my foolish bastards. Like little chicks assembling for their mother, they jumped on me hugging and expressing their pride in being part of this crew. I on the other hand was starting to get overwhelmed when Odysseus slipped in to take me away from the chicks.

"CAPTAIN IT'S NOT FAIR! YOU VETOED US TO VISIT THE SECOND COMMANDER FOR THE ENTIRE TIME! GIVE HIM BACK."

Looking at Odysseus who was blatantly feigning ignorance I then addressed my men.

"It seems you've had to much free time to prepare this surprise for me and, although I'm grateful, y'all need a serious beating for skipping morning training. Eat your fill, I'll beat you all up one at a time later."

"YES SIR! THANK YOU SECOND COMMANDER!"

"Good."

Satisfied with their answer I followed Odysseus to a table and started eating to our hearts content.

Hali on the other side of the room was completely speechless, she never received such attentions when she was made known to be the daughter of Poseidon, as if it was something expected of her, she had always thought that the strong rule the world, on that front it should have been Odysseus, the de facto captain, the one to receive all praises, but then she remembered what Eurylochus, a man who was not afraid of her whatsoever, said.

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After finishing my meal with Odysseus and the others I made my way back to the training grounds followed by a Demi-goddess and a herd of chicks.

"Who's first?"

Everyone was eager to fight with me, but nobody made the first move, they were wary of Hali that also wanted to sparr with me.

I didn't give a fuck. My men always came first.

"MENELAUS! Come."

The young man holding a claymore took a step forward all smiles.

"You are the one I've not sparred against for the longest right?"

"Yes, Second Commander!"

The match begun, Menelaus shot towards me with his claymore ready for a diagonal upward slash.

His intentions are too clear.

I sidestepped and deviated his weapon with my palms to then slap his back.

"Faster! Your intention are too clear!"

The dance continued and after ten minutes of thrashing Menelaus around giving him pointers and instructions I set him free.

"Second commander! You've become stronger!"

"Is that an excuse for your poor performance?"

"No… it's just… you're a Demi-god now…"

"I don't give a fuck! Get to training, no excuses! If your enemy is a demi-god he won't spare you just because of your status. You need to able to survive! No metter what!"

"YES SECOND COMMANDER!"

"What's our hubris?"

"ARROGANCE IS THE DEATH OF A MAN!"

"WHAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO SURVIVE?!"

"ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE A BETTER YOURSELF THEN YESTERDAY! NEVER SLEEP ON YOUR LAURELS!"

"Good. Polites, get your ass here."

The matches continued until after noon, once the trashing was finished, and I was also exhausted, it was time to go to the greenhouse and continue my studies on magic. But during my walk I noticed Hali still following me, at first I thought her room was somewhere in the same direction as the greenhouse but when she entered with me I stopped and directly asked her.

"Why are you following me Hali? The training for the day is finished, you are free."

"What about you?"

"Magic studies and I need to tend to the garden."

"Then can you help me? I need to form my first circle, but being only used to aura, mana feels a little uncomfortable…"

"Oh right, there was some message for me to form an aura core as well…"

"That's perfect! I help you, you help me!"

"I'll see what I can do with your circle, but I have other plans for my aura core. Let's go talk to Merlin first."