From what he could remember, Randolf found himself inside a huge cylinder tube full of water. He was floating inside it.
He didn't know anything but a large data of information filled his mind at that time. Information about battle tactics, basic combat style, weapon master, history of the world, humans, demis, monsters, etc...
Various knowledge was implanted in his head. It was a strange feeling. He wasn't supposed to know a single thing but he somehow knew countless things. He didn't need to study and learn about language as different languages were implanted in his head.
People wearing white robes were doing various experiments on his body.
He didn't need to think about what they were doing to him. He didn't need it at all. From all the knowledge inside his head, he knew that he wasn't a human, demi, demon, or monster.
He was forbidden to do anything. He could only stay in his bed before those people arrived and conducted an experiment once again.
He was also forbidden to go outside of his room. From his knowledge, he naturally knew about the cleansing that the three great countries did in the past. He doesn't belong to any of the people outside. Those people would kill him if they knew that he was a homunculus but staying here was also bad for him.
Experiencing countless painful experiments was too much for the mind of a child like him. But he wasn't an ordinary child. He was a homunculus so he could endure.
One day, he found that he wasn't alone.
Yeah, there were other people like him. Other people that don't belong to any category in this world.
A homunculus.
A humanoid artificial living creature. It doesn't necessarily need to be a humanoid creature as some of them have strange body shapes but...
For the researchers...
They thought that humanoid was the perfect shape.
He met the other homunculus saying that he would survive. A defective homunculus wouldn't last one year but a normal one would have the same life span as humans.
"He would survive" that's what they said. It only means that he's not a defective homunculus. That's the reason why the researchers let him met the other homunculus.
The other homunculus' were older than him. They treated him as their young brother. They were kind to him unlike the researchers in the facility.
Randolf came out of the experiment room. He saw children waiting for him outside the room. They were homunculus like him.
"Are you okay?" A child that looked like him said.
"Nn... I'm fine but the experiments are getting painful." Randolf nodded at him. They were his brothers and sisters.
"I'm glad that you're fine." One of the children said.
"I'm sure that the experiments will finish someday." Another one said.
"At that time, we would live together and everyone will not suffer from these experiments."
"It would be bad if we go outside, right?"
"That's why we will find a place that we will call our home."
The experiments continued every day. Randolf and his siblings experienced the same thing every day.
"How are you today?"
"The same as usual. It hurts though."
"It'd be great if the experiments end soon."
"What should we play today?"
"Let's play hide and seek today!"
"Sure, I've mastered a secret technique to hide myself. Hahaha!"
"There's no secret technique!"
One day, the experiment became worse. One by one the people that he treated as his family died. Their body couldn't handle the extreme experiments of the researchers. It was hard for him but one day he found that he was alone once again.
All the homunculus except for him died.
Really... There were just dispensable tools for the researchers.
Randolf stood in the hall alone with a blank expression. His siblings died because of the experiments.
"We have a dream. Our home. But now... It's gone."
He muttered in a low voice as he lowered his head and looked at his hands.
"I know that we're expendable goods... But we should at least be allowed to dream."
For the other homunculus like him... He will free everyone and build a place where they could live freely.
"Everything... Is it wrong for us to wish for a place we could call our home?!"
Randolf appeared in front of Souta and launched a kick. He then caught the barrier device using his hand.
Bang!
Souta flew away and crashed on the ground.
Ugh!
Even with all of his skills, he couldn't match this self-proclaimed homunculus. [Possession] could only give him the strength to keep up with him but it wasn't enough to defeat Randolf. He needed more power.
Should he summon Yuko and help him fight Randolf? But Yuko was helping Lumilia... She was helping some of the B-ranks fight the six-circle officer.
If he summoned her, their information would break and the enemy would breach the formation of the B-ranks.
Then, his last choice would be the equipment skill of the universal artifact, [Soul Blood Earring].
Randolf appeared in front of him and Souta quickly slashed his sword.
[Crimson Moon]!
Randolf shifted his body and avoided the slash. He then grabbed Souta's wrist and threw him on the ground.
Swoosh!
Before Souta crash on the ground, he vanished and reappeared twenty meters away from his opponent.
Randolf was about to chase after Souta when the gravity around him tightened.
"This is not enough to stop me!"
His mana burst out of his body countering the harsh gravity around him. He then saw that Souta was gone.
Hmm...?
He quickly turned around as he sensed a presence behind him. But then a sharp blade was heading towards his neck at high speed.
Swoosh!
He raised his hand and caught the sword.
Souta's eyes constricted when he saw this. He then felt a pain on his stomach as Randolf delivered a fierce blow.
Bang!
Rank-A was really different from the rank below it. It was hard to close the gap, unlike Rank-C and Rank-B. The liquefied mana was many times stronger and tougher than his vast energy even with the usage of [Possession].
Also, Randolf wasn't using any powerful equipment like him. If Randolf used equipment or artifacts at orange grade, then we would suffer a defeat before they could even fight.
"Tell me, Souta!!" Randolf shouted as he slashed the energy blade in his hand diagonally.
Clang!
Souta parried his attack and quickly launched at a kick. He activated the [Agility Boost], [Strength Boost], [Cat's Speed], and [Triple Muscle Strengthening] once again as he felt that the effects of these skills disappeared.
"I don't care about that. I just want to break that barrier device in your hand."
He spoke while blocking Randolf's fierce attacks. The [Night Overlord's Aura], [Shadow Cloak], and [Shadow Step] didn't have a time limit. It will continue to consume his stamina and mana as long as it was activated.
"Hahaha, you're really good! That's why-"
Randolf didn't manage to finish his sentence as cracks spread around the barrier of the city.
"The barrier...?"
Souta stopped moving too as he looked at the sky along with Randolf.
After a few moments, the barrier broke down into tiny pieces.
'The barrier... It's time. I need to finish this as soon as possible.' Randolf thought as he turned to Souta. He threw the barrier device above him and shot an energy ball towards it.
Swoosh!
"That's bad..." Souta muttered as he quickly moved his body and blocked the energy ball.
Boom!
"Argh!"
He received the energy ball and it exploded in front of him.
'Do you want to destroy that barrier device, right? So why are you protecting it.' Saya asked him.
"I want to be the one to destroy it," Souta responded to her question.
The Saya in his mind tilted her head with a confused expression. What's the difference with that? After all, he wanted to break the barrier device to free the institute. She couldn't understand him.
His quest required 'HIM' to break the barrier device so it will be considered a failure if someone broke it other than him. That's why he will not let anyone destroy it.
Souta stretched out his hands and caught the barrier device.
"I finally got it. This is a lot harder than I thought and I discovered a lot of things especially from Randolf."
He muttered as he gathered his mana in his hand and crushed the barrier device.
Crack!
The barrier around the institute was shattered. Everyone looked at it and felt something wrong.
'Oi! What's the point of blocking that attack? I thought that will do something but you just crush it.' Saya's voice sounded in his head.
Souta ignored her words as he looked at the system notification that pop up in his vision.
*Ding!*
[Congratulations for completing the quest "Barrier"!]
[You've received 20,000 exp, 10 attribute points, and 8 skill points as your rewards!]
Suddenly, a light shone on the ground of the third-year area. The light looks like a giant magic circle from above.
Ohm!
Soon, the ground shook heavily and Souta felt tremendous energy was coming out of the ground.
Boom!
The entire third-year area was separated from the room as it started to float towards the sky.
'This is bad, Souta. This is a great sealing spell with the enchantment of a powerful sorcerer...'
"So...?"
'A great being was sealed here and it will woke up.'